Mick drummed his fingers impatiently on the arm rest of his uncomfortably warm seat. Even on such short notice, Josef had managed to secure them first class tickets, but he had always hated flying in what were essentially rocket propelled tin cans. Airplanes might be dressed up nice and pretty on the inside, and he knew the statistics of being killed in an aircraft where slim, but it didn't him getting anxious the moment those wheels lifted up from the ground. He had always believed that if God had intended human beings to fly, he would have given them wings. Then again, he wasn't a human being anymore, and he had seen far too many places in which God was not present. There was a thin film of sweat beginning to form on the palms of his hands, and he unconsciously wiped them on his trouser leg. With a quick glance at his watch, Mick deduced that there was at least another forty-five minutes worth of flying time remaining.

Josef, on the other hand, was having the time of his life, considering. He constantly beckoned the stewardesses over to him, whispering short commands in their ears as they bent toward him. Now he was lying back with his seat flat, catching up on his sleep. Upon his request, he had been given a pillow, a blanket and an eye mask to protect from the 'harsh lights'. Mick was sorely tempted to wake him; if he wasn't asleep, then Josef shouldn't be either.

After leaving the office the two of them had headed straight for Beth's apartment on the east side of city. It was closer and they had agreed that she was in the most danger if a vampire came looking for her. Having called ahead, she was expecting them, and had opened the door to let them inside before they'd even had chance to knock. There was the same unfamiliar scent in her living room, bedroom and kitchen, but no extra envelopes left for her, and after half an hour, Mick and Josef left, promising once more to get in contact with her the next day through BuzzWire.

Mick's apartment was also clear, except from the vampire scent, as was Josef's. The two of them were so attuned to it by this point that they could probably pick that person out of a crowd, and were careful to remember the way in lingered in the fabrics, like a particularly difficult stench. It felt unclean to be around. They were no closer to discovering why Beth had been given the envelope with the photographs inside, or why they were being targeted at all. For a change, Josef could not think of anyone powerful that he had scorned. It seemed to be random, but Josef did not believe in coincidences like this, and neither did Mick.

"These were not the circumstances I expected to be leaving town under." Josef drawled sleepily from beneath his blanket. Without Mick noticing, the eye mask had been removed, and he now realised that Josef was watching him with one brown eye open, the other firmly closed.

"And what were you expecting, exactly?" Mick volleyed, unable to keep the sarcasm from his tone. He was given a nonchalant shrug as a reply.

"I don't know, I thought we could drive off romantically into the sunset for unknown destinations or something." The theatrical tone returned with a grand sweep of Josef's arm.

"Really?"

"No," He snorted, "But I didn't think we'd be going to see Sarah like this." As he spoke, his voice became smaller, until Mick struggled to hear him properly. "I'm not sure I'm ready to face her again."

"It'll be fine," Mick promised with as much sincerity as he could muster. "You'll see that she's OK, we can go back home, and we'll find the asshole that thinks its funny to mess with us." Josef raised his head off of his pillow, eyebrow arched.

"That was a very threatening tone." He chided.

"Shut up, Josef."

Thanks to everyone who has commented so far,

I love knowing what you think.

Please keep 'em coming!

Charlotte.