Longevity

She glided along the street, slipping in and out of the shadows, avoiding detection from all but Miriam's eyes. This was her first hunt: she's still training. She felt Miriam close by, watching. Ready to help if it was required. But Sarah was confident; she had already killed; that had been the difficult part: the loss of her humanity. Now it was gone and she could steel herself for a hunt, enjoy the feel of adrenalin in her veins, the excitement in her chest and knowing the heaviness in her head brought on by the hunger would soon abate.

She climbed up onto the balcony, silently drawing back the open door and snuck into the house. She could smell them; hear the blood, fresh and hot in their veins. Her tongue tingled. She was so thirsty, her throat soar for the relief of blood…

She stepped into the main bedroom, a middle-aged man slept alone. Sarah approached, coiled, she touched the ankh from around her neck and released the small dagger it hid, and then pounced. She straddled him, held his head back with her left hand an slit his throat with her right. She fed quickly, greedily. Full, she withdrew from his lifeless body and wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand. Her senses were heightened, the world seemed brighter, more alive and she felt everything move. Felt Miriam's pull, so she left.

When she returned to the house, Miriam was waiting for her. Kissed her tenderly, she was pleased; Sarah could read it in her eyes. She still had much to learn about Miriam, but she was a fast study. Miriam led her upstairs, to their bed. The sleep was coming; like the hunger, it must be respected, must be obeyed.

Sarah's eyes closed as soon as her body touched the mattress. She felt strangely aware of Miriam close to her. Felt herself swimming in happiness. As long as she had Miriam, she could block out the harshness of what they had to do in order to survive. Somewhere in her head, she reasons that it's natural – survival of the fittest and she and Miriam were the fittest.

They spend their days learning the curves of each other's body, the trails of their minds; where they met and where they took separate routes.

She knew, unlike all of Miriam's previous partners, that life was eternally hers; but that her youth would only last a few centuries, then it would catch-up with her. She and Miriam don't talk about it. It's one of those unspoken understandings between them. It's tenuous. Sarah can still get angry at Miriam for bringing her to this savage lifestyle, and Miriam can still be hurt when reminded of her betrayals to her previous beloved's, whose restless coffins lie in the attic, still, but breathing.

Sarah locks her brain into research, her body is devoted to Miriam, and sometimes, between kisses and caresses, she finds herself staring into those cool eyes that disguise Miriam's passion and asks her to play her body like she does Lakme. Miriam smiles strangely, she's never expectant of Sarah because she never knows what to expect. The scientist keeps her sharp and she likes it. Feels like she has an equal, not a devout servant.

Miriam spends her days watching Sarah. She has put more effort into Sarah than any other living creature, human or her own species. She'd known from the start that it would be worth her while, but nothing had prepared her for this. Tranquillity at last, a feeling of serenity, she had never experienced it before. She felt she could trust Sarah to be her saviour. She felt her search was over, she had found home.

When Sarah was in her arms, when she whispered 'I love you,' in the heat of sex, it was the first time she meant it. And she realised that all the times she had said it before, she was just miming. Imitating. But she means it now, for the temperamental redhead. For the cool intelligence and sensual openness of Sarah. For her alone. And she realises how pitifully empty her life was before. How desperation had driven her to be reckless in acquiring Sarah, and how, auspiciously, it had paid off.

She did all she could to ensure Sarah could continue her life's work – she wanted Sarah with her forever, she didn't want to see her love counting the hours and days until her inevitable demise. Didn't want to see Sarah resorted to a feeble copy of John. She couldn't bare to see the brightness of Sarah fade. Couldn't live if that happened.

She took coffee to Sarah. The redhead didn't drink it, the hunger had killed any appetite she'd had for anything other than blood. But she liked the smell; it comforted her, gave her a sense of familiarity. After all, her life with Miriam, whilst feeling natural, was still new and unknown. She liked touches of her former life. Miriam humoured her, it made her love her more.

Sometimes Miriam didn't understand Sarah's continuing need to stay connected to the outside world – to humans. But she wanted Sarah's research to help them; to give Sarah to her forever, so she always encouraged the scientists' work. Sometimes it was lonely sharing Sarah with her work, but she knew it had to be done and it made the time they were together more significant.

One evening, they sat together at the piano. Miriam's fingers floating across the keys. Sarah, eyes closed, let the notes bathe over her.

"If it happens to me – rapid acceleration of age – promise me you'll kill me," Sarah says.

Miriam stops playing, eyes overcast. "You belong to me, and I to you. I'll kill myself before I harm you," Miriam vows.

Sarah takes her lovers hands. "Promise me. Don't pack me away like the others – don't forget me, don't let me be locked away, alone and forgotten till the end of time - "

Miriam pulls away, she stands, slamming the lid of the piano. "Is that what you think of me? That I'm some heartless monster who gets what use she can out of humans, then locks them away in isolated misery?"

Sarah shakes her head, mortified. "I could never think that of you."

Miriam's clear gaze softens. "You'll make it Sarah, I can feel it. This time it's different… you're different." She sits beside Sarah, touches her cheek and runs a finger along her jaw.

"I'm on the verge of a break-through, but I just wanted to make sure you understood. If I don't figure out… if I can't stop it from happening to me… I want you to understand what I want."

Miriam nods solemnly.

"I want an end," Sarah explains.

Tears escape Miriam's eyes.

Sarah raises her hand to cover Miriam's and presses her cheek into Miriam's palm. "Do you understand?"

Miriam nods.

They gaze at each other, then Miriam says confidently. "But you will figure it out Sarah, my Sarah. I have every confidence."

Sarah smiles, Miriam leans forward and places a soft kiss on her lips. Then draws back. Their eyes stay fixed on each other. Sarah slips her hands down Miriam's forearms, to her elbows, then pulls her into a fervent kiss. She feels the blonde soften, feels fingers in her hair, gently tugging. Miriam moves her hand slowly down Sarah's body, coming to rest between her thighs. Sarah shudders, gasping at the sensation; Miriam's touch always surprises her, always excites her.

"I need to bring someone to the house," Sarah tells the blond.

Alert, Miriam asks. "Why?"

"There are files I need – data. But after they refused my application for a funding review, they sealed certain records. Records I need to get hold of, but my authority is limited now. I need someone on the inside… someone to help me."

Miriam nods. "Who did you have in mind?"

Sarah smiles. "There was an expert in the Gerontology department I've heard of. I think she's the right choice."

"Very well," Miriam says, then leans forward and kisses Sarah. "Just keep her far from me."

Sarah grins. "Okay," then slips her arm happily around Miriam's neck and covers her in kisses.

Miriam laughs at Sarah's playfulness, until she felt Sarah's hands slip down her back and rest on her hunches, pulling the blonde's body tightly to hers. Hip to hip, Sarah gazed into Miriam's eyes.

"I'll have to think of a way to thank you," she says seductively, her silliness overtaken by a solemness.

Miriam tilted her head, leaning teasingly close to Sarah. "I'm sure you'll think of something… fitting," she says, feeling Sarah's body responding.

"Mmm – I'm sure I will," Sarah leans forward, capturing Miriam's bottom lip between her teeth and pressing hard, then releasing it. Miriam raises her hands to Sarah's back and digs her fingers into the supple flesh. Sarah holds back a gasp of pain. She kisses Miriam, forcing the blondes arms down and then behind her back. The sway towards the bed. Miriam pulls back and stares passionately into Sarah's face. She lets Sarah take control.

Isabella Ely has been a close follower of Sarah Roberts work. She had admired the ambitious scientist from a distance - they had never met, but knew of each other by reputation. So when she receives a written invitation from Sarah, asking her to visit her at home, Isabella's curiosity is immediately peeked. Sarah has become something of an enigma – rumours about her sudden departure from Riverside and the Gerontology field were wild – she had killed Tom, or driven him to suicide, she was now living with a woman and had constructed a lab where she conducted shady experiments.

Isabella doesn't believe any of it, but, always one for a challenge, Isabella decided that Ms Roberts was more than worthy of a visit. She just wondered what Sarah could possibly want from her.