Hello all! It's bee a one time! Life has been very hectic for a long time, I moved from New England to down South, chose a career, enrolled back in school to further that career and bought a house just last week! Now that things will be slowing down(hopefully) i decided it was time to get back to the things I enjoy most, like writing!

I was hit with some inspiration to continue this story that was originally intended to just be a one-shot. I didn't edit this chapter so I apologize for any mistakes.

As always, let me know what you guys think!

~DDM~

I sank lower in the enormous, claw footed tub and sighed. The hot water was soothing, washing away the dust from my skin, the blood from my face and the smoke from my hair. I was able to stretch out completely, one of the perks of being only 5'4, and let my body relax. I submerged my ears and blocked out the sounds of the moving train I was currently on.

Alone with my thoughts, I let my mind drift back to the destruction of my former home. Home may be the wrong word, that place had not been home since before my mother died. I felt nothing for the people who had died just hours ago, except for one, May.

She had been good to me over the few years that I had stayed with her. Her generosity and kindness had been the only thing to keep me going in my darkest times. She alone protected me from the more vicious of the townsfolk who felt that I had somehow wronged them when my mother killed herself. They gave no thought to my own devastation at the loss of the on,y person I had left in the world. I had been young when my father left, I hardly remember him at all. Only the image of his kind green eyes, the ones I had inherited, came to mind when I thought of him. Mother had once told me that he had been called away to fulfill a higher purpose bit would never tell me what that purpose was. I dismissed thoughts of them, they were not what I wanted to focus on.

I let the tears fall as I thought of May, having none left to cry over my birth parents. Her smile filled my mind, her remembered scent, safe and warm, washed over me. I let myself have a moment to grieve her loss, to send a silent thanks to her for all she had done for me when no one else had cared.

I took a deep breath and let myself sink fully under the bath water, holding it in as the water covered my face. As I lay beneath the surface, I let all the thoughts of my upbringing cluster together in my mind, I shoved them all behind a heavy door and slammed them closed, locking them away.

I would embrace this new adventure, let myself explore this life of vampires and dark men with captivating eyes.

When my lungs began to burn for air, I let myself sit up and break the surface of the water, determined to see where this new life would take me.

As I pushed the hair back from my face, I saw movement from the corner of my eye. I turned and let out a shrill scream of surprise when I saw a very pale man standing in the corner, I sunk down and hid myself behind the side of the tub.

"Get out!" I screamed just before I heard the sound of the adjacent bedroom crash open. Suddenly Black Hat was standing in the door way that connected to bathroom to the bedroom I had been given. He looked around with those sharp gold eyes, the flicker over me for a moment before locking onto the pale, hunched figure in the corner.

"I told you to leave the clothes on the bed." He said as he bared those wicked looking teeth. "What part of my instructions were unclear? Nowhere did I say spy on her while she bathed." His face was calm but his voice was low and dangerous. I peak further over the side of the tub.

"Master…" the strange pale man stuttered, looking terrified. "Forgive me Master, she is just so…" he didn't get a chance to finish his words before Black Hat was across the room, grabbing the man by the back of his shirt and literally throwing his from the room. He took a deep breath before turning back to me. I made sure nothing but my face was exposed over the side of the tub.

"Are you alright?"

I nodded.

"There are clothes on your bed, dress when you are done, there will be a Familiar waiting outside your door to bring you to dinner." I glanced past him to my room, hoping the strange creeper was gone.

"He will be dealt with." My host said firmly. "There will be a new one outside."

"Ok, thank you." I said softly. He nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

I sighed in relief, that was an interesting was to begin my new life. I waited a moment to make sure I was truly alone before I rose from the cooling water. Snatching up the towel, I wrapped it around myself before climbing out of the tub and onto the bath mat. I picked up a smaller towel and began to gently squeeze the water from my hair as I silently made my way over to the door. I pushed it open and peered out, checking to make sure It was completely empty before I stepped out of the bathroom.

I hung my hair towel over the footboard and looked at the dress that had been left for me. It was a beautiful, rich, dark purple and looked to be about knee length with a V shaped neckline. I ran my fingers over it and marveled over its softness. It was nicer than anything I had ever owned. I was suddenly great full Thayer I had had the forethought to hand wash my undergarments and leave them to dry while I bathed. The thought of having to wear this beautiful dress and join my host for dinner sans underwear had me flushing all the way to my hair. I quickly donned all the essential clothing and then realized the only shoes I had to wear were by boots. Shrugging, I tugged them on the ran my fingers through my hairs.

A brush was added to my mental lit of things I would need to acquire. I decided that I was as presentable as I would ever be and took a deep breath before I opened the door to the hallway.

True to his word, there was a new man standing outside my door, jut as pale as the first but quite a bit taller and not hunched over.

"Hello." I said softly. The pale man bowed low.

"Master has asked me to escort you to dinner." He said, eyes cast low.

"Thank you." I gestured for him to lead the way and I followed close behind. We passed more pale people, most of whom glanced curiously as I passed. The halls were long and dark, the gentle swaying of the train would take some getting used to. We passed through several cars before we finally reached our destination. The pale man knocked, then opened to the door with another low bow. I thanked him as I stepped into the newest car, this one obviously being the dinning car. It was more open than the other cars, brightly lit and more homey feeling. There was a big table situated in the center of the room, ladened with more food than I had ever seen at one time. My host sat at one end of the table. He stood when I entered and smiled his unique, fanged, smile.

I walked over, offering a smile of my own. He pulled out the chair beside him, waiting for me to be seated before he gently pushing it back in again. I heard him inhale over my hair before he too took his seat.

Before I could thank him for the dress or for saving me from the creepy man in my bathroom he spoke, voice low.

"I thought you didn't care for the people of that town." I looked at him to find him frowning at me.

"You smell of residual salt, you were crying. Do you not want to be here?" He seemed bothered by this thought.