Fan Fiction ❯ Kiss Me Hard ❯ Dawning Of The Truth ( Chapter 13 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Everyone had regrouped down in the Bar once more.
Cerebus and Darius took their spots at the counter with Nicole once more standing on the opposite side of them. Sarah and Lucious stood at the opposite end of the bar counter from the trio, and the two men who had accompanied Scott and Vincent to the banquet were merely sitting at a table, chatting casually amongst themselves.
Scott was no where to be found.
“We're lucky, I'll say that.” Cerebus grumbled simply as he put his beer bottle down and turned to Darius, Nicole simply leaned back against the mirrored wall that held the liquor bottles and watched them, her mind straying off to it's own wonders.
Darius looked down at his hands, which rested on the counter.
“Yes, indeed we are lucky.” He concluded after a few minutes, before turning to look at Cerebus.
“Why are you here?”
“I need to speak with your father.”
“About?”
You will know. In time.” Cerebus said simply, laying a hand on Darius' shoulder and squeezing it slightly, smiling.
Darius sighed, and looked back down at his hands. He shifted slightly on the stool.
“Seems like everyone is hiding something these days, doesn't it.” He mumbled to himself as he traced the wood veins of the counter top with the tip of his finger.
He looked back to Cerebus.
“I have a question.”
“Hm?”
“If my father actually died...Would I have died?”
Cerebus shrugged, leaning back slightly and sliding his arm onto the counter, watching Darius closely.
“It's rumored to happen. But I don't know if it actually has–I mean, hell, look at me and Vincent. We haven't seen our father for centuries. And we're still alive. For all we know, he might be dead.”
“And your still living.”
“Boy, we're already dead--”
“I know. You get what I mean.” Darius snapped briskly.
Cerebus fell silent, before nodding.
“I'm sitting right here, aren't I?”
Scott clambered down the stairs lazily. He was dressed once more in his vacation garb. A flowered exotic shirt with khaki pants practically screamed, “Slacker”.
He stretched and yawned upon reaching the bottom step.
After a moment, he looked at his uncle and Darius, then frowned.
“Jesus christ, you guys look like children who lost their lollipop in the playground. Cheer up. At least we're all alive.”
“Yes,” Sarah spoke up slowly, moving away from Lucious and moving towards Cerebus and Darius, while keeping her attention on Scott.
“We may still be alive, but our father tried to kill Joseph. Hell, for all we know, he succeeded. Scott. They are going to come after us. It's official. These slayers are at war with our family.”
“Oh Pfft. Get over it. The Slayers have been after us vampires for as long as I can remember.” Scott said simply, continuing to the counter and taking a seat next to his sister, whom narrowed her gaze on him.
“Your taking this a little too lightly, Scott.”
“What can they do to us?”
“A lot of things.”
“Hah. You should know, right? Have you ever done anything to a vampire?”
Sarah fell silent, before shaking her head, “No. I shot a few, but it was out of self defense. I merely worked inside the base. They labeled me as unfit for duty because of my blind eye.” She shrugged.
“Ah.” Scott said simply, blinking as he watched Sarah.
After a moment, he coughed lightly.
“Well, no point getting all stressed over this, right? I mean, they don't know where we are.”
“They can find out easily.” Sarah said simply, shrugging as she leaned back against the bar counter, and glanced over to Lucious.
“Luc worked in tracking. He can explain how it works, right Luc?”“It's easy.” Luc said with a shrug, turning his body towards the group.
“We scour the whole city. Check all the hot spots. Then look for evidence. If all fails, we search the woods. You guys are easier to find then you think. Especially because of your weaknesses.”
“Heh.” Scott muttered, looking at Luc, “Not our fault. Didn't choose to be like this.”
“Oh, of course not. But because of your weaknesses, we know where to look. Shaded places. Large buildings. Abandoned ones, at that. Hell, this address if probably listed as Abandoned.”
“True--”
“And...Well...Vampires have been known for simply not hiding at all.”
“True again.” Scott muttered, “Some of us think like hormonal teenagers. 10 feet high and bullet proof. Think we can take on anything. Hah. Thats a load of Bullshit. A single bullet hurts like hell. You guys and your fancy guns; shooting hundreds at once. Might as well riddle us like swiss cheese. I can just imagine what Father is going through.”
“Vincent is lucky though.” Darius spoke up, joining the conversation.
“You guys were using simple bullets. Ammunition you can get from any firearm store. I half expected you to try some of your new fancy shit. The kind that might as well just rip you apart.”
“Hah. Joseph definitely wasn't expecting it to get so far, to be honest.” Luc said with a shake of his head, “He honestly thought he had Vincent at the palm of his hand. Looks to show how small minded he is. Our last leader thought clearly about those things. Planned things ahead of time. Never convinced himself that his plans were foolproof. Joseph...Joseph was so full on his ego, he thought he had the perfect plan. Idiot. Don't know what was going through his head when he agreed to stand next to Vincent.”
Scott shrugged, “Humans are stupid.”
Sarah glared at Scott, “Hello?”
“You don't count.”“Oh?”
“Yeah, your definitely not human.” Scott said with a grin.
Sarah glared at her 'younger' brother, “Then what am I? Hm?”
“A sister.”
Sarah swatted him on the back of his head, but smiled a little. It felt good to see her family again.
She barely got to know her brother's before she ran. She wished she didn't, but she had no other choice.
Her father would've killed her.

Nicole smiled softly at the family affection, but the smile was short lived.
She looked down at her feet, till she felt someone watching her. Looking up, she noticed Darius watching her intently.
She smiled weakly, till he nodded towards his bedroom door. With a little hesitation, she nodded, and turned, walking to the door, and entering the roofed-in rose garden.
“We'll be right back.” She heard Darius call from the other room.
She stood next to one of the rose bushes that graced both sides of the path. She loved this room. It was like a dream.
Suddenly, she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders form behind, and a cheek press against her own. The skin was cold, but inviting in some alluring way.
The hand caressed her shoulder gently, brushing her long hair from the freckled skin, and rubbing in small circles over the exposed skin.
She sighed softly, and felt him smile.
“Whats on your mind?” Darius asked softly, the stubble on his face brushing against her cheek, causing a small shiver to course down her back.
She smiled again, but weakly. Inner turmoil was the hardest to admit to.
“Us.” She whispered, closing her eyes, “I heard you and Scott talking...I need to know, Darius...”
“I know.” He whispered. She was able to tell this subject made his mood fall. His demeanor changed slightly; his shoulders sagged, the smile faded, and the hand stopped it's massage, and merely gripped her shoulder gently.
“What should we do?”
Darius gently backed away from her, and moved beside her. He looked at the black roses.
“Enjoy our time together. For now.” He said with a half-hearted smile, “When the time comes, we'll deal with it. Alright?”
“Alright.” Nicole said weakly, not looking at him.
Darius looked at her, then took her hand, and led her to his bed.
Her sat her down on the edge gently.
“Close your eyes.” He whispered.
With a small nod, she did as he said. She closed her eyes. With his hands, he cupped her own, and turned them so the palm was up, and they were a cup.
He then backed up slowly.
“Keep them closed.” He whispered.
Nicole wanted to know what he was doing. She was tempted to open her eyes–but then she thought to herself silently. Did she really want to know?
After a moment, she felt something touch her hand gently. The texture of the object was smooth. The object itself was small.
“Open your eyes.” The ever so sweet voice of Darius whispered.
She opened her eyes, and smiled at the sight.
She turned to Darius, and raised a hand, cupping his cheek as he sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.
He pulled her head to his chest, and nestled his face into her hair. Then closed his eyes, breathing in the sweet smell of her hair.
“No matter what happens, Nicole.” He whispered softly, “Everything thats happened thus far...Everything has been like a dream. If I could dream, it would be of this. This moment. Right now. Right here. With you. And I would dream this dream every night. Nicole. No matter what happens. I will never forget you. Never.”
She let out a soft sigh, letting her body rest against him. Her one hand rested on his lap, her fingers tracing over the objects soft surface. The object he gave her was a symbol. It was their symbol. It was--

“Nicole.”

His voice was like a whisper on the wind now as she closed her eyes, letting herself succumb to her exhausten, and be embraced by his comforting hold on her.

“I love you.”

A rose.

In her hand, she held a black rose.