Umbra Angelus.

Next day, Nefara, Raven and Robin stood at the bus station, watching for the Greyhound from LA.

Nefara waved to someone, then pointed her out to Robin and raven. "There she is. With the blonde hair."

There was no mistaking her. She had beautiful blonde hair, that looked like spun gold in the sunlight, that hung round her shoulders. She had a classic face, that looked like it came straight from a Greek painting. She smiled at Nefara. It lit up her whole face.

She climbed off the bus and embraced Nefara.

Nefara grinned. "Guys, meet Iliana. Also known as Antiope."

Iliana smiled at the pair. "Nice to meet you." Her voice was soft and lilting.

Robin looked confused (as he seems to be quite a lot in this fic). "Does that mean Wonder Woman is your niece?"

Iliana laughed softly. "Yes. Maybe if we go somewhere more private, I'll tell you the whole story." She glanced apologetically at Nefara. "And you'll get to hear it again."

Nefara laughed as well. "Sounds perfect."

Iliana smiled at friend, buttoned up her long gray wool coat up to her neck and shivered. "It's a bit colder than Athens." She remarked as they walked along the street to the cafe.

The Bat's Nest was quiet, as usual. The four sat down at a table in a dark corner and ordered 3 hot chocolates and a herbal tea.

"So how do you know Diana?" Robin asked again, sipping his drink.

Iliana looked at Robin for a moment, thinking. "Well, before, and after, I was changed, I was an Amazon. Except then we were called Moon Riders. The Amazon thing is as untrue as you can get. A means no and mazon means breast. No breasts. But as you can see," She explained with a smirk. "Both my breasts are intact."

Robin blushed, making Iliana smile. "Both me and my sister joined the Moon Riders when she was 13 and I was 12." She pointed to a faint outline of a moon on her left cheek and a star on her left. "My name back then was Antiope and my sister was called Hippolyta. Of course she went on to be leader of the Moon Riders and then she married Theseus and gave birth to Hippolytus and Diana. I was changed, and even though some of the Moon Riders thought I was 'evil', the leader of the Moon Riders, Penthesilea, Gods watch her soul, gave me a permanent place in the Moon Riders, if I wanted it."

Raven set her tea on the table and turned her amethyst eyes to Iliana. "You mentioned the Gods. Do you believe in the ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses?"

"As firmly as I believe that I'm a vampire. And that's pretty certain." Iliana replied meeting Raven's gaze with her own silver eyes. "The Moon Riders are meant to be the messengers and protectors of Selene, the moon goddess. So I kinda grew up believing." She turned back to Robin. "Do you think I'd be able to call Diana from your house? I'd like to see my niece."

Robin nodded and looked at the clock. "I think we should be getting back to the tower."

Nefara glanced toward Iliana. "I have someone I want you to meet, Iliana, before we go back to the tower."

Iliana stood up, putting her long gray wool coat on. "Let's go then."

"Who is it you're going to see?" Robin asked, narrowing his eyes.

Nefara grinned, showing teeth. "An informant I haven't seen in a long time. I promised them I'd visit them if I ever came to Jump."

Robin scowled and walked through the door. Raven sighed and looked back towards the vampires. "Dinner will be at 5. I'll tell Cy to do your steaks extra rare. Oh, and say hi to Red X from me." Raven finished with a whisper of a smile, before turning and following Robin out of the door.

Iliana exchanged smiles with Nefara. "Smart one, isn't she?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Red X, leaned against the wall in the alley way. He was in his suit, as always. "Nefara, always a pleasure." His head turned towards Iliana. "And who is this lovely young lady?"

Iliana laughed. "I maybe lovely, but young I am not. Vultus es decipio" She said to Nefara, still laughing.

Red X laughed as well. "Sorry, don't speak Latin."

"That is the whole point, my boy." Nefara agreed. "She said that appearances are deceiving. I thought you would like to meet her. And also like to know, that we are staying at the Titans Tower."

Red X stood up straight. "Is that so? I thought you'd have more taste. You know you could stay with me."

"It's helpful to our... situation to stay with the Titans." Iliana said, raising her eyebrows at X.

"Not that we'd love to stay with you... but it's a matter of... convenience." Nefara added. She looked quickly down at the time on her cell. "Well, my boy, it's time to be off. We are expected somewhere else." She gave him a slight hug. "Oh, and Raven says hi."

The two vampiresses melted into the shadows of the alley way, leaving X staring after them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -

Iliana stuck her hands into the pockets of her gray wool coat, the match to Nefara's black one. She rapped her knuckles on the door, looking behind her t Nefara, who was crouched next to the water, staring at the fish under the surface.

Cyborg opened the door to Iliana, who, upon seeing him, beamed. "HI! You must be Cyborg. I've heard all about you!"

Cyborg smiled in return and remarked to Nefara, who joined them at the door. "You're right. She is nicer than you."

Nefara snorted and walked in the door, pushing past the metal man.

'He's doing it again.' Nefara thought with disgust as she watched Robin drool over Iliana.

Iliana grinned at Nefara. 'Don't be mean. He's just a boy. Hormones.'

Nefara hid her snort behind a large piece of bloody steak. 'Hormones my arse.'

Raven coughed and stood from the table, looking uncomfortable. She shot a meaningful look at Nefara, beckoning her into the kitchen. "I don't mean to, but I keep overhearing your conversation with Iliana."

Nefara smiled warmly, softening slightly. "Sorry about that. I get so used to talking to her through my thoughts I don't realize I'm doing it." She looked back towards the table. 'I'll try my best to stop."

"Thanks." Raven muttered, walking off towards the stairs.

Nefara watched the table from the doorway of the kitchen for a while. They were all talking animatedly and in the middle sat Iliana, smiling and answering their questions.

And even though Iliana looked content and happy, Nefara could feel waves of loneliness exuding from her.

She cleared her throat and called Iliana over. Like the true princess she was, Iliana excused herself and came over to Nefara, still smiling.

"Cut the act." Nefara told her harshly. "You're not fooling me."

Iliana's eyebrows came down and her face drooped. "Shall we go for a walk?" She asked quietly.

Nefara nodded and grabbed their coats.

They walked through the falling snow, around the island.

"You miss him don't you?" Nefara asked boldly.

Iliana's head shot up. "Who?"

"Don't try acting dumb with me, it won't work." Nefara snapped.

Iliana raked a hand through her hair and shook her head. "I shouldn't be thinking about him. It's hopeless to dream."

Nefara looked at her pityingly. "It's not hopeless. He was never completely evil. He just... deviated." She said trying to console her blood sister.

"Oh don't pity me!" Iliana snapped coldly. "I'm no fool, Nefara! He was evil to the core. I couldn't change him. I was a fool to try."

"You were not a fool! I thought he could change too! Don't place all the blame on yourself!"

"But I am to blame!" Iliana shouted, finally snapping. "I was the idiot who changed him! I was dumb enough to believe he loved me as I loved him!"

"You were not a fool." Nefara repeated, softly. "He always loved you, Iliana. It was the last thing he said before he left. You were too busy to hear him."

Iliana's breath caught, tears running down her face. "I need to forget him. Get on with my death."

Nefara handed her a tissue. "So you're going to forget about him with Robin?" She asked pointedly.

Iliana glared. "Maybe."

Nefara sighed in defeat. "We need to contact Raksha. She's the only one who can tell the Titans what they need to know."

"I don't know." Mused Iliana. "You know how she is around new people. It's the premonitions."

Nefara nodded. "I know. But we have to try."

They walked down a dark alley, that no normal person in their right mind would walk down, but then again, these two could look after themselves.

There was muffled thumps coming from one of the other ends. Nefara could see two men kicking a bundle at their feet.

She pulled Iliana into the shadows and moved closer.

As they neared the men, they saw that the bundle was actually a pregnant woman, holding her stomach as the men kicked her.

Nefara snarled and launched out of the shadows onto one of the men. She grabbed him by the throat and flung him into the wall, kicking the other man in the stomach.

Iliana helped the woman up, turning her away from the scene behind her. It would have been way too complicated to explain. "Are you okay?" She asked the woman.

The woman nodded her head. "I think we better take you to the hospital." Iliana told her softly, gesturing for Nefara to follow her.

The doctors looked shocked as the two 'girls' helped the pregnant woman into the ER of the hospital.

"We found this woman being beaten up by two thugs. I think she may need medical attention." Iliana told one nurse, before both her and Nefara turned and walked out of the hospital, as quick as they had come.