A/N: Hello, my lovelies! It's that time again. Update time! It's been a long time coming, but I've been a bit busier than normal these past weeks. I thank you for sticking around and for continuing to support this story and this author. Please enjoy this little chapter. Or not. That's entirely up to you.

OOOOOOOOO

Dwayne left his cave home as soon as the sun had dipped well below the horizon, knowing that he had to get to the hospital for Iona's sake. The Boys and Faith promised to keep an eye on Max at the boardwalk, so that nothing funny happened between him and Iona. Dwayne would have flown to the hospital to see Iona, but he felt that she wouldn't approve of him broadcasting his vampire powers to the world.

The vampire quickly parked his motorcycle in the parking lot and crossed the dark expanse towards the bright lights of the hospital. He moved past nurses and doctors that were handling their own private crisis. His eyes roamed the halls for any sign of Iona as he neared the place that he had left her.

"Excuse me," he said, stopping at a nurse's station when he had no luck in finding Iona on his own. "I'm looking for a girl named Iona. She came in here last night with her grandmother, Ruby?"

A sad light filled the nurse's eyes as she tapped on her computer and looked at him. "I'm sad to say that Mrs. Ruby didn't make it," she said in a soft voice.

"What?"

"Yes, she passed away just before noon today," the woman told him. "There were complications that her body couldn't fight against in her condition and age. After a standard autopsy, we will be sending Mrs. Ruby's body to the funeral home to be cremated as requested by Miss Iona." She looked at him with a frown. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Dwayne shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Do you know where Iona is?"

"I'm afraid that I don't. She left shortly after telling the doctors what she wanted to be done for her grandmother. But I'm sure that you'll find her." She glanced down at her computer screen once more. "I'm sorry that I can't be more help."

Me too, Dwayne thought, heading back the way that he had come.

The cool night air brushed against his flesh once he was outside. He took a slow, deep breath and tried to scent out the gypsy dancer with the breeze's help. Dwayne turned his head in different directions and sniffed the air.

If I was Iona right now, where would I go? Dwayne wondered, heading towards his motorcycle.

Dwayne drove through the town, looking for the missing gypsy dancer. He cruised past the burned carcass of her childhood home and the restaurants that he knew she liked. He went past the park, but had no luck in finding her.

"Dude, we've got eyes on the dancer," Paul said in Dwayne's head. "She's at the boardwalk and Faith is keeping a close eye on her."

No real relief spread through Dwayne's body as he turned onto the road that would take him straight to the boardwalk. Yes, he was happy that the gypsy girl had been found in a safe place. But was it really a safe place when the cause for her distress was lurking there, watching her every move? The thought of Max laying one finger on the girl had Dwayne seeing red and pressing on the accelerator with greater force.

Dwayne pulled his motorcycle up next to those of his family and dismounted after killing the engine. He moved quickly through the crowd, smelling the warm scent of Iona under the usual stenches of the boardwalk. David was standing near Video Max, keeping an eye on their sire while smoking another cigarette with the pile of used ones lay smashed at his feet.

The sound of maniacal laughter burst out of Video Max as Paul and Marko danced between the aisles, knocking shelves over and throwing movies at one another. A small smirk touched Dwayne's face briefly when he realized that they were going to embrace their normal idiocy in order to keep Max from going anywhere near Iona that night. Dwayne looked back at David. The older vampire nodded in acknowledgement of Dwayne's presence and jerked his head towards the Ferris wheel.

Dwayne moved through the crowd, past the spot where Iona usually danced at, and headed towards the towering wheel. Faith was leaning against the fence around the wheel, staring up at the colorful lights with a frown on her face. Laddie stood next to her with a large spool of cotton candy in his hands and coloring his lips bright blue.

"She's been on that ride all night," Faith commented when Dwayne moved to stand by her. "The guy running this thing tried to ask her to get off, but she paid him some money to let her keep riding it over and over again." The redhead glanced at Dwayne. "That exchange with the ride operator was the only words that she's said. Trust me; I've been listening for her and I got nothing to report."

Faith stepped back away from the fence and shoved her hands in the pockets of her black jacket. The lights of the Ferris wheel glittered in her grey eyes, filling them with a light that her vampirism had started to dim. She let out her breath in a small sigh and turned her back on the giant wheel.

"I'll leave you alone with her," Faith told him, holding her hand out to Laddie. "C'mon Laddie. David wants me and we need you to bother Max as much as you can." A wicked smile pulled at the redhead's lips. "You could smear your sticky hands everywhere in his shop. How about that?"

A smile touched the young vampire's lips and glee lit up his eyes. "Cool!"

Faith sent Dwayne a final glance before disappearing into the crowd with Laddie in tow. Dwayne looked back at the Ferris wheel and moved over to stand by the ride's operator.

"There's a girl on this ride by herself," Dwayne said, once he had gotten the man's attention. "Can you let me in on her spot when she comes back around?"

The operator looked at Dwayne and the toothpick between his teeth wiggled. "You her boyfriend, dude?"

"Yes."

The man shook his head. "That girl's got issues, man. She's cute, but she's got some issues." He flipped a switch and the wheel halted, allowing a couple riders to climb off and a couple more to climb on. "She should be on our level in a couple minutes."

Dwayne stepped back and looked at the wheel. The light breeze brought the scent of the gypsy to his nose and he took a deep breath, wanting to drown himself in the warm scent of her skin. The wait for her to reach the ground seemed to take an eternity, but she was soon within reach of him and the operator let him onto the ride.

"Hey," he said, taking a seat next to the gypsy dancer and closed them in on the ride.

OOOOOOOOO

Iona stared out at the distance as the ride shuddered to another stop. She had a duffle bag on her lap, containing everything that her grandmother had packed and saved from the fire. There were photo albums and some clothes. One beautiful blanket made by her grandmother wrapped around all of it, glittering with history and love. It was all that she had left of her family and that left an empty feeling in her chest.

She hardly glanced at Dwayne when he appeared at her side. He spoke to her, but she remained silent until the ride was in motion once more.

"My grandmother is dead," she whispered in a hollow voice, tightening her grip on the straps of the bag.

"I know," Dwayne said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry."

Iona closed her eyes. "She was threatened and attacked by a vampire," Iona continued. "She told me that she knew who had started the fire…that he'd come to her before and demanded that she give me to him. She told me his name and that she had fought with him for so many years, that my entire family had fought against him for years. Ever since my family crossed paths with him."

The gypsy dancer swallowed hard and looked at Dwayne. "It was your sire that killed my grandmother, Dwayne. Your sire took away the last member of my family. He took her away from me forever just because he wants someone to play house with him…How sick is that?"

Dwayne lowered his gaze and shook his head. "No one ever said that Max wasn't sick. And I know that you're probably ready to hate all of us vampires. I wouldn't blame you for wanting to get away from all of this."

Iona placed her hand on his knee. "I don't hate you, Dwayne. I hate Max and what he's done to me. He's taken away all the people that I love, except for you and I can't let him force me away from you."

The vampire looked at her in surprise. Iona leaned her head against his shoulder and let her breath out in another sigh. She closed her eyes against the world and tried to relax her body.

"I have no home now," she commented, keeping her eyes closed. "The house has been condemned and has to be torn down…I get the insurance money, but it's not going to be a lot."

"I could put you up in a motel," Dwayne offered, leaning his cheek against the top of her head. "We have the money to put you in one for as long as you need." He let out a small chuckle. "The other option would be you moving into the caves with us, but we don't have much to cater to many human needs."

Iona smiled. "I can stay at a motel then. Especially since I'm afraid that your brothers will try to pull something on me. Or try to catch me dressing or something." Her smile fell. "I want to be kept as far away from your sire as possible. If I see him, I'm going to completely lose it. I won't ever be his little woman. I love you. I loathe him."

"That's understandable." Dwayne reached around and poked the duffle bag that sat on Iona's lap. "Where'd that come from?"

The gypsy's gaze lowered to the black bag. "A neighbor dropped this off to me at the hospital before my grandmother passed away. She'd been given it hours before the fire happened and Grandmother Ruby told her to give it to me whenever she got the chance. It doesn't hold much, but there's plenty of history in there." Her eyes watered a little. "Grandmother thought about me and knew that she would be leaving me soon…And this, this is all that I have left of her. Some photos and some hand-me-down clothes that have been worn by family members for decades." A stray tear fell down the curve of her face. "How could so much history be compacted into just one little bag?"

Iona dissolved into tears and Dwayne pulled her into his arms. His hand rubbed her back, but he made no sound to comfort her. Her warm tears fell upon his naked flesh and her hands clutched at the fabric of his open jacket, pulling herself closer to him. Dwayne held her as she let all of her pain flow from her body, freeing herself from the emptiness that his sire had placed in her heart.

He will never win, Iona thought. Grandmother, I swear that he will never win after what he's done to you and our family. I swear it in God's name.

OOOOOOOOO

A/N: A very sad thing happened in this story and I ended it on a still sad note. Please forgive the short length, but that's all that came to mind at this point. Please leave a comment in the little review box and I'll try to respond promptly. Thanks again everyone! -Scarlet