100% Freshie, Chapter 17 --PG-13

[librarian_7]

Disclaimer: The characters from Moonlight are copyrighted by CBS, and no infringement is intended.

Special note: This work takes place in the world of Moonlight, but your favorite vamps are not the main focus. Sorry about that; try to enjoy the story anyway. You might be surprised.

100% Freshie

Chapter 17


Danni was frowning at her vanity mirror, concentrating on getting her eyeshadow just right, when a firm knock sounded at the door. Tyler wasn’t due to pick her up for half an hour yet. And while she didn’t know him well enough yet to have an idea of his punctuality, she had noticed that vampires were generally more apt to be late or right on time. Not early. She supposed being immortal might give one a slightly more relaxed attitude—after all, with all the time in the world, there was surely no reason to hurry.

“Are you expecting anyone?” she called out to Emma, who was on the couch in the living room, reading.

“No…” Emma rose and padded to the door to take a quick peer through the peephole. Then she sighed and let the visitor in. “Danger,” she called out, “the landlord is here.”

Will winced a little. He supposed he deserved that, but he hadn’t really expected it from Emma. On the other hand, it could just as easily have been “bloodsucking asshole,” as she had rather memorably termed him one night in New York. He might be forgiven yet.
He smiled at Emma as he took a seat in the center of the couch. In the old days, that would have been a signal for Emma and Hunter to join him, to share their eager warmth on either side. There were a lot of reasons vamps favored small harems, and being warmed by two freshies at once was one of them: a comfort he’d missed these last months.

Emma stayed standing, and when Danni came in, she stood as well. Will frowned. They looked like nothing so much as a couple of schoolgirls called in front of the principal, and he wasn’t about to ask them to sit down. If they wanted to, they could take a seat, either beside him or elsewhere. Otherwise, they could stand there and look awkward. Neither of them spoke. For a minute or so, Will considered playing that game—he could easily outlast any silent treatment from a couple of humans, but what would be the point?

“Danger,” he said in the friendliest tone he could muster, given his growing annoyance, “you’re looking beautiful tonight. Got a date?”

“Yes,” she said, “I do.” Her answer was cool, almost emotionless. Will could scent that she was mildly excited at the prospect of her evening out, but didn’t think it was cause for alarm. Emotionless or not, there was an implicit challenge in the flat statement.

Will ignored that, and Danni felt a slight pang, seeing the tiredness in his eyes. Even while she was kicking herself for it, she could feel some of the ice around her heart melting. Will seemed changed—she wondered if Emma, who had spent so much more time with him, noticed it, too. Danni looked at Emma, and saw an odd expression on her face as well, as though she were trying to figure something out, or process some new information.

Emma took a step forward. “Will--what’s going on?” She had seen him in many moods, many tempers, and she wasn’t sure even now that she could explain it, but something was different. Not wrong, exactly, but—“Will?”

For the first time, Will found it impossible to meet Emma’s eyes. The shattered trust in them had been bad enough, as long as he was able to tell himself he was acting for the best. Now that illusion had been stripped away, the concern in her brown eyes was like a dagger. He knew he didn’t deserve it. He looked away.

He was still gathering his thoughts when there was a rap on the door. Must be Tyler, Danni thought, and she went to the door as Emma moved at last to sit next to Will, laying a hand tentatively on his knee.

Mick St. John stood in the hallway, the collar of his dark coat flipped up, a half-smile on his lips. “Danni.,” he said by way of a greeting, “I hope you don’t mind me not calling first.” She could see his hazel eyes were taking in the situation. “I was in the neighborhood, and I thought I’d drop by.”

“Mick,” Danni said, stepping back from the door, “do come in.”

Will looked up sharply, wondering what really had prompted St. John’s visit, and also how Danger knew this vamp. “Another one of your wide acquaintance, I see, Danger.”

Danni blushed at that, feeling unnecessarily slapped. “Will—this is—“

“Oh, I know who he is. Mick, what brings you here tonight?” Will asked, his tone so coldly devoid of inflection that Emma scooted away from him, frightened.

Her movement was not lost on Mick, and his lips tightened in disapproval. Even given his highly ambivalent feelings about freshies, his opinion of any vamp whose freshies feared him—well, contempt might be a good place to start. And it went down from there. Still, a confrontation with Will on what was arguably his own turf probably wasn’t optimum. So he smiled, pleasantly, blandly. “Will Spence. It’s been a while. Didn’t know you were back in town.”

Will lifted his chin. “Turns out I have business to attend to here.” And damned, he thought, if Mick St. John needs to know what that is.

Mick nodded, then reached out to touch the back of Danni’s bare arm., and she turned to look at him. “Hey, Danni. Have you been okay?”

Danni smiled at him. He had, she thought, the kindest eyes of any vamp she’d met. She laid a hand on his arm, noting the way those hazel eyes flicked down to it. For someone who denied his vampiric nature so emphatically , he displayed it unthinkingly, automatically, in so many ways. His gaze slid back up to her face with an unspoken question. She shook her head in answer, and said, “I’m fine, Mick. Everything’s good.”

His answering smile still held concern, and then his eyes cut away as he took a sudden deep sniff.

Will was glowering at them from the couch, but Danni decided she didn’t really care. She understood—as Will should understand—that feeding a vampire, any vampire, created a bond.

That’s when the realization came crashing in on her. Will understood the bond, of course Will understood the bond. That’s why he’d wanted them, the ones who should’ve been closest to him, to feed others. He didn’t like it, but he hoped it was a way to weaken the link between them. The link he feared. Danni could feel Will’s pain, could sense the anguish that so rarely showed in his turquoise eyes, and she wanted to forgive him for everything. She really did, but it would take more time. Just because he was suffering, he didn’t need to spread it around.

In the moment all this went through her head, Mick had turned from her to look at a newcomer standing in the open door. Oh, dear God, Danni thought, Tyler really does have the most impeccable timing.

Tyler, for his part, hesitated. He could smell that the two vamps in the apartment were both much older than him. Since he hadn’t been expecting to find any other vamps at Danger’s place, he was not sure either of his welcome or how to react.

As it happened, Will was the first to react. “Well,” he said, “whatever your name is, welcome to Vamp Central.”

Danni took a very deep breath and pasted on a smile. “Tyler. Hi.”

“If it’s a bad time—“

“No,” Danni replied, “I’d say it’s a perfect time. Let me grab my jacket.”

Tyler nodded, hoping uneasily that she’d be quick. If he’d had any idea that Danger was mixed up with older vamps, he’d never have approached her. His sire had always told him to stay away from any freshie who didn’t share the love pretty freely, and especially to stay away from ones that might be seen as someone else’s property. “Those old ones,” his sire said, “they get territorial, and you do not want to mess with them. Not over a freshie.” Good advice, surely, but he had no idea what the situation was here. Tense, obviously. Maybe he should just back away slowly and disappear into the night….but here was Danger again, and though her scent was filled with anger and anxiety, her eyes were bright and her smile seemed genuine. Besides that, he liked her. Most of the club freshies, vampstruck as they were, treated vamps as an alien species in a way that dismayed him. They were all about the bite, and willingly gave their blood in exchange for those few minutes of sensual pleasure. Danger had given him blood, sure, but what stood out from their encounter, besides its abrupt termination, was that brief, warm kiss she’d left him with. Maybe it was because he was still young enough to want some human connection, but he wanted—no, he needed—more of that warmth. He helped Danger with her jacket.

“Before you go,” Will’s voice cut across the activity in the room, “I did have some news to share with you and Emma, if you’re interested.”

Tyler felt Danger stiffen next to him, bracing herself, and Mick, himself turning to leave, went still, waiting.

Will looked over at Emma, then back to Danni. “I saw Hunter last night. She’s—not good, but—“ he paused, thinking the details were not what he wanted to share, especially not in front of outsiders. “I’m going to make sure she gets better.”

Emma flung her arms around his neck with an inarticulate cry. “Oh, Will,” she said, “I was afraid to ask. I thought sure she was dead.”

Danni closed her eyes and exhaled the breath she’d been holding unconsciously. When she looked again at Will, he was staring in her direction, and the turquoise eyes pinned her to the wall with their intensity. He was asking for her forgiveness, as plainly as if he’d spoken. She’d need time to think about the implications, but for now—she nodded to him, and turned away.

“Mick,” she said, “I do appreciate your stopping by. Please feel free anytime, okay?”

He nodded, and replied, “Call me, Danni. If you ever need—“ He quirked one corner of his mouth, tilting his head a little to one side., and strode away without waiting for an answer. As he left, he heard the girl and the young vamp following. He shook his head and smiled to himself. Josef was right. Will was making progress, but he still had quite a bit of ground to make up with his girls. Meanwhile, he intended Will to know that he—and Josef—had a watchful eye on the situation. Mick had always thought, always assumed, he corrected himself, that part of the undead, unchanging nature of the vampire body meant that growth and change of other kinds was impossible as well. But lately, lately he was beginning to question that assumption. He had seen proof, in several different directions, that even a vampire nature had potential. It was almost enough to give him a shadow of hope.

[francis]

I love the dynamics of their relationships the way you paint them. Will insecure, Emma and Danger picking up on that, he feeling guilty for he doesn’t even deserve their concern. Such a treat to read it.
Mick really has a way of coming by at the worst of times. And now Danni suddenly understands Will. But forgiving isn’t easy.
I feel for Tyler, too. He is just finding his way as a vamp as Danni is finding her way as a freshie. And she has something that makes biting her addictive, as she is addicted to being bitten.
Mick is learning something here, too. Maybe he can hope for himself now, too, not only for Will.
Great chapter!!!