Hey guys - so sorry it has taken me literally MONTHS to post another chapter. This one leads up to something big and you see a bit of conflict between the BOYS! But yes, I've been busy with uni applications/A2 stuff... Hope you enjoy it!

The Ball

I'll admit, living as a vampire hunter's daughter from an early age isn't easy. I didn't participate in the hunts for a number of years, but I still didn't have the average childhood.

My father would hunt as often as he could, both during the day and during the night. When the hunt was far from home, we'd travel, moving from motel to motel, until the problem had been eradicated.

Though I have probably slept in every single motel in the Southern United States – and slept well – I was unable to do so in Roxanne´s room.

She had pulled the large blinds together, rather it had been like the walls were coming together instead, shutting me inside what seemed like an authentic black hole. When she knew she was safe from the sun, she went onto making me feel at home. Pulling a bed out from a sofa, she signalled towards it. I would sleep there.

Roxanne fell asleep immediately. She closed her eyes and then her breathing slowed down to a stop; her chest no longer rising and falling.

I stayed up most of the night, managing only to doze off for a couple of minutes before waking up again, my conscious alerting me of the danger I was in. Even contrasting the present to the past didn't help; I had spent nights in motel rooms with my father, waiting for him to come home from the hunts to hug me during the thunderstorms – I had been able to sleep through thunderstorms, but not through this.

I decide I have spent enough hours in this room, waiting for the sun to go down and so I get up from my bed. Tiptoeing across the room, in an attempt to not disturb Roxanne who is still fast asleep, I grab hold of the bag I had brought from home with all my necessities. I brush my hair, re-tying it into a ponytail and then get changed into a new set of clothes; jeans and a t-shirt. I can´t see today as being a very eventful day and so this will do. This has to do.

Glancing at my watch I see that the time is still four in the afternoon. Having struggled in bed for hours, I decide to escape to the outdoors; everyone´s asleep at this time and so I should be safer outside with the sun nice and high in the sky. Besides, I don´t remember the last time I saw the sun.

Getting outside isn't much of a problem. The doors to Alexander's castle aren't locked, which I can understand even though it worries me. I see nobody around, and so I close it behind me, finally feeling the sun on my skin again, a sensation I have missed.

Walking over the drawbridge, I study the castle from a glance. It looks more antique, more camouflaged to its surroundings from the outside, whereas on the inside it looks more like a refurbished modern home. Yet, the castle, both inside and outside is not as beautiful as its surroundings.

The forest covers most of the land for miles, as I had learnt on my way here. However, what I hadn't noticed was a parting in the forest, giving way to a small lake of stagnant water. It takes me a few walks around the castle grounds to find this, but when I come across it, I stop in my way.

The lake is the most naturally beautiful thing I have seen. Undoubtedly, no living creatures inhabit the lake – not fish, not frogs, not insects. Nor is it a lake of particular beauty. The wind however has enhanced its features, blowing flowers and leaves from the nearby plants and trees into its water. As I think about the danger I am in, the danger of which Alexander had talked about last night, I know that I too am alone. When winter comes, the waters of the lake will freeze; they will be still for what may seem like an eternity. An eternity could be what I may have to wait for my danger to be over – an eternity in fear of someone about to strike.

Something on the other side of the lake distracts me from my thoughts. A small bench, carved in what seems like the renaissance era – its white pillars with man-made flowing movements. The stone, which at first appears to be white has a tint of pink to it, and as I make my way towards it, I want nothing more than for time to stop, so that I can admire both the lake and the bench for an eternity. There's that word again, I think to myself.

As I get closer to the bench, I realise an inscription on its hard surface. 'For Antoinne and Roxanne', it reads. I realise it must have been a gift, maybe even one of those memoirs of a time spent with someone. I touch the surface of the bench, wanting to understand the reason behind why it was built, but nothing. I can just feel its smooth texture, coupled with some more eroded parts.

Firstly I sit on the bench, but then sleep finally takes hold of me and I find myself lying on the bench, watching the leaves above me fall around me and onto the lake, in between periods where my heavy lids take over.

"Veronica," someone whispers. I jump, startled. It's Alexander.

"You can call me Ronnie," I reply back as I stretch my arms behind me.

"Ronnie. You know, the hours that you spent staring at the leaves fall this afternoon, I could have easily spent watching you sleep."

I blink up at him, smiling at his comment. My smile fades when I focus on the sun behind him. I jump up onto my feet.

"Alexander, what are you doing here? The sun! The sun!" I point out, running towards him.

Alexander just stands there as I try to push him from his still position, chuckling. I shake him, trying to get him to move.

"Look at me Ronnie," he says, grabbing my hand in between his hands. "Look at me. Am I burning?"

I take a step back from him, dropping my hands from his waist and observe him. The sun shines on his hair, on his skin, on his face.

"No." I admit the obvious.

"Well then."

"Oh. But…"

"Before you ask, did Eric tell you anything about me?"

"Yes, everything, but…"

"But he forgot to mention that I don't burn. Everything minus the one thing that always shocks others. Before you ask, let me explain. I'm the first ever vampire; I'm older, stronger than all the others. Everyone is human before they are changed, but I was never changed. I evolved. I am closer to my human side than all the others, because I never really left it."

"You've created a different species, but you're not even a true vampire yourself, Alexander." I say in response. Everything he has just said has shocked me – he is the ultimate weapon.

"True, though when the sun is at its highest it still harms me. I don't particularly enjoy the sun, but it is safe for me at this time of day."

"Yes, I remember Eric telling me that was one of the… erm… symptoms you felt when you were… erm… evolving."

"Oh, so Eric mentions my weaknesses but not my strengths now, does he?"

"Enough. If you came to insult Eric, how about you leave?" I mention, regretting the words as they come out of my mouth.

"I'm sorry. I actually came to discuss a more urgent matter with you. A ball."

"You're throwing a ball?" I ask, dumbfounded.

"Yes, do you not think it's a good idea? It's in your honour."

"In my honour? Why? No, I don't think it's the best idea. You said it yourself yesterday; we are in the middle of a war."

"Well when else do you suggest we have it? Why not now, when all we have is tonight. We are in the middle of a war – a war that could end us all tomorrow, if not earlier." I stare at him, astonished once again, speechless due to the value for life he holds.

"And most importantly, why not for you? Do you know how rare, how precious you are to our kind? Understand Ronnie, you are a gem… a diamond, in between coal."

"You really think that I am that valuable?"

"Yes. I have always held Healers in my highest regard. I just never thought I would ever see one again. You are very fortunate to be one."

"I don't understand why, Alexander."

"Is immortality not enough? An eternity of learning, of experiencing, of love…" He says, bringing to the surface my feelings for Eric. By this time I have sat back down on the bench and he joins me, holding my hands.

"I don't want immortality, Alexander. I don't want to have to feed on others." I say bluntly.

"You don't. I thought Eric had explained. Your blood bond… your blood bond has united you to him. You are tied to his future. You are immortal."

"You are mistaken. Eric and I haven't… we haven't spoken about this. He has only ever fed me his blood when I have been – "

"Weak," he finishes for me.

Confusion drowns me as the reality that Eric has kept things from me sinks deep into me. I try to understand everything that he has just told me – immortality, blood bonds…

"You and Eric… you're telling me you're not linked in blood?" He asks, his voice rising and a smile appearing on his face. I don't understand his question so I just shake my head.

"You don't even know what the Blood Bond is, do you?" Again, his words mean nothing. I shake my head.

"The Blood Bond is the most sacred aspect of a vampire and Healer's existence. As you already know, a Healer's blood not only heals a vampire instantly, but strengthens him as well. When a vampire choses a Healer as its mate however, it is the Healer who benefits – she becomes an immortal human, in order to become one with the vampire and accompany him throughout his existence. They are unstoppable together, not needing anyone else in order to survive."

Alexander's speech astounds me, and I am left unable to piece together the reasons for why Eric has kept something so important, so sacred from me. His eyes are glistening, and I can see in them that he too is as astonished as I am.

"It is also the only way of…" He begins but then he blushes, looking into the distance, watching the flowers and the leaves fall on the lake as I had done.

"Of what Alexander?" I ask him, wanting to know more about me.

"Never mind," he says, not looking at me in the eye. He stares at our hands, entwined since he first took them into his.

"Alexander, please. I need to know what I am, what I could be. I need to know as much as possible; please don't keep anything from me."

With pity, he looks at me in the eye and continues what he broke off saying before.

"It's the only other way of surviving a vampire pregnancy. Female vampires are unable to reproduce as their bodies froze in time when they were bitten. Humans are too weak to conceive a vampire child. Healers however, with the Blood Bond can be fed their mate's blood throughout the pregnancy, and are therefore kept strong in order to nourish a true vampire. Someone like me, Ronnie; a vampire born, not made."

"I understand now, but there haven't been many Healers over time. Eric's told me I may even be the only one alive at this moment in time."

"He's right – you are the only Healer and there haven't been any vampire children yet. Healers only come around every hundreds of years, and they have often fallen into the wrong hands."

There haven't been any vampire children yet. I drop every hope his words have given me this last half hour.

"How do you know it's all possible then?"

"I just do."

"You – ?"

I try to fight back but I know that he's right. He looks me in the eye and my words come to a halt, my breath stopping and the truth sinks into me. Somehow, I trust not only his words, but his instincts too. I trust him, because this omnipotent being really has seen everything there is to see. No-one is wiser than him.

"You are lucky to have someone like Eric. You may accomplish everything that you are capable of."

"Eric," I say out loud, looking up at the sky and seeing that the moon has replaced the sun. Darkness has fallen again. "Alexander, I have to go, but thank-you," I say, dropping his hands and getting up from the bench.

I wanted to be part of the bench's history, part of this forest, part of this lake, part of Alexander's life and I have achieved all I wanted in one afternoon. He has taught me so much about myself that I have left little time to talk about him.

"Alexander?" I ask, as I turn to say goodbye. "You regard immortality as a gift, but you have lived through millions of years. Do you never think you've lived too much? Do you never feel like it is time to move on… to die?"

"No. You don't think I would have moved on had I wanted to? I may have lived through millions of years Ronnie, and at times it gets lonely; but I will never move on until I have seen everything."

As he has at several points this afternoon, his poetic nature astonishes me. He really is like no-one else I have ever met. The tormented being I had met last night disappears as he walks over to me to hold my head between his hands again.

"Had I died a hundred years ago for example, I would never have met you. I don't think I will ever be able to leave this Earth now that I have."

"Eric should be awake. I'm sorry, I need to go."

"Of course," he says, stepping away from me. I give him a shy smile and then start walking away from him. "The ball is at eleven; be promptly please. Roxanne will help you get ready."

I start rushing, fidgeting with my hands after the conversation with Alexander. Anger swells up inside me when I think of the things that Eric has been keeping from me, but I still want to rush, to be in his arms, immunised from all these feelings that an afternoon with Alexander has led to me having.

I stop on my way back to the castle, only to glance at Alexander who is still by the lake, watching me. He smiles, but then looks above me; as I follow his glance, I realise that Eric has been watching us. He stands by his window, smiling down at me. I wave, joy erupting on my face, my legs skipping and running to the castle.

As I walk in, he's waiting for me by the stairs, with a worried smile on his face. I can see that the worry has spun from my time spent with Alexander, but I reassure him with a smile. His eyes shine to see me smile and I run into his arms, kissing him as if I have been kept from enjoying him.

"Alexander…" I say, in between the time I take for air. "He's throwing a ball."

"We better go get ready then," he says, kissing me one last time before grabbing me by the hand and pulling me up the stairs.

Before I enter Eric's room, I see Alexander walk in the front door, to be greeted by Roxanne. He pecks her on the cheek before looking up at me.

When Eric and I are alone in his room, he makes a move towards me, lifting me up so that I wrap my legs around him. He is warm, and it is hard to resist him, but I try to avoid his kisses as everything that I have learn this afternoon rushes into my mind.

"I. Have. Missed. You. So. Much." He says, in between his breathing.

"Eric, don't do this. Not now. We have got to talk." I say; the tone in my voice couldn't be more obvious.

"What has Alexander said to you," he says dropping me, my feet contacting the floor again.

His mood has changed. He's no longer playful Eric, but serious Eric. He moves over to the bed, where he sits with his elbows on his legs. His hands move across his face and hair, and I know that he is nervous for this conversation.

"It's not what Alexander has said to me!" I say in defence. "It's what you've been keeping from me: the Blood Bond, the immortality, the possibility of a future with children!" I shout this time, gasping for breath. His expression tells me he's in pain, but I just continue to torture everything out of him.

"Why have you kept it all from me? You haven't claimed me as yours. I don't understand. Do you not want to? Do you not love me?" I ask, and his mouth falls wide open.

"Ronnie – ". He tries to interrupt me but I don't let him. He stands up, reaching his hand up towards me. e.J e n the cheek before looking up at me

"I am in danger, Eric. We all are, and I am literally up for grabs. You know what would happen if I was to fall in the wrong hands. I would be like Carter."

"NO!" He says, his voice wavers. "No, no, no. I love you Ronnie and you are mine. You will always be mine."

"Then why haven't you even talked to me about this Eric?" I say, not being able to take either of our pain any longer. I walk up to him, wrapping my arms around him and looking up into his eyes.

"Because I don't want you to be with me."

My heart stops. I try to heal my broken heart by repressing my feelings, but they manage to escape in the form of tears. I fall to the ground onto my knees beside his feet, only to embrace myself to keep my heart beating. I keep crying, endlessly, and my breathing accelerates as I try to interpret what he's just said.

"You're in danger because of me Ronnie. Don't you understand? Because of what I am. I want you to be safe. I want you to forget everything about vampires, everything about me. I want you to lead a normal life. You will never be normal with me; you will never have a normal life."

"I have never been normal Eric!" I sob. "I witnessed my mother's death as a seven year old. Since then, I have always been in danger. I have never been normal, nor have I ever wanted to be. Everything I have ever known has been the vampire life. It makes sense for us to be together. It makes sense for me to be what I am, to be a Healer."

As I respond to his doubts, I get up from the floor and make my way to the door. I'm angrier than ever because I thought we had gone past these feelings. They were meant to be behind us. The terrible memories of Kyle's basement rush back; even then I had argued for us; I had convinced Eric that life was worth living, especially if we were in it, together.

"This conversation is over," I say, wiping the tears from my eyes and reaching for the door handle. "I will see you at the ball."