'It doesn't matter nothing matters anymore not who I was born not who I am. He is a vampire he is my enemy.' She reached her car and slammed into the door. 'Serena and Hermione they are now…they too are now the enemy.'

Momiji got into her car and started the engine. She drove towards the highway never once stopping. She looked in the mirror only once and saw as Los Angeles disappeared. 'It doesn't matter now it doesn't matter who they were, now they are my enemies.'

She allowed one tear to fall down her cheek for the two women who had been her sisters and that was it. No more. She would never cry for them again. She would never consider them her sisters again, they were now and forever more her enemies.

Nine Months Later

Hermione sat in front of a large computer screen staring at an extensive amount of data. She pressed a few keys on her keyboard and then turned around in her swivel chair. She leaned back and gazed up at the ceiling trying to think of a way to change the numbers. She closed her eyes and tried to think, it took a few moments but she was able to think of something. She turned back around and began to type quickly. She then pressed enter and waited to see the results. She held her breath hoping that she would see some positive responses. She didn't and once again she swiveled around and looked at the ceiling.

"You know the views not going to change as long as you keep doing that," said Serena from the doorway. She stood against the harsh light of the hallway; she was taller in the black heels on her feet. She was wearing a white shirt with a pair of black business pants, her hair pulled back. She looked like a career business woman not a powerful slayer.

"Well I was hoping that maybe it would inspire me to think of something I hadn't before," Hermione said.

"Did it?"

"No, not at all."

Serena gave her a weak smile and stepped into the room. "Alana said that it wasn't going to be easy," Serena said leaning against the table.

"I know but we have made significant progress all this equipment that we have now is making the process much faster. I'm hoping that we can soon find a vaccine to reverse the premature affects," said Hermione. "But…."

"But what" Serena asked her looking concerned.

"This virus is like the flu once we find something that could potentially help it mutates and changes into something else that's even more complicated," Hermione told her. "Here look at this." Hermione pulled up a replicated strand us the virus. "This was six months ago, and this…." She pulled up another screen of something much more complicated looking. "This is now; it knows how to protect itself and how to fight off our antigens."

"Hermione does this have the potential to become air borne?"

"Not at the moment but I can't tell, today it could be physical tomorrow it could be anything," Hermione told her.

"Have you spoken to Zoicite?"

Hermione turned her head and looked back at the computer screen. "No I haven't showed him any of this."

"He might be able to help you brainstorm something that you haven't thought of," Serena said.

"I know Serena, and I know that we agreed to work with them for the betterment of everyone but…I just can't completely trust them yet. I know that they aren't going to hurt us but I don't want to just let them into the slayer data bases there's information in there that has been kept secret for centuries and allowing vampires in there even to try and save people just seems like selling them out."

"I know how you feel believe me," Serena said.

"Do you? I mean I know that you and Darien are having your troubles but do you really know what it's like working for and with the other side while in the next room they make weapons to kill slayers like us," Hermione said.

"You and I both knew what we were getting into when we made the decision to work with them," Serena said crossing her arms.

"Yes but do they have to so blatantly do it right in front of us," Hermione said. "I can't help but think 'where is that weapon going?' 'Is it being used to hunt down slayers?' 'Are the slayers even aware of that kind of technology?' Things like that its hard knowing that their next shipment of weapons going out may be going out to be used on people that we know."

"Hermione this isn't something that we did lightly we both decided that this was the only way to save lives and you and I know that the fighting has dissipated in the last few months."

"Yes but has the fighting dissipated because they are getting better at hunting us or because we are getting better at hunting them?"

"You forget my friend we are not the 'us' anymore," Serena said.

"Don't worry that's the one thing I can never forget," Hermione said. "I'll never forget that."

Serena looked at Hermione as her friend stared down at her hands in guilt. "We didn't do anything wrong Hermione. We followed our hearts and we found the truth, the real truth, we know now that things aren't how we were taught. We made the right and informed choice."

"Yeah tell that to everyone we left behind."

Serena looked down at her shoes, she didn't answer Hermione, and she couldn't. She had nothing to say to defend against her friend's statement. She pushed away from the table and went towards the door "I have to go change, are you coming to dinner?" Serena asked.

Hermione shook her head, "I don't think so I have a lot of work to do here."

"You know sometimes I just wait for the call that tells me you've gone nuts and locked yourself up in an attic somewhere…" Serena said but then stopped dead and didn't move. She felt the tension in the air between her and Hermione thicken. They were both silent and then Hermione finally spoke.

"Yeah…that's why you should always keep your cell phone on," Hermione said sadly.

Serena almost turned around but the feeling in the air stopped her from it. "I'll see you later Herm don't forget to feed yourself."

"Yeah I'll see you later," Hermione said not looking in Serena's direction. She didn't move after that she just stared at the computer monitor in front of her. As she sat she tried to block out of her head the images that lived always on the subconscious of her mind.

It had been a week since the three of them had learned the truth about Abby and neither Serena nor Hermione had been back to their temporary home in the city nor had they been back to their country home. They had both been near each other the entire time but had barely spoken. Hermione had been with Daniel most of the time in a private apartment in the city and Serena had been with Darien at his mansion. They had been separated for five days before they saw each other again.

Daniel had finally decided that it was time for him to return home and take care of some business, Hermione had not wanted to be far from him so even though she knew it wasn't the smartest idea she accompanied him. She was dressed in new clothes and looked clean and well groomed when she entered the mansion.

A man with long white hair and a strong set face greeted them at the door he looked at Hermione only once and then began his conversation with Daniel. Hermione knew that she had seen him before, the night that she had been attacked by the Slayer hunter he had arrived with Daniel and Kusanagi.

Daniel had turned to her and told her that he was going to speak with his brother for a moment. Everyone had been informed of her presence so she wouldn't be in any danger; he had asked her to wait for him for a few moments and then he would return. She had agreed though she wasn't completely convinced of her safety. Daniel had kissed her once on the forehead gently and then left her in the entrance hall.

Though Hermione hadn't felt any hostile emotions towards her entering the residence she knew she wasn't a welcomed guest. She did not leave the entrance hall but she did drift towards the walls curiosity claiming her she guided towards the paintings and tapestries that hung on the walls.

She had been alone only a few minutes when she heard a door behind her open. She had turned to politely acknowledge the person and explain her presence if question. But when she had turned around to face the other visitor she had come face to face with Serena. Neither had said anything to the other as they stood face to face, they both understood the other presence and had no comments on it.

It had been Serena who spoke first, "We have to decide where to go from here."

"Understood," Hermione answered. "If we continue down this path then we can't go back to our old lives."

"Do you really want to go back to our old lives Hermione those lives were built upon deception," Serena said. Hermione hadn't answered her she had only stared at her partner.

"We can't just do this Serena we have to think about what we are about to embark on."

"I agree completely I think we should also research for ourselves the truth and figure out where to go from there," said Serena.

Hermione nodded, "Two days from now we'll meet at the house gather what we need and see what we can see with eyes unclouded by hate." Serena agreed and then turned around to go back into the room she had come from.

Before she shut the door however she stopped and spoke, "Hermione…is Momiji?"

"She's gone left the city a few nights ago. I haven't been able to sense her since that night but then I guess that doesn't really say anything I mean I'm standing ten feet from you and I can't even sense you anymore," she said. Hermione looked down in silence, "Anyways I don't think we'll be seeing Momiji for a while wherever she is she doesn't want to speak with us."

"I thought as much, she felt when I opened myself to Darien."

"Yes it made the bond the three of us had dissipated," Hermione said sadly "I guess Abby was right about one thing, everything comes with a price."

"Yeah," said Serena "See you in a few days."

"Yeah see ya."

It had taken Hermione and Serena several weeks but they had been able to piece together the truth about Abby, Blake, and their entire lives. Abby's father was indeed the child of the former Vampires King; her mother had died in childbirth and she was left with family. She knew of course the truth about what had happened and she grew up hating her own father. She had not known that she had brothers or sisters until they showed up when she was twenty two.

Her father had been killed and her brother was the newly crowned Vampire King. He had wanted to bring peace to their family and offered an olive branch to Abby. But Abby's hate had turned into hatred for all vampires. She refused her brothers peace offering and joined the Hunters Association swearing to kill all vampires. But a few years after her own son was born Abby's husband, who had been a vampire slayer, suggested that the Hunters Association create a treaty with the Vampires. Abby had vehemently gone against the idea but the Hunters decided that enough blood had been shed over the centuries. They decided in secret to negotiate with the Vampire King; but before they could make the decision public Abby assassinated them. She blamed the vampires and once again used the murder of the Hunters Association to rally the Slayers into a war. Soon after this Abby established her school and took in Serena, Hermione, and Momiji.

Through research Hermione and Serena were able to discover that almost every time the Vampires approached the Slayers with peace and external force would agitate things and end negotiations. It didn't take a lot for Hermione and Serena to recognize their teacher's patterns.

After all their discoveries Hermione and Serena had returned to their home in the country to confront Blake and Sarah. But they were met with an empty house. Everything was stripped all magical barriers, the furniture, all books, all of Hermione's equipment and notes, everything was gone.

Serena and Hermione had gone to Abby's room and found it too bare; the only things that were left seemed to be things that the students had forgotten or dropped.

"They know," Hermione had said "they know that we're not on their side anymore."

"Yeah and to make their point they've exiled us from the Slayer community," Serena said looking around the barren room.

"Do you think Momiji told them?"

"She probably phoned to ensure that they were gone but I don't think that Blake and Sarah planned on sticking around after we found out the truth," Serena told her.

After realizing that they were no longer affiliated with the Slayers they both had broached the subject of what to do. Hermione thought it would be better to figure things out on their own and try to find a cure for the virus. But Serena knew that the only way they were going to get access to what they needed was to work with people who knew the virus. "Since were considered traitors we might as well commit to it and actually become traitors," she had said.

"Work with the vampires?" Hermione asked.

"Why not? I don't want to be separated from Darien and I'm sure that you want to stay near to Daniel, plus Alana is with them now and she would back us if anything happened."

"You want us to betray everything that we were taught, to work against those that we grew up with, to defy the very things that we ourselves taught to others?"

"Everything we were taught was corrupted Abby never wanted to rid the world of harmful vampires she wanted revenge that was her goal and we were just pawns," Serena said. "If we want to live our own lives we have to break free and decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. And right now the evidence is suggesting that the people we love the most are the people who are wrong."

"That's our family Serena we can't just forget them," Hermione said.

"Why not they've forgotten us or have your forgotten we're exiles now. We aren't part of their family anymore."

"Serena…"

"I know that it's going to be hard but if we want to fix what has been done we need to start somewhere and working with the vampires will get us closer to the virus than we have ever been before."

"I don't know," Hermione said tentatively.

"Herm I won't go to them without you," said Serena. "If you think that this is wrong for a second and that helping them will only do more harm I will back off and we can settle down somewhere up north. But if you think that by working with them we can fix what Abby did and finally maybe achieve peace then we have an obligation to work with them."

Hermione was silent she knew that Serena was right the only way that they were going to do what needed to be done was by working with the vampires. "I won't be separated from you we are going to be right there together working with them on this."

Serena had nodded, "I wouldn't have ever thought otherwise."

So even though Hermione had felt like she was selling her soul she had agreed to work with the vampires to try and synthesize a cure. That had been seven months ago and they were no closer to finding one than they had been then.

There was a soft knock on the door and Hermione turned to see Daniel standing there, a cup of tea in his hand. He walked into the room and set the cup in front of her. "You need some rest or you're going to kill yourself."

"I can't rest not until I impute all this data," Hermione said turning back to her computer.

Daniel reached over and took her notes from her he placed them on the table out of her reach and turned her around to face him. "It will all be there tomorrow Hermione you need to stop for the night."

"Don't you mean for the day?" Hermione said with a small smile.

Daniel smiled back at her he had been doing it a little more and more since she had come to live with them. "You were thinking deeply a few moments ago can I inquire?"

"Just the same things as usual," she said. "I was thinking if we were ever going to find a cure."

"You will, the best minds in the world are working on this, someone will find something," he told her.

"Yes but will it be in time?" They both remained silent knowing that time was short and that they needed to find a cure as soon as possible. "How is your brother's friend? The girl who was infected?"

"Mina's doing alright, she's still trying to fight but the virus is getting stronger," he said. "She was able to speak with a few of her friends the other day normally but I am sure that took most of her energy." Hermione nodded in understanding, she had been told about Mina Anica soon after she had arrived and it was Mina's blood that had been given to her to test.

"Darien wanted me to inform you of something," Daniel said. Hermione's attention went back to her lover. "Our mother and father are coming in a few days. A few months ago my sister, Rei the one addicted to the spice, went to visit them and now she and several of our friends are returning with our parents."

Hermione looked at him questioningly she could tell that there was more behind this. "Why is it such an event?"

"They are the King and Queen of the Vampire world you know," Daniel said.

"There's more though," Hermione said reading his emotions. She looked into his face and began to search his mind. "You're mother and father are unaware that Serena and I have been living here…"

"There have been rumors that have surely reached them but nothing had been confirmed yet," said Daniel. "They will surely arrive with questions and don't be surprised if my mother doesn't like you automatically she's never been one to deal well with slayers."

"She's going to like Serena then, I hate to tell you this but I really don't think that we should be here for the arrival of your parents," Hermione told him.

"No Darien and I think it would be best to introduce you to them then instead of them just finding out about you," Daniel said. "We will be introducing you as our mates" he said this in a quieter tone.

Hermione stared at him, "Though I am unfamiliar with all vampiric practices introducing us as your mates seems to be a big step."

"It is but we see no reason not to skirt around the issue. We might as well put it all out there at once and deal with it now."

Hermione shook her head. "Oh I wish I could be there when Darien tells Serena all of this. It would be so interesting."