A/N: Sorry for the long hiatus. I didn't know how to express the continuation of this story and a lot has happened to me this year. The two other chapters have been revised and I've added this new one to add a little more to the drama.
Chapter 3: A Small Fortune
"Coreen you should go home with your friends."
"Vicki I—," she says, a guilty look on her face.
Vicki just shakes her head.
"We can discuss it tomorrow. I still have to talk to my client."
Coreen nodded and headed towards her friends. Fixing her blazer, Vicki walked straight towards a couple of bodyguards blocking a section of the club off.
She moves right pass them, "Hello boys."
They nod their heads as they moved out of her way, "Miss Hazell."
Although Coreen had already forgotten Vicki's presence in the club, Henry hadn't. He was watching her as she passed by men she seemed familiar with, in fact. Curiosity only began to describe why Henry followed after her. He heard them call her "Miss Hazell". What was that all about and who was this client that she was meeting here? From her heartbeat he could tell she hadn't been lying. He followed her as she headed towards another man who seemed to be out of place in this type of scenery. This man seemed too stuck up to be one to socialize with this laid back, upper middle-class crowd. Maybe this man was the high-profile meeting Vicki had spoken of. He tried to get closer so that his sensitive hearing could focus in on their conversation.
"Where is he?"
"It's wonderful to see you too, have you been well? I must say you're looking extremely healthy."
At this point, Henry wanted to smack the guy and was waiting to hear Vicki's biting come back towards the much younger man's statement. Surprisingly none came, Vicki responded in a calm manner with an icy tone that would have made Henry shiver.
"Nicolaus don't think you can speak to me that way. I'm only asking you once more, where is he?"
"It's irritating how you think so little of me now. There was a time when you use to hold me," Nicolaus says with a disgustingly smug look on his face.
"You were six and not a perverse 22 year old, corrupted child, as you evidently are now. This meeting was to be between him and me, tell me where he is or this ends now."
"Ha, you and I both know that's not going to happen. You would never leave things like this, not when you think the way you do."
"I don't even know who you are any more, Nicolaus."
"Let's keep it that way. I will never again want to associate with someone who has become as substandard as you."
Vicki only looked at him insignificantly with a raise of her chin unaffected by his comment, "Your mother would have been ashamed of what you've become."
Henry could see Nicolaus flinch as Vicki said this, he had to smirk Vicki's strength was matchless.
"Where is your uncle?"
Nicolaus regained his composure but his voice and his features had softened, "He went out the back entrance, he had something he needed to take care of immediately. Uncle said you would know exactly what to do next, he told me to stall you for 5 minutes."
Vicki looked like she was about to scream but only peered at the watch on her wrist. Then she walked away from Nicolaus without looking back. Nicolaus could only yell after her as she walked briskly past the bodyguards once more.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way Aunt V, you can only blame yourself for what's happened!"
Henry tried to follow her as slowly as possible, keeping distance between them. Vicki headed towards the back where they were met with a darkened stairwell. The ringing of a phone could be heard from the top of the stairs. Henry watched as Vicki ran up the stairs and out of sight. Quickly he ran with vampire speed after her worried were she might be headed. He could see the shadow of her form through the doorway just off to the right side of the stairwell. The ringing had stopped and was replaced with Vicki screaming into the phone.
"You are a coward!"
"Vi…"
"Don't call me that! Where do you get off not even having the gall to see me tonight when you already know how much I hate having to talk to you anyway? Tell me what is going on, what did you do? How did you find me?"
Henry walked closer to the doorway. Vicki engrossed in her conversation wasn't going to notice. He watched her intently, she was shaking.
"You know how I feel about you, I still love you…I didn't want to have to deal with your reaction, if I had told you in person! This isn't about me, it's your grandfather, he's…"
"No! I can't believe you. I don't want to hear any more! Do you not remember anything that happened 15 years ago? It cost more than a small fortune to become close with you, to share myself with you and then you threw it all away and manipulated my grandfather. How could you do that? Now you're trying to convince me that what you feel is love? You're out of your mind! For you to even bring up my grandfather…"
"V—His condition worsened after you left, he's stable now but…He's placed everything under your name, permanently…everyone is going to want to pull you into their favor, you have responsibilities you can't ignore, you are one of us, you can't ignore who you are anymore, you were given your name for a reason. Stop blaming me and your grandfather, when you know there is more to it than that."
"Stay away from me Aleksi, don't do this."
Henry sees her about to lose her composure as she hangs up the phone, not wanting to hear another word. He sees her slightly sway overwhelmed and he grabs her arm, supporting her weight. There was a flash of anger in her eyes, and it bothered him. He had never seen such a look on her before and he didn't quite know how to react to it. He didn't understand the accusations and problems discussed over the phone, but whatever it was, it seemed to mean a great deal
"Let go of me, Henry," Vicki said although half her weight was being supported by Henry at that moment.
"No I'm taking you home. Either follow me willingly or be carried out of here like an infant."
After trying to pull from his steady grip she sighs, feeling her relent, he walks out with her.
She opens the passenger door to his car and turns her face to the window while he gets into the driver's seat. He puts the keys into the ignition put doesn't start the car. Henry watches her press her cheek to the most likely cold window with a concerned look.
"Just drive Henry."
As they drove on Vicki faces her head forward staring out at the cars in front of them
Henry turns to glance at her and sees her closing her eyes tightly shut and rubbing her forehead. They stop at a red light and he watches her for a moment
"Take a picture, it will last longer."
"Stop it Vicki, what was all that? Who was that person you met at the club and the man on the phone? How did they know you? What is going on?
"Word to the wise Henry digging into the past, my past, will only cause trouble. You should have never eavesdropped on my conversation you have no right to do that sort of thing."
"Why won't you let me help you Vicki. Why won't you let me be here for you?"
Vicki looked at the traffic light, it was still red.
She turns to him while sliding her hand to the door handle behind her back, "I won't let you because you can't promise me that."
Shocked he is unable to react fast enough even for a vampire. She opens and closes the car door and runs out of the car not looking back. He can do nothing as the light turns green and she turns a corner.
A/ N: Please Review. Tell me what you think o the new characters and the plot with Vicki's family being involved, I'm not too sure where that is going. I've gotten the general idea of what I'm doing with Aleksi. Please Review.
