"Crazy, but that's how it goes

Millions of people living as foes

Maybe it's not to late

To learn how to love

And forget how to hate"

Ozzy Osborne (Crazy Train)

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"You sure about this place Laive? This city seems a bit, well, clichéd if you ask me."

Opening up the old wooden door with a creak, the man's large hands were full of heavy boxes as he looked for a place in the already packed room to set them down. Behind him followed a teenage woman chuckling as she carried only one, and a light one at that. Seeing a place to set down his heavy load, the man slowly eased them down with a grunt before standing straight up again. Stretching his back he could only think about how he was getting too old for this and perhaps ordering a moving company like Lavie suggested would had been a smarter idea.

"Well then Major Fairbairn, how about I let you pick the city next time. Anyway, there's something about London that just, draws me here. Perhaps it's the old architecture, the wonderful history or maybe just the extremely sexy accents English men have." Laughing at the disapproving glare that the man shot at her,

Lavie placed her small box on top of the large pile that Major Fairbairn set down only seconds before.

Turning to leave and get another load she paused when the man shook his head and warned her, "As long as you don't run off with one of those English men, than I guess London is just as good of a city as any eh?" Allowing a smile to grow on his face and lighten the mood, he started to slowly move back towards the door as well.

"But just because you're now living away form home, don't start thinking that there won't be any house rules. You're father placed you under my care and you're my responsibility now. Also," Moving down the many apartment stairs, glancing back once in a while to make sure Lavie followed and heard every word as they made their way back down to the main floor, "you don't have to call me Major Fairbairn, Connor will do just as nicely."

Lavie paused in the lobby of the apartment to avoid the sunlight outside, while Connor walked past her and to the truck. Finding a very light box and tossing that towards Lavie, he lifted a stack of heavier boxes and moved back towards her. Lavie quickly examined the box in her hands before following him back up the stairs, "alright then Connor. How about you lay some of these rules down on me, dawg."

"Rule one," His voice was a bit strained from caring the boxes but when they reached Lavie's floor, he set them down on the ground in order to rest a bit, "never speak like that again! You're a white, church girl." Connor chuckled, finding it funny how today's youth was imitating the black culture and not realizing how stupid it made them look. Picking the boxes back up again as Lavie opened the door he added, "Live with it."

Keeping the door open as he walked past, Lavie placed her box down on top of the pervious pile before turning to watch Connor put down his pile and flop in exhaustion on the mattress they brought up earlier. Just as she was about to speak, the man continued stating the new house rules, "Rule two, no boys over. Unless I'm home with you guys. Don't want any kinky business happening."

Moving over to the sink to get a glass of water but realizing that all her cups were in one of the many boxes, Lavie ran the tap and used her hands to cup some water. Speaking quickly, she made sure to get her few sarcastic cents in about rule number two, "Yeah, because we all know that I'm just one wild child!" It was amusing to her, being that she never even had a boyfriend, let alone think of doing anything 'kinky' with him.

"Well one can't be too cautious, and I just don't want to see some boy taking advantage of you," Still laying on his back on the mattress, Connor continued on, "Anyway, rule three. No weapons, drugs, alcohol, smoking, illegal stuff. Last thing I want is to explain to the local police why your eyes are red, you have no pulse and why you seem to disagree with sunlight." Struggling to sit up and look at Lavie he smiled faintly then added, "Also, I don't want to explain to your father why we need bail money. He might get a little pissed, not at you though, but at me!"

Turning off the water and whipping her wet hands on her baby blue skirt, the teenage girl moved towards Connor in order to sit next to him, "Like I said, don't worry about this stuff. You know me, my idea of a 'rowdy' time is when I decide to eat a whole pack of Pixie Sticks and play 'let's find the most boring thing on T.V. and watch it'!"

Connor slowly moved his hand and pat her gently on the shoulder with it, "If that's the case, I think we'll get along fine eh?" Resting his hand on her shoulder for a moment before he pushed himself up and back onto his feet, the man stretched before finishing up his rules in more of a short form, "Oh and if you go out, tell me where and when you'll be back. No drinking blood unless it's animal or medical. And finally, any friends you make, I want to meet with them first. Alright?"

"Let me guess, these rules are subject to change when ever you feel like it and without notice," she answered back sarcastically, looking up at him with a joking expression on her face. Lavie didn't mind these rules, most of them she lived by anyway so it wasn't going to be a drastic change. Although now she saw herself using the internet a lot more as it will just be an easier way to 'make friends' with normal people, without freaking them out.

Glancing down at her and shaking his head slightly at that remark he muttered, "smart ass." Moving towards a box labeled 'more kitchen stuff' and opening it up to dig out a cup, the man then made his way to the sink and ran the water, "Just call it a benefit for being the legal adult here." Placing the up under the water and drinking from it, he turned around to face her again before switching off the tap.

Out of boredom, Lavie stretched before remembering a question she had on the plane to London earlier that day. Connor said he would answer it when they got here, before nailing her coffin shut in order to make the trip across water more bearable. Even then though, the trip was horrible and the experience nearly made her forget all about how he promised to answer any questions she had later. Now that it was over, she felt the need to ask that burning question again. "Hey Connor, remember when you said you would explain fully what's going on when we have a moment in London?" Keeping her eyes on the man, she took notice how his facial expression quickly changed from happy-go-lucky to a dreading sadness.

"yeah, and I guess that moment is now eh?" Connor's eyes drifted down to the small glass of water in his hands as he slowly turned the cup in one direction with his fingers before stopping and turning it in the other direction, as if this constant movement would give him the answers.

Lavie nodded with anticipation noticing how the last few weeks were chaotic and every time she tried to find out the whole story, someone would try to dodge the question or tell her 'later' in hopes that she'll just never ask again. Now though, there was no way she was going to let Connor out of not answering her questions and she was glad that he didn't automatically dismiss or deny anything. Now it seemed like the moment of truth was only minutes away.

"Well," Connor began, his eyes still focused on the rotating cup in his hands. With a faint shrug of his broad he continued, "you might not be aware of this before but your father is part of a demon hunting organization called the International Demon Defense and Technologies United, or just IDDTU for short. It's more of an international demon hunting group. Pretty much like the UN of the demon hunting groups."

Her eyes never left him and her ears were trained to listen to every word. Lavie only sat there in wonderment of how well her father kept that a secret to her all these years. Although when she thought about it, that would explain her father's occasional disappearance. Even though her mother always made a reason for his absence, she now realized how poorly made the excuses were but at the time she believed them as she had no reason to question them. Not wanting to interrupt Connor, she just sat there in silence.

"I'm part of the Royal Canadian Human Protection Force and although we're a Canadian demon hunting organization, many times our two agencies work together on larger projects or projects that might occur in Canada and the international front." The man glanced up at her to make sure she understood this, or was at least paying attention. He had a feeling she won't understand most of this and that he'll have to re-explain it later, but for now he'll just carry on. "Now the gang that attacked you and your father are called 'The Lost Boys'. I was first assigned to them months ago when they were wrecking havoc in the Nova Scotia, New Brunswick area and I followed them when they crossed the boarder into Maine. Apparently to the reports your father was involved in many counter raids against 'The Lost Boys' while they were in Maine, and that's why I believe they targeted your father."

Lavie was a bit confused but more overwhelmed then anything. It was a lot to take in at once but thinking she understood it, she asked a question that was burning in her mind ever since she regained conscious in the secretive IDDTU hospital. "Okay, but really what happened that night? Like, right before I passed out, I heard a gun shot and someone dropped me. What happened then and why doesn't my father ever want to see me?"

Moving his free hand to his face and massaging the bridge of his nose, he tried to think of the best way to answer the really difficult question she asked. Starting with the easier one of the two he started explained what had happened that night when he arrived, "Well your father phoned me for help that night and luckily I was in town following The Lost Boys trail. When I arrived, you were already bitten and in the arms of the lead vampire known as David. Naturally I drew my gun and fired at him, he dropped you in surprise and I'm not fully sure why, but they decided to leave. Perhaps I scared them off or they thought more were on their way, I just don't know for sure. Checking on you and your father, I called the IDDTU for assistance and well, that's pretty much it."

Removing his hand in order to look at Lavie better he took a deep breath before starting on the next question, the hard question, "And about your father. Well, you're a vampire now and even though you would probably still be welcomed at home, he feared that radical 'anti-vampire' groups would find out and hunt you down. Not only that but there might be rumors and other, negative results, to you living with an IDDTU agent. So in his desperation he asked me to look after you for a while and get you settled somewhere of your choice. Don't worry about money, he's set up an account and will give you a decent monthly allowance for you to live on." Connor trailed off, sighing while looking away at her, "I'm sorry but it would be best if you never see, talk or write to him again. As to him."

"you died that night."

Tears formed up in Lavie's eyes at the thought of never seeing or hearing from her father again. To her, it was just like she heard he was dead and in that moment she felt more alone then she did five minutes ago. Now she realized why many people were dodging the question before and wanted to say something to Connor, but no words came out. She just sat there, in disbelief and loneliness.

The older man placed his cup down on a near by box and sat next to her, rapping his arm around her and proving a shoulder for her to weep on if she wanted too. "But you know Laive," he started as she moved closer to him, welcoming his touch, "I'll always be here for you." Connor reminded her as he figured she might just feel a bit lost and alone now. When he looked over into her blurry eyes, he smiled in a warm and trusting way. For that moment he saw his eldest daughter in Lavie, which made his fatherly instincts come out, "and there is nothing in this world that will change that."