“Nervous?” The man asked as he passed her. Thea smiled, “No.” She had done this before, many times before and places just like this one, remote and small, a place that drew a select crowd. She stood in the wings watching the girl on stage. She was tall, tanned skin and hazel coloured eyes. Her hair was dyed black, a noticeable contrast to her appearance and gave away the use of a chemicals without question. Thea really didn’t care, she just wanted to get on the stage and sing.

The girl finished her song, applause, small and half-hearted but it was there. The crowd hadn’t gone for the girl’s punk rock anthem, but perhaps they would for Thea’s softer melody? Time would tell. “You done this before?” The manager asked as he stood smoking his cigar. “Several times,” Thea said with bright eyes aflame in the lights from the stage. “Good. Then you won’t puke all over my stage,” the man said calmly. She laughed to herself at the coolness of his comment and then focused herself on the stage as the MC announced her.

“Tonight we have a new treat for you. A pretty little thing all the way from New York City! Let’s here it for…Thea…” His voice had boomed over the speakers and then dimmed when he mentioned her name. It was a trick many MCs used.

The curtain raised, the manger long gone, and there she stood in her black dress with its glittering hem. The thin straps were barely visible in the dim lights as she stood centre stage. The mic was before her and her hand reached for it as the house band began to play. She began.

“You come out at night. That’s when the energy comes, and the dark side's light, and the vampires roam…” Sarah McLachan’s Building A Mystery was her song of choice, haunting yet moving at the same time it evoked something of the truth of her existence. Living in shadow, walking the earth through the ages as mysteries never to be discovered, it was the life of an immortal. Yes, she liked this song very much. “You strut your rasta wear…and your suicide poem…and a cross from a faith…that died before Jesus came…you're building a mystery…”

Her eyes closed as she sang, the soulful tone of her voice filling the room. She couldn’t see a face from her vantage point, even with her eyes opened, but they remained closed all the same. She opened them a few moments later, the feeling taking over as each word and not left her.

When the song was over, the lights dimmed and then rose throughout the room as the applause began. It was slow at first, but soon built. She smiled, “Thank you,” she said in her soft voice before leaving the stage. “How was that?” she asked the manager. He nodded his head but said nothing; his actions spoke louder than words.

She made her way to the floor, finding a seat by the bar. She was going to sing again after the next few acts, but in the mean time she was free to enjoy herself. Thea had fallen in love with singing long ago. It had been her hobby growing up, part of what she knew of everyday life. She sang while she baked, she sang when she bathed and she hummed while she walked. Music was inside her, but in her time it was not something of a profession for well respected women. Well respected women got married and had children…she had been well respected.

The night was young and it was a nice evening to spend time alone. That was what the young vampire thought as he sat down at the bar of the club. It was nice and quiet, but there were also pretty looking women singing, though they weren't the best. He wore a pair of denim jeans and a pretty nice collared shirt he found in his closet. It was black silk with green palm leaves on it. One of the employees at the Aces High Casino got for him as a gift. Alex sat on a stool enjoying a Sam Adam's he ordered earlier. The place was pretty expensive, but he enjoyed listening to the up and coming singers. The girl before with her punk rock song wasn't exactly the best, and he sighed shaking his head as she left the stage. He just clapped to be polite.

Then the next girl came on stage. He was expecting another wannabe punk rocker, but she was absolutely beautiful. Alex could sense that she was a vampire, a little older than him, and definitely better looking. New York? That wasn't that far from him at all. It might've been a lie, but he doubted it.

"Sir, do you want another beer?" The bartender asked bringing Alex out of his trance.

"What? Oh...yeah I'll have another one." He said turning back to the vampiress. She started singing. A lot more mellow and seductive than the punk rocker before. The vampire closed his eyes and listened to her voice. It was beautiful, like the voice of an angel. He smiled as it loosely referred to their own kind. Strange how people didn't know how close they were to the truth.

Then the song was over way too soon and Alex looked at the bartender and sighed taking the beer and sipped from it. If he was at the bar at Aces High he would've probably had something better, rum or maybe even some hard liquor. This was better than nothing.

The young vampire rested his chin on the palm of his hand and dangled the glass bottle in his fingers. There was a lot of shit going on, but he was glad for a little bit of a break. Out of the corner of his eye Alex spotted the vampiress that had been singing before, and grinned. Might as well try to talk to her a little bit.

Moving over to her Alex smiled at her and clapped slightly. "That was very good." The vampire sat down on a stool close to her, but not close enough that it would seem to be crowding.

“You want something?” the bartender asked as Thea took her seat. She looked at him, “Jack Daniels?” she replied her tone soft and composed. He flashes her a smile, “That’s a man’s drink sweetheart. You sure you can handle it?” he teased as he poured. She smiled, “I’m sure, but thanks for looking out,” she replied. He placed the drink before her, and leaned over to speak, “You weren’t half bad up there,” he said gently pointing towards the stage. It was his way of giving a compliment and she was willing to accept it. “Thank you for that,” she said with a smile and sipped her drink, “and for this.”

She sipped her drink, contemplating her next song. She had chosen two and had yet to decide which she was actually going to perform. There was Hands by Jewel and Here With Me by Dido. Did you guess she was in the soulful mood tonight? Her mind had been on rather painful memories lately, haunting dreams filling her mind. She kept seeing her son, Alexander, playing at her feet in their home in Virginia. She could see his sandy hair and round face looking up at her. She could remember the smell of his hair and the way he called her ‘mommy’. She was missing him. She always missed him.

Lance was a wonderful man, he understood that sometimes she just needed to be alone and think. This was one of those nights where she didn’t want to be alone, yet there she was. Lance was at the Ace High or off finding a meal. She hadn’t told him about her performance tonight, she didn’t know why she hadn’t. He liked her to hear her sing; he was her biggest fan and probably always would be.

She was brining her glass to her mouth once more when she sensed him, another vampire, picking up instantly on where he sat. She looked in his direct and caught his polite grin. He was younger than her in appearance, but Thea knew that with their kind looks were deceiving. She returned the smile. What could he hurt for company?

He moved over and complimented her performance. “Thank you,” she replied with a smile. “Glad you liked it.”

It seemed as if the woman liked her alcohol, because she was drinking a Jack Daniel's and he kind of felt one upped. The music the woman sang was something he needed very dearly. It was soothing his mind.

Alex swigged his beer, and sighed listening to the woman's words. "Are you going to sing again?" He smiled and offered his hand to her. "The name's Alex." She seemed like a high end woman, older than him, and yet another person he could only dream of being with. "Your name's Thea right?" He had a lot of troubling dreams, and he was busy making sure Eire was alright. Alex was trying to stay away from Eire...it was safer for her. A quick glance told him that she was beautiful, though he didn't need to look.

What was it with him and girls? It seemed like he was always finding the perfect girl who was already taken. If she was already with someone then he'd be striking out yet again. Maybe it was his destiny to find the wrong person.

Jack Daniel’s a smooth drink in her opinion and not one that bothered particularly. It was strong, a somewhat masculine drink as she was often told, but she liked it. Maybe she liked it because in her time strong drink was the norm, but for men only and she had taken to challenging that a few years after becoming immortal. It did help that alcohol had little if any affect on her.

“Yes. I’m supposed to sing again a little later,” she replied to his question. She smiled and took his offered hand, giving it a gentle shake as he introduced himself. “Alex?” she said, the name so close to her son’s, in fact it was his nickname. Oh Alex. “Yup that’s me…Thea,” she said pleasantly as he saved her having to introduce herself.

“Nice to meet you Alex. You come here often or is this your first time?” she asked curiously, trying to make conversation. The bartender was paying attention to this discourse as bartenders with nothing to do often do. What was it with needing to know other people’s business, their problems, their secrets? Thea had her secrets, so well hidden that even her lover did not know them. It was better if he didn’t know; it was simpler if he didn’t.

Alex was young, maybe in his late teens or early twenties when he’d been turned, his face still had the look of youth, though his eyes held his age at least enough that another of his kind could tell.

Looks were funny with vampires. Did Thea look like she’d given birth to a child or was almost 170 years old? Not at all. She looked like a young woman with the world ahead of her, an attractive woman that any man would look at twice. Don’t tell her that though, she never seen the beauty that others claimed she had, all she thought of was that one day she had a life, a son and a family and then they were all taken from her.

The funny thing Alex found about Sam Adams was the fact that the beer sucked before Sam Adams was sold to people outside of the family. Beer was still shitty, but at least Sam Adams was tolerable. He wasn't really one to drink, even though that was basically the only thing they had to drink.

He smiled as Thea answered his question. "Have you decided on what to sing?" Alex was a guy really into the new heavy metal rock, but he also loved most other music. Justin Timberlake...not so much. Britney Spears? Definitely not. Classical was another one of his favorites, since it was the time period he was raised in. Thea seemed interested that his name was Alex. He didn't know why, but he wasn't going to ask unless she brought it up. Blushing ever so slightly Alex smiled. "Yeah this is my first time here. I usually go to other clubs...I'm glad I found this place in the Yellow Pages."

If Alex knew how she had a family, then he'd know her pain. He hadn't seen his parents since he was kidnapped by pirates. It was always a heart ache. Hell he was worried about losing someone precious to him again. Damn he was having bad luck. "You been here before?" He asked curious. From the way the manager introduced her Alex would have to say that it was her first time. Though he wasn't really one to make assumptions, especially around other vampires.

She smiled, swallowing the mouthful of JD before replying to Alex. “Not yet,” she admitted and would have blushed if the blood would go to her cheeks. “I have two choices and just can’t seem to make up my mind. Hopefully I will before I have to go on again,” she added.

Alex was drinking beer, something that Thea simply couldn’t stand. Beer tasted like what she imagined fermented swill would taste like. Sherry and brandy were the drinks of her time, with the addition of rum of course, but beer it was simple not a drink made to be consumed, at least in her opinion. It was fine that he liked it, but it was most definitely not for her.

Thea had a varied and extensive list of music and artists whom she appreciated, the more modern variety were fewer on her list, though the likes of Josh Groban and others of that sort did find a home on her list.

“I thought so,” she said with a smile. “The Yellow Pages? You took the easy route. I just wandered around and came across this place,” she admitted and took another sip of her drink. “Next time I ought to do that…it might be easier,” she said jokingly. She wouldn’t of course; Thea liked wandering the city and seeing what she would find. She was a woman who liked surprises.

“I came here several times before, I just never sang here before,” she told him, casually playing with the rim of her glass. “Thankfully I wasn’t too bad,” she added with a grin.

“Are you from around here?” she asked with the same friendly politeness she addressed most strangers with.

Alex nodded listening to Thea. "I was hoping you would. You have a really beautiful voice. Hell I was enchanted by it." Sighing he took a long sip of the beer. No matter how many times he drank it, it always tasted like piss. "I'll hope you choose a song too."

Maybe he'd ask her out, but he doubted she was single. It was kind of a disappointment that he couldn't really find anyone. He laughed and smiled at the woman. "Yeah I can be pretty lazy if I want to be." Alex chuckled. "I didn't think of just wandering, takes a little too much time."

So Thea'd been here before? That was cool, but at least he walked in on her first time singing. It was soothing. Alex listened to Thea as she asked if he was from Demaitre. He shook his head and sighed. "I'm from New Haven in Connecticut." It was a good time to get to know Thea. "How about you? Are you from New York?" If she was from New York then she was pretty damn close to his home.

Thea looked at Alex with soft friendly eyes that lit up at his compliment. “Thank you,” she said flattered. “But you flatter me really. My singing is not deserving of such praise, though I am grateful to accept it,” she said not wishing to offend him. “I hope so too,” she said with a small smile and a shrug of her shoulders. Dido or Jewel…Dido or Jewel. Oh well, she had at least half an hour to decide, maybe more depending on how long the other acts took.

She laughed politely, “We all can be lazy when we’re ready to be,” she assured him. “Don’t feel badly about it. I’m the strange one, I enjoy wandering aimlessly, sounds like I should be called lazy since I obviously have nothing better to do if I can spend all my time being aimless.” She had never really thought of it like that, but she supposed someone would say it was true. However, she really had no need to be constructive did she? She couldn’t make some big medical discovery or fly to the moon. She was just going to be Thea Christian for the rest of her life, or until she decided to change her name again.

“Norfolk, Virginia originally,” she said with a smile that indicated that it was the place of her true origins, as Alex informed her he was not from but from Connecticut. “But I just moved her from New York,” she added. “I was there for quite a while.”

She sipped her drink again. “So what brought you to Demaitre?” She asked curiously. In Thea’s case it had been a desire to see more of the world, to see this place that Lance loved so much and to be part of the larger coven of Enashe that was located here. In New York there were Enashe, but not so prevalent as in Demaitre, in New York the other more power hungry, life-disrespecting covens seemed to prevail. She had no problems with the members of other covens, but Thea still liked mortal life, still missed the joy of it. She cherished life and had not taken one in over a hundred years.

Alex shook his head. "I'm not flattering you!" He said with a warm smile. "You really do have a beautiful voice." He wasn't offended, but he wasn't lying either. It was the most beautiful singing he'd heard in years. It soothed his weary mind and body. "I really think you have a beautiful voice...I'm surprised you're not a professional singer." He expected her to be a singer, or some occupation close to it.

Alex didn't consider Thea lazy. Hell she was more active than him, and she probably knew places that he didn't. The vampire didn't exactly get as much activity as he'd like, but with the whole thing happening with Eire he'd been more active, even taking some karate classes at the Unmei Dojo. "No you're not lazy. Sometimes I just don't want to go wandering around." Shrugging he sipped his beer.

Then Thea told him where she was from and the smile assured him that it was where she was from. "That's nice. I always wanted to go to New York, but I haven't really made the effort." He said truthfully chuckling. He just didn't have the funds to.

"What brought me here?" Alex echoed and looked at the ceiling thinking. "I don't really know. I think it might've been a whim. I just thought that I'd stay away from the U.S. for a while." Yeah he didn't want to see what had happened to his family's trading business, what his home was like. "How about you? I'm sure you didn't really come here on a whim." He leaned against the bar and sighed. The dog collar he wore all the time was snapped a little tightly around his neck, not enough to choke him, but enough so it was barely visible.

Thea smiled, “In that case Alex…I thank you very much.” It was nice to be paid a compliment on merit and not because she happened to be with you or because you wanted to get into her pants. She may have been wrong about him, but he seemed sincere in his words. She laughed slightly at his claim that she should be a professional singer and then to give him her reason why that would never work, she spoke into his mind. Now we both now that would be impossible to manage with all those daylight flights to performances.

She gave a small smile, one that would be suffice as an apology should he take her mental words as an intrusion. She had read nothing simply put her thoughts into his head. “In another life I might have been, but in this one, I am afraid I will have to be content with this,” she said with sweet smile. “I can accept that.” Accepting this was easier than accepting so many other things.

“Thanks for saying that. Maybe you should take a walk sometime, taking in your surroundings, you might be surprised who and what you find,” she said encouragingly.

“New York is interesting, a million things to see and do, but don’t discount Demaitre, I have found it just as interesting as any other place I have been, including New York.” She was being honest; Demaitre had some things that endeared it to her more than the Big Apple ever could.

She looked at Alex with a soft gaze and friendly smile. “I came here because I wanted to see more,” she admitted. “I missed so much in my life and I wanted to make up for it. Demaitre was a friend’s suggestion. He’d been here before, lived here, and he thought I would like to see it. I think he was right.” Now Thea could have said his name, but that would be going into more personal ground than she cared to walk in at the moment, so for now Lance, her lover of over ten years would be ‘a friend’.

“Why do you wear that?” she asked referring to the dog collar and looking at it curiously. It seemed so much like a slave band that she could not help but look at it with pained eyes.

At least Thea took his compliment. Then she was speaking into his mind. He was alert for a second, but he calmed down. He nodded letting her know he understood. That was the wrong thing to say, but that was what he thought. "Maybe in your next life you'll be a singer."

Alex scratched the back of his head laughing. He knew that he should've been wandering aimlyessly more, but he had a lot to worry about. "I'll be sure to go to New York sooner or later. Though I'll definitely wander aimlessly around Demaitre."

He listened to Thea as she told him why she came to Demaitre. So she was looking for new places? That was good. They had forever to travel the world. Then she was asking about his collar and Alex played with it a little bit. "Oh this?" He scratched his neck and sighed. "This used to belong to my dog. He was my best friend and died a long time ago." He smiled and looked at his drink slumping a little bit. He missed his dog. "I wear this in honor of him. My best friend." Then Alex swigged his beer and rested his head on the counter. "Plus it's something that I usually wear loosely."

She smiled at Alex, happy that he hadn’t taken offence to her little play of mind. “Perhaps,” she replied before turning her attention to her glass momentarily. If she had believe in reincarnation, maybe she might have been reborn a singer, some big soul singer or pop-star, maybe even a rocker, who knew, but Thea didn’t believe in it, it was just a term she used.

“You do that. You might just run into me,” she said with a friendly smile, indicating she wouldn’t mind showing him around. It was the most interesting way to learn a city, at least for Thea. Going out into the night and seeing where your feet took you was a mild adventure but one that could bring very interesting results.

She nodded her head at his question. “So you wear it?” she asked curiously, her face showing that it perplexed her as to why he would wear such a thing. She was young of appearance but somewhat old in mind. Dog collars were for dogs, not people. She nodded her acceptance of his reasons thought she could not pretend to understand it. She had a pet, she loved it but she was not about to wear its collar around as a memorial. On the other hand, how could she argue with him, she carried an invisible collar around her neck, more like a millstone that was in her heart and mind. No she could to challenge his desire to wear the collar.

“Well it’s interesting,” she chose instead of something that made her sound more like his mother. She had been one person’s mother and she wasn’t about to be one to another. “Do you have friends here?” She asked trying to learn more and kill time till she was on again. He really seemed nice, but in their world you couldn’t afford to take what you saw at face value. She hoped he knew that.

He smiled listening to Thea. She reminded him of his mother, but he didn't say anything. "I'll definitey go wander one of these nights." He'd like to see her again.

Alex smiled as she asked if he wore the collar. "My dog was the closest thing to a friend I had for a long time. He kept me from going crazy at one point of my life." He said sighing. "I like how it looks too. Always seems to draw attention." He said with a grin. It seemed like she was trying to choose her words so she didn't sound like a mother. "Here? I don't have any friends at this bar, but I met a few people in the city. Hell one of them got me a job at the Ace High."

Alex knew about the whole Don't judge a book by its cover thing with vampires. He just couldn't help himself with beautiful women. "Another of my friends I have to watch out for a lot. Trouble found her, and I'm trying to protect her from it." He said not wanting to go into detail. It was a little much.

She smiled and nodded her head but didn’t say anything.

If he wanted to go wandering then he should, but she couldn’t help but think she was acting far too much like a mother at the moment. It was because of Alex of course, not the one who sat near her but her Alex, her Alexander. He was so on her mind at the moment.

“I can see how it could,” Thea admitted as he referred to the fact that his collar often got him attention. “Well if you like it, it really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks now does it?” she said with a smile. It was truth; she had learned for herself that sometimes the only person whose opinion mattered was your own. There were times when you needed a little guidance, but she wasn’t one to order people around. She liked the different characters she met and the way they made life more interesting. It would be a very boring prospective indeed if she were forced to see the same people, clothes and behaviours for the rest of her -hopefully long- life.

When she heard the Ace High she perked up immediately, a smile spreading across her face. “I live at the Ace High,” she told him softly to prevent the bartender hearing more than she desired. Was he an Enashe as well? If so, she would more than likely run into him again.

“I know all about friends who find trouble, or trouble finds them,” she confessed. Her friend was named Claire and Claire was one of a few people who could get under Thea’s skin and stay there. “I’m sure she’s in good hands.” She smiled, her words weren’t mean to be condescending in the least, she was sure he could be a perfectly wonderful friend and protect this girl whomever she was.

Alex miled as Thea said that his opinion was the only one that mattered. If that was true then he was a pathetic nobody who couldn't do anything to protect the girl he cared about. Though he didn't say a word. "I figure you're right." He said with a smile. He agreed a little bit with Thea about meeting different people. Of course he wasn't really one for people who'd threaten girls and have fun beating the shit out of people.

Then she mentioned the Ace High. "Oh you do? I'm a waiter there." He whispered just as quietly so then the bartender wouldn't hear. "I'm Enashe, but I don't live with the coven." He whispered even quieter, barely loud enough for Thea to hear.

Then she commented about friends getting into trouble. He hung his head and sighed. "Well I wish I was so sure." He said to Thea's words. "I don't know if I could handle it."

She sighed slightly a small smile on her face as he responded her statement. It was the answer of her person who was not entirely sure that what they were saying was true, and she didn’t need vampiric senses to tell her that. Thea had lived long enough and befriended enough people to know the signs of self-doubt; she had even been intimate with the emotion herself once. She had long overcome that of course but it took time.

If she had known what he was thinking, she would really have sounded maternal, telling Alex that he had more potential than he could imagine and that whatever was going on it could be fixed. She liked to look on the Brightside, even though it was sometimes hard to do especially considering her past.

The most devastating event in her life still caused her pain and grief still brought tears to her eyes and filled her heart with sadness.

She smiled, she was right he was Enashe. “So am I,” she said smiling. “I live there but I also have place in town,” she confessed. Thea kept her apartment because sometimes she liked to pretend at being normal and it was easier to entertain friends when they had a place to come to, a real home like environment. She had been an excellent hostess in life and she was still one now in her immortality.

“You can…trust me,” she assured him. If she could handle hearing her son burn to death, he could handle whatever it was that was going on. She was sure of that.

Alex looked at Thea and sighed as well looking back at his drink. He was tempted to tell her, but he stayed quiet for a while looking at the amber liquid in his bottle. It seemed as if she understood what he was feeling, and Alex let out another sigh hanging his head.

Then thank God, Thea brought up being in the Enashe. "Oh? I never saw you around, though I don't usually spend much time in the casino other than working, so I don't really get to meet the other employees." He said making it sound as if they were fellow employees. "I usually stay at my place." Of course his place wasn't exactly somewhere he'd bring friends back home unless they found it for themselves.

Then she said he could trust her. It was like he was talking to his mother again. "I know I can." He said with a smile. "It's just something that I need to handle by myself. It's much more taxing than I thought." He shook his head. "To think I could defend her against an Ancient..." He shook his head and finished off his beer.

Thea watched Alex, the look on his face was sad and distant. Something was plaguing him, something serious. She felt for him, but there was no way she could help him since she didn’t know the problem, and even then there was no guarantee she could do anything of benefit. That was Thea, she liked to help, liked to see happy faces, that was why she liked mortals so much, they seemed to feel joy so much more than vampires. It might just have been a case of not being around the right vampires, but it did seem that so many of them seemed solemn and distant.

She smiled. “You wouldn’t have. I only moved there recently, three weeks or so,” she confessed and during that time she’d spent most of it in their new apartment. “I stay at my place too. I am hardly ever working the casino,” she replied understanding the underlying meaning in his words.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I’m getting into your affairs and you barely know me,” she said with a soft expression. She nodded her head; he would be fine all he had to do was find his footing. Men liked to do that for themselves, it was a trial they needed to win in order to feel in control or something. Thea didn’t mind, she would keep silent and allow him to sort his own thoughts.

An Ancient? Thea looked at Alex curiously. He wanted to protect someone from an Ancient? That was unpredictable ground, Ancients had strength and power the likes youths such as themselves did not, and could easily kill them. She hoped Alex knew what he was doing.

True he was sad and distant, but it was for a good reason, he couldn't help Eire no matter how hard he tried. It pained him so, but he wasn't going to give up. He took karate lessons, though he didn't know how much they would help. Alex enjoyed humans much more than his own race, because of how they lived their short lives. They lived life to the fullest and were happy, though they were also naturally greedy.

Then she was speaking how she'd been around for only a little while. He smiled feeling a little better and nodded. ''Hmmm, maybe we should get together later on." Alex was comfortable around this woman, and it was like he was with his mother again. That was why he was comfortable, he spent most of his youth with his mother.

"Oh you don't have to apologize. It's better to vent than keep it in anyway." He smiled reassuringly. "It's just I want to protect her, but the bastard is too strong." He knew that the Ancient could kill him at any second, but for some reason he didn't. "I've done everything I could, and now I need to do my best to protect her." Even if it cost him his life, he wouldn't let the bastard have Eire.

Facing off against an Ancient, there was a prospect that Thea didn’t particularly relish, and she hoped it wasn’t something Alex found appealing either.

She smiled at him gently, “I’d like that,” Thea replied. There was something about Alex, something pleasant and unassuming, he also didn’t cause every light and bell in her mind to explode win alarm. Call it silly, call it down right ridiculous if you wanted to, but Alex made her think of Alex, the child she never got to see grow up. It was wrong to think, but she made him miss one of things that could never be hers again. There were many things that she missed about being mortal; sunrises and sunsets, picnics on a spring day…the ability to have children. Yes, that one was one of the hardest for her to accept. In her day all a woman had was the prospect of family and becoming a wife and mother. When she was made, he took that away from her and then fire took away her son. She would never know what he might have become, if he might have changed the world or just lived in it.

“It is,” Thea said reassuringly as Alex said it was better to vent that to hold in what he was feeling. She looked at him softly, “I can imagine how that must feel,” she said cautiously. She couldn’t pretend that she knew what it was like but she could imagine. It was a rather bleak and annoying thought really.

“Alex,” she said softly, “That’s all you can do, your best. Keep your head up, I’m sure something will come to you to allow things to work out,” she said with another pleasant smile. Always the optimist that was Thea.

Facing off against an Ancient was appealing? Alex would've burst out laughing if he knew what she was thinking. Alex didn't see it appealing, he saw it as a necessity. Then she said that she'd like to meet with him. Strange how he was having so many mood swings in that little time, from being happy and nice to sad and distant. It seemed like they both reminded each other of his mother and her son. Maybe they could get along after all.

Then he was listening to Thea. She responded to his words earlier and it made sense. Yup definitely like his mother. He thought about her words on how he could only do his best. Something that a mother would say, and he sighed. "What if my best isn't good enough? I can't bare to see what would happen if my best isn't good enough." He didn't want Eire to die. That was the last thing he wanted to live with. "No matter how much I tried before, I just couldn't do anything."

Thea looked at Alex. What if his efforts weren’t good enough? Thea had to think on that, she never thought giving your all could ever been deemed as failing. Yes, she had the mentality made to be a mother, to encourage and praise as well as nurture and cherish.

She looked at him thoughtfully. “Alex, sometimes we can’t predict what’s the best thing on our own, sometimes we need help. I don’t know what the situations is, but I can say this much, two heads are better than one.” She smiled kindly. She took a sip of her drink, allowing her eyes to wander past the bartender to the wall behind him. Her next statement, though well thought out, would be hard to deliver and to hear.

“Alex, sometimes things happen for a reason and we don’t understand why they do but they do. You just have to be prepared for whatever may come.” She knew how hard it was to accept when you couldn’t do anything to change something that seemed so wrong. She had been there herself, and like Alex she had the same questions and fears and in the end she had to accept the painful truth…there was nothing she could have done, it was not her fault…it was his.

She hoped Alex wouldn’t have to learn that harsh reality, she liked him, though she knew little about him, there was something in his nature that she understood. “Maybe you just need to look at the situation from a different angle? There might be something you’re missing that’s just waiting for you to see it.”

Alex listened to the woman who reminded him so much of his mother. She'd praise him as he learned to tie knots, how to read a compass, star charts. She kept him going when he thought he was going to fail. Yup Thea was definitely like his mother. "Yeah...you're right Thea." He said scratching his head and then loosening the collar a little bit. "I know I definitely need help on this, but I can't shake the feeling that I need to do it by myself. It's almost like I met the person a long time ago...Hell maybe he and I were enemies in a past life." He said making an innuendo to his human life. So then it didn't sound like he was immortal.

Then she spoke of things happening. It was hard to listen to, but he forced himself to. "Even if what's coming is the death of a dear friend?" His voice sounded distant to him, almost like he was watching television for just a second. "I want to help, but it's so hard to figure out how to." Then she was speaking of looking at it from another angle. An idea popped into his head. "That's it!" He almost jumped out of the stool. "Thea you're a genius!"

Then he hastily grabbed her arm and pulled her with him so then they would be away from prying eyes. "Thea..." He said quietly still careful. "I need you to read my mind. I know it sounds insane, but I want you to look for someone." Alex paused for a second. "The memory I want you to look at is just before I was turned, I was kidnapped by pirates...That's if you're alright with it." He said looking at her a little sheepishly. He was pretty sudden.

Thea looked at Alex thoughtfully. Enemies in another life? If he believed it, then maybe it was true for him. Thea didn’t. She understood how he felt though, that desire to do something on your own and prove to everyone that you didn’t need anyone. She had been that way once, right after she left him. She ran away from him because she hated him, hated what he’d done to her and to their family. She wanted to prove she didn’t need him; she wandered and killed at will because she didn’t ‘need’ him to help her find a meal and survive as a vampire. She was her own woman now, she had nothing and could do whatever she wanted…on her own.

In the end she was not so alone, she had found Celeste, well really Celeste had spared her and taught her so much that she would always be thankful to her.

She was solemn. “You do not know what will be Alex. None of us know that, but I hope it will be nothing so severe,” she said with kind eyes.

Suddenly Alex sprang to life, like a light bulb being turned on. “A genius?” she asked not knowing what he meant. “Ahh… thank you?” she said more of a question than a statement. What had she said to bring this on? What made her such a genius?

Her grabbed her arm and pulled her off her seat and with him away from the bartender and his prying ears and eyes. She looked at Alex surprised, what was he doing? He explained himself. “You want me to find someone?” she asked, her face puzzled. She looked at him stunned. Was he asking her to search his memories for him? Yes, he was. Her mouth fluttered on the verge of speech but failed to articulate.

“Ahh…are you sure?” she asked still unsure about his request herself. She would if he wanted her to, but was he sure he wanted a stranger poking around in his head? She wasn’t sure she would have desired it, but it was Alex’s choice.

Alex didn't pay much attention to what Thea said as they ran. His mind was running a mile a minute as he thought about what was going on. Why didn't he think of it earlier? Thea was a telepath, she could confirm his theory of somehow knowing the vampire who attacked Eire.

He laughed as Thea didn't know what he was talking about. Then he explained it to her, and she was surprised by the request. "I need someone else to take a look through my memories and confirm what I already suspect." Alex was going through his own mind. "It was after the American Revolution...I inherited my family's trading business, and one night I was kidnapped by pirates." He stopped for a second. "I'm certain I met the guy before...the Ancient I was talking about. I think he was among the pirates, but I can't be certain." He was starting to ramble a little bit. "I'm sure you can. You'll know him when you see him, jet black hair and eyes as black as sludge." He said with a sigh. "What do I have to do?" Alex asked looking at Thea for a moment.

She studied his face curious. Did he truly want her in his mind? She could do it, it wasn’t like she hadn’t done it before, but that was someone she knew well and Alex had only just met her. Some other vampire would have taken advantage of this opportunity immediately, but Thea wasn’t like that. She actually cared what happened to people, she actually liked to help not hinder.

He did want to do this. He was serious.

Thea’s face went still. “Alex…” she began and then bit back her words. “I’ll help but you have to do everything I say. The mind is a tricky place and I wouldn’t want to hurt you,” she warned. She could hurt him, she could hurt him a lot if she wanted to, make him crumble at her feet if she was that kind, but she wasn’t. She had no desire to hurt anyone, she used her mental powers in order to subdue her prey so that they felt no pain as she fed and would remember nothing after she was finished. With that in mind, she could potentially erase all of Alex’s memories if she weren’t careful, or implant new ones.

She looked into his eyes, “Look at me,” she instructed her voice even and commanding. “Look into my eyes and relax, just listen to my voice and go back.” Her voice was commanding. They were in some dark alcove away from everyone, they were safe. Her eyes went red and her fangs grew in her mouth. She cleared her mind of everything, she didn’t want her memories mingling with Alex’s. She took a breath and then focused, allowing her thoughts to enter his mind. Take me back Alex…think of where you were and take me back. I will find my way from there, she instructed.

Alex wasn't a telepath or even knew much about them, but he heard about the risks that go with it. Hell once he saw someone whose whole memory was wiped by one. Alex trusted Thea enough with his memories even though he just met her. It was his choice, his risk. "I'll do everything you ask Thea." He said taking a deep breath.

He listened to Thea's words and nodded. He looked into her eyes and relaxed his body. He could feel her in his mind as her eyes turned red and her fangs appeared, but he concentrated on her eyes. His mind went back to the time he was attacked by the pirates. His defenses relaxed letting Thea into his memories. One wrong move and he could've erased his memories.

He was determined to go through with this. Whomever she was, Thea hoped she knew how much she was cared for. Alex was taking a huge risk in order to help and Thea could only hope that such a risk would be appreciated and beneficial.

He listened to her, relaxing his body while his mind went back to the time of his kidnapping. Suddenly Thea was standing as he had been, seeing through his eyes. Where am I? she asked him, Walk me through each step. What happened here? She told him she could find her way, but that wasn’t entirely true. He would guide her, really, he would guide himself.

Thea would allow Alex to see things as an observer, as if he were watching things happen to her. It made more sense that way and gave him a perspective he never had before. He could walk through his memories focusing on what he wanted to know without fear. Thea only hoped to keep her mind clear and that no one stumbled upon them. It would be something to explain, and she didn’t want to have to erase anyone’s memory tonight…unless she had to.

Alex could hear her words as he watched what was happening in his memories. It was like watching a movie. We are at the pirates's home port. He said looking down upon the enfolding scene. He could do it...he could guide her through his memory.

I was being held captive by pirates. They held me within a prison cell. He said as Thea was in prison cell. Now he could see himself sitting thinking of what was going to happen. Then the sound of cannon fire. The British Navy knew where this port was and attacked it. Somehow Alex was able to escape the cell and now was running up to the street. I tried to get away... The running seized as he felt the presence of someone behind him. It was as if his body was paralyzed. I-I couldn't move a finger. It was like being paralyzed.

With this new perspective Alex was able to see everything that was going on. Soldiers running around fighting pirates. Then his eyes settled on the vampire he was talking about. Those eyes...I couldn't move because of him. Long black hair, dirty, perfect teeth with fangs...Eyes...like sludge. How could that be? Alex remembered and he clenched at his heart. God...I remember those eyes. His breathing was irregular and he was starting to feel pain. "Just like a flower..." Then a gun shot. I was shot by a soldier... Then it skipped to after the carnage. Alex was barely alive, the pain was starting to get worse. My sire came to me after the fight was over. A handsome man approached the half dead Alex. He turned me here.

Does it all look familiar? Look around, is there anything that seems strange to you? she asked being the helpful guide. It was always so strange to do this, to walk through the life of another as if it were happening to you. She had to remember it wasn’t her life and keep her thoughts and memories sealed. As much as Alex wanted to remember, Thea wanted to forget and the last thing she wanted was to share her memories with another. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Alex with what he might see there, it was just that she didn’t want the memories to even exist.

She was a prison cell as he spoke, describing the events that had taken place in the time before he was turned. There was a canon blast as the port was attacked. She went through the motions as he had, escaping the cell to the streets. Suddenly her body went ridged as if some force had wrapped itself around her and held her fast. She tried to move but couldn’t. She breathed hard with fright.

Then she saw him, a vampire without a doubt. Her every move reflected Alex’s actions. She watched the vampire with his eyes like the muck at the bottom of a canal, dark and murky. She didn’t like him, she could see it in his eyes, a deep seeded…evil. If she had to choose a word that was the only one she could think of.

Suddenly there was pain, she’d been shot. Thea had to use all her strength to remain focused. This was not really happening to her, it had happened to Alex and she was fine. She lay on the ground bleeding as death crept upon her. She could feel it’s stranglehold at her throat trying to drag her into it, and the fight within in her to live. It had been Alex’s fight, she had to remind herself of that…this was Alex’s fight.

He came next, Alex’s sire and as was the story for most of them, he was turned. What little blood that remained in her was drained and then she drank of the vampire.

It was hard to see his turning, as it was hard for her when it had been her time. He had taken her life and forced this new one on her. Stop… this was not about her. She wiped her mind clear before the memory could creep into Alex’s mind.

Did you see what you wanted to? she asked. Or is there still more? This was his journey she was merely helping him along.

Alex nodded. Yes this is all familiar. He looked around listening to Thea. No nothing looks strange. It was just as he remembered. He watched as Thea went through the steps as he did. He trusted Thea enough with his mind, that she could do this. It pained him to watch her go through what he had to, and then it was up to the point where he got shot. His hand instinctively moved to where he was shot. The slug was still in his body.

Alex watched as everything unfolded. He shouldn't have asked her to go through this, it was his life, and she was guiding him through it. There's one more thing I need to show you. I want to confirm that it's the same person. The scenery changed to the Ace High Casino. It was when the vampire attacked Eire and Alex. This was a week ago. I fell in love with the girl you see in the bathroom. They were in the bathroom just as the vampire bit Eire, nearly severing her breast. Alex charged at the vampire tackling him. I fought with him. Alex then was slapped into the stalls. It hurt like hell, and remembering it didn't hurt any less. Those black eyes. That's him...I got the crap beaten out of me. Hell my hand still hurts from being broken. It was true and it was painful. He attacked the vampire but it was easily blocked by the vampire and then broken into pieces.

I've seen all I want to see Thea. He wanted out it was a painful memory to him. He didn't want her to be put through anymore than that. Plus it was a little more private.

His imprisonment…his escape…his being shot and then his turning. It was all so much to see, so much for him to live through, but he had. She’d felt it all, as if she’d been him, but she had to keep it clear in her mind, separate from her thoughts. This had not happened to her, it had happened to him. She had to keep that in mind.

She nodded her head as Alex said there was more for her to see, more he wanted to be sure of. Suddenly she was swept to the Ace High, a place she knew well now. She looked around her eyes growing wide as she watched the same vampire, the one with midnight eyes attacking her…truly Alex.

She watched it all in shock and horror. Such brutality, she had never seen before. The vampire attacked the girl with such ferocity, such animal antics she could hardly stomach to watch. She looked at the girl’s face, there she was the woman Alex cared so much about, the one he was beating himself over the head in order to protect. She understood. She attacked the vampire, trying desperate to defend the girl this…Eire. They fought, Alex fought valiantly but in the end he was defeated.

Very well, Thea said, she had seen enough herself, she didn’t want to see anymore. She took a deep breath and withdrew from his mind. Their thoughts separated into two distinct vessels and her mind flooding once more with her own memories, her own demons, and her own loves. She leaned against the wall trying to focus her mind. “That was awful,” she said softly looking at the floor. “Alex…who is he?” she asked finally as her eyes lifted to his face.

Alex was back in the real world, not the world of his memories. He leaned against the wall letting out a sigh shaking his head, his body was trembling slightly along with red streaks down his face. Wiping the tears away he turned to Thea listening to her.

Alex shook his head. "I don't know who that is...He was a pirate..." Shaking his head Alex was going to have to think about what he just saw. It was all too sudden for him. "Thank you so much Thea...I know it was a lot to ask of you." There had to be a way to pay her back. Looking at his watch Alex sighed. "I think you're on in a little while." It was too bad, but he could at least try to help her. "What songs were you thinking of?" He asked curious.

Maybe he could buy her a drink or something after her song.