The first few hours of the new night were spent exploring the city. The few who were still up during this time all stopped to greet them, taking interest in the new faces. It was odd yet appreciated when Jade wasn't treated like she would attack at any minute. She was viewed the same way as Tori. The hybrid, as always, was good with being social and communicating with others. She was happy to see Jade finally doing the same now that she was able. It put a permanent smile on her face. Some of the children who liked to work alongside their parents were still out and about. They saw Jade and reacted with curiosity. The youngest of a group of three boys was dared to approach her, but it was the little girl, maybe seven years old, who walked up and took Jade by the hand. She looked down at the little girl with a questioning smile and received a studious gaze in return, her warm hand tugging at Jade's a moment later. She exchanged an uncertain look with Tori, who went back to her current conversation after smiling encouragingly. Only then did Jade kneel to the little girl's level.
"Hey," she said, trying to keep a smile in place and her voice friendly. She didn't want to scare the kid. It was strange. For the first time she cared what someone thought about her.
"You're a vampire," the little girl stated certainly. Jade nodded.
"I am," she confirmed. The girl's blue eyes scrutinized her for a moment, eyebrows and nose scrunched in careful consideration.
"My brother says you're scary," she said. Jade's eyebrows rose.
"He does?" she replied. The girl nodded.
"I think you're pretty," she continued with certainty. Jade was caught by surprise for a moment before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"Thank you. Is that your brother over there?" she asked, looking to the youngest boy who shared features with the little girl, right down to the shade of blond hair and blue eyes. They could easily be twins. He seemed to be worried for his sister because he kept glancing over at them and jumped a little when he noticed Jade's eyes on him.
"Yes," the little girl said with a nod.
"Bring him over here," Jade requested. The girl trotted over and grabbed her brother by the sleeve before hurrying back. He was too stunned to refuse and stood stock still once he was standing in front of Jade.
"There isn't any reason to be afraid," she told him.
"V-vampires eat people," he replied fearfully. Jade rolled her eyes.
"Some don't. I don't. So you shouldn't be afraid. At least of me. Your sister tells me you think I'm scary, but I promise, I won't hurt you," she said, holding out her hand. The little girl looked to her brother expectantly. He gulped but reached out and placed his hand in hers. He flinched at the cool skin but relaxed when nothing else happened. He looked to her with a shy smile and she smirked back, revealing a fang. His eyes widened but he didn't run. His sister gasped in further interest and her little hand grasped at Jade's jaw.
"Let me see!" she exclaimed. Jade laughed but opened her mouth enough to show off the pointed teeth that curved slightly from her top and bottom rows of teeth. Even the girl's brother leaned in a little now.
"Cool," he whispered in awe. Jade closed her mouth and reached out to ruffle his hair.
"Now go on. I have things to do," she told them, gentle yet firm, while standing up. The little girl grabbed her hand once more and smiled before joining her bother to run back to the two other boys. She could hear them talking animatedly to each other and couldn't help but smile softly. They weren't afraid of her. The way they looked at her…She would never forget it.
"You have some fans," Tori suddenly commented from her right. Jade glanced at her bright smile then looked to the children again.
"Seems so," she finally replied.
"You're good with them," Tori said, a soft tone to her voice Jade hadn't heard before.
"Hm?" she questioned, looking for clarification.
"With children, I mean. I never saw you interact with the ones at Sanctuary. I never would have thought you had such a soft spot," the hybrid teased playfully. Jade scoffed and turned away.
"Those brats back home were already influenced by the people around them. The kids, the people here…they see things differently," she tried to explain. Tori understood and nodded. She took Jade's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.
"Yeah," she agreed. They exchanged farewells with the people Tori had been chatting with and walked on. Tori leaned into Jade as they strolled along.
"Their parents told me that ever since they explained to their kids that there were nice vampires they've always wanted to meet one. Despite knowing the basics about them, their daughter still saw it as a possibility. Their son, not so much. He was stuck on the whole 'tearing your throat out and drinking you dry' bit," she explained. Jade grimaced and ran a hand through her hair in a self-conscious manner Tori never saw from her. The people here didn't keep the gory details out, but they also didn't claim vampires to be all bad. For that Jade was grateful.
"How does it feel to be the first vampire they ever met?" Tori inquired, smiling with amusement when Jade gave her a pointed look.
"I'm not a damn celebrity," she grumbled. Tori only waited for a proper response.
"It was…different. I expect people to react badly, but they were curious. They wanted contact and to see my fangs. Can you believe that? Their eyes didn't even look away when they met mine," Jade recounted in a somewhat amazed tone of voice. Tori just smiled. Sometime later they were found by an assistant who was sent to call them in. They followed him back to the laboratory building and waited for Dr. Cross. He came out to greet them minutes later then led them deeper into the labs beyond the double doors.
"How are you?" he questioned conversationally.
"Better," Jade answered, short and to the point.
"Jade and I were walking around town when you called us in. The people here know the truth yet don't react with disdain like most we've met," Tori told him.
"Yes. We've shared with them the truth behind what most don't know or don't want to accept. That is, that although most vampires feed on humans there are those who don't. Just as most hybrids are likely to protect humans and kill vampires, it doesn't mean that there won't be some who simply don't care and will attack anyone," he explained.
"They have what most don't. The truth. That's what's most important," Jade pointed out.
"Indeed. So I take it you've been treated fairly?" he asked the vampire.
"Strangely, yes," she replied.
"Good," he said with a nod. He entered a door and held it open for them. The room they stepped into was a little more advanced than the last one they had been to. Tori shifted uneasily at the various tools laid out in plain sight.
"Just as before," Deidrick said while walking over to prepare. Jade rested her hand on Tori's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, before taking a seat first. A small metal table topped with the necessary supplies resting on a metal tray was rolled over. Deidrick sat down on the stool in front of Jade who looked to him, waiting to be told what to do.
"Let me start by saying that your blood results look promising. These tissue samples will allow us to get a more in depth picture of your DNA, but your blood has already given us an angle to work from," he began.
"Really?" Tori spoke up.
"Yes. You see, the blood work from the captured feral vampires proved to be mostly the same. They've fed on humans, animals, and occasionally vampires. Only those that came from the raiders' violent fights to the death had anything new to discover," he started to explain.
"Wait, how did you manage to get vampires from them?" Jade asked.
"Bargaining supplies and a lot of crops. It wasn't hard seeing as they don't have much of anything to call their own," he replied. Jade agreed and gestured for him to continue.
"So what was new?" Tori questioned.
"Because they had been bitten by a hybrid so many times, their blood changed slightly. Their body reacted to fight off the relentless foreign invasion which left a lingering and permanent change," he explained.
"And what was that?" Jade asked this time.
"Traces of human DNA," he revealed. Both Tori and Jade let out sounds of shock. He nodded.
"I know. But it isn't enough to be bitten. Our resident hybrid has helped us look into that. No matter how many times they were bitten it didn't change anything too drastically. As you most likely know, introducing hybrid blood to a vampire causes the body to reject it immediately so that route was out," Deidrick clarified.
"What about Tyrell? Was his blood any different?" Tori inquired. Deidrick shook his head.
"No, but yours is," he responded.
"Mine?" Tori repeated, as if she couldn't believe it.
"So is Jade's," he said, looking to the vampire sitting in front of him.
"How?" Jade questioned, voice taut with a need to know.
"You've been bitten by vampires as well as Jade, correct?" he asked Tori who nodded slowly, wondering where he was getting at.
"Many times," she confirmed to both. More so by Jade than any other they fought, but she kept that knowledge to herself.
"And you've been bitten by hybrids as well as Tori?" he then asked Jade who also nodded her confirmation.
"Yes," she responded, thinking back to the scuffle she encountered with each hybrid she met, including Tori.
"It seems that as with the vampires, your blood has changed with the introduction of a foreign invasion too," he shared.
"How so?" Tori quickly asked before Jade could.
"Jade, your blood has a slightly stronger presence of human DNA. I can only assume this happened because Tori has been bitten so many times by vampires," he elucidated.
"So what does that mean?" Jade questioned him impatiently.
"Tori's body has built up a stronger immunity to the vampire virus because she had been bitten so many times, automatically fighting off whatever infection that was inflicted on her. Because the virus in Tori has made the transition to the form of antibodies, it's compatible with you even after it has changed. Being bitten by her introduced that 'cured' form of the virus to you as a type of reverse infection and has caused a bigger change than normal. It might even be the cause of your continued success in being able to further control your instincts," he told her. The two sat quietly, mulling over the large amount of information, so Deidrick took the silence to mean he could continue.
"So with enough tempering to a hybrid's DNA structure and a steady introduction of the virus, we can use the human compatibility a hybrid still possesses to provide a long term vaccine to immunize people to the infection. It's the piece we had been missing. The short term vaccine we came up with was unstable because our hybrid hadn't been introduced to the virus as much, but now it could work," he explained with excitement. Tori grinned, happy to have helped. Meanwhile, Jade's mind was racing.
"But an actual cure isn't possible this way?" she wondered. Deidrick's smile fell slightly.
"Unfortunately, the process would be very delicate. Already a vampire's body rejects any interaction with hybrids, down to their very instincts toward each other. A cure could work, but it would be slow and most likely painful. Maybe as bad as the introduction of the wolf serum that created the hybrids. It could very well kill the vampire instead of providing a cure," he answered soberly. Jade growled and grit her teeth. Tori looked to her with a worried frown. She knew how torturous and traumatizing it had been to become what she was now. She didn't want Jade to go through something like that. Especially if it could end up killing her as it had so many who didn't survive the serum injections. She rested a hand on Jade's shoulder.
"Which is why I would like to have tissue samples so that I can look into the matter further. We might have found a way to keep the population from being overrun, but it would help us even more if we had some way to bring those who have become vampires back to us instead of just killing off every vampire we see," he mused.
"Do you think they would remember who they were if they were cured?" Tori questioned. Deidrick thought about it a while before answering.
"I want to believe that they would remember who they were but it's very possible that they won't. I think it might just depend on how far gone they are. For instance, Jade would take to the cure fine should it not prove fatal. But those who have already gone feral probably wouldn't adjust all that well, or at all," he theorized. Both Jade and Tori sighed heavily, disappointed.
"At least we have a stable vaccine. When do you think you'll distribute that? And what will happen after?" Tori wondered.
"Well, as soon as The Dome has been collectively vaccinated we could start sending people out to either distribute it to other large groups of survivors or give them the choice to come back here should they want to," he responded.
"Why offer a place here now. Why not before?" Jade questioned with a hint of accusation.
"You have to understand. The choice was made for the safety of the people living here and to ensure that we, as a species, survived. We stayed hidden until we were sure we could make a difference. Otherwise we would have people searching us out and demanding help we weren't able to give, or destroy what we were doing and ruin it for us all. Not to mention an outbreak would be more likely to happen, and without a way to stop it, we would be vulnerable. We couldn't take that chance," he explained. Jade wanted to stay angry but understood the reasoning.
"So how is this going to work?" she said, moving on with a nod at the tools waiting to be used. He breathed out a relived exhale that she wasn't too upset and was willing to continue before picking up the scalpel to hold it up silently.
"Of course," she said with reservation, holding out her arm. He placed a folded piece of gauze underneath and she rested it on the small table connected to the arm of the chair. She felt Tori's hand clamp on her shoulder tightly when the sharp blade touched down on her smooth pale skin. She watched as a small piece was carved out of her arm, blood running freely. Once Deidrick had what he needed he stored it while Jade tended to her arm. She wiped away the blood after it sealed shut at a far faster pace than she was used to. She had been starved so long she expected a slow regeneration rate. But now that she was well fed she healed faster. Deidrick set out a clean bundle of gauze after tossing Jade's and then looked to Tori. She hesitated, but when Jade stood and soothed her with a thumb stroking her cheek, she sat down.
Jade stayed close by and held Tori's hand to comfort her. She was a battle hardened hybrid who could tear anyone apart, yet in situations that didn't demand quick action or caused fatal consequences should she not react quickly, she had too much time to think. Her instincts weren't there to make the choice for her, leaving the person she truly was to decide what to do. And that part of her did not handle pain or fear easily. The memories still weighed on her and returned the moment the blade cut into her. She tensed and squeezed Jade's hand hard. It didn't hurt all that much, since she had endured worse injuries before, but just the sight of the doctor wielding medical tools on her made her want to run. But soon he was done and she was healing. Jade stepped forward to clean up her arm then leaned in to kiss her softly.
"Nothing to it," she whispered with a warm smile only Tori could witness. The hybrid smiled in return and nodded then stood up.
"Is that it?" Jade inquired.
"Yes. I'll let you know as soon as I get meaningful results. Hopefully this provides a clue to speeding up the effects of the cure as well as make it safer to administer," Deidrick replied, packing things away. Jade turned to Tori.
"Let's go," she said with a tilt of her head at the door.
"Thank you for continuing to try and right the wrong," Tori said to Deidrick who smiled.
"No, thank you for all that you've done. I won't let set-backs stop me. I'll find a way," he responded. She nodded, took Jade by the hand, and walked out. They made their way back to their place quietly. Jade resolved to take a quick shower where she spent most of the time thinking. Tori waited for her turn before getting in. Once she was out she found Jade lounging in bed. She walked over and laid next to her.
"You don't usually take such a long shower. Are you ok?" she inquired, knowing Jade liked to think during that time. Jade just shrugged and closed her eyes.
"Something on your mind?" Tori continued, rolling on her side to lean over Jade. Her hand came up to brush away a lock of her dark hair then ran a few fingers down her cheek. Jade sighed quietly and grasped Tori's hand in her own.
"I was thinking of whether we should go back to Sanctuary. Of whether the guys want to go back or not. We could help them if we take back some of the vaccine. Maybe we could even bring them over here where it's safe," she contemplated. Tori hummed thoughtfully, her finger mapping Jade's face now that her hand was free to move. Jade closed her eyes at the hybrid's gentle touch.
"You wanna know what I think?" she began. Jade smirked and looked at her.
"No, I was just talking to myself this whole time. I didn't want your input at all," she responded with sarcasm thick in her tone. Tori laughed and leaned down to nuzzle at her jaw affectionately.
"Don't be a gank," she whispered against her skin. Jade rolled her eyes then closed them again.
"I think we should go back," Tori told her. Jade didn't respond for a few seconds.
"Yeah. I had a feeling you would say that," she eventually muttered. Tori's brows knit together.
"What? You don't want to go back?" she questioned, bemused.
"No, it's not that. I just…" Jade mumbled, opening her eyes again to look at the hybrid and wish she didn't have to confess to her conflicted feelings.
"What's wrong?" Tori whispered, voice soft and concern in her warm brown eyes.
"Nothing's wrong. I just feel…accepted here. I feel like I belong and that I'm appreciated. For the first time it doesn't matter what I am. It's who I am that matters," Jade admitted. Tori frowned sympathetically, knowing what she meant.
"They couldn't see the real you, Jade. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't help them," she reasoned. Jade looked away.
"You're right. They didn't appreciate all that you've done for them. I can see why you don't want to help them. But I know you, and I know that no matter what they think of you, it's the right thing to do by helping them," Tori reminded her, a hand cupping her cheek. Jade chuckled without humor and turned to give the hybrid her attention.
"Why do I always let you talk me into things?" she wondered fondly, a smile curling the side of her mouth. Tori grinned and kissed her.
"Because you love me," she answered. Jade's small smile grew.
"I do," she agreed, reaching up to slide her fingers in Tori's hair. She brought her down to kiss her, deepening it with a swipe of her tongue. Tori groaned and accepted her advancement before pulling away.
"Aw, why'd you stop?" Jade sulked playfully. Tori only laughed and bit her lip before shaking her head to discourage the vampire.
"It's time to sleep," she stated, pressing a simple kiss to Jade's lips before cuddling closer to her. Jade grumbled her disagreement but wrapped Tori in her arms anyway. The sun was on its way up so she might as well start winding down. Hopefully Dr. Cross made a breakthrough. But until then, Jade resolved to do all she could to help the cause. She would go back to Sanctuary with or without her team. Tori was right. She had to help them. As long as Tori was with her every step of the way, she could do anything.