A/N:
Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, the world's been going just a little bit crazy down at this end. But here it is, the long awaited chapter! Thanks to JiLLiBeanz, my own two kittens kept me from writing a reply to your review! So sorry!
"It's alright!" She called as she went down the stairs yawning. Trudging down stairs she rubbed sleep from her eyes and jumped the last couple of steps landing silent and cat-like on the carpet runner in the hall. She straightened and walked towards the living room just as there was a thump and a yelp. She frowned. [Some thing's wrong... Very wrong...] She didn't realise she was running until she skidded to a halt in the hall. She stared at the vampyre on the floor and blinked. "What are you doing?" She was nearly laughing.
"I..." He sighed, realising he must look like a bit of an idiot. "I thought I heard something." Cara chuckled and went over helping him up.
"Probably only me, just went for a little wander around the house." She smiled getting him back on the couch. "As you tried to do so it seems." He smiled apologetically.
"Sorry. Guess I'm a bit paranoid." Cara pulled up a chair and sat by him.
"I would be too." She assured. "After being trapped in a coffin underground for neigh on 300 years." He nodded.
"I'm Vincent, by the way." He said holding her hand out. Cara gulped. 'OK. Visions are pretty accurate.'
"I'm Cara." She smiled taking it and shaking. "It's a pleasure Mr. Vincent." He smiled weakly and closed his eyes again. Just as he did they snapped open and Cara span round. They'd both heard something that time.
"There's someone in the house." He whispered, and she could hear his fear. She nodded, letting his hand go gently.
"Don't move." She whispered before grabbing a fire poker from the hearth side. She tested its weight and balance and, satisfied, went out to investigate what the hell was going on in her home now.
The lights were all off when she stepped out. They were on when she'd come down, she'd left them on for Vincent just in case... So someone or something had turned them off... She frowned. She was being stupid. The events of the last couple of days had reduced her to a nervous wreck... Light flashed and a loud crack sounded, and she yelled jumping slightly. Staring down the hall she saw the door was swinging open, the wind banging it against it's frame. She growled and walked over, on high alert to slam the door shut.
"Dramatics." She sneered. "I should have guessed, only you fools would have gone to all this damned trouble. Show yourselves!" She locked the door to keep the rain out and span around quickly as if anticipating an attack. No one was there. She growled again. "I'm starting to get annoy-"
"Ahh!" She was already running back to the room where Vincent was resting, her senses on high alert. 'What the HELL are they doing?'
She stumbled in there, ready to rip heads when she saw... Exactly what she was expecting. Sort of. Her parents stood over Vincent, glaring down at him like he was some sort of disgusting smell under there upturned noses. Cara growled and stormed over.
"What are you doing here?" She said making no attempt to disguise her hatred for the man and woman in front of her. They turned around and the woman broke into a very wide, very false smile.
"Cara! Baby!" She walked over as if to hug her, then thought better of it. "We came to see you in your new house!" Cara sneered.
"Mother." She said curtly folding her arms across her chest, the poker still gripped tightly in her hand. "Father. I don't remember inviting you." The man stepped forward.
"We let ourselves in." He said, upper lip curling. A warning.
"I noticed." Was her reply, cold and calculated. "Now if you'd like to wait here while I call the police I'd be very grateful..." Her mother gasped falsely. Everything about the woman was false, platinum blond hair, two inches of make up, red heels, blue short dress... She was more like a doll than anything.
"You'd call the police on your own parents?" She said faking upset. Cara rolled her eyes.
"No, off course not." She said. "I can't. Uncle Hubert's dead. However, on my mother and father? Yes. Yes I would." Her father rolled his eyes.
"We come to see how you're settling in and you..."
"I don't remember ever asking for your concern." Came the sharp reply. "Nope. Not once." The father growled.
"Ungrateful little..."
"Who's your friend dear?" The mother asked pointing to a worried but very much confused Vincent. Cara watched their expressions carefully and frowned slightly. She knew every facet of her parents personality, but this curiosity into her life was not something she'd yet experienced. And certainly not in her choice of company.
"Why are you so interested?" She retorted. Something was wrong here... Her father shrugged.
"You're our only daughter, we have the right to be interested."
"You lost that right 2 years ago." She said coolly but her frown deepened. She shrugged off handedly. "He's a neighbour. Why?"
"He's sleeping on your sofa." Her father said raising an eyebrow. The classic 'I don't believe you now tell the damned truth' pose. But she had no intention of any such thing. Anything her parents were 'interested' in was a reason to keep those cards as close to her chest as possible.
"I never said he was a good neighbour." She shrugged. "He was at my house warming party, got drunk, buried his keys somewhere in the garden and had to stay the night." This time both of her parents frowned.
"We don't like it when you keep things from us Cara. It's not nice." Her father said stepping forward almost menacingly. She held her ground. 'I'm no longer under your control.'
"Get out." She said coldly, her own warning being shifting the hand with the poker ever so slightly. "Now."
"What?" Her father growled. "How dare you..."
"This is not YOUR house." She said menacingly stepping dangerously close. "In fact, I do believe this is MY house. You've broken into my house, crashed the aftermath of my party, terrorised my friends and have the audacity to treat me like a child."
"This house was left..."
"To me." She finished darkly. "In fact, I do believe I am the sole inheritor of uncle Hubert's substantial fortune. I don't believe he left you anything, although I can see why. So you are trespassing on my property, so I suggest you leave before I really do call the police." Her tone was that of authority and her parents knew it. Her father growled softly and her mother let out a choked sob but both turned.
"We'll see ourselves out." Her father said a dark undertone to his voice.
"Oh no. You've already damaged my door once." Cara followed them and unlocked and opened the front door, tapping her foot impatiently. "Besides, I want the pleasure of chucking you out myself." A sly grin spread across her face as her parents glared. As her parents left the house, her father paused.
"I shouldn't let your guest outstay his welcome." He said. "They tend to cause more trouble than they're worth. Just a quick word of... Advice." It was Cara's turn to growl. She didn't mistake her fathers warning and commanding tone.
"If and when I want your opinion." She said coldly. "And that's a big if, I'll ask you to fill out the necessary forms." Her father smirked and walked back to his carriage getting in.
"Goodbye darling!" Her mother said leaning out of the window. "We'll come again soon!"
"Please call before you do." Cara said audibly. "So I can call pest control." She turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her, taking a deep breath to calm her anger.
"Why are you so interested in Vincent..." She wondered very quietly to herself. "Why are you so interested in me all of a sudden?"