A/N: Sorry for the delay, but now that my writer's block is gone, this story is back in full swing.

He paced back and forth, his hands behind his back. The muscles in his body were tight and tense. He stopped for a moment each time he reached the edge of his study.

"John?"

He jumped slightly, having not realized that Helen had walked in on him. "I really do not fancy being sent away on another one of your errands," he told her coolly.

"I just got a message from Nikola. He will be here in two weeks."

"Oh, so the old boy has finally started being more cordial in his comings and goings." John grinned, part of his predatory side showing, causing Helen to back away cautiously.

"Why were you pacing?" Helen dared to ask.

"No reason, Helen." He smiled politely, all traces of his darker side washing away. "Shouldn't you be in a video conference with the rest of your Sanctuaries?"

"Quit lying to me, John," snapped Helen impatiently. "I've known you long enough to know that something's bothering you."

He sighed heavily. "I've got work to do. Does Mr. Foss have the EM field up?"

"Yes, and it will remain that way until you tell me what's going on. Have you taken your medication today?"

"This morning with breakfast. Now, if you wouldn't mind—" He stepped passed her, putting on his black leather trench coat as he went. The moment he got outside, he teleported.

"Hey, Ashley?"

Jane and Ashley were to be found lying in the grass that sunny afternoon, staring up at the blue sky and the few white, fluffy clouds that passed overhead. The other children were a ways off, playing and laughing, for the weather had been sour as of late, and they were rejoicing in the return of the sun that the Pacific Northwest so dearly missed.

"Yeah?"

"I—well—I don't want you to get upset," Jane muttered quickly, a light shade of pink passing over her cheeks.

"Just spit it out already!" Ashley rolled over onto her stomach so that she could look at her friend.

"Do you—are you like Dracula?"

She blinked repetitiously. "What?"

Jane took several deep breaths before asking, "Have you ever drank human blood?"

Ashley could not be more grateful that they were alone. She could only imagine what would happen if any of her classmates heard this very private conversation. It had only been a couple days since she had let Jane find out about her abnormalities, and since then whenever the two girls were alone, she found herself answering an endless stream of questions. This one, though, she wasn't sure if she should laugh or be mortified, so she hit her palm against her forehead. "No—I've never done that, and never plan to. And no, I never crave it." As if to make her point, she gagged.

"So none of that stuff works?"

"Nope," Ashley proclaimed proudly. "I love the taste of garlic. The sun couldn't feel better." She smiled, brighter than she had in a long time.

"Oh, well look who's on his way over."

Ashley sat up quickly. Cain was walking toward them, his chest puffed out proudly and his stride filled with purpose. "Hey!" she called out to him, smiling.

"Hey." He grinned as he sat next to her. "Why aren't you on the playground?"

"A girl needs to relax sometimes."

"Ew, get a room you two!" Jane complained good-naturedly.

He rematerialized on the edge of the school playground. He scanned around until he found the blonde head of his daughter. Rage boiled in his gut when he saw her talking with a young boy. If Jane had not been with them, he would have walked over there and demanded that the boy leave his daughter alone until she was older, much older.

He watched, growing more agitated by the minute. They seemed to only be talking, but he knew from firsthand experience that talking led to other things down the road.

"Hey, you!"

He straightened his posture as a middle-aged plump of a woman strode over to him with a stern look in her dark eyes. As she drew closer, he realized that he had quite a few inches on her, and he doubted that she was nearly as good of a fight as Helen was. "Yes?" He fought the beast within him, gnawing at him to take her life. He couldn't, not with Ashley so close.

"Leave, before I call the cops on you!" she ordered snappishly.

His jaw tightened. The women of modern times were really starting to make him wish that he could revert to being Jack the Ripper again, instead of John Druitt, father of Ashley Magnus. "As you wish." He dipped into a bow before walking away. He had to get away, and fast.

As soon as he was out of eyesight he teleported to an abandoned flat. When he rematerialized, he stumbled forward, hitting the floor with a grunt. The internal fight he had endured left him drained, again making him wish that he could simply take lives whenever he wanted. The long fights were starting to wear him down, making him more agitated more easily. He almost wished that the Cabal were still around so that he could take out some of his bloodlust on them. Oh, how he missed the days when that was all he had to keep from growing mad over the loss of his daughter.

He groaned inwardly when his pocket buzzed. He was soon regretting the day he allowed Helen to buy him a cell phone. He missed the days when he could simply teleport far away from the troubles of his mundane life, and not be reached every time there was some crisis to be had.

Regretfully, he answered after having let it ring a few times. "This is John."

"John! Thank God." It was Helen, but who else would ever call him? "I need you to return to the Sanctuary. The EM field is down."

"Can't it wait, Helen?"

"John, Will hasn't checked in, and I gave him an extra twelve hours." Her voice was frantic.

"I will be there shortly. Wait for me in the foyer." He hung up, again wishing that Helen hadn't bought him the cell phone. The only thing he could hope for now was some time alone with his ex-lover. He slowly got to his feet, and thought of the Sanctuary before teleporting once again.

He landed in the foyer, just as he had intended. Helen was already rushing down the stairs to him, clipping on her holster belt as she hurried to him. He swallowed the hard lump forming in the back of his throat. Now was not the time to make passes.

"What is our destination?"

"We'll start in Moscow."

He held out his arm, and the moment her fingertips touched him, he teleported them far away from the Sanctuary.