"She said she wants to go to the park."

"All right... Then I'll meet you at the park."

"Fine. Just leave that slutty bitch boss of yours outta it this time."

The receiver clicked down on the other line, and Colton glanced down at his phone. He had never gotten Lily involved in the first place. Her choice, not his. Colton stood from the edge of his bed and glanced at the clock. God, he loved winter. It was dark at 5--a reasonable hour to be dark, with long nights. It gave him more time to be considered human, and more time at the park.

And she was not a slutty bitch.

Colton walked to the park with his head hung. He was dressed like a college student tonight, not like a 23-year-old businessman. Dressed in dark blue jeans, cruddy old shoes, and a black hoodie. A peppered black/grey scarf dangled out of his sweater, and he was fiddling with the tassels on the end of it. He avoided the fastest way to the park, so he wouldn't have to cross over an overpass that could tell his life story; it had been through so much with. First Jake, who was murdered there, by Hannah, a girl he had fallen for... And now she was dead too. The bridge was a curse. He'd avoid it at all costs tonight.

Stephen was there at the park with little Celeste, both bundled against the chill of the night. Few words were said by either man, and Celeste was left to carry the entire conversation. How she wanted to go to the church, not the park. She wanted Uncle Cotton to take her to the church. Stephen patted her head and left quietly.

Neither father nor daughter said their final goodbyes.

"And I wanna eat Mac and Cheese and play with Daisy and can we go home first to get Daisy and then go to the church because I miss Daisy the mostest and I wanna see her again! Does Daisy miss me too, Uncle Cotton? Does she? Did you ask her? Can we go get her?"

About an hour later, Colton and Celeste entered the church with a little dog yipping and barking and bouncing at their heels. Colton glanced around, and after being sure that Liatha wasn't thing, he allowed himself to relax a bit. Depressed, but relaxed. Celeste couldn't understand why Colton wasn't feeling well. Not her place, anyway.

Colton slid down into a pew in the front of the church, watching Celeste silently. She and Daisy were playing house. He remember that, when he and Codi would... No. He wasn't going to start thinking about Codi.

Why did everyone he loved leave him?

7 o'clock was just falling in the city.

So much had changed, so much in just a few short hours.

After their meeting earlier, Liatha had stormed out of the church, making his way blindly into the city. He had intended to find "White Mice," the club that Holstein had entered, but instead what he found was a new life, something so unexpected and out of character it was almost sickening.

Blindly, Liatha has stumbled upon a woman-- Felicia, as he later learned she was called-- and her daughter-- Karyn. Thoughtlessly, he killed the woman, and would have left the child, if another vampire had not shown up.

Maria de Córdoba, the retched woman's name.

She had forced the child upon him, it was his duty to care for the child. No matter how many long years went by, this was the one part of his human soul that he could not rid himself of-- duty.

He took the child, not because he cared, not because it was morally the right thing to do, not for repentance, but because that was his duty.

If nothing else, the fact that he had taken her only increased his anger. THe girl would ruin his life. Fortunately, she was mortal. And she would die. He, would live on, and sooner or later she would be only a memory and a waste of 18 years.

18 out of 600? Out of one thousand? Out of two thousand? She, like all other things mortal, was insignificant.

For this reason, Liatha was stalking-- almost gloomily-- up the steps of the church that hid the Nephim coven, cradling a 5-year-old girl named Karyn in his arms. He wore a black wife beater, black trench coat and pants, and was still donning the sunglasses he had left with.

He kicked the door open, and grimaced as he saw the outline of Colton Holstein in the pews.

He instantly shielded his mind, and walked almost silently toward where Holstein was. The confrontation was inevitable, he might as well get it over with.

The door was slammed open and Colton hopped to his feet at the sound. He glanced over his shoulder to face the oncoming Liatha. Celeste stood in awe of the man with silver hair and red eyes. In fact, she was frightened by him. He looked cold. She ran over to Colton and hid behind his legs.

Daisy had a different idea. She started barking and growling and yipping at this newcomer, this uninvited man in her church. The closer he got, the further up she backed. It seemed everyone in the church could sense the power and harshness Liatha had.

"What are you..." Colton started, before glancing down at the little girl in his arms. She was not much older than Celeste, and she was sleeping. Peacefully? Her hair was disheveled, and her expression did not convey happiness. It did not convey much, but... Still. Colton preferred to think that she hated Liatha as much as he did.

"Who is she? Why isn't she with her parents? Why are you bringing her here?" Colton took a small step forward, inspecting little Karyn closer. From what he could see, she didn't look dinged up. Perhaps she was his relative? No, Colton could sense how old this man was. She was no relative of his.

In the silence between bits of conversation, Daisy barked as demanding as ever from her place on the alter.

"I am returning to the only place I can call... home." Liatha spat in response to Holstein's unfinished question.

He looked at the man in front of him, every ounce of hate he contained burning thourgh his eyes and into the air around him. Hate for the man, hate for the girl, and currently, hate for his own weakness at falling subject to something as human as duty.

He resecured his mind, Holstein could not know the truth. There had to be no chance that Holstein could probe his mind, no chance he could find out anything. It would ruin everything, and probably get him kicked out of thre coven.

"Her name is Karyn Ashford, she is 5-years-old. She is not with her parents because they are dead. They were killed in a car accent tonight, I found her while I was feeding. The police, everyone, took her for dead. Everyone but me and one other vampire who was there, the other sensed she was alive. She saved the girl, but could not care for her. She had nowhere else to go, and so the girl has been given to me. I am bringing her here because I need to leave her somewhere while I find somewhere for her.... and myself to live. She needs to be somewhere safe, I cannot bring her with me."

He spoke with a voice that was as cold and as harsh as usual. He refused to fall subject to Holstein's pity, and he refused to show any sign of weakness to the younger man. He did not need Holstein's help.

"I intend to leave her in one of the unoccupied rooms, if that is okay with you."

Whether Liatha told Colton the lie he was hearing or the truth, Colton could not believe, even for a mere second, that Liatha had taken some sort of responsibility, especially responsibility that pertained to a small child. Colton did not try probing his mind. He was too shocked at Liatha's action to do much.

"Vampire? I dun like vampires because they are scary and can turn into icky bats and I'm scared of them!"

Celeste burried herself deeper into Colton's leg, and he paled slightly more. He had forgotten she was there. After throwing an annoyed look at Liatha, he leaned down and picked Celeste up. "No, Celeste... He was just trying to scare you... There are no such thing as vampires. Those are just fairy tales." Celeste threw her arms around his neck and burried her head in his shoulder. She muttered something, but it was uncomprehensible. Colton turned back to Liatha, a slight glare on his face.

"If you'd mind... I have spent so much time on trying to make her life as normal as it could be. You know, no such thing as vampires, and all that great stuff your parents told you when you were a kid... I suggest that, while raising Karyn, you take on the same strategy. No such thing as vampires." Colton spoke in Liatha's head. No words were uttered; communication through thought.

"It's not ok to just leave Karyn down there in the catacombs... What if she wakes up down there, alone? You obviously know nothing of children... Leave her here. I'll watch her till you get back." Colton spoke sternly, in a most matter-of-fact voice that could remind you of a mother.

Celeste looked up from his shoulder slightly, trying to inspect Karyn without looking too interested. She was going to have a playmate? Celeste looked to Liatha, then to Colton, before glancing back down to Karyn.

((Ashford hun ^.~ And you might as well not bother mentioning her father.))

'Mommy?' Called out a curious voice. 'Can we come back tomorrow and play?' The five year old had asked hopefully.

'Well. We'll see how mommy's feeling when you get home from school. You know the baby is making me tired.' She had responded as they made their way out towards the street to cross back to their little appartment.

Blood red eyes flashed in her mind, causing her body to tence in it's sleep.

'Okay mommy!' She responded cheerfully. 'We can both say our prayers and go to bed when we get home.' But then a sence of dread flooded over her. As she saw those eyes, the man was dangerous. She wanted to scream, she wanted to run away from him.

But mommy would make everything better

But no, mommy was hurt. There was blood, she wasn't moving. There were bright lights in her eyes, noise, crying. What was going on? Where was mommy?

Her teeth were clenched as a wimper of fear came from her lips as she curled against him

Liatha glared at the back of Holstein's head. He had not learnt the art of mindspeech, and so choose not to respond to Holstein's comments.

"Fine. You watch her then." He was tempted to just throw her on the floor, but he did not want to get kicked out of the coven. Besdies, if he killed her now, then the past 15 minutes he had just spent lugging her here and the time he spend talking with Córdoba would be wasted.

"And I will take your advise into consideration." He said, referring to what Holstein had told him.

Suddenly, the girl let out a whimper of fear, and moved, instinctively, Liatha tightened his grip on her. Was it a gester of reassurance, or was it just to prevent her from falling?

As quickly as he had moved, Liatha relaxed his grip on the girl-- and moved her slowly away from his body-- offering her to Holstein.

'Mommy! Wake up!' The little girl called out to the stikk body. "Mommy please!' But suddenly she felt tired, Things were going black. What was happening? She couldn't fight the sleep.

But now she was waking up. Moving slightly she snuggled back against the person holding her, her forhead against the upper arm. Mommy. Mommy was okay, it was all just a bad dream. Her eyes opened slowly.

"Mommy?" She called out quietly. But she saw black. Mommy never wore black pajamas... And it didn't smell like her. Turning her head up her eyes opened wide with fear. Those eyes she had seen those eyes before, hadn't she? "Mommy!" She screamed shrilly as she tried to push away from the man holding her. But realizing she was going to fall she moved in closer, clinging to his jacket.

"Where's my mommy! I want my mommy!" Her voice was full of fear, panic. Where was she? Who was this man holding here? "Mommy!" She screamed again.

Liatha cringed as the girl screamed, and tried to push away from him. He held on, refusing to let her fall in front of Holstein.

She was crying for her mother, of course. He snarled a curse. Then she grabbed onto his jecket, still screaming shrilly for her mother.

He looked at Holstein, helpless but unwilling to admit it. What was he supposed to do?

"Shhh. Calm down." The words were awkward, forgein to him. They fell out of his mouth like fish out of water, flopping around uselessly.

And they felt weird-- to form words meant to comfort. "Shh... everything's alright." Like hell it is...

He hoped the girl would calm down....

She shook her head as she burried her face in his trench coat. "Nonononono!" She cried, her voice significantly quieter as she began to sob. "Where's my mommy? She's hurt! I want to find my mommy! Something happened to her!" She panicked before choking on her tears.

Had daddy hurt mommy and the baby? The very thought sent her body in to tremmers. "I don't want daddy to take me home!" She sobbed as she curled her fists in to little balls. Daddy would only hurt her again. They had run from him because of the baby. If she was sent back to him who knew what he would do to her. "I don't love him! I love mommy! I want my mommyyy." Her words broke off into a stream of tears and crying as she curled in to him as if to hide from everyone.

This man didn't smell right, didn't feel right. He was so familliar, but she had never met him before. Was he her uncle? A relative of her mother? Where was she now? It wasn't their little appartment.

"Calm down, calm down, everything is going to be okay." He felt like he was just reciting lines from a movie. He had no idea what to say to her.

"You're not going to go back to your father, you're going to stay with me and Mr. Holstein for a little while." He looked up at Holstein, practically begging the man for help with his cold, red eyes.

"Your mother got hurt tonight, she's okay, but you're not going to be able to see her for a little while." He was trying to be as gentle as he knew how-- which he barely knew how to do-- but all he desperately wanted was to shut up.

Karyns body relaxed noticably as he asured her she would not be going to her father. Her father was a cruel man. He hurt her mommy and her. Hitting them, undressing them to take pictures of them. Sometimes he would go after her mother, she could still hear the screams sometimes in her nightmares. Like the one she just had.

The tears still flowed but there was a push at her mind to stop crying, to silence her tears. So she did.

She looked up at him, her brown eyes red with tears, there was something about him that made her feel safe, another part that made her want to run screaming. He was so scary looking! But he hadn't hurt her... But that didn't mean he wouldn't.

She sniffled and gvea little hiccup as she rubbed her eyes. "When'll I get ta see 'er again?" She asked. "Is... is the baby okay? Daddy didn't find us did he?" Just because she wasn't going to go back with him didn't mean he wasn't here. "I dun't wan'im to hurt me and mommy again!" She choked out quietly.

Colton arched an eyebrow as Liatha held out the child to him. Like hell he was going to hold two little girls. What did he look like? A gay housesitter, ready for bottle rounds? Colton put Celeste down gentle, just as Karyn started to wake, calling for her mother.

Colton couldn't help her or Liatha. He told Celeste her mother was dead, wasn't coming back. Children Celeste's age didn't understand Death. Karyn seemed to be able to understand the concept of lonliness, the concepts of hate and love, and how the hell was anyone supposed to tell her that she wasn't going to see her mother again? The way Colton told Celeste?

Celeste was all too familiar with this subject. Dangerously familiar. "My mommy isn't coming back, but that's ok because my Uncle Cotton took me away from my daddy. Oh, oh! Maybe... Uncle Cotton!" Celeste tugged on the knee of his pant leg and beamed up at him. "Are you gonna take her away from her daddy too? Are you gonna take her away too? Huh?" Colton smiled down at her, then glanced up to Liatha. "No. Mr. Liatha here is going to take care of Karyn, but if she wants, you can play with her for a while. How about that, Karyn? Does that sound good to you?"

Colton stepped closer to Liatha, ready to take Karyn if she obliged. Ready to put her back to sleep if she didn't.

"While you're gone, I'll break the news about her mother; the sooner she knows, the sooner she'll heal. If she knows you're not going to hurt her, and she knows you're not going to take her back to her father, she'll come to see you as family." Colton stood there silently, sternly looking Liatha in the eye. "Also, say you're her uncle. Uncle means family. Family means it'll be the only thing she has."

Celeste was standing just behind Colton's legs, looking up at Karyn, wide eyed and grinning. One little girl's nightmare was another's wildest dream come true.

(( Skirr-- Tsuka approved my application... when you get a chance, do you think you can still register me? ))

Liatha almost sighed with relief as the girl finally stopped crying. This was going to be much, much harder than he thought.

"The baby got hurt just like your mommy, but she's okay too, you just won't be able to see them for a little bit. No, you're daddy didn't find you, I did. I picked you up and brought you back here, remember? Your daddy won't hurt you... he can't anymore. You are okay now, you are safe." Where were these words comming from? He didn't believe he'd ever said anything quite like this in his whole life...

He didn't care about the girl. He just wanted her to stop freaking out so he could give her to Holstein and leave. She had runined his whole night, the whole next 18 years of his life. Fuck.

Liatha gave a short, quick nod, to acknowledge what he had heard Holsteain telling him telepahically.

"Look, Karyn," her name rolled off his tounge oddly. It didn't belong there, it was weird. Foul. Misplaced. He shook his head, clearing his mouth of the queer sensation. "You're going to stay with me for a little bit. Remember me? I'm you're Uncle Liatha. But I have to go and make sure your mommmy is going to be okay, so I have to go for a little bit now. I need you to stay here, with..." He stumbled over the name. Holstein sounded too distant, how could she possibley respond to that? Colton? Uncle Colton? That's what the other little brat was calling him... maybe it was the best course of action. "Uncle Colton while I'm gone. Can you do that for me, Karyn?"

This other little girl too had been taken from her daddy after her mommy wasn't comming back? Well her mommy was comming back. She would come and take her home. And she would have the baby and she woudl get to help with the baby. She wasn't going to stay here with these people. She shook her head quickly, sharply as the other man asked her if she wanted to play. She wanted to see her mommy.

If mommy was okay, why couldn't they go see her? She wanted her mommy, not some old uncle! And he must have been old to to have a full head of white hair like that. And how did she have relitives here? Her mommy had said they knew no one in the city, but it seemed as if in the blink of an eye... Uncle Liatha showed up.

But why did she have to go with this other man now? She gave a little pout. "Are you going to see mommy?" She asked hesitantly. "To see if she's okay?" There was something about being here that made her almost nervous, making her want to curl closer in his arms.

"No, I'm not going to see your mommy right now. She had to go away-- somewhere where no one can see her. That's why you can't see her for a little while." Was she understanding any of this? And why did she have to keep asking so many goddamn questions.

He looked to Holstein, silently pleading for him to take her-- to do something. He had said that he would make her understand. And yet he just stood there, watching Liatha flounder. The anger flashed up again, eyes burning bright. Stupid sadistic bastard.

He was going to have to get a nanny or... something. He just could not take this.

It was kinda amusing, really, to see Liatha struggle with Karyn. Smelled like payback. Like, 'So you thought me weak, and here you are, feebly pleading for me to help.' And Colton wasn't going to deny that he enjoyed the slight reach of power he had over Liatha, but he didn't have the heart to flaunt and revel in it.

Colton reached out and touched Karyn gently, putting her to sleep. "Here, let me take her." Colton picked her up gingerly and cradled her carefully. Celeste grinned up from his side. "Go get an appartment. Make sure you live near a teenager who likes to babysit."

Colton sighed. "And, do you have any money? Because they get expensive..." Just look at Celeste. She was all dolled up in a little pretty dress. She liked looking like a princess, and Colton couldn't deny her that. Dresses weren't cheap. Lucky for Colton, he had a job that could pay all the bills. Connections. Connections were always good.

Liatha desperately wanted to scream at the man. did he look like he had a job? did he look like he had any money? And he had that stupid grin on his face. That stupid grin that meant he thought he had something on Liatha. That he thought he was better, at least at something, than Liatha.

What did it matter? The whole thing was stupid. The whole thing was geting out of hand. What did it matter if Holstein understood children? He had a heart, he had emotions. It would be his downfall.

Liatha knew better, he had overcome that particular weakness, like many of his others, a very long time ago. No, Holstein had nothing on him.

"I have money... in England. It is, however, inaccessable to me, as it has been sitting in a bank account waiting for 576 years for the heir of the Bond fortune to retrive it. I do not need money.

"And I'm not hiring a babysitter."

He turned, black trench coat flying out behind him, and headed toward the door, grumbling about mortals.

Colton smiled as Liatha left, and set Karyn down on the pew. Celeste couldn't stay away from the new girl. Daisy was left, forgotten, under the alter table.

"Is she gonna wake up? Is she gonna play with me? When is she gonna wake up?

Celeste darted around Colton in circles. He stood silently, watching little Karyn soberly. Any second now, Celeste...

Celeste darted between Colton and Karyn, excited.

"Are we gonna adopt her? Is she gonna come live with us?"

Colton shook his head.

"Is she gonna wake up and play with me?"

The first thing that had to happen was for Karyn to wake up.

"Please Uncle Liatha? I wanna tell her I love her and I'll say my prayers for her to get better." The little girl seemed close to tears again as she heard him speak. Why couldn't anyone see her? "But... But Mommy's comming back right? An' an' an... I wanna see her!" She hiccuped, holding back the sobs that threatened again. Mommy had told her to be brave when they left daddy, that they would have to be strong and brave.

She shyed away from the man who Uncle Liatha said was her uncle as well, curling further into his arms. She suddenly felt sleepy though, rubbing her eyes with a slight yawn. Her body slowly went limp in Liatha's arms as he handed her over to Colten, she didn't even feel the movement.
-----
She curled up slightly as he lay her in a pew, the hard wood was cold on her cheek, waking her from the light doze. How long had she been asleep? Was iti all just a bad dream?

She clenched her eyes shut tight, wimpering slightly. Dear God and Jesus... Please let me be home with mommy safe and sound. I wanna be with my mommy... Please let mommy be okay. And the baby too... She said in her mind silently. She wanted to be home, safe in her warm bed.

"Mommy?" She whispered, refusing to open her eyes.

Colton said nothing as the little girl woke. He wasn't going to be the one to make the first move. He was unsure of what to say; did he tell her the truth? Did he lie to her, by standing silently, and let he think that she might be home with her mother?

For once, Celeste didn't say anything either. Well, no. Nothing to the girl. Celeste ran over to Colton and tugged on his pantleg. With on hand around her mouth, she motioned to him that she had a secret. Colton knelt down and listened. She didn't whisper.

"Where's her mommy? Are you gonna tell her that her mommy's not here?"

Colton stood back up and placed a hand on his hip, the other running through his hair. What to say, what to say. Colton let one hand come to rest on the back of his neck, the other still on his hip. What to say.

"No, Karyn. Your mother was... Was killed in a car crash tonight. The police called your uncle Liatha to come and make sure you had a place to live," Colton said, sighing at the end. "Liatha said he wasn't going to let you go back to your father, so... So he came instead."

She gave a small whimper as she heard a voice like hers, small and delicate, say her mommy wasn't here. where was she then? Her heart sank as she opened her eyes to look around, No, she wasn't at home. It hadn't all been a bad dream. "Mommy?" She whispered. She shut her eyes again, maybe this would all go away some how.

Karyn's eyes snapped open as the man spoke again. Dead? No, her mommy wasn't dead. "Nu uh!" She said shaking her head feircly. My mommy loves me and she's gonna come back for me!." But there was a look of doubt on her face. "You're lying to me! Uncle Liatha said she was okay! Mommy's going to come back for me!" She insisted, her lowerlip beginning to tremble slightly.

Was mommy really gone? She coudn't be. Mommy was okay, even Uncle Liatha said she was okay, but just a little hurt. Uncle Liatha wouldn't lie to her would he?

Her eyes flicked over to the other girl. She seemed to be... happy.

"My mommy's coming back!" She said again strongly.

Colton didn't meet little Karyn's gaze. He couldn't meet much, actually, but especially not the gaze of a little girl.

It was Celeste that got defensive. "Uncle Cotton doesn't lie!" She said sharply. And her pout, Daisy was up and barking again.

Colton glanced down to Celeste. "Celeste," he said firmly, almost threateningly. "You do not speak to people like that." Celeste immediately backed down, and Daisy followed her lead. Colton pointed to an open door not far from where they were standing. "You go downstairs right now."

Now it was Celeste's turn to look hurt. "Bu--"

"--NOW, Celeste!"

And Celeste ran as quickly as she could to the stairs, her puppy stuck in an indesicion. Did she stay and guard her master, or did she follow her misses. Daisy slunked after Celeste, and laid down under the alter table, whining slightly.

"Karyn," Colton continued, his voice much softer. "She's gone... You were... You were knocked uncon... You fell asleep, and the hospital called Uncle Liatha, and he brought you to stay with me because... We're... Good friends." And Colton masked his dislike for saying that perfectly.

He knelt down in front of her, and sighed. "He's the only good family you have left..."

He looked like he was tellign the truth... She stood there shaking her head. It wasn't true, it wasn't. Mommy couldn't be gone. Not forever. They were going to be a new family. They were going to start a new life here.

But.... Why wouldn't she be able to see her mommy? Why was she here instead of in the hospital with her mommy? Why would Uncle Liatha be here with her and takign her to live with him?

She wrapped her arms around her stomach as tears began to fall. She wanted Argento. She wanted her mommy. She sniffled as she lay back down on the pew, her face hoolding more sorrow than seemingly possible.

"But..." She sobbed. "But mommy loves me... She... She's not..." She couldn't be gone. "Mommy..." She called out. "Mommy. Moooommy!" She began to sob, her whole body shaking as her choked tears echoed around the church. Where was Argento? Where was he? The teddy bear mommy had given her when she was still a baby...

Colton's shoulders slumped. With Celeste, it hadn't been that hard. She had been three. Karyn could understand what "gone" was and Colton had no idea how he could make it any easier for her.

"No, Karyn... She's not here..." Colton sat down next to her, and carefully hugged her. It didn't really occur to him that she hardly knew him. He just knew hugs were comforting, supportive, and even if it was against deathly cold skin, hugs always felt warm.

"Uncle Liatha promised he'd come back soon so that he could take you home... I'm sorry..."

Colton really didn't do well with strangers. He didn't do well with support. He wasn't a people's person, but right now, he was really trying to be there for the girl. He didn't expect her to be instantly mollified, but he was hoping that a simple hug and kind words would be enough to keep her from sobbing.

((I am SO sorry for the long wait!))

When the man hugged her she curled into him as she sobbed. "I want my mommy... I wanna see my mommy..." The last thing she could remember... Her mother crying, screaming... Red eyes...

She curled up tighter. She didn't like those eyes. "I wanna see my mommy..." She said with a sniffle and a small hiccoup as she tried to fight back the tears. "Please can I see my mommy? An... An I wan Argento..." She mumbled, bairly understandable.

She wanted her teddy bear. Something she could hold. Clutching onto Colten like she was doing now was no where near good enough. She didn;t know him... But he was nice... Nicer than those eyes she saw... Could she tell him about them?

Her sobs turned to hiccups as she made herself stop crying. "Can I see my mommy? I... wanna see her..." She looked up at him, hopeful that he would take her to see her mommy. But the red eyes flashed in her mind and she burried her face in his shirt with a whimper.

Colton rubbed her back gently, and softly hushed her down to silence. It was a calming noise, Colton though. He had always felt better when his mother hushed his tears with hugs and whispered hushes. It was just soothing.

"Who is Argento?" Colton asked, his voice softened down to a whisper. "Maybe we can go find him in a few minutes."

When she asked for her mother, Colton sighed. "No, you can't see her, Karyn... I'm sorry... She was too badly hurt..." Colton didn't dare say more. He knew what vampire deaths looked like. They were morbid in a calm, quiet way. A dead body was nothing to show a child, let alone a daughter. It was better if she never saw her mother again.

Celeste had crept up the staircase again, clutching a ruined duck toy. The stuffing had obviously been low quality, as the duck was mishappen and filthy, but Celeste hugged onto it anyway. Colton noticed her, but said nothing. She could listen, so long as she remained silent herself.

Celeste didn't look like she was going to speak.

"My teddy... She mummbled quietly. "Mommy gave him to me when I was little..." She whispered as she looked down from the man again.

She looked back up as Colton said that she couldn't see her mommy. "But... But I wanna see her... I... I wanna tell her I love her... and that I'm gonna pray for her to go to heaven... Please?" She looked up with her brown eyes pleadingly, but something told her that he wouldn't change his mind.

"Will you pray for her too?"

A teddy bear. Colton hoped that Liatha would be able to find that teddy bear for the little girl... Had Celeste not had Daa, he druck, Colton wouldn't have lasted very long...

"No... I'm sorry, Karyn..." He looked sorry, too. Maybe it was because Karyn hit so close to home, what with Celeste and his sister. "She knows that you love her... She will always know that you love her." Colton nodded slight, and patted Karyn gently on the head.

When she asked him to pray for her, Colton scowled inwardly. He couldn't believe in God. Not after the events that happened throughout his life. He couldn't believe that a God would let vampires freely roam the streets at night and rape women, kill elders, and take prisoner teens to forever be slaves unto them... He couldn't believe in a God. He couldn't pray.

"Yes, yes... I'll pray for her too."

He knew that was what she wanted to hear.