A/N: I don't own any characters you recognize, nor do I own the world that they play in. Now, my Gabriel and AAR's Gabriel are two different people, I didn't even think about it until they decided to go play at Midnight!

~*~

Alexia stretched and opened her eyes. The blurry room beyond wasn't familiar to her. A door was open to reveal a cluttered closet, and clothes were crawling out of it. It was the same for the ebony dresser on the same wall. "Baby, can you close the curtains please?" A groggy voice behind her.

She reached up to undo the tieback that held heavy black velvet curtains to the ornately carved bedpost. She crawled out from under the pile of covers to do the same at the foot of the bed. The other three sides had been closed the night before so that she wouldn't freak out when she woke in the morning. Gabriel had grudgingly agreed. It was cold outside the blankets and her blue silk nightgown did nothing to retain heat. It was nice to escape back to Gabriel's waiting arms. "Did I tell you that you look really good in that?" He said as he kissed her.

"Only a hundred times, but you can tell me again," she replied happily. As she snuggled up to him, Alexia mused over how things had changed in the last month. She had met the man who was her father-only to loose him in less than an hour. Then again, she was happy that he was dead. He had been an ass. Things at home were much different now. Kiree no longer pretended that she had a job, and was much more pleasant because of it. Kaeli was also around more. Alexia didn't know if she just liked to visit, or if she was worried about how Alexia was reacting to all the changes.

Gabriel had quit his job at the construction company. He was more relaxed around her now that he no longer had to hide the truth of what he was around her. Consequently, they spent even more time together than before. Last night he had finally allowed her to stay at his house for the night. She had been there a couple times, but never for long. She had been surprised at the house. Gabriel had taken the largest bedroom for himself. The walls were crimson, all the woodwork and furniture was made from ebony, and the carpet was cushy and black. Velvet curtains hung at the large windows and around the massive bed. There was a plush velvet chair in one corner that was currently buried under a pile of clothes and other things. His tool belt was thrown beside the chair and forgotten about. Stubs of candles littered the top of the dresser. The mirror was dusty, but still there. Alexia wondered why he kept it.

The attic had become Vitaliy's lair. She had only been up there once. The long room had been divided by curtains in a few places. Unlike Gabriel, Vitaliy's curtains were made from white linen. The walls had been painted white. He and Gabriel were the same in that the carpets, woodwork, and furniture were all black. She hadn't been able to see more than that.

These areas weren't what surprised Alexia. It was their roommate, Fritz. He was shorter than the other two-he only came up to Vitaliy's shoulder- and had a completely different temperament than the brothers. He was hyperactive and obtrusive. His flame red hair and freckles didn't help people to take him seriously. All she had seen of his basement room was the rainbow of colors that dominated it. She had seen that from an open window that was half-sunk in the ground. Several layers of brightly colored silk had floated up towards her as she walked by to the front door. Gabriel had walked wide to avoid the colors as if they would contaminate him with whatever made Fritz so irritating to them. He had this annoying habit of-

"Gabe! What's going on?"

-showing up where he was most unwanted. According to Gabriel, he was really young. He had only been changed three years previously. They had met him at SingleEarth and taken him in six months ago. Now they were starting to regret it. "Don't call me that again or I will hand you what is left of your brain," Gabriel growled.

"Anyway, what's the plan for today?" Fritz continued.

"I'm going to pretend that you don't exist, and then I'm going to spend the day with Alexia. Go harass Vitaliy."

"I can't," Fritz sounded sad. "He kicked me out last night and locked the door. Then I think he left. He hasn't come back yet."

"I'm about to kick you somewhere," Gabriel threatened.

Fritz got the hint. He disappeared. "Remind me again as to why I haven't evicted him yet?"

"Because you feel sorry for him," Alexia answered. "And besides, I think you really do like him."

"Oh no I don't," he answered quickly. He kissed her before she could comment again. "But I will tell you what I do like."

"And what's that?" She replied coyly.

"You. Especially in this nightgown. I'd love to see what you look like under it," he murmured.

"So why don't you," was not the reply that he had been expecting to hear.

"Are you sure?"

Alexia nodded. He had just begun to slide the material off her body when Vitaliy flung the curtains open. "God damnit! Can't anyone knock around here?" Gabriel exclaimed.

Vitaliy took a step back. He obviously hadn't known that Alexia would be there. "Oh, um.. Hi Alexia," he stammered. "I swear this is really important!"

Alexia glared at him. "It had better be."

"Okay, you've been around Kaeli too much. She looks at me just like that when she's about to flay something. Anyway, I kinda screwed up. A lot," he was speaking so fast that Alexia could barely keep up with him.

Gabriel stared coolly at his little brother. They must have been exchanging thoughts. Alexia wished that she could hear them. She jumped when Vitaliy staggered a bit. "You did what?" Gabriel roared.

He jumped out of the bed to grab hold of Vitaliy and confront him. Alexia had to giggle. She couldn't bring herself to fear a vampire who was wearing boxers with little pink and purple hearts on them. Vitaliy, on the other hand, was very much afraid. The hearts must not have even processed. "How in the hell could you have been so stupid? What possessed you to leave Nicole alone with Jeshickah?" Gabriel was yelling.

Alexia blanched at that. "What did you do to my best friend?" Her voice was shaking.

"I didn't mean to! She wanted to see Las Noches, so I took her. I didn't think that it would be very dangerous this time of day. I turned my back for two seconds and that bitch took her!" Vitaliy yelped as Gabriel lifted him by the front of his shirt.

"Where is she?" Alexia asked softly in the quiet that ensued.

"Midnight," Gabriel replied just as softly. "Damn little brother, you did screw up this time."

"I know. Help me get her back, please?" Vitaliy's eyes were pleading.

Gabriel swore. "Kiree is going to kill us."

"Why?" Vitaliy asked.

"Because I can only think of one way to get into Midnight."

Vitaliy looked past his brother to where Alexia lie on the bed. "Oh."

~*~

Gabriel sat in the drivers seat of Alexia's black Celica. Alexia had asked to at least sit in the passengers seat, but that just wasn't possible. Vitaliy sat there instead. Gabriel glanced over his shoulder. "Are you sure about this?" He asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes, I'm sure." Her normally bright eyes were cool with determination. Her dark hair was pulled back into a simple braid, but a long strand had escaped. She tucked that behind one ear. After Vitaliy confessed his stupidity, the boys had dressed. They now wore matching black slacks, dress shirts, and steel-toed boots. Vitaliy had unbuttoned his sleeved and rolled them up to his elbows. His long black hair had been tied back. Gabriel had put on a necklace: a black leather chord from which a pewter disk about the size of a quarter with the rune kenaz stamped into it hung. The necklace fell right below his throat. He had dampened his short hair in an attempt to control it. He knew that it wouldn't help.

After they had gotten ready, Gabriel went to Alexia's and brought back appropriate clothing. He came back with black slacks, low heeled boots, and a black blouse with three-quarter length sleeves. She dressed and he had told her to remove all her jewelry, including her watch and earrings. Her left wrist now felt naked. Even worse, he wouldn't let her wear the knife that she had taken to carrying since the run in with Luke. "I hope this works," Vitaliy said.

They were about to pull out of the driveway when Fritz bounded up and knocked on the window. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere," Vitaliy answered.

"Ooh! I love nowhere! Can I go? Please, please, please?" He was practically hopping from one foot to the other.

"Sure, as long as you can get us into Jeshickah's private slave quarters," Vitaliy answered sardonically.

Fritz's eyes got wide. "You're going to Midnight? Oh no, that's a bad place. You can't go there. Midnight will kill you. No, no, no. Don't go to Midnight. She'll take Alexia and break her. Don't go."

"You've been to Midnight?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

Fritz didn't answer. He suddenly became very interested in Alexia. "Oh no. She won't believe that you're broken. It doesn't matter how calm you appear, She will know. Although, if there was a bruise there, and there, and there... Maybe a few cuts or welts... But She knows. She knows," he seemed to be in his own world.

"I have to say it V, but I think he's right."

"Can we ask the 'slave' before we start bruising?" Alexia leaned between the front seats.

"No one is doing any bruising. You'll have to stay here," Gabriel sighed.

"I'm not staying."

"There are three ways for you to get into Midnight. As a vampire, a blood-bonded servant, or a slave. I'm not going to blood-bond you. You're not going to pass as a slave, and I refuse to hurt you so that you will," he didn't have to say anything about changing her, they all knew that it wasn't an option. "It's not going to work."

"She has Nicole, doesn't She?" Fritz said quietly.

Vitaliy nodded. If possible, he was paler than usual. "She took her."

"She took me from my family. I can't let that happen to anyone else. She broke me, and changed me, then let me go when she thought I wouldn't survive one my own. You guys saved me. It's my turn to help you. I'll be right back," Fritz announced. There was no bounce in his step as he walked into the house. He seemed a completely different person.

He emerged from the house a few minutes later. He had changed from his red t-shirt and jeans into an outfit of all black. He carried a black and silver case under one arm. His steps were purposeful. Without a word, Gabriel get out of the car to let him into the back. They began driving towards Midnight. The case held a wide assortment of theatre make-up and things to apply with. He took Alexia's chin in his hand and began to apply the make-up to her face. He moved down to her neck, then forearms and hands. When he was finished she had a black eye, and several cuts on her face. Bruises riddled her neck. Small cuts and bruises appeared on her arms and hands. Fritz had talent. Alexia studied her hands. "Don't touch them, the paint isn't dry yet. When it is, they still might smudge a bit so you'll have to be careful. She still might know. But it's the best I can do."

Alexia nodded. "Thank you."

Fritz nodded and closed his case with a snap. He didn't say anything else. "What exactly is going to happen?" Alexia asked.

"I'm not sure. I've only been to Midnight once and that was a few hundred years ago. Actually, I haven't been to this new Midnight. I'm assuming that it's the same as it used to be," Gabriel answered.

"New Midnight?"

"The old one burned down. I don't remember who did it, but it was completely in ashes. Midnight is a haven for slavers. The kidnap humans, or breed them, and then train them one way or another. I never cared to be involved with it."

"So why did you visit?"

"I was curious."

"Okay... You still didn't answer my question."

"All I know is that we're going to try and get inside and get Nicole out. I'm going to try and pass you off as a newly acquired slave that is semi-broken. This means that you need to pretend to be very obedient. Keep your eyes down unless told otherwise. Don't speak unless spoken to, and always refer to a vampire as 'Master' or 'Mistress'."

"It would probably be a good idea to kneel if Jeshickah comes around," Vitaliy added. "She might not take it well otherwise."

"And how am I supposed to know who she is?"

"You'll know. She usually wears thigh-high boots with heels so high that she is completely on her toes."

"The bitch in bondage boots, got it."

"Don't say that in Midnight," Gabriel advised.

"I won't. I'm not stupid."

"I thought that Jeshickah wasn't involved with the new Midnight," Gabriel said after a long period of silence.

"She wasn't until very recently. She doesn't approve of how Jaguar is running it," Vitaliy answered.

"What else do you know?"

"Um... He bought two new pets yesterday, so he'll probably be distracted. He shouldn't be a problem."

Gabriel nodded. "That'll make things easier. We still have a couple hours left Alexia, why don't you sleep?"

She shook her head. "I doubt that I could sleep right now," the idea was contradicted by Gabriel's slight pressure on her mind telling her to sleep. She fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

~*~

End Part I...