I am so sorry it's taken SO long, I was in Hospital for a week after having an asthma attack, then I had to catch up on all my college work and it's just been hectic. But thank you everyone who's messaged, I do have to warn – this may not end up ericxOC. I'm undecided on where I'm taking this yet, it could go on another ten chapters, end in the next. I'll see, but for now the stories brought me to this point.

"What are we doing exactly?" Eva hissed, as Lucio took her hand and led her silently through the shadows of the streets.

"We're tracking, like true vampires," he whispered, sniffing the air. "I can smell blood; someone's spilt blood…that'll be who we're after…"

"So someone attacked Fangtasia?" she asked in a low voice.

"Pretty sure…"

"Foolish thing to do, surely?"

"Pretty foolish, yes…" he agreed, taking a long drawn inhale. Eventually, he turned slightly northward and continued to run. Eva followed him, the wind whipping her hair round her shoulders. It rose and fell as she almost skimmed the pavement in her vampire's grace.

The night was cold, but their tough skin was barely afflicted, Eva's scarce clothing whipped round her as she ran and Lucio's pressed to him in the wind. They made beautiful graceful silhouettes as they slunk in the cold dark night. Eva could smell the blood herself now, whoever had gotten away was close. She could name a dozen people off the top of her head who'd attack Fangtasia, what she couldn't understand was why now. It wasn't even near Dawn, so they'd be fully awake and alert. The bar was full of people, human and vampire alike. And anyone who knew Eric would know that he would bring down pain and suffering to any that did him wrong.

Lucio stopped suddenly, gripping Eva's arm. They'd covered the distance created between them and the Fangtasia attacker with ease, but now the scent was fading. Eva and Lucio stiffened, alert. Eva was confused, one minute the scent was there, next it had all but vanished. Lucio suddenly bent to whisper to her.

"He must have got in a car."

Eva growled at thing air. She remembered Eric rearing his head like a beast, and bidding her to catch him. As his child, when Eric said do it, she did it. She had a scary moment wondering whether she followed his orders just because he was her maker, then as Lucio squeezed her hand and they started to run, she was sure.

"I think he's driving north…"

"How do you know this?" Eva laughed.

"You need to start learning to us your senses…"

"Well to learn is to be taught," she retorted, as they turned a corner. There were scarce and few humans on the streets at that time, and the ones they passed they passed as a strange blur. The buildings were growing less as well.

"I'll give you some lessons in the fine art of vampirism…"

"You can do that as a degree now, I'm sure…"

"Focus."

"Right, yeah."

They were leaving the city, and running along a wide highway, surrounded by trees and wide country. Eva felt free running along the outskirts of the wide road, free and excited. She could smell the scent of blood again as the lights of cars and pickup trucks drove by. She recognized that they were nearer, and was proud of 'using her senses'

"That car…" Lucio suddenly stated, outdoing Eva's growing tracking skills. They could have been hurling the car of the road in an instant, but that wouldn't be too conspicuous.

Waiting until a sleek corvette over took it, leaving it in wide berth of the other few cars on the road, Eva and Lucio leapt, and as they landed they rocked the car with a thud. They could almost smell the instant fear of the driver, who subconsciously stepped on the pedal. Eva looked at Lucio, for indication on their next move but he was staring at the roof of the car beneath them with a vexed look on his face.

"Listen to that?"

"Listen to what?"

"Vampirism lesson one, listen beyond all the obvious noise," he instructed with a smile. Eva nodded and following his somewhat confusing statement, she listened intently. Beyond the hum of cars, and whipping of the wind round her ears, she heard a much less obvious noise.

"Ticking?"

"Precisely."

Eva felt a grim reality draw over her.

"I'm sure no bomb expert, I hope you know a thing or two…" Lucio sighed.

"Yeah, sure, I did a bomb squad night course when I could get the evening of work, don't talk rubbish…"

"Always the red wire?"

"Oh shut up," she snarled, panic bubbling in her voice. "How indestructible are we?"

"I don't know, I'd rather not test our limits…" Eva stared at him, the pair of them at a loss. "We could…no…I suppose…"

"Oh, fuck it."

Eva clawed at the roof, and tore it off with a surge of power – without even breaking a nail. She relished in feeling the metal rip at the mercy of her bare hands. It was mind-bogglingly exciting, and she decided she'd recommend car tearing-up as a recreational activity and distressing exercise before remembering not everyone could rip the roofs and doors and bonnets of vehicles.

The pale boy inside looked positively terrified, and as he looked up at Eva, re directed his eyes away from the road. Driving at the speed he was driving at, he swerved slightly, then swerved clear of the road. Eva and Lucio were hurled from the top as the red hatchback hit a tree.

Eva rolled clear of the roof and into a small clearing beside the tree, but was quick to roll to her feet. Lucio had hit the tree as he flew from the sudden impact, and landed with a thud on the ruined bonnet of the car. The young boy had been saved by an airbag, but an airbag wouldn't save him from the two vampires that were on their feet in seconds and pulling him savagely out the car.

The ticking was loud and clear now, and Eva grimaced as she saw the bulky shapes beneath his jacket.

"Lucio…" she whispered cautiously.

"I know, I know," he growled, letting go of the scruff of his neck so he clattered to the ground. Eva's heart jolted in anxiety, Lucio wasn't being careful enough.

The boy was freckly and skinny. Well, his legs were skinny; his top half was covered by the ticking threat and a waterproof jacket. He needed a haircut badly, and his nails needed trimming. All in all he looked like a mummy's boy who'd been wandering the streets for a few days. Eva processed these thoughts in a matter of seconds, and then turned her attention to their next move. She found herself salivating through as the smell of blood wafted in the air. It was then she noticed the daring smirk that had grown on the boys face.

He must have been in a lot of pain, as his leg was gashed and bled horribly. Eva realised this must have been from the car crash, or from when Lucio ripped him out his seat. She then remembered the strong smell of blood from before. It clicked into place.

She glared at Lucio, warning him to stay back, and stepped over the boy. He didn't make any sudden moves, but maintained eye contact with a cocky look. Eva slowly bent down and unzipped his jacket, and had to step back to hold her breath.

His arms were slashed, his chest was cut into, and his t shirt was soaked with blood beneath the wires and canisters that slotted together to form the ticking danger.

Lucio bit his lip, and a rumbling growl formed in his throat. Eva was choking on the blood in the air. She understood the situation now.

He was bait, pure bait. The minute a vampire lost control to the slashed arteries and blood stains he sported, they'd be dead meat, victim to the silver chain encased, high impact bomb. Therefore, Eric had sent the two most blood controlled vampires he'd ever met to deal with the situation.

"Go on vamp tramp," the ragged boy snarled in a hoarse, struggling voice, with a slurred voice that suggested he was mildly intoxicated – which would explain his stupidity and lack of finesse behind the wheel. "Try and drain me, you'll be dead before you die."

Eva laughed a deep genuine laugh that took them by surprise.

"It's your unlucky day – you're with two vamp dieters."

"Even dieters succumb eventually," he mocked. "And when they do, they fall the hardest."

As Eva turned, Lucio was taking a step forward, his eyes filled with madness and desperation.

Again, forgive my long long long delay. I'm home now, writing essays and doing art work and memorising Japanese verbs a mile a minute to catch up at college, but taking a while out to write so you guys don't think I'm dead or plain lazy ;)