Author's Note: Hey guys, yet again I apologize for taking so long to post chapters, tons of stuff going on, especially since in about two-three weeks i'll be having final exams for my first year of college and then i'll be packing stuff up to move to an apartment, not to mention getting ready for a trip to Germany and studying for CLEP exams...i'm insane to be doing all of this aren't I? Anyway, i'll try to get this whole story finished by mid-june since thats when i'm leaving for two weeks. If it doesn't work out, i apologize but i don't want to rush. Anyway enough of my talking, on to the story. ENJOY!

Chapter 7

Dark.

It's Dark.

Mimiko turned around in circles searching for some version of light and trying to get her bearings. She felt so helpless, what good were vampire senses when everything was completely black and muted to her. Suddenly a small red light illuminated above her, flashing in the darkness and casting flickering shadows around the room.

SHUSH!

She spun around searching the flickering darkness for the creator of the sound. She closed her eyes hoping to sharpen her sense of hearing when suddenly she was knocked in the side and thrown across the room, slamming into a concrete column. With a resounding crack the column broke and fell backwards as she sprawled in front of it. Trying to regain her senses she looked up as a shadow approached her at inhuman speeds. Grasping her throat the shadowed creature forced her up against the wall, her head cracking against it. Gasping she clawed at the hand cutting off her air supply, scratching gouges into the hand and kicking out with her feet. A cloak's hood was pulled back and the red flashing lights fell upon a face more frightening than anything Mimiko had ever seen in her life. With long silver hair and red eyes surrounded by black stood the Kowloon King. His pale face covered in blood and fairly young looking except for two lines stretching from the corner of his eyes to the corners of his mouth. He smiled, his fangs gleaming with the light and appearing more menacing than any other vampires teeth she had seen.

"Mimiko, Mimiko, Mimiko, how I've longed to meet you. Give my regards to Jiro won't you?" he chuckled before opening his mouth wide and sinking his fangs into her throat. Fire surged through her veins until she screamed, fangs elongating, and eyes opening wide as they changed from blue to those of a Kowloon child.

Mimiko shot up with a gasp, hand on her chest as she heaved trying to catch her breath. Looking around in fear she took in her surroundings. She was in the home she lived in with Jiro and Kotaro, both of them laying in the bed next to her. She noticed the clock, four a.m. Shuddering she ran her hands through her sweaty hair pulling it away from her face as she shook and tried to calm down from the fear her nightmare had produced.

Crawling out of the bed from between Kotaro and Jiro she grabbed Jiro's coat and walked downstairs putting it on and tying the belt securely around her. Seeing the moon pouring in from outside she made her way to the patio doors intending to just stand there and look outside until she noticed that there was a small stream running through the yard. Opening the door she walked outside barefoot to the stream, testing it with her toes, she found it wasn't too cold and stepped in, water swirling up around her calves and soaking the bottom of Jiro's coat.

She felt the water rushing around her legs and sighed at the feeling of dirt under her feet. Harnessing the feelings of fear she had experienced moments ago, she held out her hand and drew water from the stream into a ball. Pulling a ribbon of water from the ball she twirled around making rings around her body and then letting them fall before imagining the water pushing up like a fountain. As water sprinkled on her she looked up at the tall fountain she had created out of just water from this small stream. Smiling she lowered the fountain down into a stair height. Mustering up her courage in her abilities no matter how new they may be, she placed her foot down into the fountain. Balancing her weight she created another fountain higher than this one and placed her other foot on it. Slowly she ascended until she was about five feet into the air. Laughing in exhilaration she spun around on her last fountain, making it bigger so she would have surface area. Dropping down from the fountain she looked up at the moon as the water rained down upon her, smiling she stood and stepped out of the small stream, holding her hands out she pulled the water off her body and placed it back in the stream, becoming dry instantly.

She looked back at the moon as it lowered below the horizon before walking back inside to start an early breakfast. She didn't notice the figure of Jiro looking down at her from the bedroom window, staring at her in shocked amazement. Alice had been the only person he had ever seen use water as an ability, and even though Kotaro was her reincarnation, he still hadn't shown signs of knowing how to control water. Jiro shuddered, things were becoming a lot more complicated than he thought he could handle.

Breakfast had come and gone and now it was time again to suit up for morning practice. Mimiko thought briefly about showing Jiro her ability but decided against it until she could control it better. She could just imagine him saying something stupid again and her drowning him in a bubble of water around his head. She smiled at that thought as she stepped off the last step into the practice room. Taking up her sword she flowed through the routines to stretch out her muscles and get them warmed up. When she finished Jiro still hadn't come downstairs and she shrugged and went on with her practice, fighting against the dummies. She changed weapons every twenty minutes fighting against the dummies with spears, kunai, daggers, sword, pipe, and nun chucks. She started target practice with her archery equipment and moved on to throwing stars and finally her small hand gun.

Still she finished before Jiro came down and she became worried and curious. Setting aside the gun and picking up her sword she made her way upstairs. Looking around she couldn't see either of her roommates. "Jiro? Kotaro?" she called. A muffled squeak pricked her ears and she quickly made her way upstairs to the guest bedroom.

There Kotaro sat tied up in ropes and gagged with a towel. "Kotaro what the hell? Where's Jiro?" she exclaimed rushing towards him to pull the gag of his mouth. Before she could reach him Jiro jumped down from the ceiling and came at her with sword in hand. He sliced at her and she jumped away blocking his thrust with her sword.

"JIRO?" she screamed. "WHAT HAS GOTTEN IN TO YOU?"

"You need to learn how to fight when a hostage is near, and I've got to say Mimiko, you need to be more observant, we've been up here for three and a half hours." She blushed and glared at him.

"Well excuse me for thinking you were taking your sweet time waking up!" she growled as she stepped forward.

Jiro jumped behind Kotaro and held his sword up to his neck, "Ah, ah, ah!" Jiro grinned evilly, "What are you going to do Mimiko, I've got Kotaro with a sword pointed at his neck and the only way I won't kill him is if you surrender. So what do you do?"

She glared before throwing her sword across from her so it clattered between them. Jiro pulled his sword away from Kotaro's neck and began to walk towards the sword. With vampire speed she lunged at him and knocked the sword from his hand as they tumbled to the floor. Quickly she pulled the dagger from her boot and pressed it to his throat. She smirked and cocked an eyebrow as she straddled his hips and nicked the side of his neck. His blood bubbled up and she took a quick lick before the wound closed. Humming at the taste she drew back before standing and slicing the ropes from Kotaro's wrists and ungagging him.

"Wow Mimi! That was fast!" Kotaro said once his mouth was free.

"Thank you Kotaro." She replied before walking quickly out of the room and towards the bathroom. She shivered as she stood under the spray, letting the water cool her heated flesh. Jiro's blood had caused her desires to spike and yet again she couldn't do anything but take a cold shower because of the fear he would call her 'Alice' again.

She emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body and her wet hair draped around her shoulders. She walked quickly over to the bureau and opened one of the drawers pulling out some underwear. She dropped the towel and heard a hiss from behind her. Glancing back she gawked in horror as Jiro lay on the bed his arms behind his head in a relaxed position, his eyes were dark and he perused her figure with his hot gaze. Realizing she was standing naked she gasped and grabbed the towel from the floor before covering herself. "Jiro!" she growled.

"Hmm." He rumbled sitting up slowly, she watched his graceful movements as he stood and made his way towards her. She backed up bumping into the bureau watching as he came closer, like a panther stalking its prey. She waited her heart thumping in her chest in anticipation as he drew up against her, his arms reaching around to grip the top of the furniture behind her and perfectly caging her in. She shivered as he leaned in to sniff her neck.

"Jiro," she whispered, "please…"

"Please what?" he asked in a husky voice, his tongue sneaking out to slide against her neck. She moaned throwing her head back as he began to suckle and nibble at her ear.

She couldn't remember what she was going to say as he lowered his arms and wrapped them around her body. He nipped her neck, lapping at the small bubble of blood and suddenly her head was filled with visions of herself splayed out naked on the bed behind Jiro as he tasted every inch of her body and filled her entirely. She cried out her hands grasping his head and pulling his lips to hers. She swiped her tongue across his lips and he parted them, letting her in to tangle her tongue with his and explore his mouth. She moaned when he reached down and brushed open the towel around her, slipping his hand in to fondle her breast. He tweaked her nipple and she arched back, breaking from the kiss. He kissed down her neck, stopping to suckle at her collarbone before moving to her other breast to give attention to her nipple. He opened his mouth and grasped her nipple between his teeth pinching it until she cried out before surrounding it in the warm wetness of his mouth. Teasing and pinching the other nipple he suckled on her breast as she arched and shivered from the pleasurable torture raging through her body. Although this was nice she was going crazy with the unfulfilled desires in her belly.

"Jiro!" she moaned pulling at his hair until he looked up at her, his eyes as dark as night. They stared at each other, gasping and panting. Thoughts were racing through her head; Does he know it's me? Does he desire me? How far will we go? Has he done this before? Thought after thought popped up and she dismissed them all as he rose up and began descending towards her mouth again.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and both she and Jiro froze. They heard the door open before Kotaro yelled, "Zelman is here Mimi! He says he's ready whenever you are." Then the door closed and there was silence.

Realizing she should probably return the call she quickly said she'd be down as soon as she could. Glancing back she saw Jiro's angered expression and he slowly pulled away from her. "You have a date with Zelman?" he asked.

"I wouldn't call it a date exactly." She mumbled pulling the towel up once again around her body. She quickly walked around him and towards the closet, hearing his footsteps behind her.

"Then what would you call meeting someone so late at night on Valentine's Day?" he asked his voice gruff with anger and a little hurt. But she wasn't listening.

"It's Valentine's Day?" she asked. "Oh!"

With this information she realized she should probably dress nicer since they were going to dinner, but at the same time she didn't know if she should since they were going to be training. Opting for the dressy casual look she pulled out a pair of dark jeans and a nice top. She threw them onto the bed and was about to start dressing when she noticed Jiro still hadn't left the room. She turned to him and gave him a pointed look. Growling he left the room and slammed the door behind him, tromping down the stairs. Sighing she touched her fingers to her lips, remembering the feel of his against hers and she shivered. Shaking her head sadly she began getting dressed.

Within minutes she was downstairs, hair brushed, light make-up on, and a handbag to go with her ensemble. Jiro's eyes moved from his glare on Zelman to her and his eyes widened in surprise. Zelman glanced up and grinned when he saw her, she smiled back and nodded in greeting. "Why Mimiko, you look lovely." He said as he stood, sauntering over to her side.

"Thank you Zelman." She smiled.

"Wow Mimi! You look really pretty!" Kotaro exclaimed standing up to walk around her. "I like you're make-up."

"Thank you Kotaro."She smiled at him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Where are you two going?" Jiro asked suddenly in a gruff, clipped voice. His eyes were back to glaring at Zelman who shrugged lazily, as if Jiro's cool gaze didn't bother him.

"We'll be at my home. Don't worry Jiro, I won't let any harm come to her." Zelman replied wrapping his arm around her waist and leading her towards the door.

"I expect you to be home before 10!"

"Sorry 'dad' but I won't be home till I think I should be." Mimiko said before basically dragging Zelman out the door and slamming it behind her. Jiro just stared his eyes glaring a hole through the door and right into the heart of Zelman Clock.