How I wish you could see the potential

The potential of you and me

It's like a book elegantly bound

But in a language that you can't read just yet

You gotta spend some time, love

You gotta spend some time with me

And I know that you'll find love

I will possess your heart

,~V~,

I hated to admit it but I felt more than at ease with the familiar atmosphere of Los Angeles surrounding me. I was relaxed in a way I wasn't able to be since becoming a vampire. It was Willa's turn to walk close to me, her guarded eyes taking in all the lights, noise, and people just as she had done in New York. There weren't as many vampires as there were humans. Just like New York it wasn't at all like Bon Temps. There was barely any nature, tall buildings having taken the place of trees. It was nothing but concrete and asphalt. Because of what I was I didn't want to draw attention to myself, and in turn Willa, so I donned a hoodie and she wore a trench coat with a wide brimmed hat. I slipped my hand in hers and gave it a squeeze before leading her in the direction of a studio apartment I bought a long time ago. It was still under my name and I made payments no matter where I was to keep it that way.

"Hey, am I considered dead now? Like, do I lose everything I own, or what?" I questioned.

"Well, they haven't found your body so you haven't been confirmed dead. You could be missing, but if anyone sees you then I'm sure it will spread that you're alive. Or undead should they find out that you've been turned. Being a vampire isn't considered dead and gone so anything you own is still yours," she explained.

"Good," I said with a nod. I led her into the building and we took the elevator to the top. I liked being on top and it showed in almost everything I did. When we got to the front door I glanced around before sliding the number plate out of the way to reveal a key fitted into the wall. I took it out and slid it in the door, unlocking it with a twist of my wrist. I pulled back and pushed the door open, stepping aside to let Willa go in first. I walked in behind her and shut the door, locking it. She looked around the spacious yet simply designed dwelling and took a seat on the couch.

"If we fix up the place to block out sunlight we can sleep here during the day," I suggested, running my hand over the already thick black curtains. Even when I was human I didn't like the sun so there would only be a few changes.

"Let's get to work before the sun rises. Tomorrow night you can show me around. We can have some fun for once," she mentioned, playfully mocking me with an eye roll. I laughed but nodded, circling around to stand behind her. I leaned over, wrapped my arms around her shoulders, and kissed her cheek.

"Oh awesome. You're finally loosening up," I joked. I released her so she could stand and together we made sure every window was properly blocked out. We relaxed in bed watching the news out of habit. I was barely paying attention but the mention of vampires made me zone back in again.

"It's official. The law for vampire guardians has been accepted. Every household is expected to have a single willing vampire living with them but no more than the amount of humans in the household. Vampires will be fed in exchange for their protection. For those who have already prepared for this, keep your companions. Anyone else is urged to find theirs as soon as possible…"

"What is this nonsense?" I wondered out loud. Willa shook her head but a knowing smile alighted on her lips.

"Sam already tried this a while ago over in Bon Temps," she remarked.

"Sam?" I replied with a questioning raise of my brow.

"He was the mayor at the time," she clarified.

"Why do you say 'try'? Did it fail?" I inquired.

"Some of the townsfolk still didn't trust us so we had a mob problem. It didn't help matters when the Hep-V outbreak occurred at the same time," she admitted.

"People can be stupid. When I was human I didn't exactly hate vampires. I didn't like them because they caused so much problems, but then again, a lot of things made me feel that way. I guess I felt that they were…people too, so I was civil with the ones that showed the same to me. Any others I treated like rabid dogs and didn't hesitate to kill them if they tried to attack me," I confessed. She nodded and looked back at the TV.

"That's understandable," she accepted.

"Yeah, well, the sun's almost up," I muttered, rolling over. Willa turned off the TV and settle in too. We waited the last few minutes for the sun to rise and then let our bodies shut down for the day. The minute the sun was gone from the sky my senses began to branch out. I opened my eyes and looked over to see Willa sitting at the edge of the bed, already up.

"You ready?" I mumbled. She nodded and we left. I was psyched to go out and show her everything the band and I used to do. It was easier to get around all of LA now that we could run to the next destination in minutes. We hung out in various bars, watched the stranger citizens go about doing whatever they were doing, and even jumped roofs. It wasn't a crazy rush like before because we wouldn't die if we fell and our jumps were much more powerful, but it was still fun. The night was almost over but I had one more thing I wanted to do. I found the neighborhood easily and walked down the street with my hands in my pockets. My body became rigid the closer we got and Willa kept glancing at me in concern. I stopped in front of a modest house and looked up at it. Memories flashed through my mind as I took it all in.

"My old house," I whispered. It seemed to be occupied. Someone must have moved in because I knew my parents had long since left. Understanding lit up Willa's face. Knowing my shitty past, she just took my hand and held it. I inhaled an unneeded breath and then exhaled before turning on my heel and walking away. I was stiff but swift in my movements and I could tell that Willa was only getting increasingly worried, but I didn't stop. Not even when we were a block away.

"Jade, do you want to talk-" she began.

"No," I growled, cutting her off. She tried again, so I spun around to snap at her, but a scream stopped me. I clenched my jaw and prepared to walk away when the very victim we heard appeared, tailed by vampires. She tripped over her feet but it didn't slow her down. She caught sight of us and ran over, looking relieved, until she realized we were just like the ones chasing her. The two vampires cheered at cornering her and I scowled. I walked over to the frightened human and gripped her shoulder. I could smell blood on her and saw that she had already been bitten on her forearm which she clutched tightly. I pushed her towards Willa who spoke quietly to her while I confronted the two attackers.

"I suggest the chase stops here," I warned them.

"She's ours," one of them stated gruffly.

"Well she's mine now so back the fuck off," I retorted, baring my fangs. They hissed at me and I readied myself for a fight. Willa stepped up next to me at that moment, determination in her heavy frown.

"One on one boys. We'll see who wins," she stated, calm and collected but promising death. She reminded me of Eric. I smirked and looked back at the two vampires who seemed a little hesitant now. I snarled and stepped towards them and they backed away.

"Fine. Have her," the other spat. Together they ran off. I retracted my fangs and turned to get a better look at the chick we saved.

"Can you take her back to her house alone?" Willa asked me.

"Why? Where are you going?" I demanded.

"I'm going to make sure those two don't find another human to target," she replied.

"Playing the hero?" I questioned playfully.

"That's what I've been doing so far, yes. I've saved vampires and humans alike. I even saved your sorry ass," she responded just as playfully, smacking my arm. I laughed and gestured in the direction they disappeared in.

"Go see then. We'll be fine. I'll get her home safely," I promised. She nodded and then jogged away. I watched her go before looking at the human who was already staring at me.

"Come on. Show me the way," I told her. She nodded and we started our walk. I felt more than irritated when we ended up back outside the house I hated.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I complained under my breath. The chick walked ahead of me and unlocked the door. She stepped in but I stopped at the thresh hold, waiting. When she realized I stopped she turned around.

"Oh, right. You can come in," she invited with a gesture of her hand. I stepped in and looked around while she got comfortable and turned on some lights. She then sat heavily on her couch and looked at her arm. I carefully sat next to her.

"Can I see?" I requested. She nodded and held out her arm. The smell of her blood caressed my senses but I pushed it away the best I could. It was a good thing I remembered to stay as well fed as possible. Now that I was examining it, it looked worse than when I just glimpsed it.

"I can heal you. Here," I offered, lengthening my fangs and biting into my wrist. I held it out to her but she hesitated. I waited patiently and eventually she brought the wound to her mouth. I gave her a few seconds before pulling away. We both watched as the bite on her arm began to mend.

"See, you'll be fine," I assured her. She smiled and all I could think about was how her eyes lit up and that damn smile was like the fucking sun. I found myself staring at her like an idiot, compelled by her beauty.

"My name's Victoria Vega, but I prefer Tori," she introduced herself.

"Jade West," I replied, straightforward and seemingly blunt, but I was in the middle of knocking some sense into myself from my lapse in responding properly. I just met her and already she was a distraction.

"Thank you for saving me back there. I owe you," she told me gratefully.

"No problem," I responded, smiling slightly. A knock brought our attention to someone at the door. I gestured for her to stay seated while I stood to answer it. I opened the door, a scowl in place, to see Willa.

"Did you plan on glaring them to death?" she teased with a small laugh.

"Whatever," I grumbled.

"You need me to…" Tori spoke up, but Willa shook her head.

"I just need to borrow Jade for a moment," she said, making us both confused. She pulled me out and shut the door.

"You're staying here with her," she began. I opened my mouth to voice my refusal but she silenced me.

"She's all alone and she needs a protector," she insisted.

"And you think I'm perfect for the job?" I snapped at her.

"Oh come on. I know you're at least a little interested in her," Willa pointed out.

"I'm not interested in her!" I yelled under my breath so the person in question didn't hear. She didn't look convinced and I didn't feel too convinced either. Willa knew me too well.

"Why don't you babysit her?" I demanded.

"Did you heal her?" she questioned, ignoring my jab.

"Yes," I confirmed.

"You're connected with her now. It'll be easier for you to be her protector," she informed me.

"What?!" I responded incredulously.

"You share an emotional and physical bond with her. You'll be able to sense her location, emotions, and state of well-being. You're perfect for the job!" she continued to urge.

"But Willa…what about you?" I inquired, allowing a small amount of worry for her tinge my voice. She smiled reassuringly and held my hand in hers.

"I'll be fine. We're still connected too. You'll always be my progeny and I'll always be there as soon as I feel something's wrong. Besides, you're happier here. You might think you're a place-to-place person but this is your home. Well, this is actually your old home, but I mean, this city is your home. Stay here for a little while, see how it goes, and if not, I'll know when you're fed up with the place, ok?" she persuaded. I sighed heavily and looked away but her hand came up to make me maintain eye contact.

"I'll check in with you when I can. In the meantime, stay safe and protect her. Don't make me command you," she added lightheartedly, tapping my nose. I smiled sadly and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Feel free to use the apartment if you need to. You know where the key is," I mumbled against her shoulder. She nodded and let me go to step back. Blood gathered in her eyes and I knew she was about to cry but she blinked it away and gave me a wave before disappearing. I took a moment to myself, gripping the bridge of my nose to stop my own bloody tears, and then returned inside. I stepped in to see Tori falling asleep on the couch. It must have been a long day for her. I walked over and picked her up without a word. She sleepily wrapped her arms around my neck and tucked her nose under my jaw when she rested her head on my shoulder.

I searched the house for her room and then set her down in bed. I contemplated getting her more comfortable but thought against it. I just removed her shoes and made sure her window was sealed from the sun. I had to put up a thick blanket over the thin curtains but once that was done I crawled into bed next to her. I laid on my side facing away from her but soon her back was pressed to mine. She must have felt my presence even in sleep but I doubted she would stay there long since my I held no heat. I let out a long sigh and closed my eyes, somehow soothed by her warm body next to me. I could get used to this.

,~TB~,