Hey guys. Sorry it's taken so long, but my grandmother who was ill passed away and so understandably my muse has been greiving along with the rest of me. This chapter was a bit of a slog to write, but I've got to start getting back to normal and I figured that this would be a good way to start. Thanks to the usual people, you know who you are, but also this time to Tallz Is De Lanste Ster for their review and understanding nature. , here's the next chapter. A nice little fluffy filler, because the next one is gonna have plenty of action and a little bit of violence. So be patient and you shall be rewarded with bonding angsty-ness. Have fun folks.

Vincent frowned and watched from the sofa as Alexia prepared the dinner. She rubbed her eyes on her sleeves as the onion juices began to take effect, but didn't stop cutting. Despite the pain she focused on her task... He sat up slowly and went over wincing slightly. Moving still hurt despite his fast healing
"Hi." He said leaning against the work surface. She turned to him, wiping her eyes again.
"Hi." She said in return before turning back. "Sorry, gotta keep focused or I'll cut my fingers off." Vincent grimaced slightly. He doubted he could control himself if she did that... But there were things he wanted to ask.
"So... We're the year 2009 right?" She didn't answer for a moment, and he thought she hadn't heard him. He went to ask again when he saw her nod.
"Yes. April 4th 2009." He let out a slow breath.
"I've been buried down there for 300 years..." He muttered under his breath. Her face grew cold and he stared. 'What's wrong with her...'
"It's disgusting." She spat. "I don't care if that was common belief at the time. Morals don't change regardless of the century. To hunt down another being like that... I wouldn't expect it off a pack of wild animals!" Vincent stared at her horrified. 'What... What?' He swallowed.
"This era is very different from my own." He said quietly. Alexia nodded firmly.
"I should think so." She said coolly. "This time is multi cultural, multi racial society. Vampyres have rights here." She sighed. "So long as they have papers... We're going to have to do something about that." She smiled. "But that can wait til you're stronger and we're able to get in contact with a lawyer. So don't worry about it, OK?" Vincent watched her as she returned to the cooking, somewhat amazed. This girl was so much different from anyone he'd met, she didn't seem to mind the fact he was obviously causing her trouble. That thought made him scowl lightly. He should just get out of her hair as soon as possible, before he brought some serious problems to her doorstep. Someone so generous didn't deserve the kind of mess that followed him around... Lost in his thoughts he didn't notice she was awaiting confirmation of her statement. She shifted slightly and his attention was drawn back to her, and he nodded swiftly.
"Of course." He murmured, suddenly wanting to change the conversation away from the potential nightmare he was going to cause her. She nodded.
"Good." She sighed and threw the chopped onions into a pot. "My cooking skills aren't great but you look like you need a home cooked meal. So I'm going to cook my speciality – A stew." There was silence for a moment before Vincent burst out laughing.
"Sounds great." He nodded smiling weakly. She grinned in return, turning back to her work. He took a deep breath. Time for some more questions. "So... Who were those people earlier?" He asked cautiously, eyeing her reaction as she froze. And sighed.
"They're my parents." She shrugged. "If you didn't guess."
"That wasn't quite what I meant." She sighed again at that comment and put the knife down, turning to face him.
"The bane of my existence." She qualified. 'She really does not get on with her family...' He thought. 'Except this uncle Hubert.'
"May I make an observational statement?" He asked curiously. Unable to understand why he felt this sudden compulsion to try and unravel all the facets of her personality and her memories. He heard her chuckle and gave a confused look.
"Sorry." Cara apologised. "It's just I'm not used to the way you speak. Men in this era are not as... Dignified. They tend to be rather crude, it's a refreshing change." He continued to give her a confused look and she shrugged. "For example, no one asks if they can talk any more. They just do. They don't tend to ask if they can do anything at all."
"...Right..." He changed the subject. "So, is it alright to..." She chuckled again.
"Sorry, again. Yes, of course."
"You and your parents, you don't seem to be very close..." Alexia sighed heavily but nodded.
"They try their very best to make my life a living hell by controlling every aspect of my life. When that fails there's always a good fist." She muttered. "They were more like jailers than parents." She glanced up to his face to see him horrified.
"They hit you?" She chuckled.
"I thought that sort of behaviour was commonplace in your time." She said. He shook his head.
"For discipline sometimes yes, but not for..." He trailed off and she shrugged.
"Yeah. They did. Wasn't nice but no one noticed and if no one noticed then no one would believe me. So I just left it. But yes, you can see why I hate them."
He nodded his eyes cold.
"So if they can't stand you, and you can't stand them, why were they here?" Alexia frowned and looked dead out of the window, her face growing cold once more.
"I don't know." She growled. "I really don't. But whatever it is, I don't like it. They're never usually interested in me unless they want me to do something. Much less care about my choice of companionship. There interest in you is deeply concerning." She sighed. "They're a constant thorn in my side. I thought I knew everything about them... But the way they acted today confused me completely. And I don't like being confused, especially not like that and especially not by them..." She trailed off to stir the sauce. Inwardly she was furious, and somewhat afraid. The look in her parents eyes when they had seen Vincent, like there was something wrong with his very make up. 'Could they know he was a vampire? No, impossible... How could they? Even if they did why would it matter? They didn't seem to ever be against them – Sure they didn't like my activist movements but were they...' The more she thought about it the more she saw a barely disguised hatred just beneath the mask of acceptance, whenever anything vampyric crossed her path. 'So they don't like them... Still they can't do anything. This isn't an intolerant society. They need to behave themselves...' She shuddered.
"Are you alright?" She nodded hurriedly, snapping from her thoughts.
"Yeah, fine." She looked at the meal and nodded. "Can you set the table? Dinner's ready."