Abandoned in Egypt

[sky]

It had been almost two weeks since Darien had left Schuyler high and dry in Egypt with nothing but a small apartment and a tiny amount of money.

In those two weeks Schuyler had had a lot of time to think, to think about the things he'd lost and the things he'd gained.

He wasn't sure now if what he'd done had been worth it.

He'd ruined Darien's life, forced him to run from everything he had. He'd ruined his own life, forcing himself farther away from the very thing he'd changed to get closer to.

As a vampire he had gained immortality, beauty, strength. As a human he'd had love, possibilities, sunlight. Was it worth it? So far not really.

So as the weeks had passed by since the two of them had fled from Sevanni's wrath, Schuyler had thought about how much he missed Aubrey, how much he loved her, how he could get back to her without getting killed by Sevanni.

He'd also watched Darien fall into despair from being so far away from Sevanni, who Darien loved for some odd reason. Though Schuyler really had no room to talk, Aubrey could be just as bad as Sevanni in her own way.

Now all he could do was sit and wait. After Darien had left, Schuyler had decided that he was going to take Darien's idea, send a letter to his loved one and beg for forgiveness.

Apparently his letter was taking a much longer time to arrive than he'd anticipated.

He'd received no reply from Aubrey, no sign that she had even gotten the letter, let alone whether she planned to forgive him or not. It killed him.

Sitting and waiting for her was the worst part of this. At least when he'd been human he'd been able to be around her, he'd been able to see her, touch her, hold her occasionally. They'd gone out and had fun, he'd given her a break from the strain of her relationship with Sevanni.

Though he'd been hurting, just seeing the smile he could put on her face would make all that disappear.

Now he had nothing but empty walls and darkness.

He sat in the middle of the living room, staring at the spot where a tv probably would have gone. It was dark outside, blissfully free of sunlight. The moon was high and shone in through the open window, curtains billowing in the wind and casting shadows over his face.

Would she come? He didn't know, chances were she'd found someone else to fill her need. He wasn't the only one out there capable of playing the love-struck teenager role.

Did he want her to come? Oh yes, so very much that it almost hurt him. He wanted to be with her, not just be there for her but with her. To love her, and hold her. To give her everything she wanted and get the same in return.

He wanted her for himself.

But he wasn't sure if that was what she desired. And if it wasn't than he would return to his old role, just as long as he was near her, could put that smile on her face, see the happiness in her golden eyes. He would be happy with that.

If he had to.

[aubrey]

Desperation clung in the air like a smoldering blanket, all around her poverty sang it's bitter-sweet song and she loathed and despised the little rat that Sevanni kept on a chain named Darien even more with every step that was taken. He was unworthy, held in lower regards than even the mutts that were bound into slavery on her estates. A worthless and sniveling being that could not even properly take care of the vampire that he had created.

Dragging Schuyler to Egypt was one thing, abandoning him to remain in this tiny hovel was completely a different story. Had he been close enough to her Aubrey would rip his heart from his chest with her tiny hands alone and watch as his face lose luster as she crushed it inside of her palms.

Cold seethed rage burned through her as she ascended steps of the apartment, nose curled with disgust as the damp sickness inflamed her nostrils. It could have been worse, it could have been comparable to the first apartment that Schuyler shacked up in, neglecting the flat and things that she had provided for him. Sending him away from her had been the only way that she could maintain his safety, but Darien had directly abandoned him and that was an act that would forever remain unforgivable.

The unopened letter remained clutched in slender fingers, her heart sinking as she followed the scent of vanilla, missing the absence of the steady heart beat that sang out to her before. Paris had been his unveiling, her warm love turned cold, the still heart dull inside of his chest as she had pressed closely against him. Darien had stolen his humanity, taken something that could never again be acquired unless a desolate party chose to grant her one last use of the serum. Not for her of course, Aubrey could not go back to having a heart beat, she had tried and it was no longer suited for her.

Between Xavier and Sevanni, Aubrey had become somewhat of an emotional monster, Shaden being the only thing that kept what ties she had left to her humanity intact, but even he could be nearly ruined by her and as everything else had that light too soon lost it's luster. Sevanni and his serum had sealed the deal, the addition of the black liquid flowing through his veins had completed her transformation and together they had created something cold, heartless, and frightening. Ice may melt, but when the last of it fell away it would reveal nothing but a hollow shell where her heart should have been.

They regretted it now, but Aubrey had accepted what she was-what they blossomed her into becoming. Let them deal with their own repercussions.

Finally, silent steps lead her into a main room, curtains billowing with the wind that blew softly with the breeze that snaked through, her lovely Schuyler silhouetted by light cast from the moon staring blankly at nothing. he had been her brightest star when all other light had faded, after months upon months of searching he had finally contacted her, a letter unread, a scent followed.

"How many nights have you sat there alone, love?"

[sky]

Her smell pervaded the air long before he heard her steps and he wanted to cry out for joy. To jump up and run to her. But he wasn't sure how she would greet him, how she would react to seeing him again after so long. How she would look at him.

Her voice was heaven on earth, reaching out from the darkness to caress him. How long have you sat there alone, love? Love, just a simple term of acknowledgment or was it something more. He'd never known.

"Too many to count, or at least that's what it feels like. It's been two weeks since Darien left, he went to go beg for Sevanni's forgiveness." That stupid Sevanni had taken so many things from Schuyler, first Aubrey, and then his friend Darien as well. He'd hoped that Darien would stay with him, even if Aubrey couldn't.

But he'd seen the hatred that had begun to grow in Darien's eyes whenever he thought Schuyler wasn't paying attention. Darien had wanted back his old life, he'd been willing to go through one of Sevanni's classic punishments in order to get it back.

Schuyler climbed slowly to his feet and turned to look at her, gasping at the beauty of her that his memories could never quite do justice to. His beautiful icy goddess, he took a step forward involuntarily just looking at her and reached out a hand to touch her.

"Aubrey." He whispered softly, such a tone of longing in his voice. How many nights had he lain awake as a human, wishing for this moment, the moment when he could stand looking at Aubrey without the humanity of him separating them? And yet, he'd had that moment in Paris and it had been filled with anger on her part. She'd hated his transformation, hated his loss of humanity.

Schuyler had loved it, being human had brought him nothing but pain.

They could be together now, if she willed it. They were finally the same species, they had an infinite future in front of them. But he wondered if she wanted to spend it with him, or if she'd found someone else. Replaced him with another human toy who could still give her the warmth she desired. The heartbeat she'd so seemed to treasure on him.

He spoke louder now. "Hello Aubrey, my love. I see you got my letter." He could also see she hadn't read it. "Why did you leave it unopened?"