To Each his Self (Nada)

[Concieved D'maggio]

Con woke silently as he always did. Not a sound could be heard in his room as he rose from his bed. He found a nice set of clean clothes and dressed himself accordingly as he always did at sunset.

It had been almost two week now that his new roommate Nada had been living with him. As promised she attended to the errands that needed to be run, and the cleaning the apartment so needly deserved. She also served another important purpose to him, finding his lost family.

He unlocked his door and stepped into the living room as silently as he could and slipped into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and pulled out a pallet of blood and poured himself a cup full. As he dunked he sat on the couch and turned on the TV turning the volume down as to not wake her up in the guest bedroom.

"Were picking up some shocking new that another attack in the Northern District has been reported. Twenty five year old Shawna Long has been reported dead multiple bite marks and severe head trauma. Local say . . ."

Con shut the T.V. up as soon as he heard what he needed to hear. For some odd reason his gaining of a roommate sparked attacks around the city. Now Con was not the one to start conspiracies, but this was becoming fishy. Nada never really stated why she was at that club, or who the client was in the first place. When asked she coldly answered "My clients, my business, not yours." and that was that to her.

Con stood and grabbed the bass that sat in its stand next to his window. He began to play as it helped him think easier, and made things less fuzzy and confusing to him. He began playing a basic bass line adding more complexity as he went on thinking. The harder he thought the more complicated the line and chords became.

He decided that when she awoke tonight he would flat out confront her about the subject and wouldn't take no for an answer. He smiled his signature smile as he turned the volume to max on his bass and began playing as loud as he could to wake her up. He fancied waking her up like this the past couple of days and usually got in trouble for it, but he didn't mind. He got some sort of weird kick out of annoying or pissing her off, his excuse was the cute lines that formed around her nose when she frowned.

He kept playing making sure that it was as thick and heavy as he could play.
Its gonna piss her off, but screw it. I want some answers tonight.

[nada harper]

Nada had been sleeping or at least trying to sleep since she'd first heard Con start playing. Normally she didn't mind the free tunes. She could appropriate an excellent solo as much as the next girl, maybe even more, since she had absolutely no musical talent what so ever. But tonight was not of those nights, especially when he had the damn thing up so loud is was a wonder the neighbors weren't calling the cops about the noise.

Flipping onto her stomach she threw her pillow over her head burying her face against the mattress. She arms circling the ends pinning down any loss ends to keep the sound out. But now all she could hear was muffled more annoying version of what she'd been listening to previously. She didn't know why she did this. It never worked. But then she had never been a person to wake up easy much less happy.

He hates me. she thought grumpily That's the only explanation. He's pissed because I still haven't found anything on his family. And this is his way of torturing me until I do. Well screw that! I'm buy ear plugs at the next gun shop I pass and maybe a taser for good measure. She smiled at the thought, then stopped as a thought occurred to her.

Taser. Charley said they'd used a taser on her. What kind of Vamp uses a Taser on their meal? she thought, shooting up out of bed, she through back the covers, threw open her door, marched over to Con's amp yanking the plug from the speaker then picked up the pre-paid cell she'd bought nearly a week ago.

After the first two rings the phone was answered.
"County Morgue. We store dead people." a bored male voice answered.
"Cute Max. Where's Charley?"
"Well hello to you to Sara. PMSing much?"
"Charley. Now. Max." she growled into the phone.
"And if I don't." he replied smugly.
"Then I'd start wondering what you're wife will do when she finds out you've been fucking that Detective from Narco. What was his name again? Roger, Roy...oh right Ryan?" she replied smoothly, malice coating her every word.
"She-she's not, here. But I'll-I'll tell her you called." he said shakily after several silent seconds.
"You do that." she stated and flipped her phone shut.

Plopping down on the arm of the couch and wondering why it felt so cold against her legs. Only to realize all too late, that when she'd stormed out of her room, she'd forgotten to put on a pair of pants. As it was she was sitting on the arm of the couch wearing a faded old New York Yankee's T she'd bought at Good Will some months back, and her underwear. Thankfully she had a thing for over sized shirts and the hem was cutting off at mid thigh.

With a aggravated sigh she rolled her eyes before leveling a cold glare on Con. If it hadn't been for his playing so the loud the dead a.k.a. her were sure to wake. She would have gotten up on her own and not forgotten to put on a pair of pants before leaving her room.

"You fucking hate me don't you?" she asked, more reasonably then she felt. "What do you think? That I'm drawing this out? That I enjoy mooching off you. I'm trying to find them okay. I'm not some damn computer you turn on enter a keyword and suddenly there's everything you need to know, plus some okay. This shit takes time and normally something more than a last name to go on. Do you have any idea how many D'maggio there in New York? I'm not just talking the city I mean the whole the damn state. And then there are name changes, adoptions, marriages." she trailed off in a exhausted sigh. Sliding off the arm back onto the couch she stared up at the ceiling.

"I'm trying." She breathed, though it was less about his family and more about the dead bodies she'd been watching pile up in his neighborhood. It was happening again and she didn't know why. She didn't even the know, the people or things that were doing this. She wasn't even certain it was because of her, but being as she was always around when it happened, she couldn't rule herself out a possibility.

And to think some people would kill to have my life. What morons.

[Concieved D'maggio]

Con jumped up and put his bass down back in its stand. He sat next to her and pull her into his arms. He controlled his thoughts so as she wouldn't pick anything up and began to sooth her.

"Shhh just calm down chicka. I don't hate you at all, in fact I completely adore your company. You know how much I love to bother you. Your nose gets those cute little lines across it when you get annoyed."

He patted her arm keeping himself together with his thoughts.
He took it a step further and pressed his cold lips against her forehead.
"Now I want you to calm down and relax, everything is just fine. I'm not angry and I know your working as hard as you can. Thats why I don't charge you any rent."

He nudged her playfully and looked down. He noticed that she had no bottoms on and laughed.
"Nice choice in clothes. Did you come out here just to toy with me or something. Because I need to tell you its working."

He laughed and let her go from his arms. He ran into her room and grabbed her pants and came back into the room and handed them to her.
He turned around so she could change and began his questioning.
"I just need to know Nada. Who was the client you were meeting? What kind of mess are you in? I can help you, only if you let me. These deaths are occurring frequently, and your friends have not let up stalking my place. I'm mad its just that i need to know what is going on."

He sighed and looked down. The conversation she had on the phone made no sense to him, and he was having a hard time getting her to just open up to him. For once he would like her to answer his questions fully without any riddles.

He turned around not caring if she was changed or not and looked into her eyes.
"Nada I'm scared for your safety. If you were hurt by some stupid idiot with a grudge it would kill me."

[nada harper]

Slowly Nada processed his words. Feeling incredibly awkward about the situation. She hadn't meant to start ranting at him as she had. But she'd never had someone be as unquestioningly kind to her as he was. Despite the two weeks she'd spent with him she still wasn't use to his consideration towards her or his constant adoration for her. It was comforting and terrifying all at once. But once again she displayed none of this. She'd learned young the value of a excellent poker face.

"I don't know. Skash was just a client. I was meeting him for the first time when I met you. I don't even know what he wanted me to look for." she replied sitting back on the couch now that she had her pants on. Feeling slightly less exposed. Pulling off the headband around her wrist she tied back her hair. "And these vamps" she shook her head. I don't know anything about them. Christ up until a month ago I didn't even know you guys existed. And now you're every friggin' where." she stated staring aimlessly at the coffee table in front of her, her hands digging into her hair. "And it's all my fucking fault." she snapped slamming her down on the table. "I never stay in one place this long." she sighed dropping her head into hands once more.

What was she going to do? She knew they were here for her, but she didn't have the first idea as to why. She knew it wasn't a grudge against her, because A) only the cops hated her, and B) if they weren't cops she made damn certain they never knew she was involved. And there were only two vamps that knew what she was. The first was standing only six feet in front of her and the other was in LA.

With yet another sigh she locked eyes with Con and said the one thing she'd been trying to avoid. 'What are the rules on Vampires killing Vampires? Because I think the only way we're going to figure out what the hell is going on is if i can get a read on one. And you may have to kill a couple for me to do that." she explained. "I don't know what these guys orders are, but being as they know I'm here and haven't come to the front door asking for an invite I doubt my death is on the menu. But still I don't think they'd be picky about who they kill if it gets to me."

[Concieved D'maggio]

Con cringed at the word kill. There were no real rules to killing other than to keep your head on. There was no real way to kill one besides setting him on fire or exposing him to direct sunlight.

"there would be no way to get a read on a dead vampire, unless you can pick stuff up on pure dust?" I can knock one out, but that would take allot of fighting and effort. We heal abnormally fast."
To prove himself he pulled out his pocket knife. With slash of the blade he cut his hand straight down the middle. Before the blood had time to even start coagulating he was healed.

He frowned once more and looked at her eyes. He had no idea in his right mind why he adored her. She seemed cold and distant, but he felt that she also had feelings for him as well.
He walked toward her and grabbed her by her hands, yet again retaining his thoughts and mood.
"I will do it though for your safety. I have to admit that even though we have had a brief time together I feel strongly about you. You might not feel the same, but I want to make sure your well taken care of. Your the first out of a long number of years that hasn't ran away screaming about finding out what I truly am."

He walked to the door and grabbed his leather overcoat that hanged on the rack. He let out a heavy sigh and looked back at her.
"We will go to Central Park. Nothing there at night besides the crazy hobos and my old hideout. We need to go there first, I have some stuff to get before I do this."

He walked back and grabbed her hand, this time only sending one thought to her. That he cared for her and that he would protect her no matter what.

[nada harper]

Nada had been staring at Con when he'd taken her hand. Then she was hit with an array of images and voices. All carrying the same emotion. With a jerk she yanked her hand from his. Her eyes wide as she shook her head back and forth vigorously.

"No...no, you can't. You can't care for me. You can like me. Like can go away. People are easy to like and dislike. It's like flipping a switch." she smiled feebly through her stammering. "But don't care for me." she finished, now completely terrified. The last man she had trusted to care for her had been the very man who'd called the cops on her. Screaming that she was a murderer. Because she knew where his dead sister had been buried and who had killed her.

Thankfully she'd had enough self preservation not to tell him how she knew, thus she'd never had to suffer the hurt of him calling her a freak or that he would grow to fear her because of what she would and could know. It was because of that, that she choose to remain in the shadows. It was safer there, no one saw her unless she wanted them to there.

And she'd gone made herself visible for cli...ent.

Her terror stopped as realized she'd never before met face to face with a client until coming here. That she'd ignored all her previous good sense, all her well developed plans to stay hidden. All because a client wanted to meet face to face. What had been said to make her so stupid, so careless, so...

"BB." She growled, stocking past Con and out of that apartment building. Seething with barely leashed rage the entire way"555-267-3908, BB wants me. Tell him he can fucking call!" she shouted at the open air. "Other wise fuck off!" she snarled.

"Arrogant, egoistical, pompous, self-centered, self-righteous..." she list of insults went on as she stomped back up to the apartment and into her room. Grabbing what little clothes and belongs she had brought with her into and over-sized shoulder bag, then back into the living to snag her phone.

"What ever it was you were going to get. Let's hurry up and get it." she snapped stomping back out of the apartment.

[Concieved D'maggio]

Con smiled as the determined Nada stood in front of him. He went into his room and grabbed his pistol. It wouldn't kill or hurt any supernatural beings, but it was better than nothing he guessed. He stuck it in his belt loop and came back out to the living room.

He grabbed Nada by the waist and pulled her to him. He looked into her eyes and smiled.
"I think you forget who your talking to here. The most stubborn, pig headed vampire in all of New York. I don't care what you say I will care for you. If you run away from me caring I'll just run to where you are. I know this isn't the time, but . . . fuck it."

Con pulled closer still and wrapped his lips around hers. He found it hard to control his thoughts and emotions, but he managed. He let her go and smiled giving her his signature grin.
"I know were in trouble but we need to go as you said."

He scooped her up and threw her on his back.
"Just hold on, I'm not that gentle. Lets just take the scenic route."
He closed the door and opened the window to his apartment.
The sounds of hissing could be heard across the rooftops. He knew this was dangerous and risky but this was the quickest way by far.

He flew out the window with Nada securely on his back. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop as the stalker vampires chased them close to his heels. He grinned as they chased. They wouldn't get much further as he grew closer to the park.

As he was running full speed Con didn't notice the vampire coming from his right. The vampire slammed full force into Con sending him and Nada flying into the air. Con watched in horror as he watched Nada falling. He grabbed her by her arm and pulled her into a hug, giving only time to turn his back into the ground.

A loud bang like a bowling ball hitting sidewalk shattered of the night air.
Get up, get up, get up now Con!!
He stood and wrapped Nada around his back again. The pain in his spine would soon go away, but for now he needed to get to his hideaway.

As he ran he noticed the vampires had stopped chasing them. He looked up at Nada and smiled.
"Are you OK lovely? Were about one block away from the park and were home free for now."

[nada harper]

Nada stood perfectly still waiting for the world to stop spinning around her. Until it finally did long enough for her to go running for the nearest tree. Throwing up what little she'd had to eat during the day. "God I hate roller-coaster rides." she murmured wiping her face, swallowing repeatedly. Trying to get the feeling of her stomach out of her throat, as well as the taste of vomit from her mouth.

"Next time you're going to pull a Hellboy. With all that roof jumping shit. Warn me!" she snapped, miserable in her own confused little world that had yet to stop spinning, which made her look slightly drunk as she stood and carefully started walking towards Con. Latching onto his arm for stability. "There a water fountain or vending machine around here somewhere?" she asked, pressing her head into his upper arm hopping the pressure would ease her spinning brain.

She did not do well with sudden rapid movements. She never had, unless they were her own and she wasn't all that fast in the first place. "No more carrying me. Next time you think you have to run, give me the damn gun, run and I'll do what humans so best. Hide. But no more piggyback rides that may or may not send me flying threw mid air without the benefit of a parachute or big ass pillow to land on. No offense most excellent timing and what not. But... Ah Christ. " she stopped short, pulled away and ran back the trees.

"Mother Fucking BB. You prick. One damn rejection. Have you ever heard of Vamps working for a human?" she asked from her position on the ground. "I could understand Humans working for Vamps, but have you ever heard of it working the other way. It doesn't make sense in my head. You guys are the bigs, why work for him? He's a total ass." she continued to speak. To out of it to really register that movement, other than sitting while wobbling back and forth was good thing.

[Concieved D'maggio]

Con laughed as he walked over to Nada. He wraped an arm around her waist and helped her up slowly.
"Sorry about that, but we had to move fast. We still do need to move fast too."

He mouthed the word sorry to her and threw her on his back again. He raced down two more blocks and reached the edge of the park. He zoomed through the trees and reach the southwest edge of the park. He let her down and smiled at his old hideaway.

When he was first turned he hid away in the park for one year of his eternal life. The hideaway was just an old cave that he had made. He walked inside and picked up an old candle that he had left long ago. He lit it and walked around looking for the one thing that would help her more than just a small pistol.

He dug in the middle of the room until he reached an old box covered in dirt. He opened it carefully and pulled out an older photo of a house in the middle of nowhere.

He sat up and handed her the photo. He looked down and smiled to himself.
"Nada I need you to leave for awhile. When everything has settled down I will come looking for you. This house is in London, and its the safest place I can think of. Its in the outskirts of the city down the country side. Go there and I have someone who can take care of you. She owes me a favor. I'll take you to the airport and get you a ticket."

He smiled and hugged her gently.
"I dont want you getting hurt. I promise that I will come find you."

[nada harper]

"Hurt me?" she laughed, pushing herself out of his arms. "I'm a stranger who looks like your dead wife. Who's only value to you is the possibility that I can find your family. And your going to send me away because you...you think... I'll be safer." she cackled.

"You don't know him?" she shook her head. "BB isn't going to just let me go. He's human but he's got connections, high and low. And now appearently supernatural. Still don't know how he pulled that off." she shrugged staring at the cave floor.

"He's not going to hurt me Con. He's going to hurt you, to get to me. I don't care how tough or bad you think you are. He's worse. Trust me I know." she admitted bitterly. "I'm not saying this to be ironic or cliche`. I'm not even trying to be funny. He's that bad. And I'm that unbelievably stupid for thinking he'd just let me go. I'm not even one of his favorites and the son of a bitch still noticed I was gone." she grummbled the last bit to her self.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." she muttered walking over the wall leaning back against it before sliding down it and sitting on the floor.

"Out of sheer curisosity. What would it take to have Vampires work for a human? Willingly or otherwise. I'd really like to know how he pulled this one off. Any ideas. Or are you just going to conk my over the head, ignore my question and send me to London anyway. And why did they stop chasing you when we got to the park? That was just plain werid." I met Trey here she added quitely for herself. Widening her eyes slightly as realized what all she'd said and asked.

Damn, she sounded like an annoyed six-year-old

[Concieved D'maggio]

Con frowned and tried to controll raising his voice.
"Yes I think you would be alot safer than being in a city thats overun by vampires and werewolves! Shit I'm racking my brain why I just dont feed on you and be done with it, but for some reason I care for you. Again and again I get the first degree. If you dont want to go than fine, but if you still need my help than you need to be just a little bit fucking nicer to the man who is at least on your fucking side. Got it?"

He growled and punched the stone wall, making a small fist sized chunk into it. He looked back at her and sighed.
"The only way I think any vampire or other would team with a high powered man would be security and feeding room. A promise of some nice shelter and all the blood they can get and I bet any vampire with low self respect and maybe even newborns would come running. If he is high powered as you say than it makes it even worse. That may just be the reason why there has been no one convicted for all those killings."

He walked around absorbing this all in. It sort of made sense about all the killing in the city. He looked at her with confusion in his eyes and sat down.
"Now we are not moving and I'm not going to answer anymore questions until you tell me who BB is, what he can do, and how powerfull he is right now. I want answers now!."

[Ellie]

Watch your post count, every post has to be more than 300 words.

[nada harper]

"His name is Baron Barney. Yeah I know with a name like that it's no wonder he's a power hungry creep. And he's... was my Mom's pimp. She was one of his favorites. I was just her kid, and because of that I was off, limits. Until she died anyway, then he figured I was old enough and pretty enough to go into the biz." she sneered the word staring hard that the ground. Almost wishing the event she was recalling was a living, breathing person. So she could beat the be Jesus out of it.

"The first John he set me up with... I didn't go. I went to the cops instead. And spent the next three days in a jail cell for solicitation. I was a fucking Minor!" she shouted, glaring up at Con. "How do you charge a minor with solicitation?" She looked away shaking her head. "After that BB stopped by with a message 'I loved your mother like she was my own, took care of her. And I would have done the same for you.' After that I got dumped in the worse foster home in Seattle. About a month after that, the visions started happening. And you know how it goes from there." She stopped, running her hands through her hair she let a heavy sigh.

"He's the only one with the means to find me. Only you and Trey know what I can do. I've never told anyone else. It have to be him, he has to be looking for me." she shook her head. "Not even my Mom, even after she was married, he still made her work."

"By all his accounts, he probably thinks he owns me." she snorted. "And I refuse to be owned." she added staring up at Con. "And for the record. This is as nice as I get. I've stayed with you longer than I've stayed anywhere for the last three years. I've told you more about myself, than I've told anyone since my mom died. And you are constantly treating me like I'm some frail little flower your afraid to crush. News Flash! I ALL READY AM! Stop trying to protect me! Every time someone tries to protect me, some one say they care for me, they just whined up hurting me. Stop trying to play my Knight in shinning armor, when I am anything but the Damsel in distress." she snapped. Clinching her fists before, she got her feet and started pacing the cave, muttering to herself.

"I shouldn't be here. Staying was a mistake. I should have done what I normally do. Take the job, and keep moving. You stay too long. They start to notice, they notice they talk, they talk and you end up playing looks-see for people you'd rather see dead. Or worse you in end up back in a white cell with a Latino nurse forcing pills down your throat." she spat, cringing at the remembered feel of the hard little capsules sliding down her throat. "Fine that's it." she stated coming to a stop. "I'll leave. I'll find your family. I just won't do it here. Bye." she said and started out of the cave.

[Concieved D'maggio]

Con frowned, again and again he had told himself that he would not get close to anyone ever again. He had told himself that sense the last incident, but he went ahead and turned his back on his own self.

He watched as she walked out of the cave, the anger boiling up inside him. No good deed ever goes unpunished, and it was happening right before his eyes. He ran across her and skidded to a stop in front of her. His eyes boiled with sheer anger.

"The deal is off, don't do me any favors. It seems that the only thing that you can care about is your own damn self. You seem to think that I am the one who put you in the situation your in, like I am the one who padded you up and threw away the key. I have shown you nothing but kindness and help and all I get is crude remarks and a face that would make the Virgin Mary cringe. Forget about finding anyone for me. Good luck by the way getting to a cab in time, or running to the airport or the subway. The only reason they don't come here is because I know this territory by heart, I claim this section of the park for me and my close Friends."

He stepped aside and bowed his head down, throwing his arm to the sides as an "After you" expression. He looked up and smiled to her. He wasn't going to let her get hurt, he was just going to follow her till she got to the airport and got the hell out of here. After that he was going to find this man and make him pay for making her suffer.

He honestly didn't care if she wanted him around or not. After the deed would be done he would just find her scent and make sure that she would be safe. He hated himself for this, uprooting his life for this woman who just didn't even want him around, but something inside told him to protect her. He knew that he would die for her, even if she hated his guts.

She gave him something to look forward to again. He didn't know what that thing was, but something deep inside his dead heart made him want to follow her anywhere. He jumped into the trees and hid, watching and listening to the hostile vampires around him. They hissed and growled in the shadows but didn't move an inch. A fight out in the public was one thing they did not want on they re hands. That would give them the biggest advantage.

[nada harper]

Nada stared at the spot Con had been standing in only seconds ago, seething with quite rage. Was he deaf or just plain stupid? Had all those years, centuries even of being an animated corpse with fangs finally rotted his brain to the point of caveman like thought? She was trying to protect him and he was yelling at her about not caring.

If she didn't care, she would have hightailed out of this city after her first night with him. If she didn't care she wouldn't have promised to find his family. If she didn't Fucking care she wouldn't have told him so much about herself, like some stupid love struck teenage moron. The thoughts thundered through her head, each louder than the last and far more angry.

Sure he was a Vampire and could probably protect himself a hundred times better than she could, but at least she could try. And he was just a Vamp, a single vampire against who knew how many others, that BB had hired.

And what was that crap about the deal being off. She'd promised to find his family and she damn well would. Short of death or memory loss she'd do exactly what she'd told him she would. She'd just do it away from him where it was safer for him. Though the prospect of her leaving seemed to piss him off more than the idea of his sending her away. Frankly she didn't see the difference. Away was away didn't matter who's idea it was.

And then he'd just bounded off into the trees like some freakish bunny with vampy fangs and PMS. Christ she was the girl, she was human, and she didn't even have the temper tantrums he constantly displayed. And she didn't know if it was because of her and bitchy attitude, or because she looked just like his dead wife with her while showing said attitude.

She doubted every much that his wife-when she'd been alive- had acted anything like her. Most likely because when he'd been alive wives had acted nothing like her.

Well whatever she was leaving that was that. She huffed stomping her way out the park hailing a cab upon reaching the street.