A Vampire?!

“A vampire?!” she snarled, recoiling backwards wanting to be angry but not quite able to control her shock. She had fucked up big time and was well aware of that, but to partner her with a vampire was out of the question, there was no way she was going to agree with it.

She stood rocking slightly on her heels in an all glass office that was only given privacy by the smoked circles that stylishly sprawled across the walls. It had thick, lush cream carpet that gave everyone a spring in their step, in front of her was a large deep oak desk with many pieces of paper scattered around over the top of it. A couple of dark green pot plants were the only decoration provided.

The fourth wall was just one huge window that showcased the sprawling cityscape ahead. All of the offices on this level looked pretty much the same, some sort of modern redecoration. This was her headquarters, the place where she worked for a covert agency that had been put in place by the government to cope with the growing problem of ‘evil’. Yes, she was part of the ‘evil busting’ team, the name was dumb, but the people who had authorised it were simply trying to wash their hands and forget about it. Their only task to stop all threats against public security, pretty broad anyone might think but over the years they had honed themselves down to the supernatural side. They worked more in negotiation, trying to deal their way out of situations, trading, bargaining and sweet talking, most of them had turned into rich arrogant bastards that spent their time drinking fine wines and dining on the best of lives rich harvest. But of course, as with everything in life there are always exceptions to the rules, tyrants that cannot be bought and want nothing more than to reign supreme over all, that’s where her division came in; if anything got a little bit messy a team was dispatched to take care of it. In other words she did the dirty work, the clean up jobs, got rid of any unwanted trouble and just generally made the pompous fools at the top feel safe. She loved every second of it.

It wasn’t her job anymore it was her life and up until two days ago she was the best the entire country had to offer. Now she was being reduced to working with a vampire partner? A disgrace.

She stood now in front of her boss wordlessly as she let everything flutter through her mind trying to sort itself out and trying to find a way to sort this whole mess out. Her boss just stared at her gauging how she was taking it with a small smile; he was quite short and would be handsome were it not for the stress lines and huge grey circles that hung to his eyes. Sorting out other people’s messes must take its toll on a person, he wore a crumpled white shirt with no tie and the first two buttons undone, it was tucked into black trousers that had long since seen their heyday. She hadn’t had any run ins like this with him before and was quite unused to being in his office or even having more than a two exchange conversation with him.

“Oh and not just any vampire” a small glint flickered through his eyes as he paused for the dramatic effect “Lucian’s partner died again, you’ve got him”

She had not said a word to him in reply, she simply spun on her heel and left, smashing the door behind her so hard she was a little worried that the glass in it was going to break. Now she was making her way to the lift, muttering and cursing under her breath all the swear words she knew in four different languages. Lucian was probably the worst partner that anyone could ever pick, he had had so many partners before her and all of them had died.

The rumour mill had gone wild saying that he had killed them in horrible bloody ways. She hadn’t believed them at the time but now doubts were starting to creep into her mind. She knew that he was the best of the best, but not in the same way that she had been, she had followed the rules, she had done everything to the letter and in the end got the job done the right way. Lucian on the other hand didn’t listen to anyone’s orders; he was the wildcard that the office kept around for those nasty jobs that would turn the stomachs of normal people. He was told to keep no reports, no evidence; no one wanted to know what he actually did.

She was trying to keep a cool and not let any of the rumours that had been going around sink too deep, they could all be a load of crap spread around to scare people away from him. On the other hand they could all be true, and then where would that leave her?

She reached her car and just as she got out her key to unlock the door the hairs on the back of her neck rose sharply and a shiver worked its way down her spine. She instantly overrode her desire to turn around and see what was behind her, she had a feeling she knew already and that it was just what he wanted her to do.

“Good evening” his voice was deep, gritty and way too close to the side of her ear

“Back off” she rolled her shoulder backwards hoping that it would push him backwards only to find that he wasn’t there at all. Her breath caught in her throat but she scolded herself for being so afraid of him, she growled under her breath as his mocking laugh reached her ears. She didn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her face and continued to unlock the car door and started to get inside “I don’t want to work with you and I’m sure you feel exactly the same way, so stay the hell away from me while I try to get this sorted out ok?” she didn’t wait for a reply, just slammed the car door closed, started the engine and left the car park with the screech of tires and a faint smell of burnt rubber.

As she finally was able to stop the car at the next set of red traffic lights she thunked the palm of her hand against her forehead. Why the hell had she done that?! It had been an instinct, she had always been told to never engage in anything with a vampire, not even a conversation. She had heard that they possessed such powers that even when they spoke to you they could control your mind, or even read it. So she had done exactly that, a stupid and childish thing to do, especially seen as she was going to have to work with him from now on. How was she going to avoid all of these things? She was going to have to talk to him some time wasn't she? She was quite sure that all her bravado at some how getting this all sorted was completly false and she wouldn't be surprised if Lucian already knew that. She would just have to go home, sort out her head so that next time they spoke she was prepared. There wasn't going to be a repeat performance, there was no way she was going to let someone like that vampire think she was weak.

Slowly she guided the nose of her car into a parking space at her appartment block. It stood on the tarmac like a large monolith of stone only puncuated by the huge double breasted windows that marked each appartment. It wasn't the most up market place that a person could buy in the city but it was all that bad either. As she stepped through the main doors straight into the hallway area, corridors pulled off left and right with neat dark wooden doors with brass numbers on them. Dead in front of her was the lift that would take her up to her floor, there weren't any stairs in the building making the decision the be lazy and take the lift a very easy one. She stepped inside and as the huge steel doors closed and she was enveloped in privacy she sighed long and hard running her hand through her hair and twisting her neck to get all of the kinks out of it. Today hadn't really turned out quite how she wanted it to and now all she wanted to do was curl up in bed and watch trash TV until she fell asleep.

She slid the key into the lock and as she turned it the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She couldn't put her finger on it but there was something wrong with her appartment. She knew that if she took her key out now and ran whatever was wrong in her appartment would get worse, they had already heard her key in the door and knew she was there. The best thing she could do right now was draw her gun and go in prepared. Her rapidly beating heart calmed a little at the logic and the plan, she drew her gun keeping it low at her side so that she could surprise whoever was within, hoping they hadn't realised that she had noticed them. She twisted the door handle and opened the door, as it opened a crack she knew why the hairs on the back of her neck had stood on end, it was that static noise that could be heard of a television that was on low volume. Now that the noise had the room to escape she could clearly hear the news playing on her TV in the living area. She knew for a fact that she had switched it off before she left, she was outraged that not only had someone had the balls to break into her appartment but that they were still sat there watching her TV! She let go an inaudible growl and slowly edged into the hall area, on one side of her there were pegs where all of her various coats hung and all her shoes messily resided underneath. On the other side of her was the large window like section taken out of the wall so that who ever was cooking in the kitchen could see the entire flat. Further down the corridor it opened out into the large space that was the living room with its two large squishy sofas that once settled in were extremely hard to get out. Everything was a stark white, just how she liked it, she didn't spend enough time here for it to be worth adding any colour. Her gun was low and pointing at the ground as she crept forwards to see who the hell was in her home when it spoke to her in a low voice almost stopping her heart completly

"Are you trying to sneak up on me?"

She recognised the voice instantly and outrage turned into white hot fury. How dare he think that he could just come into her home like that! They weren't partners yet, and even if they were she was quite sure she would never invite him back here.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she holstered her weapon quickly stepping fully into the living room to she him nonchalantly sat on her sofa. He wore black jeans and a black tshirt he was lounging around as if he owned the place and it was then that it dawned on her that she had never actaully seen him before. He had long white hair that was pulled back into a messy plait and a handsome, if slightly pale, face. His build was quite slim and it made her wonder whether he could actaully lift the huge gun that was holstered at his hip for the whole world to see.

"Well you didn't give me enough time to say anything back there in the parking lot, but we have a job to do tonight. I can wait here for you to get ready" he had paused before answering as if waiting for her to make a full examination of him.

"I...you...what?" she became lost for words for a moment shocked at his arrogance and that they already had a job together after only being partnered for a couple of hours.

"Look we have to be there in an hour and if we are late there is going to be big trouble. So you can either be a good little girl and get into something more suitable and we can be on time for our first job together or you can start an argument, get all stressed and then turn up late. Either way we will be there tonight"

She opened her mouth to say something and then shut it again knowing that he had her totally beat. She had only met him for at least ten minutes and he was already pressing her buttons, she rolled her eyes to herself realising that it didn't matter what battle plan she had with him, there was no way she could win. The rumours said that he had been alive for at least eight hundred years, there wasn't a trick in the book he wouldn't know. She sighed putting on a pair of tight black jeans, a black body fitting fleece jumper to keep out the cold and a pair of flat black leather knee high boots. The company didn't have a policy of what to wear when they went out on missions but just to wear what they were comfortable and what would get the job done. She knew certain females that went out with their breasts pushed up to their chins and huge heeled thigh boots. This just wasn't her style she was neither attractive enough nor could possibly work in such garb. Her final additions to her outfit was the double guns holstered at her hip and the large knife strapped around her right thigh. She tamed her wild black hair enough to tie it back into a pony tail but was disappointed as always to find that tendrils still fell over her face into her eyes.

She stepped out of her room when she was ready to find the television off and Lucian stood by the door patiently waiting for her, she had the feeling that he could have waited there forever. He wasn't really worried about anything which could be attributed to the fact that he hadn't anything to fear in this life. She pondered as they walked silently down to the car whether the movies were correct and whether she should carry a wooden stake with her whether purchasing a silver cross would be a wise move.

They got down to her car and before she could ask where they were going and just how was she supposed to get there he held his hand out for her keys and for once she gave in. She wasn't interested in making herself seem childish to him and afterall it was a company car that she was quite sure he had no intention of crashing. They got into the vehicle, the silence still thick around them and in the close confines of the car it got worse to the point where she just knew that she had to say something to him. To get all these rumours out into the open, but as she opened her mouth to speak once more he interrupted her.

"We're about to have the chat aren't we?" he sighed shaking his head as he drove along the roads in the soft rain "did i actaully kill all my other partners? Just what does kill a vampire? Do you drink real blood from people? Do you regularly turn people? Is my neck safe around you? Have i missed anything out?"

"I dont think so" she turned to look out of the window quickly to hide her blush

"Do you really want to know the answers?"

She paused for a moment considering this question, of course she wanted to know the answers damn it! She had a right to. But then she started to imagine them and all that they implied, what if he really did drink blood from humans? If she was forced to work with him and knew that it probably wouldn't be one of the best unions.

"No, i think i'd rather not. Lets just assume that you told me the answers i wanted to hear shall we?"

"Well aren't you just full of surprises" he muttered it under his breath slowing the car to a standstill. Much to her surprise he turned off the engine and took out the key, pocketing it.

"Your kidding right?" she squinted through the windscreen and gave him a look that, she knew full well despite the fact that it was pitch black he could see

"You'll get used to it in a moment, wait there i'll come round and get you" he chuckled to himself and she was vaguely aware of the car door shutting and the footsteps as he moved around the car and then the air rushed as the door opened. She tried not to jump as he took ahold of her arm and guided her out of the car.

She stumbled as she hit the floor and looked around her, eyes opening wide in an attempt to get a scope of the area around her. She was vaguely aware that even if it was in the middle of the night it shouldn't have been that dark, this was like darkness that was so thick she couldn't actaully see her hand in front of her face. He had closed the car door leaving her briefly alone in the darkness, she felt very vulnerable and was battling crazily to try and get her sight back. All of her other senses seemed to suddenly go into overdrive to try and compensate.

The alarm bells starting to ring inside her mind as soon as the car door slammed and then the silence rushed in. She couldn't feel any vibrations in the air or any sound no matter how slight, it was becoming apparent to her that he had brought her here for a reason. She sighed to herself impatiently feeling that this was such a childish way to go about things, she was sure that he was trying to scare her and there was no way she would allow it. Her mind was working quickly on what she should do, he could see her that much she knew, she was also realising that it didn't matter how much her eyes strained there was no way she was going to be able to see anything. She felt better with them closed, so in a calm zen like trance she kept herself completly still so that she could feel every movement in the air. She was outraged that he dare to test her that she would show him just how good she was at her job, she was going to turn the tables on him. She was fuming but had to put this to the back of her mind so that she could get this over and done with, she knew he was going to come up to her it was just a matter of patience and waiting for the right moment.

Luce cocked his head to the side watching her from the car bonnet, she wasn't like the usual sort that he had been partnered up with. He had heard quite a few rumours going around about her, most people called her a goody two shoes, apparently she did everything by the rules. As usual this sort of behaviour had been associated with being weak and there were so many stories circulating of her running away and even crying while on a mission. There was no way that he was going to allow anyone with weakness to be partnered with him, he was far too worried about having to save his own ass let alone having to worry about anyone else.

Looking at her now he knew that usually he would be testing her, running past and tapping her, trying to scare her but this time it was different, she hadn't called out she hadn't sounded scared. She just stood there in the silence and from the sound of her breathing she was actaully restraining herself, her eyes were closed and it looked as if she was completly relaxed. He was way to interested in what she was going to do next to actually test her.

She had been stood thinking for awhile wondering why he hadn't approached her yet and was only just realising he wanted her to make the first move. He was watching her from somewhere she was sure of that and knowing him he was probably as close to her as he could get so that he could gloat. She took a deep breath and had made her decision, she was either going to look like a complete idiot or become a genius. She swore that she heard the car creak in the wind and without hesitation spun on the spot and retraced her steps taking into account that this time she was going towards the front of the car and not the passenger door.

Her strides were long and calculating, there was no way she could hide the fact that she wasn't quite sure where the car began but all the same she made a show of not staggering. She sensed him before she sensed the car itself, she just caught herself before she made a smug snort. He was shocked that she knew where he was and hadn't moved, just waited for her to come up to him, she was sure that she had him now. It was pot luck that she managed to get her leg in between his but she was secretly thanking the gods for their generosity tonight.

His shock that not only did she know who she was but that she was striding towards him as if she had the same night vision as he did, died away as soon as she put her leg in between his. A grin spread across her face, she knew exactly why he was doing this to her and she wasn't going to let him get away thinking that he should believe in all of the rumours. She placed a hand delicatly on his chest to balance herself as she leaned forward pushing her body onto him as she did so. Once she was cheek to cheek she nibbled softly on his neck up to his earlobe so that she could moan softly in his ear.

The thick darkness seemed to fold around them even quicker and she felt her pulse quicken the moment that his arms wrapped tightly around her and soon she was pressed against him as they lay along the bonnet of the car. He sought out her lips and within seconds they were locked in a deep passionate kiss, his hands running up her legs over her ass and underneath her top. Her hands knotted themselves in his hair and she showed her appreciation by softly grinding her hips onto his. Finally she pulled away gasping and leant forward so that her lips brushed his ears

"You know rumours aren't true, so lets get over this shit and get down to business okay?" she brought her knee up at the same time to connect with the more sensitive flesh and as he grunted she pulled away and stood next to the car, her eyes still closed but a more flushed look about her.

He stood and walked around to the drivers side of the car getting in and watching carefully as she barely fumbled for the handle and got into the car. He shook his head and smiled, maybe this one wasn't going to get herself killed.