Chapter Four:

It had been nearly two days since Arianna had awoken, but had yet to get out of bed. Josef spent hours at a time beside her bed, stroking her hair and chatting with her amiably. There was always that lingering fear that she might slip away, so he seemed to want to make the most of his time with her. "Arianna?"

"Yes?"

"Can you sense thoughts?" Josef asked hesitantly, stroking her hand gently.

"Why?" Arianna frowned in confusion.

"I was just wondering. I am your sire, after all, and that's one of the things that should pass along through the blood."

'I can, yes.'

Josef froze, releasing Arianna's hand abruptly. "You…can TALK through thoughts?"

"Why? Is that a bad thing?" Arianna asked innocently, tilting her head in a childish manner.

"It's something you SHOULD need to be as old as I to do!" Josef sputtered indignantly.

There was a knock on the door, and Josef turned. "Come in!"

Beth poked her head into the room. "Your guests are here, Josef."

"Show them in." Josef smiled his fledgling, running pale fingers through her hair gently. "You'll see how a vampire like me lives now, yes?"

In response, Arianna leaned down, planting a gentle kiss on Josef's nose. "Of course."

Another knock, and Josef stood. 'Can you stand, my dear?'

'I can try.' Arianna swung her legs to the side of the bed, supporting herself on the headboard as she stood. "Yes."

"COME IN!" Josef called in response to the insistent knocking. "Come." He held a hand out, supporting Arianna as she stood.

"Josef? You called for us?"

"I did." The elegant vampire moved towards the door, shutting it with a soft click and locking it. "It would be best if we weren't interrupted."

One of the ladies arched an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Josef? We can't engage in any act…there's two of us."

"Who said that we would be doing anything, Jasmine?" Josef asked quietly, frowning.

"Well…"

The other woman, one with deep ebony flowing hair spoke up. "Don't mind her, Josef. Who's this?" She indicated Arianna standing beside the elder vampire.

"This is Arianna. She's my fledgling. And she is the reason I require two of you." Josef spoke calmly. "Merissa, I'll allow Arianna to feed from you. Jasmine, you're mine."

The women nodded, starting forward. Josef smiled at Jasmine, fangs elongating as he sank them into her throat. 'You may not kill her, understood?'

'Yes, sir.' Ignoring Merissa's offering of her throat completely, Arianna reached out, gently taking Merissa's arm and sinking her fangs into the soft underside. After a moment, she pushed her away gently, and Merissa stood, covering the wounds with a handkerchief. "You're very gentle, Arianna."

"I've been told that once before." Arianna smiled in Josef's direction. The elder vampire had just finished feeding, and caught her smile, returning one of his own.

"Thank you, ladies. Go clean up and rejoin the others." Josef clapped his hands, ushering the pair outside.

Arianna stood, approaching Josef and touching his arm gently. "Josef, are Mick and Beth still here?"

"Yes, they are." Josef hooked an arm around her waist. "Shall we?"

Mick and Beth were in the living room, Beth sleeping against Mick's shoulder, when they entered. Mick shook her gently and she woke with a start. "Josef? Oh! Arianna! You're up!"

Arianna smiled gently. "Yes." She glanced at Mick, nodding wordlessly. 'They are looking for us. For our kind.'

Mick frowned, nodding in response. "Josef, we should go out."

Josef frowned. "Why?"

"Well, Arianna has yet to feel what it's like to be outside and aware, unless you want to count your little jaunt to my place." 'I will not lure them here. You don't want that.'

"Please, Josef?" Arianna clutched Josef's arm eagerly, looking for all the world like a little child during Christmas.

"I-well…" Josef sputtered. "It's…the middle of the day…"

"I meant later tonight, Josef." Mick replied wryly. "I wonder about you sometimes."

"There's another reason for this, isn't there?" Josef let a small noise of distress escape him as Arianna slipped from his arms to go talk to Beth.

Mick stood, approaching the elder vampire. "She's powerful. Too powerful. People will be looking for her, Josef. You know that."

Josef looked uneasy. "Yes, but-"

"You know how powerful she is now. I don't know how, nor do I want to, but you need to be careful around her. She's not just another pretty face."

"Mick, you're REALLY not in any position to give me advice about this sort of thing."

Mick bared his fangs in a threatening snarl. "I was there when she was hurt. She had already been given a dose of blood. By whom, I have no idea, but I could smell it on her, and I still can. You are not the only one bonded to her."

"I know." Josef conceded, glancing at the female vampire, who was laughing and joking with Beth as though they were lifelong friends. "Mick, you have to understand that I love her."

"I understand that. Probably more than anyone else in the WORLD. But you have to be careful. Loving her will probably get you hurt."

Josef frowned. "Nothing could hurt me more than losing her right now, Mick. That much I know. Keep Beth safe. I'll keep Arianna safe. There's nothing more we can do." With that, he turned away from the younger vampire, ending the conversation.

"Josef, I don't feel good." The statement came from the fledgling vampire, who was clutching Beth for support.

A flash of fear shot through the elder vampire, and he hurried forward, taking Arianna in his arms. The minute they made contact, he recoiled, half-blinded by a sudden wave of pain. "What the hell…."

Mick hurried forward, gently touching Arianna's arm. "She's burning up…" He hissed in pain, withdrawing his hand as quickly as Josef had recoiled.

Beth looked incredibly confused, glancing around. "She feels normal to me…"

"Which is bad." Both male vampires blurted, and Mick hurried towards the back room.

"She needs my freezer." Josef blurted, straightening with what looked like immense difficulty. "Come on, Beth."

With Beth's help, they guided the flushed, semi-delirious Arianna to the back room where Josef normally slept. "Come on, hon." Beth guided the overheated vampire into the freezer, where she immediately closed her eyes, taking in the cool air.

"Shut it." Josef indicated to the open door. "She can open it from the inside."

The group exited as Arianna slept, and Mick cast Josef a glance. "I told you so."

"Shut up."

A/N : For the record, I fail at this. Read and review. I'm SO sorry if they're out of character. And PLEASE try to review with something constructive so I can fix it. Or be specific as to why you like it. Thanks!