(A/N): Hey Guys! So, the start of this chapter is really what Eleo is about. She takes his mind off everything bad about his life- makes him happy, almost to the point of making himself believe that his life isn't all that bad- but the second he leaves her side, he's forced back into reality.

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.

Leo

As soon as I left Elaine's presence, it all came flooding back.

The fact that my father was dead, the fact that my sister had been waiting on me to come home all night, the fact that I had just been fooling around with girl I'm in love with, while I should be planning a funeral.

I paused in my run, leaning heavily against a tree for a minute.

I was screwed.

Without my dad around, not only could my mother go to the ministry to get Mia back- hell, because she still had custody, she could get me back as well.

And if she got me back... I had no delusions about the fact I would be dead within the week.

Also, not only was my father dead, but we were now one more vampire short.

How would the twins be reacting to Mia and her full-humanness?

Would Shari ever be able to get over my father's death? I mean, jokes about their relationship aside, they really did love each other. If not romantically then at least platonically, and there was no way that, after knowing each other for decades, she would be alright again quickly if at all.

As I reached up to brush the hair from my face, I felt it wet with tears.

Shaking my head, I went to take a step, but my legs gave out underneath me and I landed roughly on my knees.

I took in a shuddering breath, releasing a low keen as I fisted my fingers in the short tufts of grass that poked up from between the pine needles.

Would Elaine be okay without the protection of the vampires while we buried my father and regrouped?

And, most of all, what was it that Jonothan and the rest of the vampire population wanted with me?

As my body shook, my stomach spilt its contents across the ground, what little there was, and I staggered backwards in an attempt to get away from the sight of my own vomit attempting to soak into the dirt, dragging a clothed arm across my mouth.

My throat burned, but after so long of hungering for prey and fresh blood, I was almost used to the acute burning in the back of my throat- though the taste of bile was relatively new to me.

I took a second, my whole body practically convulsing as I leaned shoulder-first against the trunk of a tree, tears and snot streaming down my face in a way that made me furious at myself.

My father was dead.

I had to look after my family now, no matter how misshapen and dysfunctional it was, and I shouldn't have been crying.

I should have been back at the estate, now mine by default, protecting them, helping them through this.

Instead, I was avoiding all that responsibility, curling up into a bawling mess in the middle of some forest.

Weak.

Tired.

But with a fire in my belly that was fueled by the very thing that scared me the most- rage. Pure, unadulterated, dangerous and murderous rage.

And the next time Jonothan Ellwood and I met, it would be the last time.

(A/N): So, what did you think?

I figure that, despite his tough exterior, Leo is one of those people who gets relatively terrified when people yell at him. And, having been abused physically, verbally and mentally by his mother, he would probably fester a hatred for the rage she has burning under her frosty exterior.

Please review and/or check out my other stories!

This chapter has had minor small edits made to it on 31/12/22 - Because I originally said that my vampires couldn't cry, and I've since realised that is a dumb design choice, so I decided to change it.