BEFORE DAWN APPROACHED CONTINUED

Mike looked incredulously at Henry and then was almost giddy with excitement.

"Really? It's that easy? You'll just leave?" Mike was smiling from ear to ear. Henry stood up, his fists clenched, his jaw twitched and his mouth set in a line.

"Not hardly, Mike. Do you really think I would leave, just like that?"

"Well..yeah.." Mike was not quite as happy as he was.

"I told Vick as I told you I believe as well, I will never leave her and I meant it. I am a man of my word. Whether or not things work out between us, I will not leave her."

"Oh, that's right. Wait, didn't you also say you wouldn't hurt her?" Mike was now on his feet and the two men were inches apart, ready for a confrontation. Mike knew realistically he couldn't take Henry, he was far too strong but Henry knew that Mike was only trying to protect Vicki.

"I realize that detective and I'm sorry for what I said. I was shocked, that's all. Can you tell me in all honesty if the tables were reversed, if you were unable to give Vicki a child, can you tell me you wouldn't have been upset in the least?"

Mike thought for a moment and then said, "I can't give her child, not ever. She doesn't want me so I do understand." Finally, Henry knew she hadn't been with Mike. He should have felt that in his heart and he did, but there was still that little part of him, the insecure young man that thought maybe she had wanted to have the detective one last time.

"You happy?" Mike flopped down again.

"No." Henry flopped down too.

"What? Why the hell not?"

"Must I remind you about her little experience with Dahak?" Mike's face fell as he did remember the incident.

"Holy shit! I did forget..wait you don't think...?"' Mike wondered aloud.

"I hate to be rude detective but I feel the sunrise fast approaching and I must retreat to my room, I can trust you won't try to break in and stake me?" Henry raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah..I mean no. Sure, go on. And uh, thanks for not running out on her." Mike said with a cough and a nervous twitch.

"I said I wouldn't but after seeing me with Christina, I don't know if things are reparable." Henry showed Mike out and after securing the extra lock that had been installed, he retreated for the day, a tear slipping down his cheek as he wondered what tonight would bring.

THE NEXT MORNING, BACK TO COREEN AND VICKI

"Vicki, shouldn't you like, go to a doctor or something, I mean just to be double sure?" Coreen prodded.

"I think I need a shrink here of late," Vicki told her.

"Bad dreams?" Coreen knew that's what she'd walked in on.

"Just a tad, but it's nothing I'm sure. Although, I would like to know exactly what happened to Christina and how much Henry enjoyed himself," she snorted remembering the scene she had come upon in the warehouse. It sickened her still. She was also concerned about her little mirror experience.

"I don't think you want all the details, really," Coreen made a face and started out of the office.

"Wait just a minute, sit," Vicki ordered. Coreen rolled her eyes and wished she had kept her mouth shut.

"So, is she dead, for sure?" Vicki asked.

"Yes, she's dead, for sure. Now, can I go? I have tons of.."

"NO...how?" Coreen was hoping she wouldn't have to tell Vicki.

"I'm not really sure but um, she's dead I know that," the phrase, 'please let her believe me' was running through Coreen's head.

"I don't believe that's all you know, so spill it before I beat it out of you," Coreen didn't think she would but, with Vicki's current state of mind, did she really want to take that risk? No she did not.

"Okay, okay, that guy, David? He said the two vampires drained her," Coreen felt relieved to finally reveal the secret she'd hoped to keep from Vicki.

"Henry drained Christina?" Vicki was in total shock, that's not what she had expected. She was doubtful Henry would ever be able to carry through the threat of killing Christina. Witnessing what she did last night didn't help matters either, she heard Henry say "I love you" and thought it was for Christina. A glimmer of hope rose within in Vicki then died as her stubborn streak took over, wait and see she told herself.

"Yeah, and the other one did too," Coreen said her eyes wide.

"Wait, how does he know? He wasn't in there," Vicki remembered.

"He said he..." Coreen was searching for the right word then settled on, "felt it. He felt her life leaving so with the blood they found and no bodies of Henry or Jagger, it had to be Christina."

"That's not surety then," Vicki wanted to be sure so she would know without a doubt that her visitor last night or early this morning rather, was not really Christina.

"Why are you so doubtful? She's gone, you have to think positive."

"Then how come I saw her in the mirror?"

"Hormones?" Coreen shrugged as she glanced around feeling uneasy.

She hoped that for once, for sure, Coreen was right.