A/N: Hey long time no see! Sorry my beta's been busy and I just got this back but hopefully the next chap will be up sooner. I love you all. Just three chapters left in Blood Ties!

Disclaimer: AAR and other's own the stuff I don't. I own the characters mentioned previously, plot, and some other random stuff. If you want to use it feel free to ask and I'll consider it. Violators will be fuel to my homicidal pyromania (a vague disclaimer is nobody's friend.)

In the mornings I would wake around ten in my own bed with Taber sleeping perfectly still beside me. I'd take a shower and get dressed. Then I'd go and meet my tutor outside and go into one of the first level rooms Taber had had converted into a study as the kindly little old lady couldn't do stairs. I'd spend about three hours studying from ten-thirty to one-thirty. I'd walk her back out to her car pay her and go back upstairs to my room and sit quietly on the table waiting for Taber to come back. Back from hunting, getting dressed, showering I didn't know. Didn't care. Didn't ask. When he came back he'd look pretty much the same as the day before. Black jeans (I'd convinced him he'd look better in them and boy-o-boy did he) and a completely unbuttoned button down shirt. (He claimed it was cooler that way and completely ignored my suggestion of tank-tops or shorts.) He liked to wear those in jewel tones. And black hiking boots, steel toed. Then we'd go downstairs to the kitchens and I'd eat breakfast/lunch whatever. Some times he'd eat too but mostly he didn't he watched me. (Which I found incredibly disgusting. I mean really have you ever watched any one eat? It's nasty.) Or he'd glare at his servants for not doing their jobs, looking at me funny, or for no semi-plausible reason at all. Once he told them all to go to Hell and all of them just left except one who broke down crying and saying that she couldn't. It had been a while for us (me mostly) to explain he'd just meant for them to go away. Then we'd go to the theatre or the movies or shopping or just 'out.' Then we'd come back (around nine usually) and talk for a while before he went of to 'work' or whatever the Hell it was that he does. I might take another meal or maybe not with Andrea or by myself before going to sleep. Around five in the morning Taber would wake me up give me a kiss and lay down to sleep.

A/N: Hey. At this point I'd like to add some detailed moments throughout the summer and I'll try to be as clear as possible.

July Fifth:

I sat quietly on the table in my room cross-legged and propped in the corner waiting for Taber to come. He walked into my room holding something behind his back and grinning like a fool.

"Presents." He announced dumping several small brightly wrapped parcels onto the table in front of me. I reached for one. "Ah- ah- ah. Remember your manners you have to read the card first." He said flourishing a plain bright blue envelope. I made a face at him but took the card. I edged my fingernail under where it was sealed and open it careful not to rip the card inside. It was cute. Actually it was epitome of cuteness with kittens and puppies and bunny rabbits all frolicking in the water paint-like picture. It said happy birthday across the top. I opened it and a shower of glitter rained down on my lap. There was the printed happy birthday and best wishes inside and Taber had signed it but on the opposite side was a note written in left-hand slanted spidery cursive. I know that the time I've known you has not been long and mostly it's been terrible for you. I know that I cannot be the family you've lost nor can I even pretend. I cannot buy your love with presents or money. I can promise though that I will try to comfort you when you need it, to give you love and hope and laughter and happiness, as you want it. I can promise to be open with you to tell you of my long life and to listen quietly about yours. And I do, and I will. Je taim Taber.

"Thank you." I said my voice choked with pain and happiness. He wiped my tears away and I had to laugh. "Meanie. You made me cry on my birthday." I smiled at him and sniffled. "What does that mean?" I asked pointing to the foreign word before his signature.

"Je aim. Means something like I like you like a friend and-"

"No the way you said it Je taim what does that mean?"

"Love." I gave him an odd look. "In a brother sister sort of what's that p-word you're so fond of?"

"Platonic."

"Yeah platonic sort of way." His eyes darted away then back. "The word for real love is J'taim." As far as I could tell there wasn't any real difference but I did a metal shrug and swapped the card for a parcel. I ripped off the paper and opened a velvety jewelry box. Inside was a pair of silver dangle earrings with a diamond shaped mount for several small gems. The gems were arranged thus; a ruby in the center bordered by several small onyxes.

"They're very pretty."

"I thought so. Open the others." He urged. I opened one after the other and found the rest of the pieces of a perfectly matched set. Earrings, necklace, slave bracelet, anklet, and toe ring. "Put them on."

"I'd have to go change they don't match." He frowned and instead helped me put them back in their boxes.

"I was going to get you some thing else but I don't really know what girls like. What you like so I thought we could go shopping or something this after noon and you can get whatever you like. No limits. Ok?" I grinned and threw my arms around him in a hug.

"Perfect." I said in his ear. I wanted to kiss him but instead I pulled away and hopped down from the table. "If you want a kiss you have to catch me!" I said already running away. He didn't catch me until I'd made it to the second floor and probably only then because he hadn't walked down the stairs he'd jumped fearless of breaking anything. He caught me around the waist and turned me toward him and kissed me. I yielded up my mouth and I could taste him tangy, and sweet, and salty all at once and it as wonderful. Then he drew his tongue back closed his mouth but his lips still moved over mine and then he opened his mouth again and I could taste blood. His blood, sweet, and warm and thick into my mouth and finally he pulled away licked his lips and swallowed. I licked my lips too and I could taste his blood there still lingering. "That was... beyond words."

"I bit my tongue." He explained guiding me down the stairs his arm still around my waist.

"It tasted good." I noted absently.

"So do you." He said leaning his head toward me and nipping my neck just behind the hinge of my jaw with his extra sharp fangs but still managed some how not to break my skin. It was a love bite; or the Vamp version of one anyway because if he bit any where near as hard as a human might he'd break my skin. I leaned toward him this time and nipped him and so started a little neck nipping game that lasted until we reached the garage with its single car.

Some time in August:

I sit with my legs tucked up under me at my desk with my computer. The very newest version of a Mac. It was Laptop silver and pretty, a XIV fourteenth edition of a Mac as they'd skipped over XIII superstitious gits. I had set up a wireless network so I didn't have to be bothered about cords then I'd restricted access to my comp only so no matter the range of the net work no one else could use it. Currently I was reading fanfictions; my new obsession. Not that I particularly like fanfictions as the quality is fairly consistently poor and some were stupid or down right disgustingly X-rated but I read them all with a certain meticulousness. Why was I? Because I'd already sped through Ash Night's books, Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, Darren Shan's Cirque Du Freak, Brian Lumly's Necrascope, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and an assortment of other Vampire novels and novellas. I'd pretty much read every thing published so now I was on to non-published lore. Vampire fanfictions were not hard to come by in the least and occasionally I even found a well-written one. The first thing I'd do is find a fanfiction site enter book a name and devour all the stories one-by-one. I'd already gone through MidnightEclipse and was now working on Taber came in and leaned his head on my shoulder.

"At that again are you?"

"Yes."

"Why do you read it?" I thought about that for a minute.

"At first no good reason just boredom I guess but now they make me angry and I want to go out and hit these people or some thing."

"Why would you do that?"

"In most of these stories Vampires are the heroes and heroine. In lots humans fall in love with the Vampires and it's just so stupid these children writing about things they have no idea- except, except half of them aren't children they're adults older than me an', an it's just stupid!"

"You're cute when you get all worked up like that."

"Not cute, angry, annoyed, and even fucking mad but not cute." He grinned at me.

"There you go all cute again." I lashed out and he blocked it easy, the same with the whole series of blows I tried to land. "Stand up if you want to fight we can do it proper I've got an empty room we can go in." I stood up and followed him up the stairs to the fourth floor. He opened a door and went in closing the door when I'd followed. He shrugged off his shirt presumably so it wouldn't get tangled up. I was all right for fighting I figured in my short-shorts and supported tank top. "You don't have Vamp strength or quickness but you could learn to fight one in time."

"What do you mean?"

"Well there are humans mercs that kill Vampires, and witches they're mostly human but they heal quicker but not nearly a quick as a Vamp. but our real adversaries are the Tristes because they're mostly like us and impervious to our trump card on account of their blood being poison to us. Only poison in the world that can kill a Vampire wouldn't you know is blood. See if a Vamp gets real bad in a fight he can always play his trump card he can bite the merc, thrall 'em, and drain 'em dry before they know what's coming to them. But mostly we don't because we're too proud... I've de- what did you say before oh detopified, haven't I?"

"Yeah pretty much. Did you mean like human mercenaries kill Vampires?"

"Some times. You've already got ahead of most starting mercs though because of being blood-bonded to me. You have the potential but it's has to be trained."

"Would you do that, train me?" He shrugged.

"Could. Very well could but I don't see why I should."

"So if something bad happens I can handle it. Like if you piss some one off too bad an' they decide I'd be a good target to get back at you I wouldn't be completely fucking defenseless."

"Ok. Hand to hand first though. Have to be able to fight with out a weapon first. Try to hit me and don't do it out of anger like you usually do focus on the way I move and see if you can find a weakness, land a blow." He was right I never tried to hit him just to see if I could usually it was in reaction to something he'd said to make me mad. I tried to land a few blows and watched him all the while. I had a revelation. I feigned a punch and then kicked him in the crotch. Taber crumpled and half fell to a sitting position on the floor. "Stop now." He ordered so I sat and grinned at him, he hadn't liked being kicked in the balls any more than the next guy. "Not very nice. Won't work with every opponent and very crude."

"I got you though, Taber."

"I am well aware of that fact but you do have to think before you act what if I..."

Near the End of August

"I'm having a visitor."

"So?"

"It's important that you act like a pet."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"We both now very well that you will, one way or another."

"I won't act like a sodding pet to make you look good, Taber."

"You're life could be much worse."

"It isn't though is it?"

"Why don't I show you how bad it could be?" He suggested. He sat down on the floor dragging me with him to sit opposite. "There are ways to Train slaves that are by comparison nice those methods are rarely effective though. The nicest way is a reward system. I start out doing that get to know the human and how to break them. Some I can simply break into their thoughts and make everything insane unless they are being obedient. Here it'd be like this." Everything started to blur and colors I knew were supposed to be different blended or inverted so blue was orange and the like. I started to make out a figure in the gloom it was 'Vahn but no he was dead.

"Stop. Please, stop." It all suddenly went away. "I understand now I-"

"There's worse. The worst is those that have to beaten down. You would have ended up one of those, Angel, my beautiful. I would have had to beat you until you could barely move. Then you'd have to trust me to take care of you while you were hurt and not let anything harm you. It teaches you to be helpless to look to your Master for any decision and quite likely you'd panic if you weren't given orders by your Master who ever he may be. Would you like that to be your life?"

"No. I'll mind tonight, Taber."

"Good." He placed a folded article of clothing in my lap. "Go change." I got up and went into my bathroom. I shimmied out of my clothes leaving them in a pile on the floor. I pulled the dress over my head and let it settle as it would. I took the black silk scarf that was spangled with stars and belted the shining silver dress with it. I brushed my hair again and came out of the bathroom. "What you have to do is quite simple. You walk in behind me with your head bowed, when I introduce you to him you curtsy but don't look up. You know ho to curtsy right?" I curtsied. "Good. When I sit you sit on the floor at my feet to my left though you have to be at my left. Other than that just don't speak unless you are spoken too ok?"

"Yeah ok."

"Come along then." I followed him to the fourth floor and he opened a door and went in. I closed the door behind me carefully keeping my head bowed. "Hello, Mashek. Mashek, this is my pet, Angel." I curtsied but didn't look up. Taber sat down on a couch and made a flippant gesture with his hand. I sat down on the floor at his feet but still slightly off to the left.

"She's very beautiful, Taber, where ever did you find her?"

"Can't remember. She is pretty though isn't she?" He ran his fingers threw my hair.

"Yes very. You said you had a girl for me white-blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin?"

"Yes. Quite short though, petite."

"That's fine. How well is she trained?"

"Very well."

"That's good. I'll look at her later before everything is final but I think I'd like to talk, for now."

"Sure. I really hadn't anything all that important to do tonight." I sighed quietly as I was rather bored unfortunately this brought the attention of both Vampires back to me.

"She'll be gorgeous I expect when she gets older." Mashek said looking at me. Taber ran his finger through my hair again.

"Oh, I don't know. It's fairly hard to tell with humans."

"Would you consider selling her?"

"I might." I threw Taber a startled glance. 'Shhh It's just talk I wouldn't really.' Mashek chuckled.

"Looks like she doesn't like that idea very well."

"It's not her choice though is it?"

"No it's not. You ought to breed her. There's a boy that Jaguar's got. Has the prettiest blue eyes. I think they'd be a good match."

"Maybe." Taber sounded doubtful. "She seems fairly fragile though."

"Looks sturdy enough for bearing to me."

"It would lower her value though don't you think? And children are always such a risky business so much can go wrong."

"True. True. How well trained is she?"

"She's smart enough to do what she's told but I much prefer talking to her than having a piece of living art work."

"Have you had her yet?" I shuddered it sounded incredibly foreign and nasty when Mashek said it that way.

"No."

"No? You said yourself she's a very pretty girl." Taber shrugged.

"I did, but I respect her wishes and she doesn't want that yet. I imagine she will some day, though." The topic changed then and I paid very little attention as I was staring at the floor and trying very hard not to be sick. "Angel." Taber said his voice tinged with anger he snapped his fingers in my face.

"Yes?"

"Go fetch the girl she'll be up on the sixth floor second door to the right." I made it up the fifth floor before I had to stop and wretch in a tall oriental vase. I went up the stairs to the sixth floor and found the right room. The woman was sleeping on her cot and I bent to shake her awake.

"What? Who are you?" She asked blearily rubbing her eyes.

"Name's Angel. As for what you have to get up and come with me."

"Why?"

"You're going to be sold."

"What? To who? Who are you really?"

"You are being sold to Mashek and I am really Angel or least ways that's what Taber calls me."

"Why didn't you use a title for Lord Taber he'll get mad at you for that?"

"What I do, or do not do is my own business and if or how Taber chooses to punish me is his."

"If you say so." She stood up slowly.

"Come along then." I led her down to the fourth floor and into the room. I went in first and curtsied to them both again and closed the door behind the other girl.

"Sit." Taber said to me gesturing at his feet. I sat down in the spot I'd recently vacated.

"Scarring?" Mashek asked. He was up now circling around the girl.

"A little, on her right leg. Says it's from getting tripped up by a dog leash." Taber shrugged again. I could see Mashek now. He had sandy blond hair, fair skin, black eyes of course and was about 5'8"

"Weaknesses?"

"She's got a weak knee from breaking her ankle or something when she was little. Any ways the knee goes out on her some times." Mashek gave Taber a quizzical look. "Angel, stand up." I stood up. "Watch." Taber hit the back of my knee forcefully and I crumpled to the floor. "Sorry, pet had to show him."

"I see. Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll take her. I'll pay-"I blocked out what they were saying I had no idea what a Human life was worth and didn't particularly want to know.

"You'll pay in European."

"American."

"We agreed on the Euro, Mashek."

"Fine, alright." The absurdly I heard a pen scratching across paper and glanced up to see Mashek writing in a check-book. I tried to smother my laughter but failed miserably. Taber cuffed me lightly upside the head. "Here you go payment in full."

"Thank you. Good night, Mashek."

"Good night, Taber." There was a soft boom and both Mashek and the blond haired girl disappeared. I stood up slowly stretching I reached my hands up t massage the kinks out of my neck.

"I think I've got a crick in my neck." I complained.

"I'm not surprised. Here, let me help." Taber pulled me down onto the couch and sat behind me his nimble fingers working out the cramps in my neck. He pushed my hair over my shoulder and worked out the knots and then he nipped softly at the nape of my neck. I half turned ready to protest that he shouldn't kiss me because I had just puked but he didn't try. Instead he slid his dagger out of the sheath and cut his wrist. He held it up a silent offer. I shook my head. He shrugged and licked the blood off the already healed cut. "Come on, you smell awful. You've got to brush your teeth and then we can go somewhere." We walked out of the room and started for mine.

"I think I know how bloody awful I smell."

"Nun-uh. You smell all kinds of awful that I've never smelled before. Do you like garlic?"

"No it's icky."

"Imagine garlic only about six hundred times worse."

"How do you figure?"

"Blood hounds smell about ten times better then humans right?"

"Yeah about."

"Vampires smell about sixty times better than a blood hound."

"Damn." I went into my bathroom and rinsed my mouth out first. Then I brushed my teeth, gargled some mouthwash, and brushed my teeth again. I came out of the bathroom only for Taber to grab me and kiss me, hard. "Wow." Was all I had the breath to say when he pulled away. "I'd take it now." I said softly.

"Hmm?"

"What you offered before."

"Ok." He took out his dagger.

"No, not like that. Like before on my birthday."

"Oh, alright." I watched him stick his tongue out a little between his teeth and bite it then he bent his head to kiss me. I opened my mouth and he slid his tongue in massaging it against mine. I could taste his blood, sweet and metallic but not coppery, salty and tangy and vaguely spicy. It was such a heady feeling to share this to know this was mine and mine alone so long as he would keep me, have me.

A/N: Hey, before you ask this was Angel telling about her summer with a couple of highlights. Review or Flame! Reviews are appreciated and flames will be used to burn my home work. (--)

I'M STILL RUNNING MY CONTEST! Simply submit a name for my new story and if we pick it to be the title you win a prize. Entrees must be two to ten words long and must contain the word blood in some form. The prize is a sneak-peak at the sequel along with a poem by me.