Selene opened her eyes to see a smiling Michael standing above her. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness after a few moments, though it wasn't as sharp as it would have been if she was still a vampire. Slowly she sat up and glanced around the room, a woman stood by the door smiling at her under her hood.
"I'm sorry for waking you." He told her, "But, William would like to take some blood so he can test it, and see what is possibly going on."
Selene nodded, her throat dry from her sleep, "Who is that?" She managed to ask, raising her hand and pointing at Lydia.
"That is Lydia, she is helping us." He informed her as she climbed out of the bed and stood up straight.
"Hello." Lydia said her voice soft.
"Hello." Selene replied back, willing herself to remember why this woman seemed familiar.
Michael started towards the door, "You ready?"
"Yeah." Selene told him as she walked with him and out the door Lydia following a few seconds behind them. This was the first time she had left the room, and she was feeling a bit uneasy about being around the lycans, even worse though, she was in their den. Overall, she felt a little better when she looked over and saw Michael giving her a small smile.
Lydia was walking behind them and Selene could feel her eyes on her, even though she had something covering them. This woman's skin was pale, and her voice was calming, but strong also. It was a shame she couldn't remember anything, or feel things like she supposed she should. It was all very confusing.
Michael stopped abrubtly beside her at a large door, he opened it and walked in holding the door open for Selene and Lydia. Once they were in he shut the door and William walked out of another room into the one they were now at, his office.
"Hello, Selene and.." He said looking at Lydia.
"Lydia." She told him her hood still blocking his view of seeing her complete face.
"Lydia." He repeated, "Hello."
"Yeah, the greetings are all good, but you needed to see Selene did you not?" Michael said from his spot by the door. Selene looked over at him, he had his arms crossed and a thoughtful expression on his face. Some of his hair had fallen down over his eyes as he kept his gaze at William waiting for a response.
It was funny, how she found herself paying more attention to a man she had only known for a few hours. She looked at William when he started to respond.
"Yes, I needed to take a sample of blood and see what the virus is doing."
Michael simply nodded as William washed his hands and took out a needle from his cabinet. Selene watched him carefully as he walked towards her. He grabbed her arm and smiled at her, after wiping it off he inserted the needle into her arm. She winced slightly as it stung, but the pain was soon gone and he was extracting the blood from her. As soon as he was done he pulled the needle out and wiped her arm off once again.
"Done." He announced walking back over to his desk.
Selene glanced down at her arm then back up. Michael was smirking at her his eyes twinkling as he watched her. Lydia had remained silent since announcing her name and was glancing through her hood around the room.
"We will be going then." Michael told him opening the door once again.
"Okay, thank you."
"No problem." He said as Selene and Lydia walked out of the room, he followed closing the door behind him.
They walked down the hallway silently none of them making a sound except for the sound of their shoes on the floor.
They stopped when they got back to Michael's room. "We can talk in here." He told Lydia as Selene walked in the room and sat down on the couch. Michael took a seat next to her, and Lydia sat down in the chair looking at them her legs crossed and her hands sitting in her lap.
"What do you want me to say?" She asked.
"I want you to tell me about you, who are you? Where are you from? How long have you been alive?"
Lydia nodded and took off her hood. "As you know Michael, I am Lydia, a vampire. To any vampire eye, they know who I am, I should have been an elder, but I became attracted to a human, who thought I was a human with a skin condition. Eventually the council found out about my affairs."
"The man found out that I was a vampire, it was forbidden for a human to know back then, but sometimes when you're in love, you can't keep a secret like that to yourself. Just like Viktor though, he ran and told our father."
"Your Viktor's sister?" Michael asked interupting her.
"Yes, his only, elder, sister." She told him a smile on her face, "Although I don't look a day over twenty. The male vampires tend to look older during their prime. Anyways, Viktor found out, and he always had to be the annoying little brother. So, he told my father, a respected council member, and one of the eldest vampires of his time. My father was much like Viktor in a way. Didn't believe in blending of the spieces of such. A rule that had gone way back in our family. Father never went to the extremes as to kill me as Viktor did his own daughter, but-"
"You knew about that?" Michael asked not sure on the timeline that was being laid down in front of him.
"Yes, I was there hidden, watching my niece as she screamed. I couldn't rush forward to save her like I wanted to, I still regret that day. Although my love's fate was regretable as well, my Father hunted him down and went to kill him, he was followed by some rogue lycans that had escaped servitude, before he could kill him however, he was attacked. The lycans took off with the man I loved, and I never saw him again. He could have been a lycan, killed, or is still alive an immortal today."
"The year came when Viktor killed my Father and became the new power in our clan. It was only a few years after that he killed his own daughter, who had already witnessed the death of her grandfather."
"Why weren't you there, you said yourself you couldn't help her?" Selene asked as they both turned to look at her. Lydia with a smile on her face continued the story.
"When my Father had come back empty handed, he told me to stay away, it wasn't his decision, if it was he would have let me still live by their sides, but the council feared that my love would be turned and then the blending would begin if I ever found out. They sent me away, never to return to face any of my family or my friends ever again."
"I became friends with Lucian after he had escaped, I gave him a place to stay, and in return he helped me by watching over where I lived. He was safe their while he planned what he wanted to do for revenge. I helped him, being smart and I knew how Viktor worked. It was I who helped him organize a way to let all of his kin escape."
Lydia smiled at the memory, "The look on Viktor's face told me I had won, and that I would suffer for it. He never acted though. Then one of the biggest surprises of history happened before my very eyes. Sonja showed up at my door one night while Lucian was out. I thought she had been killed, but she had been alive all this time, and had given birth to her son."
Michael and Selene looked confused, "The Sonja that had been killed was a fake. This was done by none other than Kraven. He owed it to his cousin Lucian, therefore, he made a stand in, the only problem is that he never told Lucian about it. He hid Sonja from Viktor as long as he could then let her go only a few months after the birth of her and Lucian's son."
"Of course, I took her in, and when Lucian arrived he almost fainted, it was a beautiful moment, and it almost reminded me of when I had met the man of my dreams only a hundred years before. Their son, was beautiful, his eyes were his best feature, they were red."
"Vincent..." Michael whispered.
"That is right, Vincent is the son of Lucian and Sonja. It was strange when this child turned out to be human and not a lycan, vampire, or a blend of the two. Not soon after though, when he was able to talk, we found that he had actually lived before, he was the cursed mortal, the one that would live forever."
"He had died, a few years before and was born as their son. It didn't bother them however, they took care of his and raised him. When he was of seven years of age, a very intelligent boy at the age of seven I might add, he lost his mother. Sonja was killed in a vampire raid of my house. We barely managed to escape, she sacrificed herself, just to see the look on her father's face when he killed her with his own hands."
"Lucian almost killed Viktor himself, but had to run with his son. I distracted the vampires the best I could while he escaped, I managed to kill most of Viktor's warriors when they neared me, he eventually left, to greive the death of his daughter all over again."
"Lucian had to leave when I caught up with them a few years later, he wanted me to raise Vincent, I owed it to him, and my niece, so I did. Lucian gave Vincent a amulet, or a pendant type of necklace, his mother's and father's innitials engraved in the very core with a red ruby cut in the shape of a heart."
Lydia looked down at the ground, "He told him, when the world was even, and vamipres and lycans lived together, when there was no fighting, or hunting, when there was peace, and you could love whomever you wanted, that is when they would reunite. That day never came, and it never will."
"Vincent is leaving the city, I caught him on his way out. The poor boy trys so hard, but he has lost all faith in what he has come to know. Marcus, he is controlling him. It was Sonja's will that if anything happened to her and Lucian, and me, she wanted him to be with the vampires, no matter what they thought of him."
"Why is it he is not with you then."
"He ran away, determined to find his father, that day never came though, and he never returned to me. I searched for him, I knew though, that it would take time for him to learn and to deal. I was still worried though, he was only twelve years old when he left. I see now that he has grown from the boy to the young man I saw today."
"When you said he is leaving the city. Why is he leaving?" Michael asked her placing his elbows on his knees and leaning forward a bit.
"He doesn't want to be controlled, he knows of his father's death, and he just wants to be alone, and be independant. If it helps at all, he told me he had made a terrible mistake, but he could never take it back no matter how hard he tried."
"What mistake?" Selene asked who had been listening intently the whole time.
"The mistake of turning you human. He new of his disease in his blood that could manipulate your virus, Marcus ordered him to do it and he had to follow through, it was for his mother, and that was the only reason he obeyed, but they also had locked him up."
Michael was silent for a moment and glanced at Selene out of the corner of his eye, "How do you know Selene?"
"Well, when you have nothing to do, it pays to watch over your brother sometimes. I watched as he killed her family, bathed himself in their blood, and I watched him hold this woman who was a lost girl, I watched as the image of Sonja's death played out infront of me. I watched over you," She told Selene, "All the times when you fought with the lycans, I helped kill some so your death wouldn't happen. I guess I looked at you as though you were one of my own."
Selene gave her a small smile, although it would have been a lot better if she could remember what had happened when she was a vampire.
Lydia stood, "I must be going for now. She said, the sun will be up in a few hours and I must get back to my home. It was a pleasure to meet both of you, maybe I will run into you again sometime."
"Maybe," Michael said standing up and shaking her hand, "Thank you for your help, I am sure that I will need your help once again though."
"It would be my pleasure to help you."
"Thank you." He told her and proceeded to lead her out of the room and out of the lycan den. When he returned, Selene was still sitting down biting her bottom lip.
"Hey," He told her walking into the room.
"Hey," She replied looking up at him.
"Listen, I know the sun gonna be up in a few hours, but I know you might be hungry. So do you want to go get something to eat?"
"Sure." She told him.
"Okay, let's go." He said holding his hand out to help her up. She took it and smiled at him as they walked out of the room. When they had reached the bottom of the stairs it was then she noticed that they were still holding hands. She blushed and let go of his hand. He smiled at her and opened the door.
They walked out of the room and towards the enter of the den. Selene avoided looking up at him, but was not really afraid to look at the lycans as she passed. Michael placed his arm behind her his hand on her lower back and kept glancing at her to make sure she was okay.
They stepped out into the street and Michael took in a deep breath. The cool night air was a nice change from the warm inside of the den.
Selene looked around her surrounding, things looking different than they had a long time ago when her family had died.
"Everything looks different." She commented looking over at him.
"I am sure it is. It won't take that long to adjust though."
She nodded, "C'mon, we will stop by my apartment first and I will grab some money."
Michael started to walk Selene right beside him, good thing they weren't that far away from his house though.
They made it to his apartment after walking a few blocks. Michael walked into the building and almost laughed at his open door. The building looked torn to pieces and seemed to be in the repair stage.
He walked into his apartment and into his bedroom. Selene stayed in the main room, she noticed pictures laying on the table among other things. She picked them up and looked through them, stopping on the one of him and another woman smiling. She couldn't help but feel a bit jealous.
Michael returned to the room, "That was my fiance." He told her and she dropped the picture on the floor, startled by his voice.
"I'm sorry." She said as she picked it up.
"That's okay. It doesn't bother me that much anymore."
Selene gave him a small frown before setting the pictures down where she had picked them up. Michael gave her a weak smile and started to walk out of the room, "So, what do you want to eat?"
"I don't know." She replied walking beside them as they walked out of the building, "I don't exactly remember the last two hundred years."
He laughed and smiled, "That's okay, but since it is morning. Looks like we will be getting some breakfast."
They continued to walk until Michael raised his arm and got a taxi. He let Selene in first and then climbed in after her, the driver smiled at them though he still looked half asleep.
"To Kensington Street." He told the driver who nodded.
Selene watched out the window at the passing cars, people making their way across town to their job. Some were walking on the streets, holding their coats around them tightly as they walked along, bumping into other people along their way.
She felt eyes on her and turned her head. Michael was staring at her a grin on his face.
"You know, you can't really find humor in this."
"Actually, you'd be surprised that I can."
If she didn't feel so comfortable with him she wouldn't have said anything in the first place, but there was a burning feeling in her stomach as he smiled at her, and she gave him a mock glare.
Michael was, grinning even wider if possible now, he was glad to see Selene express an emotion besides cold and hate, even if it was only because she was human once again.
It was then he felt it, the warmth of the sun's rays on his skin as it rose of some of the buildings casting away fog that laid low on the streets.
Selene tilted her head and looked out the window at the sun, she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth it brought. The feeling, it seemed as if she had forgotten how it felt in the first place, but now, she was glad to be under the warm rays that made her feel a lot warmer, and it filled the empty spot that she had been trying to figure out since she awoke as a human.
"Missed it?" He asked her his voice soft and low.
"Yes, it feels like it has been forever since I have felt it, I mean really enjoyed it."
He nodded and glanced at the driver who wasn't paying much attention to them, his attention focused on the road.
The taxi stopped and Michael paid the driver before stepping out and holding the door open as Selene got out. She glanced around pulling her coat tighter to keep herself warm. Michael slipped his hands into his pockets and started walking down the sidewalk, "It's not far from here."
She nodded and followed him. He stopped infront of a small dinner with no more than three people inside eating, and about two operating the shop. Michael smiled at her and opened the door. A small ding from the bell echoed throughout the room making people turn their heads to see who had walked in.
A woman was standing at the counter cleaning it, she looked up and smiled, "Michael, thank goodness. I thought something might have happened to you when you never showed up from your breakfast like you do every morning."
He smiled at her, "Sorry, I was- out of town."
"Well, I am just rude." She said laughing a little, "Take a seat and get some food."
Michael grabbed Selene's hand, who had been looking around the diner, and led her over to a table in the corner of the room by two large streak free windows. They took a seat opposite from one another and Michael handed her a menu.
She looked at him confused and he almost laughed again, "Sorry, forgot." He mumbled taking the menu from her and setting it back down.
The woman came over a small notepad in her hand, "Well, what will it be?"
Selene studied the woman as Michael ordered, she seemed to be in her late fortys, like she was old enough to be his mom, and her attitude showed that much.
The woman left the table and Selene glanced out of the window. Her dark green eyes connecting gazes with a few people who looked into the window as they passed.
"It's quiet here."
He nodded, "Yep, a bit different than from at the den. Even with all the people about, it is always peaceful during the morning here."
"It's strange you know? How much things are different from when..well, when I was alive with my family."
"Time is pretty scary I can imagine. I think you are the strongest person I have ever met."
She almost wanted to roll her eyes at his comment as he grinned at her, "I am being serious."
"Well then, thank you."
"No problem." He said as their food arrived.
They ate in silence not really having anything to say. Michael was smiling to himself, tasting the food he hadn't ate in a week. Selene just happy to be eating something.
When they were done eating Michael laid the money on the table, and leaving a tip like always.
They were walking out when the woman tapped Michael on the shoulder. He turned and smiled at her. She gave him and hug, and he was a bit surprised but hugged her back.
"Take care now."
"Don't worry I will." He told her. Selene watched them silently as Michael moved towards her and grabbed her hand leading her out of the diner and out onto the sidewalk.
"She's more like my own mother than anything." He told her sqeezing her hand lightly.
"I noticed."
The sun was above them now, it's warm rays indulging them in light.
He gave her a light smile, "Well, we have got some time, what do you want to do?"
Selene thought for a moment, "I don't know, things are different here, so what do you suggest?"
Michael scratched his head with his free hand and looked at her, "Well-"
"We can just take a walk." She said cutting him off.
He looked around and nodded, "Okay."
They started walking down the sidewalk, hand in hand, passing people who stared occasionally at the way they were dressed, but they ignored them.
Selene asked questions about the last few days, and Michael answered them the best he could. They walked and talked for a few hours, everyonce in awhile making a joke at something and laughing. Michael was glowing, he loved Selene even more than he thought possible, and he finally saw the other side of Selene, and he loved them both.
They had held hands most of the walk and were still holding them when they had arrived back at the den.
"Ready to go back in?" He asked.
"I guess." She told him as the walked into the shadows and into the den.
~*~
Drake stood leaning against the wall kicking a small rock back and forth between his feet. He looked up when he sensed someone walking past him. William grabbed his coat collar and pulled him in the direction of his office.
"You could've asked you know." Drake said making William release his grip and straightening his collar.
"Do you know who Lydia is?" William asked standing outside of his office.
Drake crossed his arms over his chest, and adverted his gaze to the ground, "No, I'm afraid I don't. Maybe it would help if you told me a little bit about her, I mean, I have only been alive for about six hundred and fifty years. I have known many women with the name of Lydia."
"The vampire Lydia. Strong powerful elder vampire."
"Yes, who hasn't heard of Lydia." Drake said rolling his eyes.
"That was her." William said bluntly as Drake opened his mouth again to speak.
"Lucian would have killed to see her back here. In a lycan den no less." Drake said chuckling to himself and smirking.
"Do you think she knows anything?" William asked leaning up against the door beside his room.
"What do you mean?"
"You know, anything about the virus. She is the only person I know that may have been alive around the same time period that it could have happened."
The blonde man sratched his short hair, "If she did know anything, how do we know that she hasn't already told Michael?"
"We don't, but, they did spend most of the day talking, she must have told him something."
"Your point is?" Drake asked looking a little lost.
"My point is, she is a vampire-"
"New that, the whole time, right here." Drake said tapping his head with his index finger.
"If you would let me finish," The brown haired man said glaring, "Since when do vampires ever tell everything they know?"
"Almost never." Drake said after a moment of trying to think.
"My point."
"Finally, what is it?" Drake asked looking hopeful.
William sighed and turned towards his door, "I told you already you dunce."
"Right, I got it, knew it all along, just wanted to see if you got it yourself." He said as William walked into the office. Drake gave his back a mock salute and walked away.
"Sharp as a needle, Drake." He told himself as he walked back down the hall fixing his collar one more time.
~*~
A/N: Decided I would end this chapter on a more lighter note, well, light for me. A bit of humor I guess! So, now all you people who wanted to know about Lydia...well, now you do, a little bit. Don't kill me, or hex me or anything if you don't get everything yet, cause I don't really yet either. And my picture of the end keeps changing the more thought I give to it.
I guess there is time for that later, for now, I must go work on a drawing for my friend, and I will type more later. One hint though, there will be a lot of blood spilt in the next chapter...thanks to Marcus, and a surprise visit from Erika!
"I'm sorry for waking you." He told her, "But, William would like to take some blood so he can test it, and see what is possibly going on."
Selene nodded, her throat dry from her sleep, "Who is that?" She managed to ask, raising her hand and pointing at Lydia.
"That is Lydia, she is helping us." He informed her as she climbed out of the bed and stood up straight.
"Hello." Lydia said her voice soft.
"Hello." Selene replied back, willing herself to remember why this woman seemed familiar.
Michael started towards the door, "You ready?"
"Yeah." Selene told him as she walked with him and out the door Lydia following a few seconds behind them. This was the first time she had left the room, and she was feeling a bit uneasy about being around the lycans, even worse though, she was in their den. Overall, she felt a little better when she looked over and saw Michael giving her a small smile.
Lydia was walking behind them and Selene could feel her eyes on her, even though she had something covering them. This woman's skin was pale, and her voice was calming, but strong also. It was a shame she couldn't remember anything, or feel things like she supposed she should. It was all very confusing.
Michael stopped abrubtly beside her at a large door, he opened it and walked in holding the door open for Selene and Lydia. Once they were in he shut the door and William walked out of another room into the one they were now at, his office.
"Hello, Selene and.." He said looking at Lydia.
"Lydia." She told him her hood still blocking his view of seeing her complete face.
"Lydia." He repeated, "Hello."
"Yeah, the greetings are all good, but you needed to see Selene did you not?" Michael said from his spot by the door. Selene looked over at him, he had his arms crossed and a thoughtful expression on his face. Some of his hair had fallen down over his eyes as he kept his gaze at William waiting for a response.
It was funny, how she found herself paying more attention to a man she had only known for a few hours. She looked at William when he started to respond.
"Yes, I needed to take a sample of blood and see what the virus is doing."
Michael simply nodded as William washed his hands and took out a needle from his cabinet. Selene watched him carefully as he walked towards her. He grabbed her arm and smiled at her, after wiping it off he inserted the needle into her arm. She winced slightly as it stung, but the pain was soon gone and he was extracting the blood from her. As soon as he was done he pulled the needle out and wiped her arm off once again.
"Done." He announced walking back over to his desk.
Selene glanced down at her arm then back up. Michael was smirking at her his eyes twinkling as he watched her. Lydia had remained silent since announcing her name and was glancing through her hood around the room.
"We will be going then." Michael told him opening the door once again.
"Okay, thank you."
"No problem." He said as Selene and Lydia walked out of the room, he followed closing the door behind him.
They walked down the hallway silently none of them making a sound except for the sound of their shoes on the floor.
They stopped when they got back to Michael's room. "We can talk in here." He told Lydia as Selene walked in the room and sat down on the couch. Michael took a seat next to her, and Lydia sat down in the chair looking at them her legs crossed and her hands sitting in her lap.
"What do you want me to say?" She asked.
"I want you to tell me about you, who are you? Where are you from? How long have you been alive?"
Lydia nodded and took off her hood. "As you know Michael, I am Lydia, a vampire. To any vampire eye, they know who I am, I should have been an elder, but I became attracted to a human, who thought I was a human with a skin condition. Eventually the council found out about my affairs."
"The man found out that I was a vampire, it was forbidden for a human to know back then, but sometimes when you're in love, you can't keep a secret like that to yourself. Just like Viktor though, he ran and told our father."
"Your Viktor's sister?" Michael asked interupting her.
"Yes, his only, elder, sister." She told him a smile on her face, "Although I don't look a day over twenty. The male vampires tend to look older during their prime. Anyways, Viktor found out, and he always had to be the annoying little brother. So, he told my father, a respected council member, and one of the eldest vampires of his time. My father was much like Viktor in a way. Didn't believe in blending of the spieces of such. A rule that had gone way back in our family. Father never went to the extremes as to kill me as Viktor did his own daughter, but-"
"You knew about that?" Michael asked not sure on the timeline that was being laid down in front of him.
"Yes, I was there hidden, watching my niece as she screamed. I couldn't rush forward to save her like I wanted to, I still regret that day. Although my love's fate was regretable as well, my Father hunted him down and went to kill him, he was followed by some rogue lycans that had escaped servitude, before he could kill him however, he was attacked. The lycans took off with the man I loved, and I never saw him again. He could have been a lycan, killed, or is still alive an immortal today."
"The year came when Viktor killed my Father and became the new power in our clan. It was only a few years after that he killed his own daughter, who had already witnessed the death of her grandfather."
"Why weren't you there, you said yourself you couldn't help her?" Selene asked as they both turned to look at her. Lydia with a smile on her face continued the story.
"When my Father had come back empty handed, he told me to stay away, it wasn't his decision, if it was he would have let me still live by their sides, but the council feared that my love would be turned and then the blending would begin if I ever found out. They sent me away, never to return to face any of my family or my friends ever again."
"I became friends with Lucian after he had escaped, I gave him a place to stay, and in return he helped me by watching over where I lived. He was safe their while he planned what he wanted to do for revenge. I helped him, being smart and I knew how Viktor worked. It was I who helped him organize a way to let all of his kin escape."
Lydia smiled at the memory, "The look on Viktor's face told me I had won, and that I would suffer for it. He never acted though. Then one of the biggest surprises of history happened before my very eyes. Sonja showed up at my door one night while Lucian was out. I thought she had been killed, but she had been alive all this time, and had given birth to her son."
Michael and Selene looked confused, "The Sonja that had been killed was a fake. This was done by none other than Kraven. He owed it to his cousin Lucian, therefore, he made a stand in, the only problem is that he never told Lucian about it. He hid Sonja from Viktor as long as he could then let her go only a few months after the birth of her and Lucian's son."
"Of course, I took her in, and when Lucian arrived he almost fainted, it was a beautiful moment, and it almost reminded me of when I had met the man of my dreams only a hundred years before. Their son, was beautiful, his eyes were his best feature, they were red."
"Vincent..." Michael whispered.
"That is right, Vincent is the son of Lucian and Sonja. It was strange when this child turned out to be human and not a lycan, vampire, or a blend of the two. Not soon after though, when he was able to talk, we found that he had actually lived before, he was the cursed mortal, the one that would live forever."
"He had died, a few years before and was born as their son. It didn't bother them however, they took care of his and raised him. When he was of seven years of age, a very intelligent boy at the age of seven I might add, he lost his mother. Sonja was killed in a vampire raid of my house. We barely managed to escape, she sacrificed herself, just to see the look on her father's face when he killed her with his own hands."
"Lucian almost killed Viktor himself, but had to run with his son. I distracted the vampires the best I could while he escaped, I managed to kill most of Viktor's warriors when they neared me, he eventually left, to greive the death of his daughter all over again."
"Lucian had to leave when I caught up with them a few years later, he wanted me to raise Vincent, I owed it to him, and my niece, so I did. Lucian gave Vincent a amulet, or a pendant type of necklace, his mother's and father's innitials engraved in the very core with a red ruby cut in the shape of a heart."
Lydia looked down at the ground, "He told him, when the world was even, and vamipres and lycans lived together, when there was no fighting, or hunting, when there was peace, and you could love whomever you wanted, that is when they would reunite. That day never came, and it never will."
"Vincent is leaving the city, I caught him on his way out. The poor boy trys so hard, but he has lost all faith in what he has come to know. Marcus, he is controlling him. It was Sonja's will that if anything happened to her and Lucian, and me, she wanted him to be with the vampires, no matter what they thought of him."
"Why is it he is not with you then."
"He ran away, determined to find his father, that day never came though, and he never returned to me. I searched for him, I knew though, that it would take time for him to learn and to deal. I was still worried though, he was only twelve years old when he left. I see now that he has grown from the boy to the young man I saw today."
"When you said he is leaving the city. Why is he leaving?" Michael asked her placing his elbows on his knees and leaning forward a bit.
"He doesn't want to be controlled, he knows of his father's death, and he just wants to be alone, and be independant. If it helps at all, he told me he had made a terrible mistake, but he could never take it back no matter how hard he tried."
"What mistake?" Selene asked who had been listening intently the whole time.
"The mistake of turning you human. He new of his disease in his blood that could manipulate your virus, Marcus ordered him to do it and he had to follow through, it was for his mother, and that was the only reason he obeyed, but they also had locked him up."
Michael was silent for a moment and glanced at Selene out of the corner of his eye, "How do you know Selene?"
"Well, when you have nothing to do, it pays to watch over your brother sometimes. I watched as he killed her family, bathed himself in their blood, and I watched him hold this woman who was a lost girl, I watched as the image of Sonja's death played out infront of me. I watched over you," She told Selene, "All the times when you fought with the lycans, I helped kill some so your death wouldn't happen. I guess I looked at you as though you were one of my own."
Selene gave her a small smile, although it would have been a lot better if she could remember what had happened when she was a vampire.
Lydia stood, "I must be going for now. She said, the sun will be up in a few hours and I must get back to my home. It was a pleasure to meet both of you, maybe I will run into you again sometime."
"Maybe," Michael said standing up and shaking her hand, "Thank you for your help, I am sure that I will need your help once again though."
"It would be my pleasure to help you."
"Thank you." He told her and proceeded to lead her out of the room and out of the lycan den. When he returned, Selene was still sitting down biting her bottom lip.
"Hey," He told her walking into the room.
"Hey," She replied looking up at him.
"Listen, I know the sun gonna be up in a few hours, but I know you might be hungry. So do you want to go get something to eat?"
"Sure." She told him.
"Okay, let's go." He said holding his hand out to help her up. She took it and smiled at him as they walked out of the room. When they had reached the bottom of the stairs it was then she noticed that they were still holding hands. She blushed and let go of his hand. He smiled at her and opened the door.
They walked out of the room and towards the enter of the den. Selene avoided looking up at him, but was not really afraid to look at the lycans as she passed. Michael placed his arm behind her his hand on her lower back and kept glancing at her to make sure she was okay.
They stepped out into the street and Michael took in a deep breath. The cool night air was a nice change from the warm inside of the den.
Selene looked around her surrounding, things looking different than they had a long time ago when her family had died.
"Everything looks different." She commented looking over at him.
"I am sure it is. It won't take that long to adjust though."
She nodded, "C'mon, we will stop by my apartment first and I will grab some money."
Michael started to walk Selene right beside him, good thing they weren't that far away from his house though.
They made it to his apartment after walking a few blocks. Michael walked into the building and almost laughed at his open door. The building looked torn to pieces and seemed to be in the repair stage.
He walked into his apartment and into his bedroom. Selene stayed in the main room, she noticed pictures laying on the table among other things. She picked them up and looked through them, stopping on the one of him and another woman smiling. She couldn't help but feel a bit jealous.
Michael returned to the room, "That was my fiance." He told her and she dropped the picture on the floor, startled by his voice.
"I'm sorry." She said as she picked it up.
"That's okay. It doesn't bother me that much anymore."
Selene gave him a small frown before setting the pictures down where she had picked them up. Michael gave her a weak smile and started to walk out of the room, "So, what do you want to eat?"
"I don't know." She replied walking beside them as they walked out of the building, "I don't exactly remember the last two hundred years."
He laughed and smiled, "That's okay, but since it is morning. Looks like we will be getting some breakfast."
They continued to walk until Michael raised his arm and got a taxi. He let Selene in first and then climbed in after her, the driver smiled at them though he still looked half asleep.
"To Kensington Street." He told the driver who nodded.
Selene watched out the window at the passing cars, people making their way across town to their job. Some were walking on the streets, holding their coats around them tightly as they walked along, bumping into other people along their way.
She felt eyes on her and turned her head. Michael was staring at her a grin on his face.
"You know, you can't really find humor in this."
"Actually, you'd be surprised that I can."
If she didn't feel so comfortable with him she wouldn't have said anything in the first place, but there was a burning feeling in her stomach as he smiled at her, and she gave him a mock glare.
Michael was, grinning even wider if possible now, he was glad to see Selene express an emotion besides cold and hate, even if it was only because she was human once again.
It was then he felt it, the warmth of the sun's rays on his skin as it rose of some of the buildings casting away fog that laid low on the streets.
Selene tilted her head and looked out the window at the sun, she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth it brought. The feeling, it seemed as if she had forgotten how it felt in the first place, but now, she was glad to be under the warm rays that made her feel a lot warmer, and it filled the empty spot that she had been trying to figure out since she awoke as a human.
"Missed it?" He asked her his voice soft and low.
"Yes, it feels like it has been forever since I have felt it, I mean really enjoyed it."
He nodded and glanced at the driver who wasn't paying much attention to them, his attention focused on the road.
The taxi stopped and Michael paid the driver before stepping out and holding the door open as Selene got out. She glanced around pulling her coat tighter to keep herself warm. Michael slipped his hands into his pockets and started walking down the sidewalk, "It's not far from here."
She nodded and followed him. He stopped infront of a small dinner with no more than three people inside eating, and about two operating the shop. Michael smiled at her and opened the door. A small ding from the bell echoed throughout the room making people turn their heads to see who had walked in.
A woman was standing at the counter cleaning it, she looked up and smiled, "Michael, thank goodness. I thought something might have happened to you when you never showed up from your breakfast like you do every morning."
He smiled at her, "Sorry, I was- out of town."
"Well, I am just rude." She said laughing a little, "Take a seat and get some food."
Michael grabbed Selene's hand, who had been looking around the diner, and led her over to a table in the corner of the room by two large streak free windows. They took a seat opposite from one another and Michael handed her a menu.
She looked at him confused and he almost laughed again, "Sorry, forgot." He mumbled taking the menu from her and setting it back down.
The woman came over a small notepad in her hand, "Well, what will it be?"
Selene studied the woman as Michael ordered, she seemed to be in her late fortys, like she was old enough to be his mom, and her attitude showed that much.
The woman left the table and Selene glanced out of the window. Her dark green eyes connecting gazes with a few people who looked into the window as they passed.
"It's quiet here."
He nodded, "Yep, a bit different than from at the den. Even with all the people about, it is always peaceful during the morning here."
"It's strange you know? How much things are different from when..well, when I was alive with my family."
"Time is pretty scary I can imagine. I think you are the strongest person I have ever met."
She almost wanted to roll her eyes at his comment as he grinned at her, "I am being serious."
"Well then, thank you."
"No problem." He said as their food arrived.
They ate in silence not really having anything to say. Michael was smiling to himself, tasting the food he hadn't ate in a week. Selene just happy to be eating something.
When they were done eating Michael laid the money on the table, and leaving a tip like always.
They were walking out when the woman tapped Michael on the shoulder. He turned and smiled at her. She gave him and hug, and he was a bit surprised but hugged her back.
"Take care now."
"Don't worry I will." He told her. Selene watched them silently as Michael moved towards her and grabbed her hand leading her out of the diner and out onto the sidewalk.
"She's more like my own mother than anything." He told her sqeezing her hand lightly.
"I noticed."
The sun was above them now, it's warm rays indulging them in light.
He gave her a light smile, "Well, we have got some time, what do you want to do?"
Selene thought for a moment, "I don't know, things are different here, so what do you suggest?"
Michael scratched his head with his free hand and looked at her, "Well-"
"We can just take a walk." She said cutting him off.
He looked around and nodded, "Okay."
They started walking down the sidewalk, hand in hand, passing people who stared occasionally at the way they were dressed, but they ignored them.
Selene asked questions about the last few days, and Michael answered them the best he could. They walked and talked for a few hours, everyonce in awhile making a joke at something and laughing. Michael was glowing, he loved Selene even more than he thought possible, and he finally saw the other side of Selene, and he loved them both.
They had held hands most of the walk and were still holding them when they had arrived back at the den.
"Ready to go back in?" He asked.
"I guess." She told him as the walked into the shadows and into the den.
~*~
Drake stood leaning against the wall kicking a small rock back and forth between his feet. He looked up when he sensed someone walking past him. William grabbed his coat collar and pulled him in the direction of his office.
"You could've asked you know." Drake said making William release his grip and straightening his collar.
"Do you know who Lydia is?" William asked standing outside of his office.
Drake crossed his arms over his chest, and adverted his gaze to the ground, "No, I'm afraid I don't. Maybe it would help if you told me a little bit about her, I mean, I have only been alive for about six hundred and fifty years. I have known many women with the name of Lydia."
"The vampire Lydia. Strong powerful elder vampire."
"Yes, who hasn't heard of Lydia." Drake said rolling his eyes.
"That was her." William said bluntly as Drake opened his mouth again to speak.
"Lucian would have killed to see her back here. In a lycan den no less." Drake said chuckling to himself and smirking.
"Do you think she knows anything?" William asked leaning up against the door beside his room.
"What do you mean?"
"You know, anything about the virus. She is the only person I know that may have been alive around the same time period that it could have happened."
The blonde man sratched his short hair, "If she did know anything, how do we know that she hasn't already told Michael?"
"We don't, but, they did spend most of the day talking, she must have told him something."
"Your point is?" Drake asked looking a little lost.
"My point is, she is a vampire-"
"New that, the whole time, right here." Drake said tapping his head with his index finger.
"If you would let me finish," The brown haired man said glaring, "Since when do vampires ever tell everything they know?"
"Almost never." Drake said after a moment of trying to think.
"My point."
"Finally, what is it?" Drake asked looking hopeful.
William sighed and turned towards his door, "I told you already you dunce."
"Right, I got it, knew it all along, just wanted to see if you got it yourself." He said as William walked into the office. Drake gave his back a mock salute and walked away.
"Sharp as a needle, Drake." He told himself as he walked back down the hall fixing his collar one more time.
~*~
A/N: Decided I would end this chapter on a more lighter note, well, light for me. A bit of humor I guess! So, now all you people who wanted to know about Lydia...well, now you do, a little bit. Don't kill me, or hex me or anything if you don't get everything yet, cause I don't really yet either. And my picture of the end keeps changing the more thought I give to it.
I guess there is time for that later, for now, I must go work on a drawing for my friend, and I will type more later. One hint though, there will be a lot of blood spilt in the next chapter...thanks to Marcus, and a surprise visit from Erika!