Memory come to life

[Ali Ambrose]

Ali listened to the rain pound down on the roof of the little bar she was in. Leaning on the counter she sighed and shook her head. Sure she loved the rain, but it had been raining for a few days straight now and even a vampire could get sick of the amount of rain that was flooding the streets. Most people stayed home and just warmed up by their fires. The only ones that really got out and about were the vampires that could finally walk around in the daylight without the risk of being burned alive. She herself would have taken good advantage of this good weather, but she decided to get some work in and earn a bit more money.

Her boss had been surprised to see her come in this morning. Normally she worked at nights and since the bar got more busy on night hours, he never complained. When she walked in this morning the place had been all but dead. The rain was killing business. Grudgingly he allowed her to work and she had been here ever since. Which made the total a good six hours of work already. And the business hadnt picked up at all. Who would want to trudge out into this downpour just to get a drink? No sane person would. There was only one other person in the bar besides herself and glancing at the man she noticed he had finished his drink and was now shrugging his coat back on.

He left the money for his drink and her tip on the counter and then with a small nod in her direction he left through the doors and went outside. Lifting herself up from her slouched position she wiped off the counter and grabbed the money, putting away the amount for the drink and keeping the tip. The bar was extremely quiet and she felt alone as she looked at the empty chairs and the empty bar. The bottle of alcoholic drinks were still almost all the way full and on a regular basis the bottles would be empty. Sighing she tossed down the wet rag she had been using and then hopped over the bar gracefully and went over to the corner where there was a baby grand piano.

Dont ask her how it got there. When the boss had hired her he told her his wife used to love to play and that when she died he had just decided to bring it here. Which of course was fine by her. Playing piano was a favorite past time for her. Her parents had taught her when she was younger and she had never lost that love of music in her. Sitting down on the bench that was in front of the piano she let her pale fingertips graze over the ivory keys that were smooth to the touch. The boss had kept the piano in good shape. Closing her eyes she started to play her favorite piano song and let the notes drift out into the open spaces of the bar. The sweet melody filled the bar with a gorgeous sound and it made her feel less lonely.

Her father had been the one to mostly teach her about the love of music and her mother had been the one to teach her the piano. Their parents tried to teach both her and her sister Katra about music, but the lesson never really stuck with her older sister. While on the other hand, Ali had glomped on to it desperately like it was a lifeline. And little did she know that in later years of her life music would be one of the things to keep her sane when there was no one for her in the world. She loved it when ever her husband Victor played guitar while she played piano. He had a gorgeous voice and they would sing together on occasion. When she reached the main melody she started to sing softly, knowing there was no one in the bar that could hear her since she was alone. And that was fine by her. She wasnt singing for an audience she was singing for herself.

[*Desmond Everard]

[atrb=width,397,true][atrb=border,0,false][cs=0][bg=000000] Desmond had just arrived in town the night before and was greeted in the morning by a down pour of rain. Isn’t it good luck when it rains the day you arrive in a new place? He had always heard that rain symbolized the washing away of the old and a bringing in of the new but he wasn’t entirely sure of its validity. Either way he was glad it was raining because it gave him a chance to get a feel for the town without becoming barbecue. He pulled his jacket tighter about him as he walked through the streets of England. It was good to be home. He hadn’t been back to his native country in decades and his troubles already seemed to be washed away along with memories of his chaotic past as the rain purged him of it all. He had been through a lot the past couple weeks between being attacked by a pack of wolves and planning a run away with Codie back here to England. She hadn’t arrived yet and he was beginning to wonder if something had happened to her. Bad things always seemed to happen to people he loved and he couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to Codie. He pushed the thought from his mind and back to the pleasance of the town. It felt good to not have to worry for once. It was liberating to be free of his past. For once he finally had a chance to shrug and stretch his back at the burdens that were previously placed upon his shoulders. The wind tossled Desmond's hair about as he breathed in the clean air. Something about a rainy day always brought a sense of calm over him. The sound of the raindrops beating rhythmically upon the street played like music to Desmond's ears. He couldn't help but chuckle at a thought. It took death for me to better appreciate life. How ironic. Afterlife had improved his senses, thus making life more enjoyable. As he slowed to a halt in front of a quaint looking bar he heard a piano playing beautifully and couldn’t resist stepping in to give a proper listen to whoever this talented pianist was. The bar was empty except for a young girl sitting at a large grand piano. He couldn’t see her face from where he was standing but he was guessing she was in her late teens. He was mesmerized by her ability to play so well for being so young and even more intrigued as her beautiful voice accompanied her playing. He didn’t recognize the song but he silently enjoyed it none the less. Every note was played crisply and her voice was so sweet and young. As the song came to an end Desmond couldn’t refrain from clapping. However, it came with one of his typical sarcastic remarks. “Well this is great…………..you got the entertainment thing going. Now all you need is a bartender, booze, and…………..customers.” He nodded at the empty bar stools as he said ‘customers’ to make it clear what he was talking about. The word count is 554 and Des is wearing this oh yea, and goodbye. [img*]TEXT IMAGE HERE

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[Ali Ambrose]

When you couldnt even tell someone else had entered the bar you were working at, that was a sign that you werent paying attention. When you couldnt hear someone enter and you were a vampire, that meant you werent paying attention and you were lost in your own world. This was the case with Ali. On a regular basis she could easily hear anything about a mile away. And she had a very good sense of smell. But playing the piano and getting in touch with music had always made her drift into a new world. A world of her own where there was no pain and sorrow and nothing to worry about. For her life had always been one of getting something joyful and then having it taken away. Or having something awful follow right after it.

Currently, her life had been very uneventful. Something that was not heard of for her. There was always something going on. She was always needed for something or was doing something. The war that erupted a few years ago had made her widely known in the vampire and werewolf world. As well as of course, the bad publicity from the one person in the world who she couldnt stand. Sevanni Black. But even he had been uncharacteristically quiet. More then likely trying to find a loophole through the contract between her husband and him. It was truly amazing that the contract hadnt come back to bite her in the ass yet. She had found one loophole in the contract that Sev could claim. But of course, she would never tell HIM that.

The contract had been a bad and a good experience in her life. It was bad because it was a deal with the devil. It was good because it changed her husband from werewolf to vampire. She would never have to worry about her husband dying from old age while she forever remained fifteen years old in looks but would get older every year and never die for the rest of eternity. She owed Sevanni that one. But in a way, it made up for all the trouble he had caused in her life. Almost every little bad thing could be tied to him. Except of course when Hyde attacked her family and changed her at the age of fifteen. His excuse had been that she would be the perfect immortal. How wrong he had been. She wasnt perfect and she didnt like being a vampire.

When the tune came to and end though, her awareness came back and she immediately smelt the new comer in the bar and could hear his gentle breathing and the tiny drops of water falling from him to the floor. She would need to mop that up. And without looking at him she could smell he was a vampire. Vampires had that unique little twist to them. A mix of ice and death in her opinion. Sometimes when someone had been a vampire for a long time the death and ice smell was even stronger and could burn her nose. This vampire had been one for a bit, but he wasnt the oldest she had ever met. He clapped his hands and she let her own dainty fingers hover the keys of the piano, chuckling slightly at his words after the clap. Sarcasm was laced heavily in those few lines but she could handle sarcasm. And it wasnt like the words didnt ring true.

Turning around in the seat on the bench she smiled and laughed. "How about two out of three?" She asked him and then stood up going back over to the bar and hopping over to her side. Yes there was a little swing door on the far left that she could use, but that was no fun. And the fifteen year old in her refused to be normal like that. Even though she looked fifteen and acted fifteen she was in her middle twenties and only her eyes showed her real age and what all she had been through. With her parents death, the orphanage, being changed, the war and Sevanni Blacks constant trouble. "Im the bar tender. We have the booze." She said and pointed to the very full bottles. "Now all we need is the customers. Maybe you can help check off lucky item number three?" She told him, leaning on the counter with a charming smile and a little chuckle that lit up her face.

She looked pleased and happy on the outside but inside she was confused. Getting a closer look at this man made images flash through her mind at rapid speeds. She was six years old again, and lost and alone. She didnt know where she was and she didnt know who she was. But a kind man found her and helped protect her. Before she could get a good grasp on it though it vanished beneath her and she could have swore. This man was very familiar but she didnt know from where. And it was going to bug her until she found out where in her life he fit. Because those images had been a memory of hers. From when she was little and from after Hyde had dropped her there. Had he worked at the orphanage? No...that wasnt it. Had he been in Montana after the family adopted her? No..that wasnt it either. No matter how hard she tried, she couldnt think of it.

But she kept a smile on her beautiful face and then picked up a bottle and shook it slightly. "So you want anything? Hmm? I promise its good. And you arent going to deny a cute girl like me are you?" She teased and put on a pout for a few seconds before chuckling again. Placing the bottle on the counter she leaned against one of the pillars there and tilted her head, crossing her arms across her chest. "So you new in town? I dont think I have ever seen you around before." Most people she knew the scent to. But his was familiar and yet at the same time, not. He hadnt been around recently. Thats for sure. Her own scent however, that smelt of wild flowers would be all over the place. As well as her cousin Roses. For some strange reason, her whole family line had a history of smelling like flowers. Her sister who was a werewolf smelt like Lilac. It was odd, but it made her know when her family was around.

"Are you enjoying the rain?" She asked after he answered the first question. Most vampires did enjoy the rain, but you never knew. It was always nice to ask. Plus, she hadnt had very many people to talk to today. It was time for some small talk and some company to brighten her lonely day.

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Word Count: 1148
Tag: Desmond
Notes: Now that is so much better. I knew I could write like I normally do! Hope you like it.

[*Desmond Everard]

[atrb=width,397,true][atrb=border,0,false][cs=0][bg=000000] When the young girl didn’t startle at his unannounced clapping Desmond was a little taken aback. He was banking on getting at least a shred of surprise out of her yet all he got was a slight chuckle. This gal has nerves of steel he thought to himself as the little Beethoven turned swiftly in her seat before speaking. She spoke confidently for a girl that looked no older than 17 and she did so with a melodic voice that made Desmond question if she was still singing or not. She responded well to Desmond’s sarcasm. The usual response to anything he said was either rolling eyes or gritted teeth. The fact that she responded with neither was both pleasant and intimidating. There was something different about this girl but Desmond couldn’t place his finger on it. Had he been around more of his kind he would’ve recognized the very distinguished smell of icy death that rolled off of her in waves. However, Desmond had only encountered one other vampire since he was changed and it was while in a room with a bleeding human so he wasn’t exactly taking scent samples at the moment. His suspicion was even more aroused as she nonchalantly leaped gracefully over the counter, landing on the other side as softly as the last leaf of a maple tree in the fall. He chuckled heartily as the little gal said SHE was the bartender until of course he realized he was the only one laughing and that she wasn’t messing around. “You’re serious? I was surprised as it was that they let you even NEAR the bar after happy hour and now you tell me you pour the booze!” Desmond shook his head in disbelief at this. It was England however and the drinking age was practically an open invitation for all ages here so he shrugged and didn’t push it any farther than that. Desmond eloquently slid onto a bar stool before folding his arms atop the smooth wooden bar. As the girl leaned on the counter and flashed him a smile Desmond got his first good luck at her face. He was shocked to find that he knew this young girl! He instantly recognized who she was after racing through his memories back to when he was still in France. Desmond never forgot a face……….especially when it was the face of a screaming child in danger. So much for the rain washing away my past he mused to himself before reliving his past through his memories. He had saved her numerous times as she lived alone as an orphan. She was so young and fragile and he remembered feeling so conflicted about being around her because of what he was. He had previously killed a woman when the thirst was too great to resist and he didn’t want that to ever happen to something as innocent as that young girl. It felt like penance to help her but in the end he had to leave. He had too many questions that had yet to be answered and everyday around her reminded him of the monster he was. So he disappeared into the night and never saw her again……………until now. Yet, that was nearly a decade ago and the girl in front of him now looked much too young. He did the math in his head and she should of been somewhere in her twenties........He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion at the thought. He was brought back to the present as she spoke and he tried in vain to hide the look of surprise from his face. He got out a reply but it lacked the enthusiasm and sarcastic tone his words usually held due to his startling revelation. “Indeed I will. 3 out of 3. This place is officially hopping now.” As he studied her face again he was sure this was the same girl he had saved all those years ago………..but something was much different about her now but he couldn’t quite place it. Desmond questioned whether or not to tell her where they knew each other from but held his tongue. The girl didn’t seem to recognize him anyway so it was better to not reincarnate the past. He smiled as she offered him a drink and couldn’t resist the pout so he gave in and decided to order something. “Of course I’ll have a drink. It’s practically a sin to walk into a bar and not have one right? Pour me a glass of whatever you think is best…………surprise me.” Desmond flashed a wide grin when she had mentioned she hadn’t seen him around before. Sure about that sweet thing? he thought jokingly to himself. “As a matter of fact I am. I just got in last night. Is it that obvious? I tried to avoid the whole tourist attire….How about you? How long have you been serenading empty bars?” Desmond couldn’t get over the fact that he was standing face to face with his past. It would be nice to go to a town where his past didn’t greet him at. He was glad to know she was safe after all this time though. Many times since he had left her she would cross his mind and he would feel guilty for leaving her alone. Her face haunted him many nights as he pictured her screaming to him for help but he was nowhere around. A wave of guilt came over him as he looked into her eyes as she leaned against the pillar. He wanted to apologize to her for leaving and to try and explain but he couldn’t find the words. She kept the silence from lingering as she asked yet another question about the rain. “I am enjoying it. You gotta love a rainy day.” Usually there would have been a very sarcastically suave response but his mind was too preoccupied with trying to properly tell her who he was. It wasn’t exactly easy to tell a teenage girl that you were a bloodsucking vampire that use to watch over her but then ditched her because you had a sweet tooth for her blood. The word count is 1,091 and Des is wearing this oh yea, and goodbye. [img*]TEXT IMAGE HERE

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[Ali Ambrose]

Watching his reactions she was amused to find that he seemed a bit surprised at her own reaction. The surprise was mostly in his eyes but she could see it in his face as well. It was more then likely on the fact that he was sarcastic. Most people didnt have patience for sarcasm and would respond in a negative way. And any normal human would have jumped when they heard him clapping. But then again, she wasnt human was she? And she had the patience of an angel. Nothing got on her nerves unless you ticked her off. And that was a very hard thing to do. Ali was a very bubbly girl with a sunny personality. She blamed this on the fact that she had been changed at fifteen.

Her little jump over the counter probably didnt help either. But it never crossed her mind that he wouldnt know she was a vampire. She herself had known about them ever since she was little. In different little ways she had always known about them. The night her parents died was just the starting block and things had fallen into place from there. Something about her family must attract the supernatural. Her cousin was a vampire and her sister was a werewolf in this world full of things that go bump in the night. So she automatically assumed he knew what she was. She raised an eyebrow at him in curiosity and amusement when he started to laugh at the fact she said she was the bartender. It must look funny to him since he didnt know her real age. Lots of times it was hard to tell exactly how old a vampire was.

He stopped laughing though and she laughed as well. To him she must look about 17 years old. If not younger. It would be a surprise to see she was the tender here at the bar. "Yes I know I look young. But that kinda comes with the territory. Ya know?" She said, assuming he would know she meant being a vampire. "I look about 17 to most people. But im actually 24." She told him and chuckled once more, shrugging her shoulder delicately, and keeping the smile on her face even though she was still pondering over where she knew this man from. He was so familiar and she knew the memory would come to her eventually. Or she could ask him after all. Suddenly though his calm expression changed to that of surprise and when he tried to hide it, he didnt do a very good job at it. She could still clearly see his surprise. But she didnt ask and just watched him with her dark chocolate brown eyes.

She was intrigued by him though and smiled as he told her to get him a drink and surprise him with it. His tone was different though and she wondered what was going through his mind at the current point in time. But she tapped her fingertip on her lips slightly and then beamed as she figured out what drink she would give him. Grabbing a bottle and another bottle on the side she mixed the drinks together quickly and then poured it in a glass and handed it to him. "Try it. Its pretty good. One of my favorite drinks." She told him and then cleaned up the shaker she had used. Glancing back at him she smiled. "As for your earlier comment, this place normally is pretty busy once it starts to get dark. But the rain has discouraged people. Its been pouring non-stop. Its no fun to trudge around in the rain." She said and smiled once again. She smiled so much on a regular basis that people always wondered if she slept with a hanger in her mouth.

He smiled at her and he seemed to be thinking on something and it made her curious. She was almost positive now that she knew him from somewhere. From when she was younger. Maybe during the time in Vegas that she had spent there. But there was so many possibilities that she didnt even want to begin to list them. He had to fit in there somewhere. His words made her tilt her head and look at him with humor. Tourists clothing? She chuckled slightly and then nodded. "You did a good job at avoiding the tourist clothing. I would say you probably lived here at one point or another. But not while I was here. Your scent is no where else around here and so either you live in a very different part of England, or you are new to the area. I was just assuming the second. Now I see I was right."

With a soft sigh she chewed on her lower lip. "Well...serenading EMPTY bars...not so much. But I have been performing at different places since I was fifteen. Helped keep my mind focused when I was a bit....hungry." She paused and glanced at him. "If you get my drift. I was very new to all of this and I had no one to help me. So I had to deal with it in my own way. Very difficult...but I can handle the hunger now." She told him and then stood back up instead of leaning against the pillar. But she folded her arms once again across her chest and watched him. "You know....You look so familiar. I cant place it. But I know you from somewhere. I could swear I know you from somewhere. But then again, my memory isnt all that good. Memories keep popping up every now and then. I got amnesia when I was six years old..Just now starting to get some memories back. So please forgive me if Im wrong."

She said those words but deep down in her gut she knew she wasnt wrong and she was going to get the answers to this very confusing puzzle. If he knew her, he could explain where they had met and how they knew each other. It was that simple and then she could let her mind rest at ease. If he said they didnt know each other she would drop the subject but still secretly ponder on it without mentioning it again. Flashes of memories kept coming back to her. A scream for help, a gentle and kind person helping her and then suddenly being all alone again. But that didnt make any sense. She had always been alone in her life. Why would she feel alone suddenly? Wouldnt she have been alone to start with? This was just getting more confusing by the second.

[*Desmond Everard]

[atrb=width,397,true][atrb=border,0,false][cs=0][bg=000000] Desmond raised an eyebrow inquisitively as the girl made a comment about only looking 17 but actually being 24. She couldn’t possibly be a vampire….. could she? He shook the thought from his head and hoped she meant it as she was more mature for her age and ACTED as if she was 24. He feigned a laugh with her but couldn’t shake the new found suspicion that his little friend was now a vampire. He didn’t want to believe that a vampire just like him had taken the fragility of life from her and replaced it with this cold and monstrous purgatory of afterlife. He never would wish death on anyone, especially when it was an eternity of living as the dead……….especially when it was becoming death itself. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind as she mixed and poured him a drink. The smell of alcohol filled the air as well as a hint of a more fruity smell………..Is that Pineapples? Or maybe star fruit? Something tropical for sure. He took a quick sip of whatever it was and nodded approvingly. “Well, you sure know how to whip up a drink kid. What’s in it?” He sipped on her special concoction as he watched a series of smiles play across the girls face before she blamed the empty bar on the rain. It was true, most people avoided the rain as if it would suddenly melt them like that crazy witch from The Wizard of Oz. Desmond never minded the rain though, even during his human years he would often go for long walks along the beach and listen to the raindrops as they fell upon the sea, playing a duet with the sound of the rolling waves. Desmond’s suspicion of the girl being a vampire was raised again as she regarded his scent and knew that England was his hometown. He was almost positive she was a vamp now but he wouldn’t let himself accept it. He looked for any shred of possibility that he was reading into things and that she was just a normal little human like everyone else. I have a slight accent…….that must be how she knew I was from around England and the scent comment must be some local slang he half convinced himself. Desmond was so involved in his thoughts he almost forgot to reply to the young gal. “oh, uhm, yea. I was born in raised in York, England. It’s not too far from here actually.” He smiled his crooked smile until she made yet another comment that made it absolutely pristine clear that his little friend was now a bloodsucking monster just like he was. As she spoke of the hunger Desmond almost choked on his booze while he was taking a sip. There was no side stepping that one. She was a vampire without a question. Every vampire knew about the burden of the hunger and how it could consume one’s every thought. They were puppets to it and self restraint was the only defense against it. Desmond himself had not learned to control the thirst very well and almost killed a young man while in Seattle. He looked up at the girl, now knowing what she was without a doubt. It was obvious with her milky white skin, exceptional beauty, and swan like grace that she was a bloodsucker like himself. A wave of guilt struck him like a train to the gut as he looked upon her innocent face. A face he knew would have writhed in agony as her soul burned away and left this immortal shell of death behind. It was his fault that she had to become this. He could have stopped it all had he stayed beside her and protected her as he did all those years before. He had abandoned her too protect her from becoming what he was. He had made that choice so she could hold onto the innocence of life and now, all these years later he discovers that he made the wrong choice. That in fact it was his choice that eternally bound her to death. She had asked if she recognized him and Desmond couldn’t answer. He looked down at his glass as he was consumed by memories and images of the young girl when she was still a human. She was so alive and full of life, a life that because of him was now burned away along with death. He bit his lip and pulled his eyebrows together as he tried to find words to say but he couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He didn’t deserve to look at her let alone speak with her after what he had taken from her. He was at a loss for words for the first time he could remember. He let out a sigh before he set his glass aside and got up from the bar stool…….being sure to avoid any eye contact. “Thanks for the drink Ali. Take care.” Desmond turned for the door eager to step back into the rain though he was pretty sure even the rain couldn’t wash this memory away. The word count is 911 and Des is wearing this oh yea, and goodbye. [img*]TEXT IMAGE HERE

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[Ali Ambrose]

Just by looking at him she could tell he didnt believe her that she was actually 24. Her face was that of a fifteen year olds. Taken right before her prime. The time she could be a true teenager and then grow to be an adult. Right before she was really into high school and made more friends. Met boys and learned the secrets of life. But ever since she was little, she had been marked to not have a regular life. Nothing from the start had been right. Everything just fell apart for her when she turned six and the vampire came to attack her family. She could still see her sister Katra running back in to the living room telling her to run.

Shaking that image away she watched him take a sip of the drink she had made and grinned. He seemed to enjoy it, but of course you could never tell with people. Normally she was good at reading people but there were times where she was way off her mark or way off the prediction she had made. So she could think he liked it when in reality he hated the drink with a burning passion. He pulled away from it though and told her it was good and then asked her what was in it. Her face lit up and she gave him a cheeky grin. "Now now. I cant tell you all my secrets. If I told you what was in it, then you would know how to make it yourself and there would be no reason for you to come back to request the drink." She told him and chuckled.

The funny part was she had done this many times with customers here at the bar. She would make them a drink and then not tell them what was in it. Since they were too nervous to try and test it out until they got the right mix, they would come back and ask for her to make it. Her boss loved her because she had increased business for them. He wasnt sure though if it was because of her drinks or because of her looks. Even if she did look young, people couldnt resist looking at a pretty face and that was the hard and sad facts of life. Becoming a vampire only amplified that beauty. She had been pretty before but now everything was flawless about her. Tiny waist, milky skin, deep brown eyes, bright smile and a bubbly personality. Everything a perfect killer needed to lure in their prey. It made her sick sometimes.

A strange look came across his face after she had asked him if he was new around here and told him she could tell he was from around here. It would seem he didnt understand her very well and that he was trying to convince himself of something. A battle he was loosing by the looks of it. But she smiled at his words and nodded. "Ah. I havent actually visited there myself yet. Mostly stayed around here in London with my husband." She told him and then shrugged. "Originally Im from Paris. Took forever to learn to hide the accent so people would think I was American since I was dropped off there in Vegas after an.....accident......with my family. I got so much crap over it after I was caught and thrown into an orphanage. Gods they hated me there." She said and leaned her elbows on the counter once more, tilting her head and placing her chin in her hand.

When his mood suddenly changed she could feel it. It rolled off of him like a wave crashing over your head when you get thrown off of a surf board. It was obvious something was wrong and she didnt know whether to ask him what was wrong or if it had been her question if they knew each other had offended him in some way or form. She sure hoped she hadnt offended him. He was nice and she was enjoying his company. And of course there was the tricky little fact that she couldnt figure out from what part of her history he was from. If at all. But he got up, not looking at her, avoiding eye contact all together and her worry snapped up even higher. She pulled away from the counter, opening her mouth to speak when he said her name and thanked her for the drink. She hadnt ever told him her name during this whole conversation. So that little word gave her all the knowledge she needed. He knew her.

Jumping over the counter, forgetting her charade to remain looking human she caught him by the arm right before he went back out into the rain. "Wait!!" She said and looked up at his face. And then it slid back into place like a film reel. She was instantly taken back to when she was six years old again.....
~~~~~~~~~

"Help!" She yelped and ran as fast as she could away from the big bullies that were after her. She didnt know too much english by this point in time but she was learning and she knew that word. Her legs were aching and she could barely breathe. They had been chasing her for the past five blocks. And she was starting to get tired. Turning a corner she ran into a tall man. He was very pale and had a kind face. She didnt know him but he was her only hope. "Help!! Please!" She had told him, her voice heavily accented with her French heritage. When the boys had drawn closer she darted behind the man and grasped his pants legs in her tiny hands in fright. She was shaking from the top of her head to her toes. To her relief the man helped her. And he had remained by her side for a long time. Until one night he had disappeared into the night and never saw him again. The very next night...she had been caught and thrown into an orphanage.
~~~~~~~~~~~

Ali's eyes widened as she remembered who he was now. He had been the one to help her in Vegas when she had been lost and alone. Frightened. He had comforted her and protected her. She had been grateful for his help. And then he left and her world crashed. The orphanage had been horrible. They hated her there and she would take the blame for things that she hadnt done. "Desmond....." She whispered in response and didnt know what to say.

[*Desmond Everard]

[atrb=width,397,true][atrb=border,0,false][cs=0][bg=000000] Desmond chuckled when Ali refused to share her secret recipe with him though he was sure by the taste he could guess at its ingredients. All it would take was a few tries to get the measurements exact and he was sure he’d be able to whip up the same drink himself. He didn’t want to rain on her parade though so he smiled and replied with a signature Desmond remark. “I knew magicians weren’t supposed to reveal their tricks but I didn’t know bartenders lived by the same code.” He chuckled at his own joke as he usually did………most of the time alone. His sarcastic humor was often misinterpreted as being rude or confrontational so he was seldom joined in laughing at his jokes. Ali began speaking about her past………….a past he already knew much about……..a past he had been a part of. She spoke of the orphanage and how miserable she was there and it grieved him to know it was all because of him. Had he simply stayed and watched over her then she never would have gone through any of this. It was too much for him to know what she had become because of his lack of protection and he needed to get away and clear his head. He left rather abruptly, carelessly speaking her name as he did so. It was the same name that had for years plagued him with grief. He never forgot her name even after all these year. How could he? He faded off into a memory and was once again back to that day where he had met Ali. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The young girl clung to his leg in terror as a group of wet nosed brats glared menacingly at her. The bigger of the boys spoke first and by the way the others stood a few paces behind him Desmond knew he was the leader of the bunch. “Move aside! It’s none of your business; we just wanna have a little talksie with the girl mate.” The boy was carrying a large stick which he was softly hitting against the palm of his hand as he glared hatefully at the young girl who was still holding on to Desmond’s pant leg like a frightened cat. Desmond looked down at the terrified gal just as she looked up pleadingly at him to help her. He stared impassively at the kid, daring him to try harming the girl. “Well Tanto, generally conversations don’t include carrying giant beating sticks around here. You want to do the whole talking stick thing then put some feathers in your hair, show me a nice little rain dance, and then maybe I’ll buy it. Now scram kid…….and don’t let me catch you bothering this girl again.” The boy wasn’t too pleased and it was evident that he still wanted to harm the girl by the way he stared hatefully at her but the look in Desmond’s eyes were far more intimidating so they slowly turned and walked the opposite direction. “Thank you” she whispered to him before finally letting go of his pant leg. She had a very thick accent but it was charming to Desmond. “I’m Desmond. Are you alright?” He spoke slower than usual not knowing the extent of her English. She had said her name was Ali and from then on he was somewhat of a guardian too her…………until he had left. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He was brought back to the present as a rush of air hit him gently followed by the sound of shoes lightly tapping against the wooden floors. He then he felt her grab his arm to restrict him from leaving before she shouted for him to wait. Her grip was surprisingly firm for such a young looking girl but she was a vampire after all. Desmond’s body tensed as she studied his face trying to figure out where she knew him from but then her eyes clouded over as if she was off in another place, perhaps a memory of her own. Does she remember me?[/] He knew it was only a matter of time before she recognized him and then how would he bring himself to be able to explain himself. Then she seemed to come back from wherever her mind had wandered as her eyes refocused and then suddenly grew wide as she looked up at him. Oh boy, here we go Desmond thought to himself right before she whispered his name. Bingo. We have a winner. He turned to face her but couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eyes for very long. “Hello Ali. It’s been awhile kid.” Desmond made his way back to the bar and hopped effortlessly over to the other side. “Alright, I’ll show you how a real drink’s made” he said as he pulled two hurricane glasses from the rack and set them on the bar before grabbing a few different bottles, making sure to flourishingly spin the bottles as he did so, and began mixing up a perfect cocktail. "You and I have some catching up to do." The word count is 887 and Des is wearing this oh yea, and goodbye. [img*]TEXT IMAGE HERE

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[Ali Ambrose]

Magic tricks. There had been so many "magic tricks" in her life that she couldnt count them anymore. Where she disappeared or someone else disappeared or someone she cared about disappeared and she never saw them again. Such as her first love who had been a werewolf. They had met right before the huge war that went on and during this war she had found out that Landon was a werewolf and that he was the co-leader for a pack of werewolves. Adam was the leader and she had eventually made friends with him too. Both of those two were now gone from her life, just vanished into thin air and she had no clue if they were fine or not. If they had been killed or just ran away from the world. She had been able to find Adam easily. He had been all right the last time she checked, but she hadnt checked in a while. But Landon, seemed to have vanished from Earth entirely.

She smiled at Desmond though and shrugged her slender shoulders. "Its not really a code that most live by. But I like to do it. It brings more people in since they cant figure out what ingredients I put in. Unlike you though, they were human, and figuring out what ingredients are in the drink are easier for you to figure out." She told him, putting some of her things away. By his face she could tell he was going off to a memory of some sort and she didnt bother him until he came to and wanted to leave the bar. She realized who he was though and her eyes still wide, she watched him with a new fascination. She knew him. She knew exactly who he was. He had been her protector back in Las Vegas when Hyde had dropped her there and she had forgotten everything about where she was from. Only when she was caught by the police did she realize her family had all be slaughtered and killed.

A group of mean boys had chased her and he had saved her after she pleaded to him to help her. After that she had clung to him like a kitten that followed its mother around. She refused to be separated from him. In a world where she didnt know anything, he had been her comfort. Something she could rely on and something she didnt want to let go of. At times when she got in trouble again he had always been there to get her out of it. And he had helped her with food and places to sleep. She had almost thought she had found herself a make shift family, someone who would never leave her. But she woke up one morning and found he was gone. Not a sign of where he had gone and no sign that he would be back. She had waited there that entire day to see if he would come back. When the rays of the next morning came, she took the blow straight to the heart when she realized he wasnt coming back and she would never see him again.

A day or so later, she had been caught by the police when they found her walking around in the middle of the night with no parent and by the way she was dressed and looked, they could tell she wasnt someones child that lived near by. They took her straight to the orphanage and there she would stay until she turned 12 years old and would be adopted by a family that lived in Montana. Three short years later, she would be turned into what she is now. And three short years later she would return to Vegas because that was the only thing familiar to her and she couldnt face her adoptive parents or any of her friends in Montana. To them, she was as good as dead. And she had only returned once to Montana since the day she had been changed. And she didnt think she would ever go there again.

When she had been dropped by Hyde, she had forgotten the horror of her parents deaths and everything to do with the Supernatural. In a way it had been a blessing to forget the massacre of your family and to not know about or believe in the things that go bump in the night. But for some strange reason, her life had always meant to be tied to the supernatural. Her whole family in fact starting with her aunt Rose who she called more or less a cousin because calling her Aunt Rose didnt feel right. Her family had been attacked by a vampire and then her childhood protector had been a vampire. A few years later she would become one of them. And she would fall in love with a werewolf who, by a stroke of luck would be turned into a vampire after a little help from her worst enemy. That was the only thing she owed Sevanni, and in reality, he had owed her that much after all the shit she took from him.

Taking her hand back away from his arm, she couldnt breathe slightly and when he moved away and jumped behind the bar she couldnt register that in her mind. She had to play catch up. When she finally came to, she shook her head and then looked over at him. It has been awhile kid? You could say that again. It had been 18 years. She had never expected to see him ever again. And definitely not expected to realize he was a vampire. But in a way, she should have known by the way he always stayed in during the day and how he would scare people easily with just a look. She should have known he was a vampire all along. But it was too late to go back and fix anything done in the past. Walking over to the bar she sat down on one of the stools, acting like the customer this time instead of the other way around. If only vampires could get drunk.

Looking up at him, she didnt know what to say. "Catching up? Yeah I would say so. We have eighteen years worth of catching up to do..." She told him. One of the biggest surprises for him must be the fact that she was now a vampire and no longer that sweet little human French girl. He would more then likely ask what had happened to her when he left and she debated telling him. But more then likely she would end up telling him everything. One of the happier things she could tell him was about her husband though, and looking at the ring on her left hand made her smile slightly. Vic was more then likely at work right now. He himself owned his own bar. She had decided to not work at his bar though for several reasons. And he hadnt been happy about it, but he had consented and given in eventually. Thats how she ended up with this job as a night shift job. "So.....Where to start?"

[*Desmond Everard]

[atrb=width,397,true][atrb=border,0,false][cs=0][bg=000000] Desmond slid a glass of his freshly mixed cocktail down the length of the bar to Ali as he took a moment to ponder where she should begin the update of the last 18 years. Much had obviously happened to her over the last decade or two, the most noticeable being the fact that she was now a vampire. He wanted to know everything about how it had happened and how life was for her during all those years that he was away from her. Most importantly he wanted to know that she was happy, that she wasn’t alone. The thought of little Ali being alone for all those years because of him bore a hole through the middle of Desmond’s heart like a hollowed point bullet. Hopefully she had found someone else that wouldn’t leave her like he had all those many years ago. He picked up his own glass and leaned against the bar as he looked over at Ali. “The beginning is always a good place to start.” Desmond remembered all too well the nights that he took care of Ali as he looked upon her face now…a face that had barely changed despite the passing of all these years. The most difficult part for him was to looking once again upon the same vulnerable looking girl that he had 18 years prior to now. Gazing upon her innocent looking face now made him feel guilty and insane for ever leaving her unattended and on her own, allowing her to be swept up by the orphanage and then by a vampire. He wanted to believe that she was independent and stronger now but it was hard to convince himself of that when she looked so young still. Had she looked older it would be easier to accept the fact that she could take care of herself but Desmond still saw her as that young girl who clung to his pant leg in fear as the bullies closed in. As he watched her sitting on the other side of the bar now he couldn’t help but feel the urge to want to protect her and help her as he had done when she was alone on the streets. Having the feeling that her story would be much longer and complex than his he decided to update her on what he had been up to all this time. He knew she would be curious as to why he left her so suddenly and would eventually have to confront that but he kept that out of his story for now, at least until she asked him about it. “Well my story really isn’t that long so I’ll fill you in first. I moved to Seattle, Washington in hopes of finding a friend who unexpectedly went missing and got into a bit of a mix up with a wolf pack there for falling in love with one of them. It also didn’t help that I locked a human in the guest room of my house so he’d call his vampire girlfriend up. I admit that was a bad move on my part…I needed some answers about the whole vampy thing and he mentioned his girlfriend being a vamp so I reacted. I never found my friend but I met the love of my life instead. Her name is Codie. I left her a letter to meet me here in London and that’s why I’m here now. His thoughts strayed momentarily to Codie as he wondered if she would actually come for him. He knew it was asking a lot of her to just up and leave her family and life in Seattle but he needed her here with him. Her meeting him here in England would be the grand gesture that she did truly care about him as much as he cared for her. Desmond drained the last of the cocktail and set the glass on the bar dramatically as he refocused on his conversation with Ali. “Now it’s your turn kid. Tell me everything……including the part where you became………..you know……..dead.” Desmond knew this would definitely be a more in depth story than his was so he kicked up into a handstand on the bar before pirouetting over the counter onto a bar stool. Since the whole vampire thing was out of the bag he didn’t hold back on the graceful gymnastic like movements that he was capable of being the living dead and all. He always had the urge to sign up for the Olympics just for kicks and giggles but he knew he had a more than unfair advantage over the other athletes. Hell, they would more than likely accuse him of steroids or something after they saw the things he could do. He turned his focus back to Ali as he waited for her to share the happenings of her life in regards to the past two decades he had missed. He wasn’t entirely sure that he truly wanted to hear about how she had come to be a vampire. It was bad enough that she looked so young and he didn’t want the image of that cherub looking face screaming in pain to haunt him at night anymore than it already had in the past. Desmond had always heard the expression ignorance is bliss but never truly understood it until this moment. He almost didn’t want to know of how she had become like him or hear of all the suffering she went through. It would grieve him too much to hear of all the pain she endured because of his lack of being there for her. Though another saying came to mind and that was curiosity killed the cat. His curiosity was stronger than his fear of the truth so he sat back quietly and braced himself for whatever her story would be. He hoped it was a happy story as opposed to a tragedy. There was enough tragic stories going around and it was about time to hear a happy ending………….then he realized they were in a bar and seldom do happy people hangout in bars, especially when it was raining. The word count is 1,025 and Des is wearing this oh yea, and goodbye. [img*]TEXT IMAGE HERE

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[Ali Ambrose]

The only up side in her opinion about being a vampire was the heightened senses and the running. She could run all day and not stop. And those heightened senses came in handy when she needed them. Like now. Her gaze had been locked on her own reflection in the mirror that was behind the bar and glasses of alcohol. She never understood why they put a mirror. So customers could see how pathetic they were and drink more? Was that? If so, that was a very cruel thing to do. She tilted her head only slightly when the glass slid across the counter, making a scratching noise that forewarned her of its arrival. Catching the glass with her hand she pulled it closer to her, letting both hands wrap around it. Her gaze had never left her own brown eyes staring back at her in the mirror. Her eyes were the only thing that could show you her real age. Show you what she had been through. Her face looked so innocent but her eyes looked haunted.

She did though, move her gaze away from the mirror and looked over at him as he spoke up. It was true. The beginning was normally a good place to start. You could fill in blanks that were left unanswered and boy did he have a lot of blanks he didnt know about her. She would have to start all the way from when she was six and had first been caught by the police. And there was so much between then and now. She didnt know if he wanted to know it all in fact. But, he had asked and she would tell him. She wouldnt leave anything she could remember out. Most of the bad things were branded into her memory. She couldnt forget those things and that was the sad part. Her life had been on tragedy right after the other. It would seem to be getting better and then coming crashing down around her when she was least expecting it.

Before she could start though he interrupted and put in his own tale. She raised an eyebrow at him and smiled curiously. His story probably was shorter then hers. She had a lot to say. But she listened patiently and even chuckled a bit at the part about werewolf pack troubles. She knew that one very well. And she also knew what it was like falling in love with a werewolf and having others not approve of it by far. Also of course the troubles that come with it. She was very pleased for him though. Everyone deserves love and she considered herself lucky that she had found Vic. He was the one to break her solitude in this world that seemed to hate her. Desmond dramatically put his glass down though and then shot the ball into her court. Now it was her turn to say all that had happened. And he was right, hers was much longer. Plus, he wanted to know about the changing. Could he handle that?

By the looks on his face she could tell he was having trouble with something. Since she wasnt a mind reader she assumed it was that she was a vampire. Her sister would have the same reaction if they ever got to meeting each other. But Katra was a different story for another time. "First off. I want to say, congratulations on meeting the love of your life. Im glad you are happy. You deserve it." Another smile played on her lips and when he flipped over the bar to sit next to her on another stool she rolled her brown hues teasingly. "Show off. Even I can do that but I dont show it off." Teasingly she poked her tongue out and then with a deep sigh she raised the cocktail he had made to her lips and downed it one gulp. "All right. Well here he we go. You wanted me to start from the beginning, so I will start from the day you left. Easier to list things in order that way."

Setting the glass back down, she folded her hands around it once more, using it as a sort of anchor and closed her eyes as the memories came back to her. Very vividly and painfully. All of it was like a picture show in her head. She couldnt stop the video reel. "I waited for you...for a day. When you didnt come back I left the place and wandered around the streets. I didnt know what to do really. When night fell the police ended catching me. Since I was so small and looked like a homeless kid they took me to the orphanage. There they asked my name and so I told it to them. Later I would be informed that my family was all dead. Back in Paris they had all been slaughtered, and my sisters body was never found. But they presumed her dead since she hadnt shown up yet. Of course, I didnt realize...and neither did the police...that my family had been killed by a vampire."

She opened her eyes to look at him for a brief moment. "When you found me I had amnesia. I couldnt remember a thing. Im just now slowly getting all my memories back." She told him and then looked back at the mirror. "Anyway. That orphanage hated me. Kicked me out a few times when I got in trouble. I would try to stay safe but at times I didnt. Once I got beat up by a group of big kids. I had to drag myself back to the orphanage and even though I was bleeding and hurting they didnt help me. I had to fend for myself. I dealt with that place for six years. When I turned twelve, I was adopted by a family who lived in Montana. They sent me there and to my surprise the family was very kind. I loved them to death. And I lived happily with them until I turned 15. That year was the worst year for me....Everything happened that year. A week or so before I was turned into a vamp, I had been raped by a group of five boys. I never told anyone."

Swallowing she shook her head and strayed away from that memory. It had been horrible to feel that used and that helpless. It had been the worst moment of her life up to that point. Each one had taken a turn with raping her. So in reality she hadnt been raped once but five times. "A week after that, I was walking home from school. Stupid choice on my part, but I had missed my bus and I really didnt want to sit and wait for someone to give me a ride or come get me. While I was walking through town I felt someone following me. It scared me after what had happened and so I turned into an alley way, hoping to take a short cut and get rid of them. That turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life." Tilting her head she bit her lower lip and kept her eyes closed. This was the most vivid memory out of all the bad things that had happened prior. Maybe because it was her first vampire memory, or maybe because it had been the worst moment of her life.

"The one following me had been a vampire. He was the same vampire that had killed my family as I would later find out. Cornering me, he bit me. I think his original plan had been to kill me as well, but, a noise sounded down the alley and so he pulled away and fled. I was left there alone for three days, screaming in pain and agony over the change. I was awake through it all. I never fell asleep and people who passed by the alley didnt even give me a glance. They never stopped for a 15 year old girl who was in pain. I still dont get it to this day." And honestly she didnt. Someone screaming in pain and no one came to her rescue. Not that they could have stopped the change by any means, but no one even cared about someone, a child, in pain. Opening her eyes she shook her head softly and then went on with her tale. She had a lot more to explain and she wasnt sure how long his attention span would last.

"After the three days, I didnt know what I was and I didnt understand why I could suddenly HEAR and SMELL everything. And how I craved the persons blood next to mine and how the heartbeats were driving me crazy. When I couldnt step into the sunlight, I realized what I must be. I didnt want to believe it...But I had to. I ran away from Montana, going back to Las Vegas where I was familiar with the grounds. I knew that place. It was like a second home to me. And even though I had no one, I wanted to go there. It took about a week for me to go insane....I sort of lost it. But I wont tell you about that because I dont want to see any more disappointed looks at me then what I always get by telling it." She told him. And she really didnt want to tell or relive that massacre all over again. Its what had made her the girl she was now. Not able to hurt anything.

"I lived my life from city to city after that. Not really staying anywhere long. I didnt make any friends in fear of hurting them and I didnt stay long enough to make then anyway. I found jobs that would hire me. Lying about my age and praying they believed me and wouldnt tell me I was lying. It wasnt until I hit New Orleans that my life started to get interesting. I was 21 at the time. And I met a wonderful man. His name was Landon. And I fell in love instantly. As did he apparently. I would later find out that he was a werewolf. And with my luck, once we started to actually date, a war broke out. A werewolf and vampire pair had been seen together and people didnt want it. It was a battle between good wolves and bad wolves and good vamps and bad vamps. For and against. I was the for obviously. I was a spy. And boy did I get in trouble. I ended up catching the attention of a vampire named Sevanni Black."

At that one name her voice darkened with hate. It was amazing how much one name could be hated so much. But she had gotten nothing but grief from that vampire. "He captured me and since Landon was the second in command for the good wolf pack, he wanted me to tell him everything I knew. He tied me down and cut me up with a knife. Used a rib spreader on me when I refused to talk. Somehow I got away from him. I still bug that crap out of that man. I didnt make a sound when he was torturing me and he hates that. I am very tight lipped and im on his little hit list. He wants me dead very badly." She told him and shook her head. With a sigh though she continued on. "Near the end of the war Landon disappeared and my friend Inora took over as second command. I still dont know what happened to Landon. But the war quickly came to a bad end. We had basically lost due to sheer numbers."

Looking over at him once more she smiled sadly. "I was caught once more by Sev. He was planning on killing me once and for all. But my other friend Rose was there with me. She was the leader of our coven and I was the second in command. Still am actually. By a stroke of luck, we got away and didnt die that day. My life settled down a bit after that. I met more friends and everything seemed to be happy. But I was torn between two guys. One I was dating. And one I knew I loved but didnt know how to say so. My choice was made for me when the one I was dating got trapped in a fire. I found out and the one I loved helped me. I dont know what I would do without him." Her smile turned dreamy and she seemed in her own world. She loved her husband so much. "Anyway. A little later he made a deal with a devil. See, he was a werewolf. I must have a thing for fur huh?" She said teasingly and then continued on. "He went to Sev and since Sev had a way to turn you human...he made a deal. He was turned human and then he came home to tell me what he had done."

"I wasnt too happy about it. I was very angry. But I got over it and when I calmed down he asked me to marry him. I accepted. And then he asked me to turn him. I was hesitant...very hesitant. I didnt want to do that to him. But he convinced me too. So...now my husband is a vampire. It took him a while to get used to it. We lived in Vegas for a while and then something happened...and we had to move here. Been here for a few months now. He runs his own bar. Wanted me to work there but I told him I would work somewhere else. He is very protective of me. And thats basically the major things that you need to know. There are many other bad things...But I dont think you want to know. My life has not been pretty. Not pretty by far. Its been a hell hole and there is nothing I could do to stop it. It goes smooth for a bit and then I hit a speed bump and things go down hill. But I have my husband now to help me."

That was the end of her tale and she hadnt even told him the half of it. It was the truth when she said that she was not telling everything. And that her life wasnt pretty. It really wasnt and she could feel that bad twist in the bend coming up. Recently she had been receiving phone calls from a number that she didnt know and the caller was a mystery to her when they left a message. But the voice was cold and she didnt like it. And they wanted her dead. They had plainly said so. "So...You missed a bit. But nothing you could have done to stop it. So if you are blaming yourself dont. It would seem my life has always been tangled into the supernatural aspects of the world. Any kind of trouble will find me in a ten mile radius. Guaranteed. And being a second command for a coven doesnt help. Makes me travel all over the place when I need to settle some things members have done."

Shrugging once more she hopped back behind the bar and grabbed that bottle of scotch she hid there. For her own purposes naturally. "I do have one question for you though. Why did you leave without saying goodbye? I would have let you go. I just didnt like waking up alone when I wasnt expecting it. It was...a hard blow. But if you would tell me why..Thats fine. I dont care about you leaving. Everyone does eventually in my life..I just want to know why you didnt tell me you were leaving." That one question had haunted her for days after he had left. Why hadnt he told her? Did he not like her? Did he leave because she annoyed him? The list could go on and on. It was time to get some answers.

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Count: 2711 (my god)
Tag: Des
Notes: Uhh...Sorry? >.<

[*Desmond Everard]

[atrb=width,397,true][atrb=border,0,false][cs=0][bg=000000] Desmond smiled impressively when Ali smoothly caught the sliding cocktail glass without as much as spilling a single drop, the whole time looking attentively at her reflection in the mirror over the bar. It was liberating to be around another vampire that he could truly let his guard down around and be himself without having to worry about acting natural. Desmond turned to look at his own reflection in that large antique mirror. Mirrors had always freaked him out when he was still a human but now that he was a vampire they evoked a different emotion in him, melancholy. The stories about vampires not having a reflection had a certain degree of validity to them. As he looked at himself in the mirror he couldn’t help but feel that what it showed him was nothing more than a well constructed lie. This man looking back at him from the mirror was just that, a man, a living harmless man. The mirror showed only his perfections and left out the flaws. It failed to show the reality of what he truly was…………a monster. He looked upon a reflection of a person who was seemingly perfect in every way and he hated mirrors for spewing such lies. Perfection is a cunning liar, a mask of deceit for the ignorant to hide behind and hope that no one sees through it. Flaws, however, are wherein the truth resides. When one looks at his image in a mirror they expect to see themselves, flaws and all, yet Desmond did not know the stranger that calmly gazed back at him from the framed glass. The melodic sound of Ali’s voice stole him from his thoughts and he turned his attention back to her as she expressed her congratulations for finding love with Codie and that he deserved it. He was quite happy indeed that love had shed some light into his world by bringing Codie and him together but he wasn’t completely sold on the idea that he had deserved it. How could an animal like him deserve love after all the things he had done? Love was one party he was quite sure he was not on the guest list for……yet now he was in this bar in England anticipating the arrival of the love of his life and believing that love had graced him with its presence. Desmond’s love for Codie barely made sense to him but the fact that she loved him in return was incomprehensible to him. Did she really understand what he was? Would she still love him once she realized what monster lay beneath the façade of this human body? He glanced once again at his reflection in the mirror trying to decide who it was she had truly fallen in love with………the man in the mirror or the undead beast of reality. It suddenly struck him that he hadn’t yet replied to Ali so he quickly made sure to do so as he shook his head to clear his thoughts a bit. “Thank you Ali. I don’t generally credit luck for anything but it definitely played a role in meeting Codie. I got real lucky with this gal. You’ll have to meet her sometime.” Desmond laughed inwardly at the thought of the two of them actually meeting and he couldn’t help but admit that it would be an interesting sight to witness. Codie hadn’t had much to do with vampires before Desmond came along and he could already picture the confused look that would be written across her face when he told her Ali was his good friend from 18 years ago. Ali’s young appearance was difficult for even him to get use to so he knew Codie would be quite perplexed. It would take some getting used to hearing a little girl speak and act like a full blown grown up. Despite it all though, Desmond was sure that the two would get along perfectly well after getting through the initial awkwardness of everything. A smile crossed Ali’s face followed by a roll of her brown eyes at Desmond’s little gymnastic feat he had just performed over the bar top. As he got comfortable on the bar stool she branded him with the showoff iron and claimed she could cross a bar just as gracefully but wasn’t a showoff like him. Desmond let out a chuckle at the image that was playing itself in his head of little Ali pulling off elite level gymnast moves on the bar top but he was quite sure she was capable of it now that she was a vampire and all. She stuck her tongue out at him before draining her cocktail in a single go. Desmond let a laugh bellow out at the strange mix of sights he had just witnessed. The sticking out the tongue thing seemed to match the age she looked but watching a kid drain a cocktail that would knock out even the most avid drinking man was definitely something he didn’t see every day. That’s when she began to delve into her story of the past starting from the night that weighed heavily on Desmond’s heart, the night he had departed without leaving a goodbye. She spoke of how she had waited a day for him, like a loyal and faithful dog awaiting the return of its beloved human companion, and Desmond felt a sting of guilt at the thought of her waiting alone for a man that never showed up…………no, not a man, but a beast………a vampire. Ali continued on with her story of how the police had picked her up and she had been taken to an orphanage where she was informed of the death of her entire family except for her sister who had gone missing but her death could not be confirmed. Desmond couldn’t help but notice that Ali spoke as if her sister was dead as well but from what he had heard she was just missing which meant there was still a chance that she was alive. He didn’t understand what Ali was doing shooting the breeze in a bar when her sister could possibly be out there somewhere. Why wasn’t she out looking for her? His thoughts were interrupted by what Ali said next about her families’ death being the work of a vampire. A scowl came upon Desmond’s face in response to hearing of a vampire murdering her family ruthlessly. He was going to ask her more about finding her sister and why she hadn’t gone after this killer yet but she continued on with her story, eagerly trying to get through it all. As she spoke of her time at the orphanage Desmond began to feel a tinge of anger slowly begin to rise in him like a small fire that had just been started and the more Ali went on with her life story the more wood she threw on this fire causing it to gradually grow into an overwhelming hatred of all the people who had wronged her throughout her tumultuous life. It was ironic to him that the stories considered him to be the evil one yet how much evil was it to not aid an innocent child when she was in need of help? He began to believe perhaps he wasn’t so much of a monster after all. He could never watch a child suffer and turn a blind eye to her. He took another look in the mirror and narrowed his eyes in scrutiny. Perhaps the mirror was telling the truth the whole time; maybe it was him that was lying to himself, perhaps he was no monster at all. The real monsters do not hide under beds or behind closet doors but rather behind a mask of innocence and superiority. The real monsters could lie within any person of any species. They go by many names but the most notorious monsters are known as hate, greed, vanity, jealousy, envy, and pride. Allie mentioned she was being followed home from school one day and Desmond looked up to see her close her eyes and bite her lip as she tried to regain her composure before continuing. Desmond knew this next part was going to be bad, real bad, and he was sure he wasn’t going to like hearing it at all. He didn’t. The same vampire that had killed her family had changed her and left her in some alley as her soul painfully burned away inside her, leaving her cold, dead, and a vampire. The images from Desmond’s nightmares sprang to life as he saw her face screaming in agony just as he had so many times before when he let himself wonder if Ali was alright and what had become of her. He shut his eyes as he tried to push away the image from his mind and at the same time try and tame the angry fire growing dangerously hot with hatred inside of him. He hated the vampire for taking Ali’s family from her, for changing her, he hated the orphanage for treating her so poorly, he hated the people who wouldn’t stop to help her in the alley, and he hated himself for not being there for her. The vampire was evil but he found his hatred for those that would not help her even more titanic. How could one ignore the screams of a child in suffering? How could they see what he only saw in nightmares and allow it to happen? Desmond now understood werewolves now as he shook with anger, ready to turn into a beast himself. He used all his willpower to try and calm himself as he listened to Ali continue on with her tragic story. The first years as a vampire were extremely tough and Desmond nodded in understanding as Ali described her first experiences with the vampire senses and of course the thirst. Desmond knew all too well the desires the thirst brought upon a vampire and even recently had almost killed a human unintentionally because of it. Ali did not want to tell him what had happened in Montana for fear that he would look at her differently. She didn’t have to say a word of it for him to guess what it was she had done. His slate was also speckled with the blood of innocent people that he had killed due to his inability to control his thirst. After the incident he had spent years alone, afraid of what he was capable of doing and the harm he could inflict on undeserving people. That was where he had acquired the taste for animal blood to satiate him. A slight smile finally returned to Desmond’s face when Ali mentioned that she had fallen in love with a man named Landon. He was glad her story wasn’t filled solely with tragedies and that it at least held some semblance of happiness. His smile quickly became a chuckle as she added the fact that he was a werewolf. It seemed Ali and he had more in common than he had previously believed them to. Up until now he held the belief that he was the only vampire crazy enough to fall for a wolf and hearing Ali say she too loved a wolf gave Desmond someone he could finally relate to. The feeling was short lived however because next she mentioned a war that broke out over the wolf and vampire relationship thing and her boyfriend went missing. A laugh escaped him at the idea of a war starting over who was dating who. The idea seemed ridiculous but it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing when he and Codie had met either so he was definitely no stranger to the animosity that came with the territory of dating a wolf. Desmond knew by the way she said the name of this “Sevanni” that he wasn’t the friendliest fang on the block. His blood started to boil as she spoke of the tortures she endured at his hands. He didn’t know who the guy was but the fact that he had hurt Ali was enough to make Desmond dislike him immensely. Ali had fallen in love with yet another wolf yet this one had been able to bargain his way into immortality and a life eternally bound to Ali. Her story was coming to a conclusion and he was pleased to hear that it was at least doing so somewhat happily. He hoped for her sake that it would remain happy from here on out. She deserved a good life after all the tribulations she had been through. Desmond was glad she now had someone to protect her and stay by her side unlike he was. Her husband sounded like a good person and he was immensely happy for Ali. She concluded with telling him not to blame himself for what had happened to her and that there was nothing he could have done but Desmond didn’t believe that for one minute. He did blame himself and he could have done something…………anything. He could have been there to help her when the orphanage had refused to, he could have comforted her while she lay alone in that alley in pain, he could have hunted down that vampire who had killed her family and exact vengeance on him, he could have fought that war beside her and protected her when Sevanni had hurt her, he could of simply been there. Throughout her entire tale Desmond had not said a single word so he now spoke, licking his lips before doing so. “Congratulations on getting married. You deserve someone that treats you right and this guy certainly sounds like he’s got the white horse and shining armor.” He smiled weakly at her, knowing no matter how many jokes he’d tell he would still have to get to the serious part sooner or later. “I’m sorry Ali. Your life should never have ended up like it did. I do blame myself and don’t you try to tell me I couldn’t have done anything because I damn well could have. I never should have left you alone.” Desmond set his jaw firmly as he tried to contain the plethora of mixed emotions that were flooding him all at once before continuing on to the many other questions and comments he wanted to address. “Your sister………have you tried looking for her? You said she was missing, not dead. How about the vamp that killed your family and did this to you? What became of him?” Desmond didn’t mention that the reason for wanting to know the vampires whereabouts was retribution. Killing the vampire that had brought so much suffering to Ali seemed like a penance to Desmond for leaving her alone all those years ago. That’s when Ali had asked him the question he had been dreading and that was why he had left. Desmond rose from his seat, hopped over the bar to where Ali was, and gently snatched the bottle of scotch from her and took a very long swig before answering. “At the time I thought I was protecting you…………from me. It never occurred to me that there were others just as dangerous out there and that of all people they’d attack you. Right before meeting you I accidentally murdered an entire family when the thirst became too much and it weighed heavily on me. I didn’t ever want to harm you as well so I left. I was weak Ali. I should have stayed with you and watched over you. I should have been stronger.” Desmond looked her in the eyes as he spoke and hoped he could forgive him but no matter what he still couldn’t change the past and the mistakes in it. He could however affect the future. He swiftly poured the bottle of scotch he had been holding into two separate glasses and handed one to Ali as he made a toast………a promise. “I promise you now Ali, I’m not going anywhere this time around. Life is going to get better because I’m not going to let tragedy anywhere near you. This time you have me and your husband. Between the two of us nothing will ever bother you again. Cheers.” He clinked his glass softly against hers before pouring it down the hatch and into his belly. Ali’s story had deeply affected Desmond and he made a vow to himself to be there for Ali whenever she needed him to be. He set the glass softly down on the table before looking back at her. They were quiet for several moments as they both meditated on their own thoughts before Desmond lightened the mood with his usual sarcasm. “So you’re husband…………..has a thing for little kids huh? Cradle robbing his specialty? That’s something to put down on the resume for sure.” He snickered at his own joke and had to admit it must be awkward for her husband. She more than likely looked like his daughter beside her and he secretly wondered if she got a step ladder for when they kissed or if he had to pick her up to do so. He knew that she was really a woman but it must have been tough being trapped inside such a young little body. Desmond inwardly thanked the stars that he had been turned when he was in his twenties rather than younger. Seeing that between him and Ali they had drank the majority of the booze he slipped back to the other side of the bar. It was odd not getting drunk despite the amount of liquor they had just consumed and they didn’t have to suffer liver or kidney damage as well. He quickly slid over to the piano and cracked his knuckles before playing Chopin’s “Chanson De L’adieu.” The song always had a powerful effect on him with the melancholy mood it created. It comforted him. He smiled at the look of surprise on Ali’s face that he could play the piano. “You’re not the only one that can play to empty bar rooms kid. I’ve had a few decades of practice over you as well.” He laughed playfully as he continued to fill the room with the sad notes of a song that echoed the sad lives both he and Ali had endured but every song comes to an end eventually and then a happier one could begin. The word count is 3,210 and Des is wearing this oh yea, and -crashes from exhaustion-. [img*]TEXT IMAGE HERE

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[Ali Ambrose]

Truly when you looked at it. Ali's life was built on oxymoron's. She looked that of a fifteen year old and yet she was in her middle twenties and very much able to drink and hold her own in a bar or fight. She spoke like a grown up and her eyes showed everything she had been through, but her voice and face made her seem so innocent and naive to everything evil that could destroy in this world. People thought she was a very pale little human girl who could do no harm. Where in reality she was a vampire with strength that could knock someone dead if she so wished it. But she was gentle and kind compared to others of her kind. It was instinct to hunt and kill and yet she fought it every day. Just so she could feel human enough to show herself to the world. She never wanted to be that monster from so many years ago that had slaughtered an entire city just for kicks. Just because of the blood lust. She was trying to retain the one and only part of her that could remain human.

Of course, there were those that would argue that the killing was part of human nature and that by fighting it, she was fighting even the human part of her. People killed each other over the stupidest things. And that anger and instinct for survival was in them all. It was a primal and animal instinct. But she knew better. Not all humans were like that. She had seen love, and kindness in her life. Had seen what truly gentle people were like. Just like her foster parents in Montana. They couldnt harm a single person. No matter how much they deserved it. And she had followed their example. Even to this day. She refused to harm another living or nonliving thing. No matter how much she hated them or wanted them dead. Though with the case of Sevanni Black she might be able to make a small exception. That vampire could get even the sweetest person to want to kill. And she was right about to that edge of reason.

Looking back at Desmond when he replied about Codie she could tell he loved her. She could see the same heart struck look in his eyes that she always saw in Vics eyes when he looked at her. The eyes of love that showed there was no one else in the world for them. She was almost positive her own eyes looked like she was struck by cupids arrow every time she mentioned her husband. It was wonderful to feel love like that. To HAVE love like that. There was no better feeling in this world and no one could ever change that or take it away. No matter what they did or said. You would always have that other persons love. "I will have to meet her sometime. Just like you will have to meet my husband. Im sure you two would get along. Vic can be a bit sarcastic and dead panned at times, but I adore him all the same. No one else makes me feel more special." She said and looked away, chewing on her lower lip, a stupid smile on her face and her eyes bright.

Through the different phases of her story she watched his face carefully to tell for reactions. She didnt know exactly how he would react, but she was good with reading people. And by the look in his eyes and his posture she could tell there were parts that made him angry and wanting to rip something apart. She couldnt blame him really. Through everything she had been through she was amazed she wasnt a broken little mess that the foggy and rainy days of London could sweep away into the gutters. Maybe that was why she loved to stay and stand in the rain. It made her feel cleansed and free again. Like a little girl once more back with her family in Paris, running with her sister in the rain and splashing in puddles. Her hair tangled and flying about her before her father would come up and grab her to give her a hug and take her inside to warm up. Listening to her mother sing and play piano as her and Kat warmed up in the comfy chairs in the foyer.

The rain always seemed to bring on childhood memories. Always seemed to wash in something of her past. Just like it had brought Des. And she was thankful for that. Through her whole tale, he had remained quiet and she wondered if he would ever say something. Finally he spoke up and the first words were about Vic. Nodding her head, her curls spilling across her shoulders she couldnt agree more. "He treats me wonderfully. I love him so much. In July it will be our one year anniversary. I cant believe so much time has passed already." She told Desmond and grabbed another glass of scotch from the bottle, noting that it was starting to run out and they would need to grab a new one soon if they wished to continue drinking. Her gaze went back to him though as he started to speak again about him leaving her. Shaking her head she placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Desmond....My life would have ended up like this somehow. If not a vampire a werewolf. I would have met Vic and fallen in love. And he would have turned me into a wolf if I had asked. I believe everything happens for a reason and that everything just happens."

Ali's beliefs were a complicated little bunch of ideas. She had been taught to worship and believe in the Greek gods and goddesses. So thats what she believed in. It had always stuck with her even after she couldnt remember anything. Those lessons from her parents had stuck with her. So to her, the Fates decided everything and the Fates always had something planned for everyone already. Somehow, her life would have been tied to the supernatural. And somehow, she would have met her husband Vic. "Its actually funny. I met Vic in Montana when I was twelve and he was thirteen. For a rodeo. We didnt realize it was each other until after we were married. I had already met my husband and twelve. Can you believe that?" She chuckled softly and then let out a small sigh and chugged back the rest of the scotch in her glass when the subject changed to Hyde and Katra.

"Well.....I know the answer to both of those actually. Lets start with Hyde first....That one is less complicated. Hyde is the vampire that killed my family and turned me. I ran into him right after I got married. He explained to me why he changed me. Because of course...I asked. He told me I was the perfect fit for an immortal....That unlike my family...when he bit into my skin as a child I had only let out little sighs and didnt scream. And he had believed that since I had the innocent little face of an angel that I could be his salvation....Bring him to the side of good." After these words she laughed slightly and shook her head, her gaze looking back at her mirror. She could see the hate she had for Hyde in her own eyes. And the confusion and the fear from everything he had put her through. "Last I heard....Sevanni Black has a bounty on his head because he refused to kill my cousin Rose. Who happens to be another one of his fledglings. And of course, because he actually protected me...."

Her head turned slightly. In the way that a dog does when confused. She didnt get Hyde at all. He had protected her against Sevanni. When Sevanni had sent him after her to kill her, he had protected her and lied to Sevanni. Had told him he couldnt find her. That act alone made her wonder about him. "Now....on to my sister. Her name is Katra Maguire. She got married about a year and a half ago. I know she isnt dead. And the kicker is...She never left Paris. She flew right under the radar of the police. When Hyde had knocked her away from me since she was trying to protect me...she hit her head and blacked out. A wolf pack later found her. They raised her and when she turned sixteen she was bitten and changed into one of them. And it so turns out...that this wolf pack is very much against vampires. They hunt down and kill our kind. They dont leave Paris...But its not safe to go there. And after the whole war thing, her pack having been involved, they lost their leaders. She became the Alpha of the pack and her mate became the other. But they all listen to her."

She smiled at Des sadly and sighed once more. "I cant ever go to see her unless I want to die. Or if we end up at the same event where its forbidden to fight. Kat hates vampires with a passion. And she wont take mercy on any of them. Not even her own sister." The sad part was, she wasnt making it up. She had received all this information from Nix Mckenzie. Nixie was Kats best friend. But that whole thing was a bucket of worms she didnt want to get into. "Kat had twins a few months back....She is a mother of a baby boy and girl. And because of what species I am...I can never see my niece and nephew. They will learn to hate me just like the rest of the pack. Just like their mother." She said softly, barely above a whisper, holding back a few stray tears that wanted to slip past her guard and down her cheeks. But she refused to cry. It was one of her rules she had on herself. And she wasnt about to break it.

She pushed aside her emotions though for now so she could listen to Desmonds reply to her question. To the one thing she always wondered about. He snatched the scotch bottle from her and she laughed and gave him a playful glare. "Hey! Thats my special stash ya butt munch." But she didnt grab it back and she only shook her head playfully. His words made her stop moving though and stare straight forward. How many times had she done the very same thing? Tried to protect someone and the actions she took backfired on her and made her regret what she had done. "Desmond...Its not your fault. We all are weak. My weak spot is my husband of course, and my friends. Hell..I sold myself into slavery once to the vampire I hate above all else for my friend. Yes....I was a slave...Collar and all to Sevanni Black. But it was to protect my friend. Little did I know...what that one thing would set off. We never know what our actions will do Des. And I dont blame you. You were trying to protect me. And Im thankful for that. Thank you." She told him and leaned forward and kissed his cheek ever so gently.

Taking the glass he offered and smiling at his promise she closed her eyes and clanked her glass against his. "I have heard that one before. Lets see if you can actually pull it off. But I can guarantee that anything that is trouble will have my name on it and will be waiting for me." With those last words she knocked back the drink and placed her glass down on the counter gently. The silence that followed wasnt awkward like people would have thought. It was more or less thinking on everything they had just revealed to each other. Thinking over everything that had been said. But of course, in true Des fashion he had to crack a joke and be sarcastic about it. Her brown eyes narrowed playfully at him and she smacked his arm softly. "Oh hush. He is not a cradle robber. Seeing as I AM in my twenties thank you very much." She told him and watched him slip back behind the bar since they had finished off that whole bottle of scotch.

He then did something that surprised her. Desmond went over to the piano and started to play a beautiful song that she recognized. Raising an eyebrow and folding her arms she went over to him and chuckled. "Well well. I can see that. But a few decades ahead doesnt mean you are better." She teased him and smiled softly. "Chopin right?" She asked him even though she knew she was right and knew exactly what song he was playing. Sitting next to him on the bench of the piano she stayed silent and listened to the bittersweet melody that seemed to match every little part of their lives.

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Count it: 2204
Tag: Des
Notes: Thats not too long. You can handle that xP