Leon stared at her in disbelief. She couldn't be a…a Methuselah, not her. She didn't look like one, there were no fangs to be seen when she smiled at him. He looked at her and saw the sadness in her eyes and he slowly reached out a hand and put it on hers gently. She pulled her hand back and looked up at him with a mix of sadness and confusion on her face.

"Its alright Sasha, I'm not afraid… and you shouldn't be either."

"You… you aren't afraid of me?" she asked, abrely above a whisper.

"No, I'm not."

Leon smiled at her softly. Sasha looked up at him and smiled as she moved her hand back over to his. She didn't know what it was about him, but for some reason, she trusted this gruff wild looking man. She felt safe with him.

"I was born this way- both of my parents were vampires." Leon started to say something but Sasha stopped him "I know what you are thinking- that I do not look like one. Do you know much about the transformation a Methuselah goes through?"

Leon shook his head slowly as he realized he knew very little about that part of a Methuselah's history, beyond the fact that they carried the mutation through birth and that there were various stages before the full effect took hold.

"I am a Methuselah by birth, and the first dozen or so years were no different than any other Terran's would be. When we enter our teen years, the first changes start to take hold- in the form of exceptional gifts or abilities. For some, it is a heightened sense of sight or hearing, or maybe extreme stealth and speed. I have heard of some who develop advanced healing powers and mental capabilities or even telepathic powers. It is during the teen years that most of us discover what our individual gift is, we develop it, and perfect it."

"So what is your ability?"

"Believe it or not, I have the gift of healing. Unfortunately, it only works on others, not myself- so it looks like you three will be stuck taking care of me."

Leon laughed softly, the first real laugh he had in months.

"I also have advanced memory capabilities- especially people's faces. I can remember almost every face I have ever seen up close and I ca remember most of their names as well."

"Sasha, could you remember someone if given a name or description?"

"If I have met them before yes, I probably could."

"We are looking for someone… we have been after him for the last ten years now and…"

" Leon …"

Leon stopped short and turned towards the desk. Father Abel was awake, for how long now he did not know. Abel adjusted his glasses on his nose and turned towards Leon as he tied his long silvery hair back in the black silk ribbon. Sasha stared at the silvery strands as they fell down past his shoulders and down his back, over the back of the chair. His eyes were cloudy as he looked at her.

"Sasha, I'd like to introduce you to Father Abel, the leader of our little dysfunctional group."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said softly.

Abel nodded and smiled as he moved his chair over closer to the bed.

"Please, continue telling us about yourself, Sasha."

Sasha saw the smile on his face but knew what he wanted- he wanted to hear more about her being a Methuselah. Sasha swallowed hard, feeling three pairs of eyes on her, watching her closely. She looked down at her hands a moment, trying t gather her thoughts.

"It is after the teen years that the true change begins. It is during this stage-young adulthood- that most begin to develop what you Terrans call vampire characteristics."

"Meaning the craving of Blood," Abel said softly- no judgment or harshness in his voice- just a simple statement.

"You said most begin to develop… what about the rest?" Leon asked softly.

"Each individual Methuselah develops and matures at a different rate- some in the lat tees, other snot till their mid to late twenties Also, there are several outside triggers that can cause the change to occur at an earlier time, such as a tragic event or an extreme illness."

"And have you…. Experienced this change yet?" Leon asked softly as he looked at Sasha with kind yet firm eyes.

"No…" Sasha whispered. "I haven't."

Leon seemed to sigh in relief and relax some, but I was still uneasy. Having a Methuselah with us who had not yet experienced the craving if blood, was much like having a time bomb. Some Methuselahs are strong enough to stay off the cravings and never drink a drop of blood. Sadly, I knew all too well that their lives are extremely short as they basically starve to death. Others find alternatives to feeding on the humans and rather target animals. Others still lose all control with those first cravings and are full form vampires that crave human blood.

Leon glanced over at Tres, who had been standing silently listening. They both turned and looked at me and we looked at Sasha. In Tres' eyes I could see only cold emptiness, as if he saw only data and facts rather than an actual person sitting on the bed. I knew my face mirrored the conflicting things racing inside me – concern and fear, mixed with compassion and bitterness. It was Leon who surprised us. In his eyes there was understanding, sadness, and genuine concern. Sasha slowly looked down at her hands as she started speaking again.

"I wont put you all in danger anymore. You have do so much for me already… you saved my life, and for that I am grateful. I do not want to put you in any more danger."

"Sasha, what are you saying?" Leon asked as he stared at her in surprise.

"I'm going to leave… I do not want to bring any more pain and suffering to you."

Leon couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sasha had just told them that she didn't want to put them in any danger after they had done so much for her and that she was going to leave. He stared at her then to me and then Tres.

"You will do nothing of the sort, Sasha" he said somewhat firmly. "You just rest and keep getting better. Abel, Tres and I have some things we need to talk about."

Sasha looks at him questioningly and he winked at her and she smiled. As Sasha drifted back to sleep Leon started for the door.

" Leon its freezing outside! Couldn't we just talk in here and..."

Leon grabbed my cloak and drug me out of the room. Tres followed behind slowly and followed us outside. It was indeed frigid outside. The climate was so different now after 10 years of war- some places resembled the aftermath of the Armageddon battle many, many years before. I stood there shivering, as clouds of smoke came from my mouth. Leon started pacing while Tres stood still just outside the door.

"What is it you wish to discuss Leon ?" he asked in that same deep monotone voice he always had.

Leon paced outside. He reminded meof a lion in a cage, fierce and untamed.

"Didn't you hear what Sasha just said? She's a damn Methuselah, Abel!" Leon had considered the Methuselah his enemies for so long, but yet, he felt sympathetic towards them, too. "Tres?" Leon turned to the android. "Are we alone out here?" Tres one eye stayed the odd gold color, while the other turned brilliant red. He scanned the area. "Positive. We are alone." Leon sighed in relief. "Well, Abel? Now what?"

I had my back to Leon as I gazed out across the broken and desolate landscape that stretched out before us. The sun was rising and the air was starting to warm slowly now. My hands were at my sides as I looked out towards the sun, the breeze blowing the silvery locks.

"I knew she was a Methuselah from the moment I saw you picking her out of the rubble, Leon ." Leon started to say something but I held up my hand and silenced him, still turned away from my companions. "Do you really need to ask how I knew? Yes? I am a Crusnik, Leon... a vampire who feeds on the blood of other vampires. I know the scent of Methuselan blood- even before the full transformation takes effect."

"Why then did you spare her, Father Abel?" Tres asked, and I went silent for a moment as he thought of why he had spared her.

"I spared her because... she has done no harm to us. We have to remember that not all Methuselahs are evil or mean us harm. Some want peaceful co-existence as much as we do. Some merely want to live their lives free of the control and threat the Terrans have always forced upon them. Most just want to live their lives. The ones we are after are not like them- we cannot forget that being vampire alone does not automatically make you evil. I do not think Sasha is that kind of vampire."

Leon rolled his eyes. "I know all that!"

I stared at Leon with shock on my face. "You knew I was a Crusnik?"

Leon scratched the back of his head. "Well, ok, not that part." Leon mumbled under his breath. "I knew there was something weird about you, I just couldn't put my finger on it."

"I'm weird? At least I don't sexually harass every woman I meet! Poor sister Esther," I moaned. "She trusted you and all you did was fling her around, like she was some kind of plaything!" My voice started to rise- this was one thing that had always annoyed me about Leon , and now I finally was able to say it. "And you had the nerve to ask her out for a date! Until morning! And you roar away on that cursed bike, like a demon out hell!"

Both of us were glaring at each other, fists ready to fly, when Tres interrupted.

"Father Abel, I hear something

"What is it, Tres?" I whispered, the fight ending like that.

A doe stepped out of the forest.

"A deer." Leon covered his eyes with his hand. "I hate you sometimes, Tres."

"As I am unable to feel emotions, I cannot reciprocate your feelings."

I could see Leon 's eyelid twitch. If he wasn't sure his hand would break, I'm sure he would dearly love to punch the android sometimes.

"Back to Sasha, Abel. How are we going to hide her while she undergoes the change?"

"I'm sure we can work something out."

"Yeah, like what genius?"

"I'm going to stay with her until we see how she reacts to the transformation."

Leon stared at me as if I had just told him I was going to go to the moon. Why was I going to stay with her? Then the thought hit him. I was going to stay with her because I was the only one who would be able to do anything if she did go crazy after the transformation. I was a crusnik... Leon put the pieces together and realized what I was thinking.

"You have to be kidding me Abel! You can' be serious!"

" Leon , there is no other way. This is the only way i can see us having a chance if things go wrong. Do you have any brilliant ideas you would like to share with us?"

Leon slowly shook his head. He didn't look at me at all. It was like ee was afraid what I would see in his eyes. I knew what he was thinking - That girl needed him and he wasn't sure if things went wrong and I had too take her life, that he would be able to hold back, attacking or even trying to kill me.

"Can Cain sense her when she transforms to a Methuselah?"

I sighed softly. "I don't know. There are still things about my brother I do not know. But I don't think he will be able to sense her- at least not from a distance. He is a Crusnik like me but he is not the same- his physical strength may be greater than mine but in many other areas he is at a lesser level."

Slowly I walked over to Leon and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry my friend." Leon didn't answer. "I'm sure she will come through it fine.. I don't think we have to worry about her."

"How long before she transforms?"

"It could be days or weeks or even months. But, I will ask her some questions when she's feeling better and I should have a better idea of the time then." I looked off into the forest and then glanced at Leon . "Sasha needs to eat and we need more water. Leon , since your weapons are quieter than Tres's gun, could you go hunting for deer or something? If you want, I can send Tres with you for protection."

"No, he would just crash around and scare anything off. Right, big guy?"

Tres looked at Leon .

"As an official AX officer, I am programmed with stealth mode and am able to move silently."

I saw Leon 's eye twitched again. Sarcasm was totally lost on Tres. I fought to hide a laugh behind my hand. Leon went into the hideout, checked on Sasha and seeing she was still asleep, grabbed the canteens and left. He took of into the forest as Tres and I went back inside. I was glad to get out of the cold, although it wasn't much warmer inside the cabin.

Tres followed me back into the cabin and took his normal stance at the door. I sat at the desk taking out the quill and parchment from one of the drawers and started to write. I knew about Methuselah's and knew about the changes they went through. All of the obvious signs pointed to Sasha undergoing the final change soon. She was of the normal age for it, and after the shock of having her village destroyed and family and friends lost that would also make it more likely that it would occur sooner rather than later. I jotted down a few notes and things on the parchment then sat back and sighed.

"Father Abel. Status report" Tres said from his spot at the door.

"I'm fine Tres" I said with a sigh.

"Response does not match visual scan, but response is logged."

I had to laugh as I shook me head and turned back to the parchment. Sasha still slept nearby on the bed, fairly warm and safe under the covers. I looked at her and suddenly realized Leon 's coat was still wrapped around her thin form.

Leon walked through the woods. There was enough light to see by and he could see tracks of animals all over the place. Even though this place was tiny and reminded him of a prison cell, he was glad they found it. Game would be plenty and there was a clear stream nearby for water. He gave a little involuntary shiver. He had left his leather coat behind to keep Sasha warm. He stopped under a huge leafy tree, waiting. He pulled the discs from his wrists and spun them a bit. They were made of steel and razor sharp. The only sounds he could hear were the birds and the sound of running water from the stream. Several long minutes went by. He was poised, ready to strike at any minute. His ears picked up the sound of rustling leaves from his right. Not loud enough to be a deer, but maybe a rabbit. He stopped spinning the discs on his fingers. A minute later, a fat rabbit crossed several yards in front of him. Quick as ever, Leon let one of the discs fly; the rabbit never knew what hit him. Leon remained patient and soon a second rabbit came out. He got that one too. He left his place from under the tree and went to get the rabbits. He took them to the stream and after filling the canteens, gutted and skinned the rabbits. He washed their carcasses in the stream. He had passed a bush with ripe black berries on his way into the forest. He would have to come back for those after he dropped off the rabbits. Leon made his way back to the cabin, wishing he would have caught more than 2 rabbits. He hoped it would be enough for the three of them. After all, Abel looked thin, but he could eat like a man twice his size.

Tres alerted Father Abel of Leon's approach. Meeting him outside Abel took the rabbits from Leon.

"Where are you going?" I asked as Leon turned and head back towards the woods.

"There's something else I still have to get.. a nice little treat for all of us" he said with a slight grin.

I must have looked puzzled because Leon just laughed as he grabbed the small leather pouch and started back into the woods.

He found the small black berry patch and carefully cleaned the bush of the ripe berries. Things like this were a real treat these days- and they could all do with a little treat like this. When the pouch was full he sighed and started back towards the cabin. Leon stopped for a moment, gazing around him as he let the memories take over for once. He thought about his daughter not lost, he thought about the other members of the AX organization that they had lost... and he thought about those he was with now- Hugues, wherever he was now, Father Abel, and that annoying yet also endearing android Tres. Leon shook his head, thinking about the past did little to fix the problems of today- he had to keep looking to the future if he was going to survive. And he had to survive- for her.

While Leon was gone, I continued writing in my journal. It was then that I noticed Sasha's breathing changed. At first, I thought she was still trying to get the smoke out of her lungs but when I looked closer at her, I noticed she was sweating. Her breathing was labored and when I felt her head, she was burning up. Rushing to the door, I stuck my head out, looking for Leon .

" Leon ! Hurry, something's wrong with Sasha!"

Leon came running out of the woods and pushed past me roughly to get to the woman he was quickly thinking of as a daughter. He dropped the leather pouch on the table and went to Sasha. He felt her head. She felt hot and she was sweating profusely. Her hands clenched the blankets and she moaned in pain. Leon bent over her and shook her gently.

"Sasha! Can you hear me?" She opened her eyes and I saw Leon stand up, backing away from the bed as if he had just seen a ghost. Her irises were blood red, a sign that the change had started. I moved beside Leon and looked at Sasha. Her eyes were wild with pain. Leon couldn't say anything; the words wouldn't go past his throat. He just stared at Sasha. He watched as I knelt down beside Sasha. Her eyes were wild, her breathing short and ragged, and she cried out in pain gripping Leon 's jacket, which still covered hjer.

"Not her... not her..." Leon muttered to himself. I had to snap him out of it, I couldn't control Sasha if he lost it as well.

" Leon !" I said firmly "Snap out of it! Leon ! I need you to stay focused alright?"

"Right, sorry." Leon muttered as he pulled his eyes away from Sasha and looked at me hands were shaking. It was killing him to see her in this much pain.

His thoughts went unwillingly back to Missa and he hoped she didn't go through anything like this when she was killed. Leon felt so helpless, like all eh could do was stand there and watch as she suffered. For the first time that he could remember Leona actually wished he could trade places with Tres. He glanced over at the android who stood by the door- watching with cold emotionless eyes. Leon felt a mix of anger hate and longing as he looked at the android. Anger at how calm he was when Sasha was suffering so much. Hate over the fact that he was dying inside while Tres didn't even seem fazed at all. And longing- the longing to not be affected the way he was being affected now... Leon wished, in some way, that he could shut himself off and never feel any connection to any other human. But he knew it wasn't possible, he was human- he wasn't a machine like Tres- and while in some cases Tres might have the advantage, Leon ultimately pitied his friend, for he knew Tres would never know what it was like to love someone or be loved by someone. Leon slowly approached the bed again and sat down on the edge of the bed opposite where Abel was still kneeling, waiting for Abel to give him his next instructions.