AN: Just when you thought the drama was over... :O But, let's be real, we all read these fics for the angst and the drama ;)

Enjoy!

"How do you do it man?" Roy asked Maes abruptly. The pair had been sitting in silence as they studied maps of the area, looking for good rendezvous points and possible areas of attack. Riza and Rebecca were out patrolling the forest, taking over from Roy and Maes. They had been away for hours already, but the pair could use a break anyway. Running through the forest, even as a human, was freeing and a great stress reliever.

Every time Roy thought of Riza, a warmth spread over him. His heart leapt in his chest, accompanied by butterflies in his stomach. He smiled to himself every time, which Maes caught once. Instead of saying anything, he simply chuckled in response and went back to work or his conversation.

Jean was sleeping in one of the guest rooms, as was Kain. It was currently past midnight and only Maes and Roy were the ones awake enough to continue planning.

"Do what?"

"The whole vampire thing. Does it not hurt to be out in the sunlight?"

"It doesn't hurt, but it does sap my energy quicker. If I spend too much time outside while it is sunny I can feel extremely fatigued. Why do you think I work night shift at the hotel? It isn't just for the money." He winked.

"That… Is actually a good idea. I never even thought about that."

There was a lull in the conversation as Roy tried to think of a way to phrase his next question.

"You want to know what I do about food." Maes raised his eyebrow, amused as he watched Roy's mind work.

"Yes."

"You don't have anything to worry about. I don't drink human blood. Blood in general is fine."

"So, you drink animal blood?"

Maes nodded. "Human blood is essential for healing when things are critical. Thankfully I've never been in a situation I've needed it." Roy suddenly recalled all the times he went to dinner at Maes' house. He was about to ask about regular food, but Maes beat him to it. "Food sustains me just fine too. It gives my body the necessary nutrients."

"Do Gracia and Elicia know?"

Maes was silent. Roy thought he wasn't going to answer. "No."

"Why not?" Roy ventured. Curiosity spurred him to ask the question.

Maes sighed. It appeared as though he had suddenly aged ten years. Mental note: ask Hughes about his age.

"It is… difficult."

"You don't want her to run away screaming?"

Silence. "Yes."

"Dude, Gracia love you so much. I've never seen anything like it. Plus, she has to put up with your personality. Nothing is going to scare away at this point." Maes appreciated his attempt at lightening the situation, his mouth quirking upwards in a smile. "I really don't think you have anything to worry about in that regard."

"Thank you," Maes replied softly. "But I don't want to subject her to this world, you know?"

"You already have by marrying her. The Hunters were always going to go after you and your family if they found you. Have you thought about changing her?"

Maes shook his head furiously. "It's not going to happen." His tone was fierce.

"Hey, easy. I was just asking," Roy reassured him. "Whatever you decide is up to you. I know you want to protect them."

Maes placed his face in his hands briefly, before massaging his temples. "I did consider it once. But then I read up on the process. It can kill people. I was born a vampire. To change someone into one it takes incredible will. Not that I don't think Gracia is strong enough," he added quickly. "I don't want to do that to her. Not many people survive the venom."

"So, if you were born a vampire, does that mean Elicia is…?"

Maes nodded. "She is a vampire, yes."

"Wow."

"She knows she is different, but doesn't know how different. She has begun to bring it up, but so far it has been avoided."

"Don't you think you should tell her at least? She has a right to know."

"I will, but she is too young right now. She shouldn't have to worry about all this at her age."

"She is more aware than you think," Riza announced, entering the living room through the French doors. Rebecca followed suit, shrugging her jacket off.

Maes frowned. "What do you mean? Did you tell her?" The edge in his voice was clear as day. Riza raised her hands in front of her as a sign of peace.

"I found her wandering that day the Hunters attacked. She asked me some questions. I told her it wasn't my place to tell her, so I didn't. But she knows that her parents carry the different scents of their species. She told me I smelled different from you both." Roy watched as Maes' face fell. "She thought you were ashamed of her." This time, Maes' face crumpled and he buried it in his hands. It hurt to watch the news break his heart.

Roy knew how hard this would be for his old friend. He wanted nothing more than to protect his family. He thought that by keeping them uninformed about the world they were involved in, they would have nothing to worry about. However, as the days wore on, it was clear this was no longer going to be the case. Roy only hoped Maes could see that.

"I reassured her that there was no shame, don't worry. I swear, I didn't tell her anything she didn't already know," Riza reassured him. "But she is a lot more developed than you think. Certainly compared to a human five year old."

"So what are you going to do?" Roy asked, watching his friend.

"I suppose there is only one thing to do now," he smiled, sadly. "I just wanted to protect them." His voice was thick as he spoke.

"And you have done a wonderful job. But you will help them more by telling them the truth. At the very least, tell Elicia," Roy urged. "She deserves to know her heritage and she should be proud of it. Help her protect herself."

Maes remained unmoving as he sat in thought.

Before Riza could reply, something distracted her. Turning her back against the group, she walked over to the French doors. Scanning the dark forest, she arrowed her eyes.

"What is it?" Rebecca asked.

Riza hushed her almost immediately. There was a distant sound which had caught her hearing. It sounded like… Footsteps. And lots of them. All running… Here.

Riza's eyes widened as she caught the first whiff of wolfs bane.

"They're here," she whispered in horror.

What was more surprising was the sight of a blonde werewolf heading straight for the house.

At this point, Rebecca, Maes, and Roy had all joined her at the door, each on high alert after hearing Riza's announcement. Without asking for clarification, they all knew who she was talking about.

The werewolf changed, leaving a purposeful Jean Havoc in its wake. He strode up to the house, his demeanour having completely changed since they last saw him. Gone was the goofy grin and happy expressions. His face was determined and calculated. The slight nervousness that had plagued him before had disappeared. His stride showed his urgency as he approached and opened the door to Roy's living room.

It was as if he had dropped an act.

"What?" Rebecca squawked, momentarily forgetting the terror heading towards them.

"Guys, grab Kain, we need to go," Jean announced urgently, turning back around to face the forest. The smell of wolfs bane was strong as it assaulted their senses. Riza saw Roy take a step back out of the corner of her eyes, rubbing his nose as he did so.

"What?" Rebecca repeated. She only had eyes for Jean.

"Now," he urged. Riza grabbed Rebecca's arm and pulled her towards the room Kain was currently occupying. If the blonde had left her there, she was sure Rebecca wouldn't have moved.

Action burst around them as the pair left the room. Maes was out the door in a flash, announcing he was getting his family. Roy ran back to his room and grabbed the bag he had packed for situation exactly.

"I'm going to get my Aunt," he told Jean.

"We don't have time for that."

"If you think for one second I am leaving her here, you are sorely mistaken."

"We need to go," Jean urged once more, glancing back at the forest.

"And we will. With my Aunt."

Without another words, he left the room and sprinted to Christmas' side of the house.

"Kain, it is time to go," Riza announced, shaking the young man.

"What?" he asked blearily. Sleep still had a tight hold on him. He was half asleep as Rebecca lifted him into a sitting position.

"They are here." Rebecca gave him a pointed look, and Kain eventually picked up on her tone. His quiet protests were silenced as the information sunk in. He stilled, his expression paling. "That's right. Time to go."

He nodded and grabbed his bag from the foot of his bed. He clutched it to his chest, as if afraid it would disappear at any moment. Riza figured it was some kind of comfort. If that it was it took to ease Kain's rising anxiety, she wouldn't stop him. The poor man had been through so much in such a short time. Riza realised she never stopped to ask him how he was dealing with it all.

"What is all the noise about Roy boy?" Christmas asked, raising an eyebrow as she puffed in her cigarette.

"We need to go."

Christmas regarded him for a long moment. Frustration built as he received no answer from his Aunt.

Before he could utter a word, she simply nodded.

"All right. Lead the way."

He was surprised how easily she was going along with this. Roy hadn't let on the severity of his situation. He was simply glad Christmas trusted him enough to follow him when he asked.

The two groups met back in Roy's living room. Jean had been the only one who remained, silently scanning the forest and determining how far away the Hunters were. The wolfs bane didn't affect him like the others, but he could still smell it. From the sound of their cries and footsteps, Jean gauged about a mile or so. Their gait wasn't quick, they weren't running, which was good. They had slowed down. Jean wasn't sure why, but he wasn't going to complain about their change in pace. However, they only had ten or fifteen minutes before they arrived at the house.

He had felt bad keeping his secret from them. Especially from Rebecca. No doubt they found it incredibly odd he hadn't batted an eye at her changing to a wolf in front of him. However, he felt it was best to keep quiet. He didn't want to raise additional questions. However, he was under strict orders not to reveal his true identity unless the situation demanded hit.

This was definitely one of those situations.

One thing that did surprise him was the fact the four of them hadn't smelled the werewolf scent on him. They must be really new werewolves.

Noise behind him signalled the return of Riza, Rebecca, and young Kain. The latter still looked half asleep, but he was up and walking. That was all they needed. Roy and Christmas followed shortly afterwards.

"Get to my jeep. We will drive to the location we agreed upon. It will cover our tracks and allow the humans to move quickly," Jean announced. Each werewolf looked at him slightly surprised at the sudden change in command, but no one argued. They each understood the situation all too well. Jean avoided Rebecca's almost accusatory gaze and ushered them out the house.

They all moved as one to the jeep, which was about two hundred metres away. No sooner than they had left the house, gun shots rang out.

Somebody shrieked in surprise, someone else calling out in surprise. In the distance, yelling and screams could be heard from the direction of the hotel.

"Get down!" Jean yelled, taking cover inside the house. He had barely made it out the door before the Hunters had fired. Damn, how did they get here so fast? How did I miss them?!

Peeking around the corner of the door frame, Jean looked towards the direction of the forest. Three Hunters stood aiming towards the group. They didn't let up in their firing either.

Riza pulled Kain down, who was crying quietly and huddled into a ball. He had covered his ears at the noise of the gunfire, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. She covered his body with her arms, putting her body in front of his. How did I miss them?

They were currently behind a thick tree trunk. Wood splintered behind her head as the bullets struck the wood. To her right, Rebecca was behind another tree. To her left, Christmas and Roy were hiding behind a "Welcome to Central Hotel" sign. The latter met her gaze, panicked. She nodded to him, willing him to understand everything would be all right.

There was a pause in the firing and Jean took the opportunity to sprint out the house to the tree Rebecca was currently occupying. He lifted her in a swift movement, placing his body against the tree and in the line of fire if the bullets were to make their way through the wood. Rebecca squawked in surprise and was left surprised by his actions.

Riza took a deep breath before lowering herself down to Kain's level.

"Kain? I need you to listen to me." The younger man looked up at her expectantly. Tears continued to fall silently and Riza felt incredibly sorry for him. He shouldn't have to go through this. This isn't his fight. "I am going to cause a distraction." Before he could protest, Riza held up her hand to stop him. "I will be all right. But what I need you to do is run over to where Roy and Christmas are as soon as I step out from behind the tree. They will keep you safe. Do you understand?" He nodded, wiping the tears from his face.

Both rose into a crouch at the same time. Riza took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. She could feel Roy's eyes boring into hers, desperately asking her to turn around and face him. Asking her not to do anything stupid.

"Riza," Rebecca hissed. She ignored her friend's urgent call and moved into the line of fire.

"Riza," she heard both Roy and Rebecca hiss. They were both desperate, anxious, afraid.

But she had a plan.

"Stop!" she called. She raised her hands above her head in surrender.

"Riza!" Roy called desperately. The blonde heard movement behind her as he moved to stand, but someone stopped him.

"Leave her be, boy," Christmas urged. Riza was thankful for that. She only hoped the older woman was able to follow through on her side of the bargain.

"But –"

"Leave her be. Don't draw attention to yourself if you want to live."

"I surrender," Riza announced. "Please, take me and leave my friends alone."

Silence reigned from behind her. She could almost feel the disbelief.

The three Hunters glanced at one another, unsure. They began to confer with one another while Riza waited impatiently for their verdict. One way or another, this would buy the rest of her group time to get away. In the distance, the rest of their group continued to press forward. Come on, Riza urged. Hurry up.

The woman in the centre nodded, lowering her weapon. She urged her forward with a wave of her hand, raising her weapon once more. Riza walked forward slowly. She could hear the protest behind her, urging her to come back, asking her what the hell she thought she was doing. Her heart clenched at the sound of it, but she blocked it out as she pressed forward. Now was not the time to be attached. If they were to succeed, she needed to remove herself personally from the situation. She was the alpha, and the main priority was getting them to safety.

She had almost reached the ground in front of the Hunters before someone fired again. Something hit Riza's chest and she felt herself stumble backwards. Another hit in the chest sent her backwards, falling to the ground. Landing painfully on her elbow, Riza glanced up at the Hunters. Two were looking at the woman in the centre, disbelief in their eyes.

Someone screamed her name behind her and there was a burst of activity. However, she couldn't make out the noise. It felt as if she was underwater.

"Mary, stop! She surrendered!" one Hunter yelled angrily.

"And what makes you think we take these things alive?" was Mary's reply, raising her gun finally after unloading another two shots into Riza's chest.

Blood rose from her stomach and lungs, leaking out of her mouth and onto her t-shirt. She coughed, gagging at the feeling. Pain flooded her whole being. She couldn't hear anything properly. Her vision blurred completely, allowing her only brief periods of clarity. Her breath was ragged and choked as her body experienced the pain of the gunshots.

"You are a cold motherfucker, Mary."

"Riza!" she heard Roy scream from behind her. She closed her eyes briefly, both against the pain and in an effort to block out his anguished yells. This wasn't something she had wanted to do to him. Not again. They had had enough life and death situations for one lifetime. However, this was the only way Riza could ensure their safety. She hadn't expected the events to take a turn like this, but facing it was worth it if it meant he would live. If it meant they could all live. She felt herself slide onto her back, the strength leaving her body. It convulsed in pain, the bullets leaving a raging fire in their wake.

"Let's go Roy," Jean urged, pulling him away from the scene he had just watch unfold. Jean knew this would have been insanely difficult for Riza. Hell, Jean didn't think he could have done it if he tried.

"No," he snarled, clawing at the other man's arms.

"She's already gone," he tried again, his voice softer. Despite the fight Roy was putting up, Jean could feel his resolve cracking. "We can't take her with us."

"Like hell we can't!"

As if sensing Roy was about to change into a wolf, Jean placed a rag over his mouth. Roy jerked in surprise, but the chloroform soon took effect. The dark haired man's body went limp in his. Jean hauled him up to the parking lot, where Kain, Christmas, Gracia and Elicia were waiting anxiously. Maes followed close behind Jean, dragging a distraught and struggling Rebecca. She protested against the vampire's tight grip, cursing him every name under the sun. As soon as she saw Roy, she stopped. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and looked at Jean.

"What did you do?" she hissed. Maes finally dropped her and the brunette rushed to his side. The vampire's own expression was grim.

Jean placed him gently in the back of the truck bed. Rebecca hopped up into the truck bed as well, placing herself protectively between the unconscious Roy and Jean. She was crouched defensively, glaring at the blonde werewolf.

"What needed to be done," Jean replied grimly. Rebecca met his gaze, the hurt clear as day in her eyes. She had trusted Jean. Not only had he kept his identity secret from her, he had some part in this whole tragedy and Rebecca wasn't sure she trusted him anymore.