A/N: Sorry for the delay, the past two months have been busy. I am going back to my weekly update schedule, so this should be done by the end of the month. Then I'll be doing NaNOWriMo, so no updates in November.

Enjoy the chapter! Only three more to go!

Back in the States

Blade watched as Abby took her frustrations out on a punching bag. He was monitoring her to make sure that she didn't overdo it.

He studied her form and stance and corrected her when it was needed. She seemed off in her own world again. It had been an hour since she started, and she hadn't even slowed down.

He almost wanted to stop her, but she looked like she needed it today. Apparently, her therapy session was a little rough. From what he could gather, the therapist forced Abby to talk through King's death multiple times. He knew it was an effective therapy technique, flooding, but he was worried that it might have been too much too soon.

Next to his lap was a file with some information that Abby would find interesting, but Blade wondered if she was ready for it. They had only been back in the states for a few months, but she had been attending all of her weekly therapy sessions.

Abby had improved considerably since he provided her with the help she needed. She smiled more, talked more, and even made a friend out of Karen. Her overall demeanor was better, and she was opening up more.

Blade continued to watch her as she hit the bag over and over. Her recovery was going well, but sometimes it seemed like it was going too well. Nothing was ever this easy, and Blade wondered if she was pretending. That's what the file was for.

Karen had fought him over the idea. She went as far to tell him that they were through if the file set Abby back. He didn't want to lose Karen, so he waited a little longer to implement his plan.

And now he felt it was time to take the next step. Abby needed something else to focus on because her only job for the past few months was to heal. Now, he would give her another outlet to keep her busy.

His concern, however, came from the nature of the file. While he would prefer to ignore the return of the King of Vampires, it was not something to overlook. He had no ill will towards the man himself, but the idea of him was threatening to the human race. Drake had very little control during his last appearance, and Blade doubted that much had changed.

While lost in thought, he failed to realize that Abigail has stopped. When he came back to the present, she was staring at him.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing to the file.

"Another outlet for you," he said and held it out for her. She regarded him warily but took it. She opened it, and Blade carefully watched for her reaction as she scanned it.

After a moment, she spoke.

"Okay, what do you want to do with this information?"

Interesting, Blade thought. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Let him become the leader he once was," she said after a moment. Blade could see her mind wander off for a second, but she quickly came back.

"You want to let the King of Vampires rule again?"

Abby shrugged. "We saw how crappy they were without his guidance. At least he has some honor and a code. I say you should give him a couple of decades to get his people under control. If it doesn't work, then go after him."

"But in those decades, thousands of people can die from vampires and familiars," Blade countered. This was an improvement, but a shocking one.

"People will die regardless. Humans kill more of each other than vampires do, and it technically is population control," Abby continued.

"You're distancing yourself," Blade warned. He saw the recognition reach her eyes, and she sighed.

"I'm sorry, but what else do you want me to say? It's foolish to go after him. You are dead to the world, and I want to stay away from all of that. Shouldn't I strive for a normal life?"

"Neither one of us is normal," Blade muttered and looked away. She had a point, but there was something off about it. As he took in the woman before him, he saw that she was changed.

The fire in her demeanor was gone. She looked softer and fragile. Maybe they hadn't done as good of a job with her recovery. Or maybe he was projecting.

She took a few steps towards him, but the look in his eyes made her stop a foot away. She cautiously laid her hand on his knee.

"Blade, I am tired. I am battling my mind every second of everyday. I don't need this to feel complete. I just want my happiness back, and if that means I need to let it go, then so be it. The obsession I had wasn't healthy. I forced myself into it, and I can force myself out of it."

"Abigail…"

"My father was right. I shouldn't have joined this life. I wasn't born into it or forced into it like you were."

"But you did, Abby," Blade pointed out.

"Because I wanted to know my father!" she said, slightly raising her voice.

Blade's eyebrow rose at that.

"I grew up without him while he fawned all over you. I was jealous and ambitious. I wanted him to respect me like he did with you. You knew him longer than I had, and I was so insanely jealous."

"Is that what this was all about?" Blade asked. Abby took a seat next to him. She was only an inch away from him.

"Yes, that's why I joined the Nightstalkers, and I was foolish. I had everything, and I gave it all away for a man who rarely bothered to contact me. I'm not doing it again. Vampires aren't my fight anymore, and they shouldn't be yours either."

"Let's not go there," Blade warned. This was about her not himself.

"But Blade, you had a normal life before I came along. Maybe it's time for me to move on, so you can have it again. Karen cares for you."

"We are not having this discussion," Blade said. Abby forced him to look at her.

"Don't make the same mistake. Try to be happy!" she pleaded. Blade looked into her eyes and sighed.

The desperation in her spoke to him. She wanted his happy ending as much as she wanted her own.

She took Blade's hand in her own. "We can do this," she said. Her other hand squeezed his thigh reassuringly.

"We'll see," he muttered back.

A/N: Only three more left! Don't forget to review!