Charli saw Gavin pull the girl into his room. He looked sideways cautiously then opened the door to his room. The girl followed gleaming with joy.

Charli noticed them and heard the lock click on his door. A tear streamed from her eye. She couldn't believe it. She ran out of the door and started the ignition of the Viper. The tires screeched loudly on the pavement as she raced her way out of the den. She turned the music on. Lostprophets blared her stereo. Tears escaped from her iridescent eyes. As she drove her tears became not those of sadness, but of pure anger. Anger she had never felt towards a lycan before.

She knew where she was going. And she was going there like a maniac. Not bothering to stop for anything. Who cared if someone hit her? It's not like she was going to die. She slammed the breaks in front of a pub. Dusk Inn and Moonlight Pub. People outside of the pub stared at her. She could read their thoughts by just looking at them. They were either too young to get in, waiting for someone to bring out a beer to them or just drunkies who had gotten themselves kicked out. Those who were too young waited by the door. They watched Charli storm to the door.

One guy in a leather jacket grabbed her shoulder. He was with three other guys. They seemed to be the typical teenagers that roamed the streets of Budapest on a Friday night looking for some fun. "You can't go in there you're too young. We can show you a good time." He had a thick accent. He started to pull Charli. She knew his intentions. She knew the world today.

The thought flickered in her mind.

For just a moment the thought flickered in her mind.

Charli seized his forearm that had grabbed her shoulder. Everyone around him laughed at Charli amused at her attempt. Charli didn't even bother. She flashed him eyes full of black. The guy jumped and the rest of his group just backed off.

"You'll never get in there!" The guy shouted back at her. Then he muttered something in Romanian that only an undead could hear. "Freak."

She guessed he was upset because raping her was probably a bet he had received from his friends.

Stupid ass. He had no idea. She gave him another glance around her shoulder. She winked and waved then turned back to the man in front of the door. He shook Charli's hand and smiled.

"Hey Neil!"

"Charli." He nodded and allowed her into the pub. Sure she wasn't supposed to be here. She obviously didn't look eighteen yet. Or twenty-one. Whatever the age limit was in pest now. They had changed it a few months ago. 

Neil was a lycan. Turned a few years back. He loved working here as a guard. Maybe it was having three little sisters that made him so protective, but every time she came here he always had an eye opened for her.

The red, black, and vanilla colored walls tried to decorate the desolate place. She sighed. The pub had been divided in two about a year ago. One side was a restaurant. A mighty good restaurant at that. The other side had a few pool tables set out. Most of the time men played pool here with their cigarettes and getting drunk with their beers. Straight down the middle was the bar. To the side of it was a staircase that led to the "inn" part of the pub. She knew this place way too well.

She stood and leaned on the bar. Near the pool tables was a stage that everyone in the pub could see. Sometimes they had a karaoke night, but tonight the band playing streamed with alternative rock. The music flowed through her. She was happy it wasn't jazz and blues night. That would have made the ache in her stomach worse.

How could she believe what she had seen? First he kissed her then brought her alone to his room, and he made sure no one was watching. Could she have been that blind? She couldn't have expected Gavin to honestly wait for her like he had said. So everything he had said was a lie. Did he actually follow her all those years, or was he lying again?

A nice beer would make it all better. "Hey! Can I get a beer?"

One of the bartenders looked at her nervously. He could tell she wasn't "of age" he tapped the shoulder of the other bartender. Silver gray hair in a buzzed cut fashion topped the old man's hair. He turned at the young bartender as the man listened intently and turned around. His stern angry face completely changed when he saw Charli.

"Charli! How's it been?" The old man called to Charli.

"Not bad!" She said over the music. The younger bartender stared.

"Who's the new guy?" Charli asked.

"Oh!" The man turned to look at the other. He obviously gave him a look because at that moment the young man went back to his work. "That's Jared. He's new here."

"So Oldie! What's up?" Charli asked.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! I don't want any of that old man stuff not in my pub." The man had come closer and his thick Irish accent was easily identified.

"Ha ha! Funny. Did you develop a sense of humor since I've been gone?"

"I'm serious."

"C'mon do people actually think your Terrence the millionth who started this bar in 1915?" Charli said with a huge grin. Terrence had been turned a lycan in the early nineteen hundreds. Then Terrence gave her a warning glare. "Sorry Terree. Or does everyone call you Fox now?"

"Whatever you think sounds better. But you've called me Terrence since I've known you." Terrence said with amusement.

"You're right." Charli said lastly over the music. She sighed heavily.

"I know I'm supposed to the comforting bartender talk, but you know I can't do that to you. Who the hell hurt you?"

Charli smiled. Terrence always knew what was wrong. Whether it was experience as a bartender or just experience in general she was thankful for it.

"It's nothing."

"C'mon Char. I'm not an idiot." He banged a beer against the metal of the counter and handed it to Charli. She took a few sips thinking before she let it out.

"You remember Gavin?" Charli took another sip.

"NO! He's a lycan he wouldn't desert you." Terrence could already guess the story. "No way! You guys were in love! Or at least on your part."

"At least on my part." Charli repeated, "When I came back it was like nothing every changed except for the fact he was a bit more protective of me. Then I saw him kiss another girl; then led that same girl into his room."

"It could have been anything." Terrence said searching for an answer.

Charli glared at him. "He made sure no one was looking, and he locked the door. I'm in love, but I'm not a fucking idiot."

Terrence nodded. "Damn. Wait. He brought a mortal to the lycan den?" Terrence already had a bewildered look.

Charli snorted almost bringing her beer out through her nose. "No you idiot. She's a lycan. Just turned, actually, last year to be exact."

Terrence laughed. Not only did he laugh he had to grip the edge of the bar to make sure he didn't roll on the floor laughing his ass off. When he looked back up at Charli tears of laughter were in his eyes. "So wait a minute. Wait a minute. You're telling me Gavin's with a underdeveloped lycan?" Charli gave the slightest nod, which made Terrence go back into hysteria. He tended to call newly turned lycans underdeveloped because they hadn't any experience with the real underworld.

"SO WAIT!" Terrence tried to get a hold of himself, "She's been living in the manor?"

Charli knew what was coming, but she couldn't lie to one of her oldest friends. She nodded.

That was when he snapped. He came round the bar and sat on the stool next to Charli roaring with laugher. 

"Who would have ever thought?" His eyes were in deep thought just as Charli's had become. "Damn." He repeated taking Charli's drink and taking a sip himself. The fact that one of her closest friends had taken a sip didn't faze her as disgusting. Her reaction was just to follow him.

"We're going to need another beer." Terrence said about ten minutes later. They had both just stared off into space. Absentmindedly Terrence walked back around to the bar and took the empty beer bottle and tossed it into the garbage bin marks glass. He was about to hand Charli another beer when something shot out of nowhere to grab his arm.

Charli turned to see the Lucian. "I don't think she needs another one."

"I've only had one." Charli said simply and took the opened beer bottle taking a larger "sip" now that she had already finished one bottle. Terrence nodded at Lucian. "OK one and a half." Charli grinned.
Terrence Lucian. Lucian Terrence. Bartender Father. Father Bartender." She smirked at her own comment.

"Pleasure to meet you at last Lucian. I've heard everything there is to know from Charli." Terrence had a quirky sense of humor.

"What?" Lucian looked at Terrence then to Charli in surprise.

"Don't worry you don't tell me you're a hybrid and I won't tell you I'm a hybrid."

"What the hell is going on?" Lucian demanded.

Charli rolled her eyes, glaring at Terrence who smiled back. "Terrence is a friend of mine. Turned in 18-0-5 He's not a hybrid… yet"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucian asked warily.

"He wants me to sire him. And because I was the only hybrid he could only go to me. His father was a lycan and his mother was a mortal."

"And now that we have more than one hybrid…" Terrence added. "Maybe your father's nicer." He teased.

"Shut up Terre!" Charli looked at her father. "I wouldn't sire him. I've never had blood."

Lucian looked at her oddly, "Ever?"

"Unless you count vampyres. Never ever. I've threatened to, but I wouldn't. I've lived off of mortal food."

By this time Charli was half way done with her drink that had been shared with. She turned away recent thoughts and emotions coming back to her. She headed to one of the empty pool tables. She put her beer on the side and chalked the end of one of the pool sticks. She set up the triangle. Lucian came to join her. He took her beer up, and she reacted quickly.

"Give me my beer!" She almost shouted, but it wouldn't have made a difference if she had since the punk rock was blasting the radio. It was happy hour! "Now!" Charli was now whining. She didn't feel like being the all-powerful bitch. She just wanted to get drunk, and forget everything that was going on. She wanted to have a hangover tomorrow so she would, again, forget everything that happened tonight.

"What would Gavin say if you got this drunk?"

"Gavin is too fucking busy to even realize that I'm getting this fucking drunk, and I don't give a shit what the hell that bastard thinks!"

Terrence, behind Lucian, went into the fit of giggles. Lucian turned and looked at the odd man. Terrence just went on laughing. "Only you can put so many curse words in the same sentence, and make it sound OK."

"Terrence…" Charli just rolled her eyes at her friend. She realized she was too drunk to do anything, and obviously he realized as well because he kept on laughing. "Can you just get me another beer?"

Terrence walked away the grin on his face never left.     

Lucian set the beer on an empty table by him and walked over to Charli and joined her in her game of pool. "What'd Gavin do this time?"

Charli's bad mood was set back in place. No matter how drunk she got someone would remind her of recent events. "He's with another girl." Charli said it simply.

"What?" Lucian sounded bewildered.

"It's not like I could blame him," Charli remembered, "I hadn't seen him in centuries. I can't just expect everything to be back to the way it was."

"He can't be with another girl Charli." Lucian said as simply as Charli had said.

"I saw him," Charli's temper was rising, "He grabbed another girls hand and pulled her into his room. This was after I saw them kissing. Why doesn't anyone fucking believe me?"

Lucian shook his head; "I know love when I see it. You're wrong."

"Even if I am…" Charli paused. She didn't know what she was saying. "Guys are a waste of time."

"Even me?"

Charli smiled. "Maybe, I haven't decided."

It was an awkward moment. Lucian had not talked this freely in a long time, but he liked it. And he liked Charli. And that was all that mattered.

For now, that is.

Terence came back with two beer bottles. Handing one to Lucian. After a while Charli spoke again, "I just didn't think he meant it when he wanted to leave. When he told me he didn't love me. I always thought different. I never hooked up with a guy just because thoughts of Gavin were always there."

Lucian could only nod. He understood how it felt. It had happened to him before. "Well he fooled me. It looked like love from the moment he saw you at the cemetery."

"Yeah. And I didn't even remember." Charli looked away from the game. Her thoughts ended and she once again focused on getting the striped ball in the socket.

She wasn't exactly sure when, but she finally admitted to herself she was drunk. The ball went in the completely opposite direction than when she wanted it to. Then someone came up from behind and grabbed her drink. He took a swig and smiled at Charli. She didn't smile back

"Hello pretty lady. To what honor do I hold this nice little meeting?"

Charli rolled her eyes. "You've contaminated my drink you little fuck." She was in no mood to play around.

"Well it seems we've got just a little one here. What would happen if we told the guard, or bartender?"

"Terence, get me another beer that hasn't got infected slobber over it."

"Here Charli." He tossed her a beer from the counter. She caught it in one hand and suddenly banged it on the pool table breaking off the cap.

"Nice trick Charli." The man had a nice body. She gave him credits for that, but he was still no match. What was up with men today? Do they honestly think her to be like all the other girls they've messed with?

Two other men walked up behind this guy. Obviously they were his friends. Lucian didn't even budge, though every instinct in him told him to help her. Hybrid, and father instincts alike, but he knew she could handle herself, and the fact that she would try to kick his ass if he did help tugged at the back of his mind.

"We can show you some more tricks if you'd like?"

"No, I think I learned enough in NY. They can teach me more than you ever will." Charli said taking calm sips from her drink.

"I doubt it little girl." The man reached for her. The moment his hand touched hers she shivered and like a spark slammed her fist in his jaw. She didn't budge, but the man stepped back and howled in pain. One of the other men stepped up to see this little punk who punched his friend.

"Don't touch me!" Charli's voice quivered in what almost seemed to be fear.

The man smiled as if she was joking with him. He stepped closer. She knew his intention. She knew that the bottle tucked nicely away from view held LSD. The drug would be slipped in girls' drinks so that they could rape the girls.

The men didn't look like they could be capable of doing such things. With clean-cut faces and nice clothing. Any regular girl wouldn't suspect them, but Charli thought quicker, she knew better.

Her eyes turned stone. She dared the man to come closer. She had to fight her fears. The man came as if invited. His hands came to her waist. She took this chance to knee him in the groin. She knew that it only took eight pounds of pressure to severely hurt a man's privates. She figured she did about nine or ten pounds of pressure.

He stepped back arms clutching his stomach as if it would help. Instead she took his head and bashed his head against her kneecap. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the third man come up behind her. She was about to finish off the wailing man when the other's hand shot out and tightly gripped her wrist. "I told you not to touch me."

She clutched his forearm and twisted it with such speed all the man could do was let go of her wrist. She, on the other hand, didn't let go. She kept on twisting until…

Crack.

The man jumped back in pain. She ended it off by snapping his head. She knew it wasn't enough pressure to kill him. She wouldn't be accused for murder; that'd be a stupid way to spend eternity since the murder penalty usually would be a lifetime in prison.

By now everyone was looking at them. A chill ran down her back. She had gotten way out of control. What was happening to her? Like she had known all along the hybrid reached for the first man's pockets. Her fingers grabbed a white and orange bottle.

Pill form. Didn't matter.

She popped the top off and let the pills slip from the bottle onto the green felt of the pool table. Some of the people had looked away now that the fun was over. Terence came by he wanted to laugh at the men. Charli hadn't paid any attention to this she took the black 8 ball and started to smash the pills in bits.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Like low gunshots the ball hit the table. Tears began to fall from the glossy brown orbs.   

Lucian came behind her and stopped the pounding. Her muscles tensed, but he hugged her in his arms tightly. She put her head on his chest lightly. Lucian put down the 8 ball that was clutched in her hand and started to leave the pub.

He reached into his pocket for a twenty, hopefully that would suffice the bartender.

Terrence walked up to see what Lucian was doing. "Saints no Lucian. I've not charged Charli in my entire lycan life. I don't plan to start on it now. Besides it's almost the weekend." Terrence rubbed his fingers together. "Make sure you drive around a few times before stopping."

Lucian looked at him oddly. Then it took Terrence a few seconds to figure it out. "OH right you didn't know. Umm riding in the car calms her down. Whether it's drinking or not. It kind of puts her to sleep somehow. Just make sure she's in the front, and her window is open and that you don't stop too many times."

Lucian nodded, "Thanks."

"No prob." Terrence walked them out the door. Neil was still out there. He dark African decent showed.

"What the hell?"

Terrence shook his head. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. It was Gavin."

"Did that stupid bastard…"

"Just don't worry about it."

All Lucian could do was stare. Terrence said in a low husky voice, "Lycan turned in the forties."

"There seem to be a lot of lycans here. Older ones too."

"Yeah. We kind of stay clear of most lycans, but if you ever need us. Just ask Charli she knows."

"Thanks." Lucian's gratitude was mumbled.

Lucian set Charli down in the passenger seat of her viper. She watched him get into the driver's seat, and she gave him a strange look. He noticed and only said, "I walked."

She didn't realize much as the ignition was turned. She fell into a comfortable sleep knowing that tomorrow would be an annoying day.

Lucian calmly drove into the night. He didn't stop right at the Lycan den, but instead drove in circles around some empty Budapest streets. She slept without a word. Just like her mother. Even Sonja loved a carriage ride home. All of the sudden the car stopped. Fear crept into Lucian for a split second and he glanced at Charli who was still sound asleep. He looked behind him and saw death dealers on top of the back of the sport car.

Lucian got out of the car ready to change, ready to protect the only living blood kin he had left.

"Lucian. Brave, noble Lucian."

Lucian swerved around to see what mysterious voice tingled almost in his mind.

"Marcus." Lucian spat.

"Don't hate me Lucian. I'm doing this for the good of everyone."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Marcus stood about too serenely.

"We have no reason to live if there is no war. War gives us a purpose Lucian. You know that. What will you do after the war? Weep for your lost ones."

Lucian's shoulders arched back ready to fight, but the noises of guns clicking behind him made him stop. He was strong, but he did not go into open battles where he knew he would lose.