Before anyone –human— could react, someone else got into the situation.

The man's gun went flying towards the apartments near where Michel had parked, and a goddamned incredibly good looking guy came out, holding the man's shoulders.

"Mike, how ya been?" he asked, in a slight southern accent.

Kerry, meanwhile, was standing behind Michel.

"Ethan?" she asked, scared. "Who is that?" Although she whispered it –or, to be precise, she breathed it—they both knew he would have heard them anyways.

"Are you goin' to introduce us?" he asked, once he knocked the man unconscious.

Michel noticed that while Kerry had seen violence before, she never saw it be done as if it didn't consider a thought.

She started wide-eyed at the new vampire, not knowing is she should look away because his incredible looks made her uncomfortable, or if his violence should be what scared her.

"Kerry, this is Luke," Michel told Kerry warily. Luke was one of those vampires that believed humans were only a resource. He had never bonded with on. Or so he said. Michel had the feeling Luke has bonded before, but the person must have left him, for whatever reasons.

"Nice to meet ya Kerry," Luke said pleasantly enough, but Michel could hear the thirst behind his voice. Luke must have heard the transparency of his words too, because Luke began to smile.

Kerry's heartbeat rose up. Yea, Luke is drop dead gorgeous, but his smile was devastatingly sinister.

"Uhm, nice to meet you too," Kerry said in a quiet, calm voice.

Luke looked at Kerry as long as politeness called for, but quickly turned to Michel. "Anna is in a tight predicament. Have ya heard?" Through his peripheral vision, Michel saw Kerry's eyebrows rise up. That amused him. Of course, everyone thought Luke wasn't… eloquent with words. But then again, vampires extend their vocabulary significantly throughout the years.

Michel was reminded of Anne waiting for them at Bergen Swamp by now. "Yes. She… mentioned what happened. I told her I would assist her," he said in a way that would end all discussion with anyone else.

But not Luke.

"Well that's nice. And I'm guessing the lady right here was the one to help you?"

"Yes." Luke's smile returned. To Kerry, it seemed like every vampire specialized in one smile.

Michel specialized in an amused smile, Regina with a distant smug smile, and Luke with a sinister smile.

"Well, back to the matter at hand," Luke went on –serious, and his accent almost disappeared. "Anna told me that you were meeting her at Bergen Swamp and she invited me to come along. Is this the reason for your visit?"

Yes," Michel said. Then: "You shouldn't come."

Luke feigned wounded shock. "And why not Mike?"

Kerry noticed that whenever he teased, Luke's accent was more apparent. Despite sounding like a "hick," Kerry was still scared of him, made obvious by her strong grip on Michel's arm.

"You have the worst temper, and the most sinister sense of humor." Though Michel usually admired any sense of humor, Anne's human might not appreciate it. Or Kerry, for that matter.

"Well, irregardless, I'm goin'. Oh, and I'm guessing you want your car back. It's due for a paint job tomorrow at Rochester."

"Very well, thank you. Ahm, where are my license plates?"

"Just drill those out, and yours should come out nice and clean."

"What about my car?" Kerry asked carefully, the first thing she said in a while.

"If ya want, I'll drive it to where ya want," Luke suggested. Truly suggested. It would be up to Kerry.

Kerry gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

Michel led Kerry to the passenger side of his car. While he was going round to his side, Luke leaned on Kerry's car, and folded his arms.

"You like her that much huh?"

"I suppose I do." You have no idea how much.

Luke wasn't looking at Michel as he said it, but more towards the sky.

"Just a little longer, and she would turn into one of us." Bingo. What he was really after. Luke is an expert with that kind of stuff. He just knows how much someone feels, and can see things in them they themselves can't see.

"Thanks bro," Michel said, getting into the car and heading to Bergen Swamp.

Luke said it. It will happen.

Why else would Michel stay friends with someone so violent for so long— apart from the fact that they were like brothers…since the same vampire had made them so long ago?

Luke. How does he work for you? Hope you are liking this so far :)