Nikolaos wandered through Cedarwood park, her emerald eyes openly lost and confused. The wounded creature walked with a graceful limp as she seemingly fled from some predator.

His eyes burned in her mind. She closed hers and ran her hands through her hair, grabbing at the wavy red strands that flew in the cold breeze as she wandered through the bare and dead trees, reflecting her own naked pain. She felt no one in the area and ran as far as she could into the park, finding a dense group of trees. Only when the wind had carried her to the grove, her bohemian white dress fluttering in the wind as her gray sweater was tugged around her shoulders by her hands, did she collapse.

Her knees hit the ground with a soft thud as her eyes bled with tears. Those dark eyes, strong jaw, carved by someone greater than herself. She shuddered just thinking of him. Him.... Vincent, leaving her, abandoning her to avenge Nathanial. He risked everything.... couldn't even say goodbye. He couldn't even kiss her goodbye. And now? Now he said he loved her. Filled with rage, Nikolaos clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms, fresh blood pooling in half moons on her ivory skin.

She bent her head down and buried it in her hands as she fought the tears that rushed scarlet down her cheeks, marring her outward perfection. She'd never be good enough for him. He wasn't the one. he couldn't possibly love her. And it hurt.... because she loved him. She hadn't lost her cool like this in a long time. How could she open her heart to him? How could she let him ruin her like he did? He had reduced her to a sniveling, crying, loving fool. She growled as she forced her tears to stop, pulling her shoes off and reluctantly curling into a ball- as if to somehow warm her icy heart. She wished Bill was here.

The very thought of him made her cry less. She just needed him, needed his warmth and the strength in his arms. She needed him, because she had no one else. She was alone without him. But one day- he'd leave too. This only brought a fresh wave of bloody tears as she shamefully turned her head away from the moon that loomed overhead.

She just couldn't escape Vincent and she had to escape, had to escape the hold he had on her. She was pathetic. Almost nine-hundred years old and crying like a baby.

Bill got off of work, and he decided to take a shortcut through the park. He was thinking about Nikki, and how some guy named Vincent hurt her more than he could imagine. With a sigh he looked down at the ground, and saw something wet. Kneeling down he touched it and found that it was blood.

"Blood?" With effort he found a trail leading to a patch of barren trees. After a moment of looking at the Irish vampiress as she curled up into a ball, he realized it was Nikki. He had a gut feeling that it was her, but he couldn't believe it until he saw it.

"Nikki?" He knelt down next to her, and pulled her into an embrace. "Oh God Nikki...what happened?" He asked as he looked at her. She looked pathetic, and he ran his hand through her hair, pressing his body to her's.

She could feel him before she saw him. Bill. The very man she wished for was here. Coincidence possibly, or maybe fate.

Nikolaos shook her head as Bill pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest as he held her, clenching her firsts tightly as she grabbed his shirt, trying so hard to stop the tears.

Nikki didn't bother to speak, only fell into his mind. I don't want to cry but I can't seem to stop Bill. God, I'm so happy to see you. She didn't think of it as invading his privacy, but as communicating with him, because she couldn't talk, and if she tried, she'd blubber and that certainly wasn't what she wanted to do.

His hands ran through her hair as he asked her what happened. She couldn't even look at him. Vincent. I saw him at the White Mice Club. It turns out he just skipped out and went hunting for this big bad vampire Ling-Ling who killed Nathanial. He left, never said goodbye, makes me think he hates me, and then has the nerve to tell me he loves me... he couldn't possibly love me if he could do this to me, make me think he was revolted by the sight of me... God, Bill- I don't want you to see me like this.. Please just, don't even- I'm so ashamed. Look at me.... crying like a baby- and why? Because I'm hurt... I'm so stupid and weak. How could I let this happen? How could I possibly let my defenses be breached?

Bill let Nikki bury her face into his chest. He felt how hard it was for her to be crying like this. He held her close letting his body warm her's. Then he felt her in his mind, speaking to him through it. He'd gotten used to it, at first he thought it was an invasion of privacy, but then he got used to it. She helped him gain the confidence to sleep with her, had to count for something.

"It's alright Nikki...it's alright." He said as he held her. He'd seen people like that, and heard them blubber like babies. It wasn't pretty, and she knew that Nikki didn't have any interest to either.

Then she told him about Vincent, and he shook his head. "Wait...you saw Vincent?" He couldn't really believe that Vincent came back. No wonder Nikki was a wreck. He listened to her thoughts and tried to piece it together. So Vincent left to hunt down some vampire without saying a word to Nikki, then he came back, and told her he loved her after making her go through hell.

"Nikki..." He gently pushed her face up so he could look into her eyes. He kissed her gently and wiped her tears away. Parting with her, Bill smiled. "Nikki...you're not weak...you're not stupid! You're the strongest person I know!" He smiled and kissed her again. "It's alright."

"I'm not strong... God, I let him get to me and now.. now I'm sitting here crying to you-" she said softly as her eyes met his. He wiped away her scarlet tears and kissed her. She squeezed her eyes shut and stopped breathing, trying to regain some composure.

"Bill.... he made me feel as if all my organs were ripped from my body and I was still breathing. Bill.... he made me feel so empty and now- Now he says he loves me. How could he possibly tell me such a fuckin' lie...." she growled, her boice low as she bowed her head and pressed her forehead against Bill's chest.
"I want to kill him- I want to rip his damn heart out so he can feel what I have felt.... I just- don't know- how to deal.... because, because- I cared for him--"

She loved him. She still loved the bastard.
Damn him. Damn him to hell.

"I just.... don't know what to do--" she whispered, leaning against him. "Just, just tell me.... what do I do...."

Nikolaos wrapped her arms around Bill's waist and gave him a broken smile. "I must sound crazy," she sniffed, wiping away a few extra streaks of red from her eyes.

"It's only human. You loved him, and he broke your heart." He smiled as she tried to regain some composure. "I know you aren't human anymore...but it's only natural for anyone." He listened to Nikki as she told him about how she felt, and what she wanted to do.

"Nikki..." He placed his hand on the back of her head, and kissed the top. "I don't know what to tell you...I just don't." He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know what to tell her. He loved her, but he knew that she couldn't return his love, but he couldn't help but feel jealous. He knew that she loved Vincent, and he was jealous. It was stupid but true. "I truly don't know what to tell you Nikki...I just don't."

Bill returned Nikki's smile as she said she must've sounded crazy. "No you don't Nikki...you sound like anyone else in this kind of situation." He said with a sigh. "Take some blood from me...it'll help you think better." He said offering her his wrist.

"I don't love him. I can't love him anymore." she said, through gritted teeth, her eyes closed.
As he told her that he didn't know what to say- what to tell her, Nikolaos sighed- frustrated. He had to help her! He just had to. She winced, almost with pain when he kissed her forehead and restrained the urge to rip his body apart instead of Vincent's-- but no, she didn't want to hurt Bill. That was just her anger talking-- her anger and her vampiric nature...

She didn't even hear what he was saying until he offered her his wrist. She pushed it away gently- her eyes suddenly clear and aware as his pulse rang through the night- cutting through her anguish and into her very soul. Blood.
She shook her head.
"I don't want to take it if you don't want me to- don't offer if you're not willing...." she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, her red hair falling over his shoulder as she kissed his jaw line. Her hands still shook from the anger she was trying so hard to repress- but the smell of Bill's flesh against hers was soothing in a way.
"I don't ever want to force you to do anything- for me," she made clear. Out of all the mortals she had met- Bill had been one of the few that she would always refuse to control. She could do it- yes, but she found that something attracted her to him- something made her want to protect him- even from herself.

Bill nodded as Nikki said that she didn't love him. Of course he could tell that she did, at least before he left her. The sigh was a good sign that she expected him to have the answer, that he should be able to help her. He didn't have any answer, he couldn't in this situation. He was kind of hurt as she winced at his kiss, but knew it was stupid to.

Then she gently pushed his wrist awy, but he gently pushed back. "I'm willing to Nikki. I'm always willing." He said with a soft smile. He wrapped the arm he wasn't offering around her waist, and held her close. Bill let out a sigh as she kissed his jawline and closed his eyes. He felt that he was special, that she cared more for him than any other mortal. "You're not forcing me into anything, it's my choice, and I'm making it to feed you." He said as he kissed her neck. "I want you to feed from me." He dropped his wrist. "Bite me wherever you want Nikki."

His arms wrapped around her and she closed his eyes as her body was pulled against his. She wrapped her arms around him tighter, never wanting to leave his embrace. He was willing, but she was still hesitant until he spoke again.

"You're not forcing me into anything, it's my choice, and I'm making it to feed you."

"I like the neck Bill...." she whispered along his neck, turning his face with a gentle touch of the hand so that she could meet his eyes. She wiped the last traces of scarlet tears from her eyes before touching her lips to his. She spoke softly against his mouth.

"I promise it won't hurt this time either...." she told him, finally succumbing to her need for control- and the only way she could get that composure- that healthy control- was through blood. She had lost so much in her tears- and now, now he'd freely give her his? He trusted her so much? He knew she wouldn't take his life? That made her stop for a moment, before kissing his neck, her hands running themselves down his chest and suddenly up his shirt as she reveled in the warmth on her hands. She bit him quickly, perfectly- nothing messy at all about it. She fell into his mind, numbing the pain- keeping his focus on her hands on his chest and not on his neck as she pierced skin. She drank her fill, slowly feeling stronger- calmer- warmer.

She pulled away and licked her lips, the copper taste lingering. She turned to meet his eyes, still confused as to why he gave so much to her? Why he offered her his very blood?
"You okay? Not tired or anything? I don't want to take any more...." she said, retrieving one hand from beneath his shirt and placing it on his cheek tenderly.

Bill smiled as Nikki tightened her grip around his neck. He looked into her eyes as he turned his face. He nodded, and closed his eyes as she kissed him. "I'm not afraid of a little pain." He said in response to what she said against his lips.

He trusted her with every part of his body, he believed that she wouldn't kill him. It might've been naive, but he believed whole heartedly in her. Then she bit him, and the pain came, but just as quickly left as she numbed the pain and focused his mind on the feeling of her hands on his chest. He shivered and closed his eyes as she drank from him. It felt just as amazing as the first time, and he let out a sigh of contentment.

He was beginning to feel a little lightheaded, but that was it as she stopped. Bill looked at Nikki as she placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm fine Nikki, just a little light headed, but it isn't that bad." He said as he kissed her gently. His hand cupped her's and he held it with a smile. "I..." He shook his head, and let out a sigh letting his words die. No he couldn't say it.

He kissed her lips gently and she pulled her other hand out from underneath his shirt and cupped his face in hers before smiling and kissing him back, her lips lingering on his, the metallic taste of his blood still clinging to her taste buds.

When their lips parted and he began to speak, Nikki felt her body tense for some reason- as if something was about to happen. Something- big? Certainly something important. There was something important that he was going to say. She fought her curious nature and stayed out of his mind, keeping her thoughts to herself.

She ran her fingers through his hair and pressed her lips to his hand as she grabbed it. "Thank you Bill- for everything...." She pressed her cheek against his hand as she looked up at him, emerald eyes shining with sincerity. "I'm sorry you had to see me that way...."

Obviously he had stopped talking because he did not wish to finish his sentence, but Nikki felt as if something unsaid hung in the air. She wished she could say whatever it was- and complete their bond that seemed to have a few awkward holes in it at the moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck again and felt her body ache with her newfound rush of blood as their skin touched. She just simply ached to be as close as she could get- feel him everywhere that she could. It was so dangerous to be so close to someone- be attracted to someone this much- and a mortal man?