Difficult Beginnings

Whatever she was going through, be it death, or some type of torture she'd never heard of, it seemed to be subsiding. There was something in her mouth...something sweet...something she wanted more of...something she needed...desperately.

It occurred to her then that the light was gone, but that it wasn't completely pitch black either. In fact...yes...she was becoming more conscious of her physical body now, and as she moved she sensed she was lying on something. It didn't feel hard, like the ground, but it also didn't feel as uniformly flat as a bed either. Moving tentatively, she whimpered as her muscles felt sore and stiff. And as her eyes slowly opened, she heard a loud, whirring noise that she disliked intensely.

Looking through nearly closed eyes, she saw a person, pushing something back and forth across the ground. A woman...she thought it was a woman...a woman like she was...didn't look happy, as she finished what she had been doing, left, and then returned to sit on the table. Why she was sitting on the table was confusing, but it was only one thing in a long list of things that didn't seem to make sense.

Where was she. Why was she where she was? Who was the woman who now seemed to be staring at her. Questions spun around in her brain at such a rate, she finally just opened her eyes and sat up.

And winced. The pain wasn't too bad, but it was enough to confirm she was really awake. Her eyes were wide now, as she considered the woman...sitting on the table...and her eyes moved around the room, taking it all in. Leaning forward, she reached out a hand slowly towards the woman, and carefully touched a fingertip to the wetness on the woman's face. Her finger then went to her own mouth, and she tasted. It was not what she wanted...what she craved. This moisture tasted salty, not sweet. Her tongue pulled her bottom lip inside her mouth, and she started to open her lips.

"Oooohhhh..." She wailed softly as she flopped back against the cushion, and wrapped her arms around her middle, where a pain had again clenched at her insides. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She needed something, but didn't know what, or why, or how to get it, or how to impress her need upon the woman.

So,instead, she began crying herself. Soundlessly, her own tears began streaming down her face, and she went so far as to touch them with the same fingertips, before she turned and pushed her face into the cushions on which she had sat, and shuddered.

Ginnie watched with a sort of morbid fascination as Shay sat up and looked around the room. She remained still as her fingers touched the tears on her face, watched as Shay's face crumpled in child like disappointment. Shay flopped back onto the couch and made the most piteous noise. Ginnie knew what her child needed, but was fascinated by Shay's lack of ability to tell her. She wondered what the Change had done to her. Had it warped the woman's mind?

Sliding down from the table, she kneeled beside the couch and placed a gentle hand on Shay's shoulder and turned her over. She spoke with gentle tones, as she would to a small child.

"Some things happened and you are different than you were before. I will explain everything, but first you need to eat. Inside your mouth there are some long teeth in front, you need to use those to bite my wrist. Instinct will take over after that. But Shay, you have to trust me when I tell you to stop. If you don't stop when I tell you, you will hurt me. Do you understand?"


She looked into the eyes of her friend and sighed softly at the total lack of recognition in them. It broke her heart that she had done this to this woman.

The woman's touch to her shoulder felt comforting, so she turned over as she had been prodded to do. She listened intently as the woman explained something, and ran her tongue along the inside of her mouth to feel the teeth she spoke of.

She wasn't sure why it surprised her...finding she did have two very pointy teeth protruding from her upper gums, but it did and she again sat up. Sticking her two index fingers inside her mouth the confirmed what her tongue had already discovered. And then it came to her...the other thing the woman had said.

"Bite your wrist?" She said in a disgust filled whisper.

Bite her wrist? Bite her wrist why? Something told her it wasn't right to be biting people. It just didn't seem the thing to do. But even if she did bite the woman's wrist, what would instinct then make her do? And what would she have trouble stopping...?

"Hurt you? Well of course it will hurt you if I bite your wrist! So why would you tell me to do so in the first place?"

The voice that nearly shouted the words now, seemed foreign. It had to be her voice, because it was obviously coming from her mouth, but it just didn't sound right. That idea merely flitted through her thoughts in a blink, and was replaced with confusion, and revulsion again.

"No, I do not understand...anything...that is going on here. Where am I, and who are you, and why are you telling me to bite you?"

It was unfortunate that at that particular moment she was again pounded in the stomach with a tremendous pain that caused her to plummet forward and cry out.

"And why do I have this awful pain?!"

Ginnie sighed softly and caught Shay about the shoulders as she fell forward. Gently she pushed the woman up and looked her in the eyes.

"That pain is hunger, and you have to feed. If you don't do it on your own, I'll have to force you, and I don't want to do that. I don't want to hurt you anymore, Shay. You have to trust me. Let's make the pain go away and then I will answer as may questions as you wat to ask."

Ginnie thought that perhaps she was being mean, but Shay had to eat, regardless of her revulsions to the idea. What if she offered blood instead of just her wrist to bite? Maybe that would help. Ginnie reached down and drew a dagger from her boot, and layed it beside her on the table.

"Ok, if you don't want to bite me that's ok. I'm going to make a little cut in my wrist, and I want you to put a finger in the drop of blood that comes and put that in your mouth. Can you do that?"

Ginnie picked up the knife and put it to her left wrist, she made a shallow nick and bright red blood instantly pooled on her skin. She held that small pool toward Shay. If she didn't do it this way, she'd try something else. She really didn't want to have to hold Shay down and feed her.

Hunger. She was so hungry that it was causing her pain? That made some sense. But hungry for blood? That's where the woman lost her.

As the pain subsided she was struck with an involuntary shudder. At least without the gnawing sensation she was able to think somewhat clearly.

"And why do I trust you? Who ARE you?"

Watching the woman take the knife, that she had just taken from her boot, she was mesmerized as the sharp blade cut cleanly across the skin. If she hadn't been assailed with the smell of the blood, she might have been able to argue more. But the minute the blood started to appear, she felt the 'hunger' pain return, and her mouth literally watered.

This was so wrong, she thought, as she grabbed the woman's arm and brought the wound to her mouth.

The second the blood hit her tongue, she did instinctively bite down, as if the blood was a catalyst to something in her saliva. The taste was phenomenal, and she moaned as the warm liquid began to slide down her throat. She became totally oblivious to the fact that the blood was coming from the woman, and that she held the woman's arm in her hands. All she sensed was that she did need this and it was stopping the pain.

It was also making her feel incredible. As the blood entered her system it felt as if it was spreading out through her like a delicious warm heat. Not to mention she was beginning to feel slightly...turned on? Sex came to mind, but she was still just a bit too confused to understand the correlation. Yet as the pain dwindled even more, she found herself still not wanting to stop. The new sensations were wonderful, and she wanted more.

Ginnie cried out when Shay's teeth pierced her skin. The only times she'd been bitten were in the throes of passion and it didn't hurt then, this hurt like a son of a bitch. There was nothing pleasant about being fed upon like this, no pheromones to dampen the pain, no endorphins to confuse her brain into thinking it was pleasure. She could feel the blood leave her body with every pull Shay made. It was the most peculiarly painful sensation she'd ever felt and she hoped to God she ever had to feel this again.

She let Shay feed for a little while, feeling slightly warmed ad protective as little noises came from Shay's convulsing throat. Almost like she had when she'd nursed her first child. Her brain took her from this place to that one, with out her consent.

Nine hours of laboring against the child brought strong cries into the small too hot chamber. The mid-wife placed the squalling infant on her belly, and Ginnie began to cry along with him. She'd not wanted this child, but her husband had demanded it, but the joy of birth transcended all of that. The woman mae her give two more small pushes, then began to clean her with warm cloths. Ginnie paid no attention as the tiny body on her chest started to settle down, his squalls turning to whimpers. The chamber maid fussed with her pillows, but Ginnie's entire world had arrowed to this tiny thing. It was a boy child, and he was named for his father just as every other boy child that had been sired in the manor. Though the father's name they took did not belong to the man who's seed had created them.

The mid-wife finished her task as the babys cries became urgent again. "You need to give him your breast, m'lady." Ginnie moved aside the loose garment that had given her some privacy, and put the baby where he belonged. The little noises he made her sigh gently. Before long he was done and drifted off to sleep. She was just covering herself when Regonald entered the room. He sat gently upon the bed with her and stroked the still damp hair of his child. He leaned close to her and whispered gently that she should not feed the baby from her own breast any more, if she wanted what she had asked for, he wanted her body perfect. She cried herself to sleep for weeks as some other woman listened to the satisfied noises her baby made as he ate.

Those same noises brought her back out of her memories and she saw gray around the edges of her vision when she opened her eyes. She had to get Shay to let go, or things were going to go very badly, very quickly.

Pushing away from the couch she put a hand to Shay's shoulder.

"Shay! Shay! You have to stop now."

She pulled gently at her arm, but Shay tightened her grip. "You're going to hurt me Shay, you have to stop."

She tugged harder on her arm ad pushed Shay back at the same time, but her child fought, and Ginnie began to panic. With nothing else to do, she ripped her arm from Shay's grip with as much force as she could muster. Shay's teeth ripped the skin and muscle away, causing Ginnie to cry out in great pain.

She slid up onto the coffee table, and held the torn tissue against her bleeding arm, her breath ragged and her vision growing a little more gray around the edges. She needed help, but the bleeding had to stop first. When it did she would call Alec. That is if Shay didn't attack her, she feared that now, and it shamed her to feel afraid of the woman she'd called friend and the vampire she must call child.

Shay shay shay shay...why was the woman yelling that at her? She was doing what she had been told to do, and was thankful that it not only eradicated her pain but made her feel so good. She didn't want to stop. As long as the blood filled her she didn't need to think of anything else.

The woman was now sounding scared, and that caught her attention, but she still found it difficult to let go. Just a little more and she would stop...just a little more.

But the woman finally wrenched the arm away from her, and she was left with a mouth full of skin and tissue, and the thought that she had done something horrid. She stared at the woman transfixed, as it became clear that she was responsible for injuring the woman. The cries the woman made only made her feel worse, as she mentally scrambled to figure out what to do now. The euphoria her body had begun to take on was now dissipating, as it became evident she would need to help the woman.

Leaning forward, and scooting to the edge of the couch, she pulled off the thin cotton shirt she wore, over her head, and tried to press it to the wound she had created. The woman had a firm hold of the arm, and it was difficult to wedge the material in between, but she kept it up until she hoped the woman understood that it would be better to wrap the arm tightly, to help stop the bleeding.

Standing up, and promptly sitting back down again, she thought there must be something else she could do to try and repair the damage done. She knew if something happened to this woman...well she didn't let herself think beyond that point. Just the idea started a spark of panic that she knew would undoubtedly blossom into sheer hysteria if she didn't stop it.

Standing up again, and this time not feeling as weak, she moved around the table, her eyes taking in everything around her. She really didn't know what she was looking for, but hoped she would know it when she saw it.

Moving about the rooms quickly she felt herself getting woozy again, and returned to the couch. Sitting down directly in front of the woman, she looked at her with sympathy.

"I...I don't know what to do for you. We need to get you help though..."

Ginnie flinched when Shay moved, but that quickly became gaping as Shay took off her shirt and tried to wedge it between her hand and wrist. Finally getting the drift of what she wanted she took the shirt and pressed it to the barely seeping wound. She had lost a lot of blood, so her healing was slow. Her confusion grew as Shay stood up and wandered around her home, apparently looking for something.

Finally, Shay returned to her seat and Ginnie had to smile at Shay's concern.

"I'm fine really. Look." She pulled the sticky shirt from her wrist to reveal a healing wound. It was still a terrible sight, but the bleeding had finally stopped and her flesh had begun to knit itself back together. It looked days old instead of minutes, and in an hour it would look like an old scar, and in an hour after that there would be no trace what so ever. But if she wanted that to happen, she needed to replenish what Shay had taken.

"And I'll be all better very soon. I just need to eat, like you did. Only I'll get my food from someone not like us, or I'll use some that I have stored."

Ginnie stood, putting her knife away as she moved. She took the shirt into the kitchen and put it in the bin of incineratable trash. She moved back into the living room and smiled gently at Shay.

"Now, let's get you another shirt. Or would you like to take a shower first?"

Ginnie stood watching the half naked woman. She really had no idea what to do now and really needed Alec, but she wanted to get Shay settled down first. Then one of Shay's questions moved to the front of her mind.

"Oh, I'm Ginnie, and you are Shay and we have a lot of talking to do, but you should be dressed first. Thank you for giving me you shirt, that was kind."

Confusion seemed to be the theme for the day, as Shay inspected the woman's arm. It made no sense that it was healing so fast, and all she could do was stare at the woman in fascinated wonder.

"How...?" She was nearly speechless in her befuddlement, but because it seemed to be a normal sentiment at this space in time, she didn't let herself dwell on it too long.

That was until the woman started talking about eating again. It was assumed the 'food' she spoke of was blood, and still not accustomed to that notion, a shudder of disgust hit her again.

Looking down at herself, she noticed she was only wearing a little bra and jeans, but realized she wasn't cold at all. It occurred to her that it was probably necessary to put on another top, but the idea of a shower sounded much better. Standing up again, half forgetting all about the woman's injuries, she moved away from the couch, and reached behind to undo her bra.

"A shower please." She smiled, and nodded when the woman introduced herself. Slipping off her bra, and taking the straps in her other hand, she reached to the woman with her free right hand.

"It seems funny to be saying this...but nice to meet you Ginnie. And I'm Shay?" That explained why Ginnie had been yelling that word earlier. Unfortunately it didn't seem at all 'her'...any more than if her name had been Roberta, or Jacqueline. "Shay...Shay..." Shaking her head, she just let the worry there pass. If this woman...Ginnie...said that was her name, she had no reason to doubt it. She just wished she 'felt' it.

Waiting to be directed to the shower, she unbuttoned her jeans, and began unzipping them.

"The shower is...?"

'Ok I can do this.' The change seemed to have made Shay a clean state. She only knew one other person with that condition and that made her need to call Alec that much more urgent. She wanted to giggle as Shay undressed where she stood. She did not think she had been that type before and so found it comical now.

"It's through here."

Ginnie walked into her bedroom and pointed at the bathroom door. "There are towels in the top cabinet."

Ginnie watched Shay walk into the bathroom and shut the door. Chuckling softly, she moved to her closet and looked at her clothes. Shay was shorter than she, and a bit wider in the hip, but still small. Ginnie picked a pair of jeans that were a little big for her, a sweater, and a pair of panties from the small pile in her closet. They were new and still had the tag. She pulled out a camisole as well, not knowing if Shay would want to put on her own bra or would rather something clean. She put everything on the bed, and left the room, closing the door behind her.

In the living room, Ginnie sat on the couch and put her head in her hands. She had so many things to do now, but all she wanted to do was call Alec and weep on him when he arrived. With a sigh she pulled her phone out of her pocket and pushed the button that called Alec. It rang once. She didn't give him time to say anything.

"Alec. I need you here. Now. Something has happened and I can't do this by myself. Is this line secure...of course it's not were both on cells. Ok I need you here. It's an emergency, well ok not an emergency but it's important and I can't do it alone. Where are you? No that doesn't matter. I need you to stop by the blue benz that's parked by my car and take everything out of it. Everything. Also there is a picnic basket in my car that needs to come up here too. When can you get here?"

Desperation had started to creep into her voice and she'd stood up at some point and started to pace. She listened to Alec for a moment, not at all reassured by his reassurances, said her good bye and shoved the phone back into her pocket. The shower ran in the other room, and she made her way to the computer. She powered up the unit and waited for it's prompt.

"I need the file for Mathias' familiar, nick name Shay."

"Further parameters needed."

"Female, twenty's, blonde, five-seven, about one-twenty. Full name unknown, goes by Shay. Registered as familiar to Mathias Alexandrei, Tacharan vampire."

"Confirmed. File for Shalimar O'Mannon is being sent to your personal printer."

"Thank you. Find the location of Mathias Alexandrei."

"Location unknown."

"Last known?"

"The Domicile."

"Date?"

"Unknown."

Ginnie sighed. There was no use arguing with the thing. If it didn't know, it didn't know, or she didn't have clearance to know.

"Contact numbers."

The computer rattled off several numbers. Once more Ginnie sighed. "Send them to my phone."

In her pocket the mentioned phone vibrated as it received the text message.

"Send an email to Simon and Carol. It should read: "I have made a child. The repercussions could be numerous. I need to meet with either of you soon. Contact me via cell phone at 555-9034. Ginnie."

Yeah, that was great, scare and anger them up front. Sighing she shut down the computer and returned to her perch on the couch, to await Shay, Alec and the world falling in on her head.

Hanging upside down, dangling from a climbing rig anchored to a harness, Alec reached toward the glass case. The contact sensors had been disabled, but the sonics and lasers were all still intact. Still, he was at an optimal position to make the breach, and with only one system to reset it'd be even more of a mystery to leave behind.

Opening the case, he removed the tiny figurine that had been on display, replacing it with one of the gallery's own "Removed for Cleaning - We Apologize for the Inconvenience" signs. Sealing it in its foam case, he smiled. Like taking candy from a...

His phone rang. The sonic detectors began to scream.

'Reminder to self - no phone on the real run.' Pulling out his remote, he flipped off the alarm system. Pulling out the Playmobil figurine he'd just lifted from the very authentic display case, he dropped it onto the glass to get at his phone.

"H-"

Ginnie;35183
"Alec. I need you here. Now. Something has happened and I can't do this by myself. Is this line secure...of course it's not were both on cells. Ok I need you here. It's an emergency, well ok not an emergency but it's important and I can't do it alone. Where are you? No that doesn't matter. I need you to stop by the blue benz that's parked by my car and take everything out of it. Everything. Also there is a picnic basket in my car that needs to come up here too. When can you get here?"

Emergency. Ellis must be back. No...wait...not an emergency, something bad. Hm, flustered, not quite panic. Desperation? Texts say to be soothing and reassuring. Revise situation status - Something Bad (Very). Clean evidence from Mercedes in Domicile. Picnic basket? Already here. Wait, say it aloud.

"I'm already here - in the Domicile practicing for a run I've always wanted to make. Car first, home second. I'm 3 minutes from the garage, 6 to fully empty the car unless it is a real mess, 4 back home. I am certain that everything will be fine. See you in 15, picnic basket in hand."

He'd given a little extra time, but just the same he wanted to be early on this one. Dropping from his ropes, he left the practice room open and at a full run to the garage, only stopping to grab a full cover suit. Sliding it on as he got into the garage, he shook his head when someone asked him if he needed anything. Grabbing his tools, he popped the door and looked inside. It wasn't bad - there was a lot of fiber to take into account though. Into one bag went the contents of the glove compartment, visor holder, cup holders and loose material under the seats. And a dog kennel? Okay.

Securing static sheets over the seats, he removed the bolts and slid them from the vehicle. Pulling up the floor covering, he bagged them separately. Heading to the trunk, he removed the spare, the jack and the toolkit. Glancing at the odd collection, he hit a button on his phone.

"Mendez. Yes...oh, yeah, that was great work on that optical piggyback. Worked like a charm. Yup - business. Can I get a full sanitation on the car in garage 3? Heh. Blue one with the seats out in static bags. No blood - just prints and hair, need a full clean, inside and out. Floor mats and tools as well. Change the plates, but save them for me just in case. Thanks man - I'll bring you a souvenir next time."

Glancing at the wall clock he'd lost a minute, but gained one running. He'd probably pick up a little on the way to the door - the bags were unwieldy, but not that heavy. Stripping off the cover suit, he grabbed the bags after slipping on his leather gloves and headed quickly down the corridor to his room. Glancing down, he smiled. At least he was dressed for "work" and well armed in case something big was happening. Popping his security accesses, he entered.

"What's the situation?"

As she entered the bathroom, the woman...Ginnie...closed the door behind her. She shrugged and stepped out of her shoes, socks, jeans, and panties, which she left pooled on the floor.

Stepping into the shower, Shay turned the nozzle towards the wall, and then turned on the water, which she adjusted to a very warm spray. Turning the nozzle back down to send the water beating against the back of her neck, Shay moved backwards until the water covered her head and face, running rivulets down her body. Without moving further, she just stood and let the pounding heat permeate her muscles. It bothered her a little that she had no conscious reason for her soreness, but the water felt so good that in seconds she no longer thought about it.

Finding bottles of shampoo, conditioner...soap...all the things she knew she would use to bathe, Shay did so. She took her time though, refusing to be rushed. Not only did she look at the parts of her body...those she could see...as she washed, she paid close attention to the way her hands felt as they moved along her body. It felt both right, and strange at the same time, and the feelings of confusion came back. Part of her seemed to be standing off on the sidelines watching, as if it were someone else in that shower bathing. That was the part that made things seem off kilter. Luckily there was a part of her that recognized the actions her hands were taking, and she guessed that was the 'old' part of her that somehow managed to remain inside.

Once she had covered her body with soaps and rinsed, Shay remained under the water as if her 'on' button had been switched to 'off'. She wasn't sure how long she had been like that, but something must have clicked the 'on' button again as she blinked and felt the once hot water had now turned tepid.

Turning the handles until the water shut off, Shay twisted her hair until most of the water had been squeezed out, and then stepped from the shower onto the bathroom floor. Walking gingerly towards the cabinet Ginnie had pointed out earlier, she took down one towel that she wrapped around her head, and then another which she began using to dry her body. Once she no longer felt the cool chill of the air on wet skin, she dropped the towel onto the floor and went back into the bedroom.

There were clothes spread out on the bed, which Shay examined. Ignoring the underwear, Shay stepped into the jeans, then zipped them up. Removing the towel from her head, the sweater was then pulled over her long damp hair, which she then pulled out through the neck, and tossed behind her. The towel she drug back into the bathroom, where he ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get as many tangles out as she could. She saw no comb or brush on the counter, and didn't want to really use a stranger's things anyway. Clothing was one thing, but somewhere in the back of her mind she had the impression it wasn't proper to use other people's hairbrushes.

Shrugging off the silly thought, Shay returned to the bedroom, and opened the door leading out.

"Uh ... thanks for the use of the clothes. Now what?"

Now what? She hadn't meant to say that out loud...but...now what?

Her question was interupted then, by the sudden appearance of a man.

'God damnit.'

Carol dipped her fingers into her pot plants and sighed. They were still borderline drying out, even with the humidor she installed in her secret closet. She didn't want south america growing in her closet, but these were her babies. She cooed, talking to her pot plants as her PDA lit up and started to play the theme to 'Mission Impossible' behind her.

Scooting back to her dressing table where she had left her fun blinged out device, she picked up the rhinestone contraption and checked the email just as it began to ring, signaling an incoming call, this time the theme from Star Wars played - it was Simon. She wasn't sure why she had picked Star Wars for him, it just always cracked her up.

Carol put the phone to her ear and listened. 'I know. Just did. You call Dayle? K I will. No, I love you more. No, *I* love you more. NO...oh stop it already...yes. No. YES! Ok. Buh bye.'

She looked back at her pda phone and forwarded the email to Dayle and stood up. Kicking the closet door closed, she walked into her office and plopped down on the seat. Using her desk intercom, she dialed Ginnie's cell number.

Shay finished, entered the room and asked a question. Ginnie opened her mouth to answer when Alec came through the door. 'Oh thank God.' But she had hoped Alec would arrive before Shay, but that couldn't be helped. She smiled at Shay.

"What we do now is explain things to this nice man. This is Alec. He's here to help us." She turned to Alec and wanted desperately to fall into his arms weeping. "Ok short version. I was out hunting at the nature preserve, and I came across someone on the ground near death. It turned out to be Shay. She was too far gone to save so I Turned her. I've put in an email to Simon and Carol, but beyond that and you. I'm at a loss. It seems the Change has erased her memory Alec."

She knew she would need to go into more detail, but it would do for now. She crossed to him now and slid her body against his, her arms snaking around his waist, head on his shoulder, with her face buried in his neck. She whispered softly,"I'm scared to death,love. What am I going to do," before pulling away and waiting for his reaction, when her phone sang "I want Candy", from her pocket. "Shit."

She pulled the phone from her pocket and answered.

"This is Ginnie."

'You've been busy!'

Carol leaned back in her chair and smiled. Turnings had been few and far between as of late, especially with Ellis gone, therefore recruiting had come to a halt, so to speak. Not that she ever did any of the turning, that was Simon's job, but still. It had been quiet for so long, they were in need of some drama!

'So who's the lucky person? Can I meet? Is he hot? Does he have a brother?'

Carol was in her usual good spirits, which helped a little. "I wish things were so easy, Carol. You've met her. I um...I had to turn Shay, Mathias' familiar. She was near death and I had no other course of action. The thing is, well she's lost her memory. As to a brother, according to her dossier she has at least one."

Ginnie steeled herself for whatever would follow. She had no idea what would happen now and she was incredibly frightened of what was to come. Her heart rate had sped up and she was having a difficult time keeping her voice and breath calm.

"Um, what do I do now?"

She felt like a kid who had burned a tray of cookies and didn't know what to do about it. This was her first and hopefully last child and she had never made herself familiar with the protocol for the eventuality.

Carol had been grinning ear to ear, leaning back in her chair as Ginnie began to speak although that was short lived. She fell back and out of her chair as she sat upright, knocking her balance off.

'You did what? You turned who? She's what?' Straightening her chair, Carol sat back down and began to check her computer. Mathis had disappeared with a short note to Simon, but was off...somewhere. Carol checked the Domicile to see who was present and sure enough, Ginnie had indeed brought Shay into the Domicile, their entry times reflected that. Ginnie had turned another member's familiar...well, technically she was a familiar. Shay was just more of a girlfriend. Still. Ugh. Now the turning had affected her, probably doing wonders to whatever bond she might've had with Mathis. Great.

'Listen, stay there. I'll be down in a minute.' Hanging up she picked up her pda cell and called Simon, relaying the situation. She winced and pulled the phone away from her ear when he uncharacteristically yelled. Hanging up, Carol stood, took a deep breath and left for Ginnie's quarters.

Dayle was unsure when exactly she had started using various songs and music to signify when she received phone calls or special messages - be they instant, text, or email - from some of her new Clanmates. Perhaps it was when Carol had told her that when she received messages from Dayle, her song of choice was 'God Save the Queen.' At first, she'd thought it quite odd, but realized that, when accepting phone calls on the run, a personalized ringer made it easier to identify the caller without having to look at the phone.

So when the PDA on her desk bleeped and suddenly played the 'Milkshake' song - suggested by Alec, though she didn't understand its lyrics and felt too embarassed to ask their meaning - she fairly jumped out of her skin as she acknowledged it.

Ginnie

Forwarded Email. Text as Follows, from Carol Hedley:

I have made a child. The repercussions could be numerous. I need to meet with either of you soon. Contact me via cell phone at 555-9034. Ginnie.

'Bollocks,' Dayle muttered under her breath, followed by a 'bloody hell!' as a stream of information bleeped her PDA again, informing her that familiar records for Shalimar O'Mannon had been accessed by Ginnie.

Tucking her PDA into its protective sleeve, she immediately locked her PC and headed out to the elevator. When the car stopped at her office's floor, she stepped in to see a rather stoic Carol.

"Fancy meeting you here, Carol." She hoped the wry tone in her voice was perceived as sarcasm, but she was fully prepared to be punched in the shoulder - or whatever it was these Americans did to relieve frustration.

Initially confused by the tone that Ginnie was using with Shay, Alec paused, hearing the tale. Staring straight ahead, he repeated to himself as a mantra 'stay cool, don't throw up, stay cool, don't throw up, stay cool, don't throw up'. Smiling somewhat robotically, he managed to not shout anything, or bang his head against the wall or use the very high caliber handgun in its back holster to shoot himself in the stomach to make sure he was indeed just dreaming. Then the real bomb dropped. She couldn't remember anything.

Suddenly, the Thief kicked into gear. It would be fine.

"Well...I wish you had waited a bit longer to call them, but maybe we can work around that. The prohibition is on feeding or causing harm to another's familiar. You were doing the exact opposite given that she faced destruction so that can be avoided with a technicality."

He didn't need to say it, his eyes screamed it - "I hope."

"Ellis isn't in charge any more, and so the old rules of iron are a bit more malleable. Simon's view on familiars is obviously very different from hers, but they've not been codified yet. Since you were protecting Tacharan property, he will likely be lenient with you. But we'll want to hit the location and see if any trace evidence was left behind. If so, we might be able to nail the fucker who put the bite on her."

And just like that, the Thief was gone. Feeling vaguely like he had loose bowels, Alec swallowed hard. Stepping to the refrigerator, he pulled out a chilled bottle of water, thought again, and pulled out three. When Ginnie's phone rang he managed not to jump, but he probably would have wet himself if he'd already had the water. Recognizing the ring tone, Alec paused, and looked at Ginnie. He wanted to take Shay from the room, but he wanted to eavesdrop even more.

Taking a long, cold draught of water, he smiled darkly at the blank slate. He knew those eyes. He'd seen them in the mirror, but he'd seen them on Shay. It was...strange. Did all of the orphans with broken minds start with the same cutting stare? Walking slowly, casually toward her, he held out the water bottle. Staring unblinkingly into her eyes, looking through his own black reflection, he spoke.

"You've been given a fresh start, young one. Some truths will follow you. Others...are more...flexible. You died. In coming back, you left something behind. Other things you can choose to leave behind. Your past is obsolete. You can be anyone. Anything."

Alec didn't know where the words were coming from - it was like an echo through his mind that vibrated speech from his throat. The voice, his voice...was all wrong for this. It should have been a woman's voice. Disregarding the strangeness of the tangential thought, he prepared to continue. Allowing a moment for the words to sink in, for their significance to take hold, he asked

"So. What is your name, child of Alana, grandchild of Regonald?"

"Ok."

The phone went dead in her hand and she shoved it back into her pocket. "Carol's on her way. Alec will you put all of that stuff in my bedroom? I need to get something to eat and pour a shot before she gets here."

She didn't wait for his answer nor did she hear the things he had said to Shay. Her mind was stuck in a panic loop and she had no way out. Ginnie went into the kitchen and pulled the last bag of blood from the fridge drawer. She pierced it with her fangs and drank the blood cold, something she hated, but the need and situation pushed away her preferences for speed. She drained the bag quickly, and tossed it into the incineration bin. Pulling a glass and a bottle of amber liquid from their places, she poured herself a large measure, and took her first sip of whisky when the computer chimed it's proximity alarm followed shortly by her door bell.

Carol met Dayle in the elevator down and huffed in return. The two ladies rode down to Ginnie's level in awkward silence and the second the doors started to open, Carol leaned out to jog down the hallway. Upon reaching it, she reached out and touched the door's computer panel and it opened for her.

Carol stepped in and saw Alec and Shay. She stomped her foot and pointed at the new vampire.

'UH??!!!'

Dayle found herself partaking of involuntary calisthenics as Carol jogged to Ginnie's suite. The door opened and when they stepped inside, Dayle heard Carol's exclamation and stamp, and saw her pointing at Shalimar.

Reaching out slowly, Dayle gently coaxed her arm down, whispering into Carol's ear, "The poor dear looks scared out of her wits. Please let her adjust a moment to meeting a few new people."

As Dayle looked over the woman, she realized she'd met Shay a few weeks prior at the party for Fallon and Cyrus. Except something was different about her... The woman's confidence and poise seemed... gone. When Dayle looked into her eyes, she saw fear, confusion, mistrust... But when her eyes lit upon Alec or Ginnie, a flicker of hope and something else... A plea? "Something's not right. She's not the same Shay I met recently."



(( touching and perceptions w/ permission ))

'Now what' seemed to be an apt question, but it didn't appear clear if anyone knew the answer.

Listening and watching as Ginnie explained things to Alec, after introducing him, the story she told seemed both familiar and strange, but Shay did grasp that the person Ginnie had turned was her. It was the 'turning' that Shay didn't quite grasp. More questions popped into her head, but she kept them to herself for now. She could see Ginnie appeared distressed, and Shay didn't want to add anything to the mix that would make things worse. Besides that, this Alec man also appeared to be suffering various emotions, or that's what Shay got from what she thought she saw in his eyes.

Her mind tried to take in everything that was going on, but it was overwhelming. Ellis, Tacharan, Simon...familiar, rules...Carol, Mathias, a brother. It made her head ache to try and keep up with the flow of conversation.

"My name? I've been told it is Shay..." Shay's expression to Alec was again one of confusion. Hadn't Ginnie told him what her name was? And who in the hell were Alana, and Regonald? A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she held her hand to her eyes, in an attempt to stave off the tears that again threatened. Seconds later she lowered it having been successful at regaining her composure.

Taking the bottle of water from the man, Alec, Shay managed a thankful smile as she twisted off the cap and drank. The water was cool, but somewhat disappointing as she still longed for more blood.

Blood. Vampires drank blood. Vampires had sharp, pointy teeth. Ergo, she was a vampire? She dropped the opened bottle of water onto the floor at the same time the doorbell rang and two more people entered. Could anymore strange faces appear before her? And why was the one stomping her foot and pointing at Shay as if she was some two headed wonder. Shay had seen her reflection in the mirror, and knew she appeared as normal as the rest of the room's inhabitants.

"I have a reflection! I can't be a vampire!" She blurted out the revelation the second it came to her. She then smiled as well, as if she had just proven what Ginnie had alluded to was wrong, and she would soon wake up and her memory would return and all would be right with the world.

"And I'm standing right here miss." She said somewhat hurt that the other new woman would talk about her as if she were mindless.

Moving to the nearest chair, Shay sat down, and bent forward resting her forehead on her knees. Her arms wrapped around the back of her neck, and she breathed. Things had to start making sense soon, or she was afraid she might lose it altogether, and run screaming.

Turning, Alec glanced at Carol and Dayle. He didn't even try to smile - it would have been too much. Acknowledging them both with a slight cock of his head that he hoped looked sociable, he focused his unblinking eyes, eyes without memory, on the pair of them. At Dayle's comment, he nodded once. In cold, even tones, he stated

"She is like me. Lost in transition. Amnesiac. And she is being overstimulated moments after her change."

Turning to Ginnie, his worry shown through for the briefest of seconds. He couldn't take care of her until the others were gone, as much as she needed the support. Simon wouldn't end her for this. Matthias...he would listen to reason. That left getting Shay situated so he could move to the next phase.

"Shay, can you come with me into the other room for a few minutes so that Ginnie can talk to her visitors? And please try to relax. It will aid your first digestion. I will try to explain...well, a bit at a time."

Hoping that he was making the right decision, he lugged the bags into the bedroom. Alec didn't wait for a response from Shay. He'd seen mothers play this trick many, many times and it usually worked - she should be along directly. Provide an enticing reward for a seemingly small act. Hell, it was how most interpersonal dynamics worked.

Carol looked Shay up and down and opened her mouth to say something...something. Something would've been good, but again she uttered a rather gutteral noise.

'UH?!!!!!!!'

Amnesia? Been told her name is Shay?

She slumped her shoulders and tipped her head back in a rather put out reaction to the situation. Carol had heard of that happening before, but having the three of them here, in this little pickle...

'UH?!?!?!!!!!'

Amnesia. It made sense, but it seemed too pat. And having amnesia didn't make a person a vampire. But drinking blood, and having fangs could. Lifting her head she looked at Alec. He had said he had amnesia too, but he seemed to know Ginnie well enough.

His invitation to leave the room was welcome, and Shay stood without consideration. However, before she left the room she looked at Ginnie and wondered if she really wanted to leave her side. Ginnie was the one who had rescued her, after all, even if Shay didn't necessarily believe everything the woman had said.

But Alec mentioned Ginnie had to talk to her friends, and Shay really did want to know more about what had happened, so she followed after Alec within seconds.

Once inside the bedroom again Shay wrapped her arms about her and sat on the edge of the bed. Her eyes followed Alec like a hawk, as a myriad of images clouded her head.

"You're like me? You can't remember either? Do you know why? And you're a vampire too, like Ginnie?" Shay still wasn't completely convinced she was as well, though the longer she considered the evidence, the more she had to admit it was a distinct possibility.

"If I'm a vampire...that means I can't be near garlic...or go outside in the daylight...and am destined to walk the earth for eternity feeding off the lives of people? Where are the coffins?"

Another shudder wracked through Shay at the idea of sleeping in a box, on a pile of dirt.

"Please tell me this is all a joke?"

Placing the bags onto the floor in the corner, Alec turned slowly and nudged the door shut. Retreating to the far side of the room to give her as much space as possible, he took a sip of water, nodding.

"I am like you. I was changed and lost my past. I rediscovered my skills on my own and became my own person, unhindered by my past mistakes and triumphs. I, like you, was born into a world without the sun. You seem...to be more conversationally functional than I was. Ginnie didn't hesitate when she saw what could have been, and you seem more stable for it. That's a good start."

Sitting on the floor, Alec stretched his legs out, leaving a clear line of sight between them.

"You are now a vampire. But it isn't like the movies or the stories. We're not really dead, just...significantly changed. We do get our nourishment from blood, but we do not have to kill or even feed from people. The advent of blood banking took care of that for us. I rather enjoy garlic. Churches and holy symbols and places don't bother me, but some people are freaked out by them. I think that one is mostly psychological. Coffins are totally unnecessary, as is dirt from our grave. Silver doesn't do anything bad to us. Sunlight and fire will destroy all but the eldest of our kind. I know of one who has survived immolation, one who has survived sunlight.

The good news that we're stronger and faster than humans. We also heal at a crazy rate. The older we get, the stronger we get, whereas humans just have death to look forward to - very bleak situation for them, really. And we each are altered in more unique ways, too. Those differences will surface in time - you might not be aware of them right away."

Taking a sip, he watched her. Who knows how she'd take it.

Ginnie did three things as she watched the door to her bedroom close. She thanked God for Alec, slammed back the remainder of her whiskey, and poured another. Sighing softly she grabbed a towel from a nearby drawer and returned to the living room. Uprighting the bottle of water, she placed the towel on top of the spill, and stood on it, facing Carol and Dayle.

"This sucks, I know. Ok here's the thing, I didn't have much choice. I was out hunting at the Nature Preserve and came across her. Some other vamp had bitten her. I don't know who did it. I didn't take the time to go look for the bastard. She was so near death that just giving her blood would not have saved her. It was either loose a piece of Tacharan property or turn her. So I took the only logical course of action, Carol. The thing is, she had a picnic set out, like she was expecting Mathias, but I saw no evidence that he'd been there, so I have a slight suspicion it was him. If not then it was either a rogue or an Anantya, which is doubtful, they aren't usually so careless with their prey."

She'd calmed some by the end of her little speech, all she had to do was make it through this night. She hoped to God this wasn't an offense that warranted her truth death.

She listened to the man, Alec, and tried to keep an open mind. It was difficult though, since everything she was being told was outlandish. Though she didn't remember who she was, or what she had been doing before waking up here in this apartment, she knew that vampires were myths...like gryphons, and werewolves, and fairies. It didn't matter how she knew this, or who had told her, or how she had come by this information. It was one of the things she just knew to be true. Movies...she was pretty sure she had seen movies about vampires, or read books, sometime in her life. But seeing them in the flesh?

She heard the things Alec said, but only gave them partial credence. If he said he had also suffered from amnesia, she could believe that. What would he have to gain by telling her otherwise. And for some reason she felt slightly reassured to hear she could continue to eat Italian food, and didn't need to fear claustrophobia at bedtime. She couldn't recall if religion was an integral part of her life, so going to a church didn't concern her at the moment.

The rapid healing she had just witnessed with Ginnie, and having seen it with her own eyes, couldn't dispute that something out of the ordinary had happened there. The concept of never dying was way too far fetched to grasp now. If it turned out that she was indeed a vampire, that would be something she could ponder later on. She'd have plenty of time to do so, that was a given.

Falling backwards on the bed, Shay crossed an arm over her eyes, and listened. The voices in the other room were muffled, and she was able to hear snatches, if she tried really hard. But she wasn't interested, so she gave up trying.

"If I have amnesia...how is it I can remember things at all? I know I'm a woman, and you're a man...this thing I'm lying on is a bed...is it just people I don't recall?"

Lifting her arm away from her eyes, Shay studied her hand. It looked as foreign to her as everything else did. Was there nothing she might recognize, even herself? Sitting up she bounded off the bed and went to look in a mirror. Studying her face as she had her hand, she hoped for some tiny glimmer of familiarity. Peering into her eyes, lifting her hair to see her ears, turning to look at her backside...nothing. She was unable to pin any actual memory to anything she saw. Anything she 'remembered' was abstract, as in thought. Sighing and feeling overcome with sadness, she returned to the bed and sat down again, staring at the floor in front of her feet.

"You say you 'rediscovered your skills'...how? And how long have you been like this anyway?" Again she held a hand in front of her face, but flopped back onto the bed when it was evident it still looked like the hand of anyone. "You don't know how you became like you are either? Is there some person out there who's just going around making people into vampires?"

Frustrated, and sad, she wondered if there was any point to her questions at all. They wouldn't change anything, and by now she didn't see how they could really help her either. If what Ginnie and Alec said was true, she was what she was, and she just needed to learn how to live as she was. It wouldn't do any good to mope about her fate.

'Ok, listen.' Carol walked over to Ginnie, grabbing her own long blond hair and twisting the length in a nervous fidget. 'Simon's not going to have anything done to you, that I know. So don't worry about your life or anything. That's not his bag, that was all Ellis. Still, you turned a member's familiar, regardless of whether he wanted to kill her or not. She's his.'

Carol shrugged, basically that's what it came down to, Ellis couldve killed Carol at anytime and no one would've blinked an eye. You become someone's pet, unfortunately the possibility of your usefulness might run out.

'We'll deal with Mathias when the time comes - wherever the hell he's at now. What we need to do is help her through this newbie process. She obviously has no clear idea of what she is physically or the rest of us.'

Carol rested her hands gently on Ginnie's shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze. 'Go see Simon later, he'll want to know the details of what happened but again - if Mathias did this to her and wanted to leave her for dead, there isn't much we can do about it. If it was someone else...some other vampire...we'll find them.'

(ooc - tentative permission to touch Ginnie's shoulders)

"If I have amnesia...how is it I can remember things at all? I know I'm a woman, and you're a man...this thing I'm lying on is a bed...is it just people I don't recall?"

...

"You say you 'rediscovered your skills'...how? And how long have you been like this anyway?" Again she held a hand in front of her face, but flopped back onto the bed when it was evident it still looked like the hand of anyone. "You don't know how you became like you are either? Is there some person out there who's just going around making people into vampires?"

"Amnesia...differs from subject to subject, from what I can tell. For me, all of my...hm...'book learning' was intact. My motor skills were intact. Hm. The best way of putting it is that the transition stripped me of my sense of self. I wasn't aware of myself as anything more than a moving object in space. I wasn't aware of any self beyond the present that I occupied. It took some time for me to regain speech and understand social interaction - I suspect I wasn't much for it before, and my change stripped it entirely. I was a bit more...feral, I suppose."

Smiling, Alec gestured toward her with his water bottle.

"You fared a lot better than I did. Maybe you got a better vintage, or because you were fresher or had more blood you retained more of your sense of self. Of course, it also means you've got less of yourself to recreate...and that can be a worthwhile project.

As for self-exploration and rediscovery, well, that is like any type of introspection. Other times it is more like epiphany. Discovering your hidden talents seems to be more of a shock...but less so than for people who remember their human selves. I discovered my blending...oh...hm. It is like a camouflage or almost like a mental block that renders you practically invisible to people and animals...anyway, discovered that I had the ability by getting hit by an old woman driving. I'd realized I'd been dodging traffic for a few days. Figuring out how to control it was a different story, but you'll have a couple of opportunities to experience such strangeness firsthand. The longer that you live, the more latent abilities can surface."

Shrugging, Alec cocked his head and looked at her. Frowning a bit, he said

"Well, by the state of you I'd certainly say so."

Enough of what Alec said sounded plausible. Obviously she wasn't as bad as an infant, in that she was able to function...showering, dressing...using the toilet facilities. A huge shudder ran through her body when she imagined being so far out of it that she might have to wear...well that just didn't bear any further thought.

"You seem very well spoken to me...may I ask how long ago it was that you were, um, since you changed?" The rest of his description seemed to fit her totally. She had no idea who she was, and that included all the things that would go along with being who you were. She couldn't remember any family, where she had lived, what her favorite color was, or if she liked spaghetti. Although for some reason food sounded pretty good.

"Not that I ever believed in vampires anyway, but had I, I wouldn't have thought there could be so many different kinds." She thought a little bit more about the subject, then laughed. "Though you're nothing like zombies, which is what I sort of saw vampires like...I mean you, and Ginnie...well I don't know either of you but from what I've seen you don't seem like clones, but rather very unique people." She stopped talking for a few seconds, when she heard how stupid she sounded, and found it frustrating. Why was it she couldn't seem to express herself? The things she thought to say sounded much better in her head.

Whipping her head towards him when another thought struck her, she studied him for a moment.

"The other two women...out there..." she pointed towards the door. "Are they vampires too?"

What if there was an army of vampires and they were intent on changing the world? But no, that wouldn't work, unless they could all exist on animal blood. Because even if neither Ginnie or Alec fed on human bodies, the blood in the blood banks had to come from somewhere. But what if the vampires were out to change the majority of the populace, and then farm humans?

"Oh god." The idea left her feeling a little nauseous. And then it came to her again...she was supposed to be one of them. "OH GOD!" She almost shouted, in disbelief.

Chuckling at the accusation of being well-spoken, Alec shook his head.

"Not so well-spoken as precise, I'm afraid. I have a fairly literal grasp of language use, but am improving. As for age...I effectively have about five years of memory, now. I am guessing that I am missing a bit of time after my change as well."

Grinning at Shay's zombie comment, Alec quipped

"Though most of us don't work day jobs, we can still be a bit slow on our feet and lurchy if we need our caffeine. And like any other animal group, we can be boring or interesting. After meeting some of the less clever of our kind, you might realign that opinion. But yes. Most of us tend to be exceptional in some way, as you wouldn't want to waste the blood on the Eddie Haskells of the world.

As for Dayle and Carol...yes and no. Dayle is, Carol isn't. I'm still not clear on...but never mind. She isn't. She falls into a separate group, called Familiars. They are humans that know the secrets and serve our cause. Despite her bout of eloquence when arriving tonight, she is generally an excellent administrator and takes care of quite a lot of things for our family. Our family is called Tacharan, incidentally."

Cocking his head at her odd outburst, he had no idea how to proceed. Unblinkingly, he merely watched her have her attack of nerves. He didn't know what had set it off, so he didn't want to add to the issue. Let it ride. Hopefully it'd clear itself out faster that way. He sipped his water.

As quickly as the silly notion had come upon her, it fled. Probably due more to Alec's mention of family.

"Our family...I'm assuming again you're referring to the vampires. But what of me...do you know me? Have I someone waiting for me somewhere...real family?" She felt a little ungrateful with her use of the word family, but aside from the story she had been told by Ginnie, and now Alec, she really had no emotional connection to these...Tacharans, did she? But what of parents...brothers...sisters? Even a husband...and children? The feeling of being sick started to creep up on her again, but this time she managed to get a handle on it right away, and staved it off.

Ah, the million fucking dollar question.

"Before I answer that, I need you to consider very, very carefully."

Sighing, Alec paced for a second. How the hell do you tell someone not to make the same mistakes that you had? That only pain could come from a shattered past?

"And what would you tell them about your job? Why you couldn't go to family reunions? Why you couldn't remember them? How would you know the documentation was authentic?"

Sighing again, Alec ran his hand through his hair. Even he could tell that sounded fairly calloused.

"These are the things that you don't necessarily know until you make the mistakes. I made the mistakes. I was used by people. I was manipulated for my lack of memory, dishonest people playing off of honest ones and everyone pulling me in different directions. What does it mean to be able to pick a lock? Are you a professional locksmith, a detective, a thief? How would you know? In your case, you'll know you can fire a gun, but does it matter why? You have the skill - how it came to be yours is irrelevant. What you use it for now is what matters."

Shaking his head, he took a swig of water. He felt like he was going about this poorly, but there wasn't exactly a textbook for any of these conversations.

"You had ties to Tacharan before your transition, or you would have been left to die. You were formerly a familiar. Ginnie made a hard decision - let you die, or turn you without permission. She knew you, and the man you were tied to, and made the decision to break our laws to save your existence. The other two are here to figure out, in part, what to do next. It isn't an easy situation. The individual that you had ties to has been out of contact. If he hadn't been, I suspect the opportunity to harm you would not have occurred."

Shrugging, Alec looked at her sadly.

"You have no grounds to believe me. Now, you don't know me from Adam. You did before, but I understand, probably better than most. You'll want to do your own digging, I know, but I want you to know the dangers first. People may seek to use your weakness against you if you rely on a past you no longer remember. It is safer to sever yourself from it...but I can't make you. Again, because I know the pull. If you need to make the same mistakes I did, I certainly understand."

Leaning against the wall, Alec felt somewhat sick. Sliding down to the ground, he stretched his legs out again.

"What I do know is that Tacharan is going to try to find the one who did this. Chances are, I'll probably be involved in looking."

Realizing he'd avoided the question, Alec answered.

"So. You left your family before for your companion. Tacharan became your family when you became a familiar. I do not know for certain the particulars of your family tree other than you are unmarried and without child. Your file may have more information if you wish me to pull it for you. You were living with a member of the Tacharan Clan, and that was enough for us. People come to us for a variety of reasons and are adopted through different means."

Ginnie's head dropped between her shoulders. Relief swelled up inside her, and pushed it's way out through her tear ducts. She'd cried more tears tonight than she had in a log time. Her insides hurt, crying was never easy on the body.

"Thanks, Carol."

She sniffled mightily, put her head up and swiped at her face, determining not to cry any more over this. She'd made her decision, and the consequences were not as dire as she had dreaded. However, Shay was her first child, and the responsibility that held was immense, and her plate was already so very full. She took a gentle step from Carol, showing she was alright now.

"Well, then we need to get down to brass tacks." She moved over to her printer and pulled Shay's file print out from it. She scanned it quickly.

"The mercs that picked up Shay's car took the puppy to a shelter. Alec's already had the car cleaned and plates changed. Well I assume he did the plates, he's very thorough."

She finished briefing herself and held the papers out to Carol. "She's a known author. We'll have to cover her disappearance with a faked death or something similar, and she's got a family. I'm afraid we'll have to let her decide how to handle them, she may just go for the cover up including her family. We can provide a body or ashes, no problem."

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed heavily. She'd put herself into a right mess. 'Damn it.'

Dayle wanted to offer a hug to Ginnie, but she didn't think her relationship was quite to that level with the woman just yet... And by the time she got over her own reticence to do so, she'd calmed measurably and retrieved Shay's dossier printout.

"There's a chance the dog may offer her comfort, but animals know when something is wrong with 'their person' and he may not react too well. There's the possibility of running her cell records to see if any repeat calls are friends, and perhaps offer the dog to them... I know she interacted quite a bit with that Fallon woman from the Arslantai party, as well as uhm... Sorry I don't recall her name. The librarian. Alternately... I could see if my sister wouldn't mind a housepet." Dayle smirked. "Other than myself, of course."

"I think the part that makes this the hardest is that she's amnesiac. If she weren't, she might almost be able to go on with her daily life. But that's neither here nor there, and we'll be here for you - and for her - you know that."

She started to ramble on as she read part of the file, "I really don't think she was Mathias' familiar though. But again, no longer important. Either way, he's lost the woman he loved. With his absence, I think we should concentrate on getting her acclimated."

Again her focus was intent on Alec's words. Emotionally it seemed that the earlier feelings of fear and confusion were disappearing, but in their wake was nothing to replace them with. Having a void in her mental state was obvious to her, mainly because until then she had been a little overwhelmed by her feelings. But now she just felt calm, peaceful, and detatched.

The things Alec said made sense, and he seemed sincere in his delivery. If she believed what he had said about suffering the same fate, then she had no reason not to believe his descriptions beyond were lies. And in those words she picked up on the fact that he had said she knew how to use a gun. But she didn't let that statement distract her, and instead just filed it away for later review.

"Familiar?" [i]She repeated the word softly, as if by saying it she would understand it better, but she didn't. She didn't question it either, but picked up the rest of what he was saying. There was a man, but apparently he was either very aloof, or had possibly gone away. She didn't feel bad about that fact, and instead decided the man wouldn't be the most important part of her past if he had already removed himself from it on his own.

"I can't say I'm unhappy with what Ginnie did, considering the alternative. Then too, I'm still not really sure how I will be effected by all this vampire stuff, I guess, until I wear it a while." Understanding there was a connection between Alec and Ginnie, she felt she needed to assure him that she held nothing against the woman.

"And while I may not know you, you'll have to admit I know you and Ginnie better than anyone else at this moment in time." She cracked a small smile, feeling the need to keep communication between them on a friendly level. She had the distinct impression she was going to need allies in her immediate future, and thought it would work better to build on those she already had.

"But I do have an almost...burning need, to do some checking about. And yes, I would like to see whatever records there are on me. I don't plan on pinning any hopes of recognizing anything, but I also won't rule out anything until I try it at least once.

And yet..." She thought for a few moments. Maybe a better tact might be to do as he had done, and just accept the way things were and go from there. Who knew...maybe if she didn't make an effort to remember, she might luck out and have her memories returned on their own. She supposed the best way to look at things was that what would be, would be, and since she couldn't change that anyway, she might as well just accept it.

"No...you've experienced this, so for now I'll rely on your insights, and guidance."

She smiled a genuine smile then, and went back into the bathroom to splash her face with some cold water. Picking up the towel she had dropped earlier, she patted her face dry and laid the still damp cloth on the sink. Again she looked at her reflection in the glass. She guessed it would be helpful that she would be able to see putting on makeup, even if it offered her no clues to who she was.

"Should we go back in there now...or do you think they need more time? I'd really like to be in on any discussions that pertain to me."

How easy it was to be cool, collected, and rational when one accepted that things couldn't be changed, and therefore just needed to be accepted.

As she waited for Alec's answer, she studied him a little. Nice looking man, she thought, though she had no idea what she had to base that decision on. As far as she was concerned, he was the only man she had ever seen.

She sure went through the transition smoothly. He'd been a ravening mess in his earliest memories - a nearly unspeaking thing seeking to steal blood from anything it could get its teeth on. Oddly, that was what triggered his departure from the path - becoming aware of his own actions. Thinking back to the early nights, he remembered the near constant pull for more blood. Always more blood. Now, he could limit himself to once a night...but then...he'd almost always have to take a second or third sip to avoid killing.

"You're taking this very well. Normally, I wouldn't want you up and about - I'd say have some more blood and then sleep the night, let the transition complete without any strain...but things seem to have transitioned fairly well."

Aside from the memory loss, of course. But we'll just call it the coffee table. No amnesia here, no siree bob. Standing, he smiled.

"How's this? I'll go get you another nip and we can see how you feel."

Taking a few seconds to consider his description of her, she realized she did feel a bit...peckish? There was a slight gnawing in her belly, and a cold clamminess to her skin. A slight pounding in her head completed what she now assumed must be evidence of her vampirism, and a signal that she was in need of...blood. With the dissipation of her earlier terrors, she now found herself quite in control, or at least no longer feeling the need to dissolve into tears.

"Again I must defer to your experience in such matters, and in that vein - pardon the pun - a little more...nourishment might be welcome. I don't suppose I'll know for sure if that's what my body is telling me until I try it."

Yet the more she remained sequestered away in the bedroom, the more she wanted to know what was going on out in the other room, with the other women.

"I must impress upon you, I feel very strongly that I be allowed to participate in whatever fate is being planned for my life." And pausing for emphasis, she reiterated. "Very strongly."

Something else she just now noticed about her, was she seemed to have a determined will. Was that something she had before, or a new trait? Not that it mattered, but she could see herself having that conversation on a regular basis for the immediate future. Every action done, or word spoken could have a link to her past. Again, however, it didn't seem to matter. Not now anyway.

Stepping closer to the bed, he gave a small smirk and nodded.

"I doubt that anything beyond where your room will be s being planned for you. But I don't see why we can't move you out to the couch while we get something in your belly. As long as you promise not to bite anyone on the way."

Winking, he offered a hand to help her up.

"If there is any dizziness, discomfort, loss of balance...take it as slow as you need to. I don't remember much of the physical aspects of the change, and as far as I can gather it is very different for each of us. Take your time - we've got plenty of it."

Carol took the papers from Ginnie and read them over. Yeah, good times, she sighed to herself. It wasn't anything she or Dayle couldn't handle, it's just a pain in the ass to deal with especially now that the turning had wiped her memory. She was about to mumble that it could be worse, but she stopped herself from saying it, just in case.

'You know for someone who woke up a vampire and can't remember how it happened - she's taking this rather well.' The issue of her own turning had yet to be an topic of discussion with Simon, although she assumed the rest of the clan thought it would come now, especially being his companion. She just hoped now that her turning was nothing like Shay's...to not know who you are or who you love, that would be a fate worse than death.

Carol listened to Dayle's bit of information and nodded. 'Technically she was listed as a familiar, held to the same rules and regulations as the rest of us. Emotionally she wasn't though - they were a couple in a love.' She shrugged, 'Hell I'm not Simon's familiar but I'm listed as his in the database. I don't know, we'll figure it out, let's just find him.'

It seemed odd to her that Ginnie would need the assistance of two other women, if all that was being discussed was Shay's living arrangements. But for now she really had no reason not to trust what she was being told. Something deep inside her urged her to trust these people, and from what she'd seen, they only appeared concerned for her welfare.

In fact, Alec seemed almost overly worried about her. After the initial pain and fear she had gone through, she hadn't felt any more discomfort than the off and on feeling of strangeness, and the slowly growing hunger.

"While I don't expect to be entering any marathons, I really don't feel bad at all." Running her tongue over the sharp points of her teeth,it occurred to her that she hadn't looked at them yet. Taking Alec's hand, Shay rose and moved to the mirror again, and smiled. Her normal smile revealed nothing, but when she pulled her lips back in a bit of a sneer, the fangs were pretty visible. Turning to Alec she showed him. "You too?" While talking to him she hadn't noticed whether or not he had them, and decided a little more reassurance was required.

And then his comment about time sunk in and she giggled.

"Do you want to check with Ginnie, to make sure it's alright if I sit in on the living arrangement discussion?"

Shay had moved to the door and stood waiting.

Chuckling at her hint of fang, Alec nodded. Flashing his pearly whites, he quipped

"Sure, sure. I'll show you mine since you showed me yours. Just don't tell Ginnie."

At Shay's question about heading in, Alec figured a little showing off might be in order. It would also help reestablish trust. Pausing for a moment, Alec angled his head more to the door and focused on his hearing. The doors in the Domicile were quite good, but there was also internal ventilation. Either way, he eavesdropped on the tail end of Carol's commentary. Judging that they were likely past the sticky bits of the conversation, Alec nodded.

"It sounds like Carol is going to take care of some of the particulars, Dayle the others. It is probably safe to be out on the couch. I'll get that blood for you."

Opening the door, he gestured, indicating that she should walk first. He wanted to be at a good grabbing angle in case she had a bout of cramps, weakness, or hunger at the sight of Carol's human and tasty looking neck. Got to cover all of the bases.

Odd how seeing his teeth gave her a reassurance his words hadn't completely provided. None the less, they did, and she felt even more relaxed now. She laughed at his little joke, and nodded.

"Our secret, I promise." It seemed a little strange to be thinking about men, and sex, at this junction of her life, when everything else was so twisted about, but the more she talked to Alec, and watched him, the more attractive he became. Ginnie's voice startled her out of her lascivious day dreams, and she remembered Alec belonged to someone else.

Forcing a small cough, Shay blinked away thoughts of hot, writhing bodies, and concentrated on what was going on in the other room. She could hear snatches of words, but apparently not anywhere near as well as Alec could. Maybe with time she could hone those skills, or find others equally useful. There was a lot for her to consider in the near future, and while a bit of apprehension hung around her like a faint fog, the challenges also excited her.

Moving through the doorway, tentatively, but without hesitation, Shay looked at the three women in the room, and sat down on the couch she had occupied earlier. Though she felt more secure at Alec's side, she couldn't tether herself to him, and needed to get herself to the point where she felt that same security in her own company. She was alone now, and the sooner she understood, accepted that, and became at ease with the knowledge, the quicker she would be able to function fully again. The fact that she was a part of this Tacharan clan only offered her a small amount of comfort. While she had the understanding of the word 'family', and what it stood for, she didn't trust it. At least not in the strictest sense. At least not until she saw that family in action, and could use experience to support the theory of what it stood for.

"So...what now?"

Carol looked up at Shay's question. 'Well, that's really up to you now. You've got some choices to make - both of which involve you not utter a word about what you are or what we are. You've got a human family you're leaving behind or you can choose to bring them in, but again - once in, there is no leaving.'

Just then her bedazzled PDA vibrated against her hip. Checking its message, she saw a message from Simon asking if he was needed. Carol replied that it wasn't necessary now, but she'd fill him in later. She had paperwork to do and she hated paperwork.

"We can provide you with a smidgen of information about your old life, but like Carol said," Dayle hoped she was being clear on the 'may not be a good idea' front, "it's up to you to bring that line about. You are a clean slate," she reminded Shay in her slightly nasal British lilt, "and can start completely over. I do not envy you, but can only offer you a shoulder or an ear should you need it."

She amended, "I've also opened the suite next to this one, rather, across the corridor, since it's a single-occupant suite, unless you want a double-occupant apartment, for your use, and to keep you near Ginnie and Alec." Dayle nodded to Shay's new 'family.' "Unless they've agreed to avail you of their sofa. We'll probably want to get you a new cell phone and car... That is, if you want a completely blank slate." Brushing back a lock of hair, she completed her thoughts, "While we certainly do not wish to rush you with decisions, considering your... condition... you do need to make them, and soon. I'll give you my number and contact information before we leave..."

A sudden thought occurred to Dayle and she stepped forward, offering her hand to Shay. "Dayle Yolgrave, at your service."

Shay regarded the woman speaking, and wondered which one she was. Not that it mattered one way or the other, but it would have been nice to put a name to the face.

She nodded when told she was not to reveal anything about what she had become, as well as what she supposed was clan information. Some of Alec's words came back at the mention of family, and she decided right then that there was no reason to go down that road now. If she had family and couldn't remember them, what would come of seeing them? It would probably only bring hurt to them, and she didn't think it would open up any doors for her. Besides, how could she force them into the commitment the woman was talking about?

When the other woman picked up the conversation, Shay noticed the difference in her voice. She sounded British, or Shay thought that was what her accent was. She imagined for a while there would be many things she would question, if for no other reason than she figured it was appropriate. That this woman was honest enough to say she didn't envy Shay, made her like her right off. Who in their right mind would envy someone with no grasp of their self. Having no memories of the past were one thing, and she understood how that might be enviable, but in addition to that, Shay didn't even know if she liked brussle sprouts.

"I'm sure Ginnie and Alec will enjoy having their privacy back, so anywhere else I can stay will be fine, as will a new cell phone, and car. I...think I know how to drive." Yes...she wasn't sure how she knew, but she did know she could drive a car. Now...about those brussle sprouts.

"If I haven't indicated it, I am thankful to you all. I've no idea what to do with myself at this point, but appreciate having you around to offer support and suggestions. I assume you've all been through a similar version of this...at least from the turning into a vampire part, and in that respect I will be happy to listen to your thoughts and experiences, at least until I have my own to trust."

Looking to the two blond women, Shay was about to ask which one was Carol, since Alec had said she wasn't a vampire. Why a familiar would be involved in all this was a question to be answered, yet Shay's connection to that position wasn't anything she needed to be concerned with anymore. If she was a vampire, and it appeared pretty evident she was, she was more interested in getting that nature down.
Looking towards Alec, the emptiness in her stomach began to grow into more than an annoyance now, and she again looked at the two blond women and wondered which one would make for a nice snack. Funny how she didn't feel at all repulsed by sating her need with the blood of another.

"Thank you Dayle, and again, I appreciate the offer." Shay shook the one woman's hand, while she then looked beyond to the woman who now bore the name Carol, and the distinction of being the only human in the room.

Ginnie's entire body relaxed at the complete acceptance of this turn of events, and its lack of retaliation from with in the clan, well save Mathias, but he was a worry for another night. She smiled at her child as she entered the room, and with out thinking about it went to sit with her. She gave her attention to each speaking person in turn, but her eyes kept roving back to Shay. When Dayle finished speaking, Shay's eyes seemed to lock onto Carol. 'Oh, that's not good, and I'm out of the bagged stuff.'

She was at a bit of a loss for a moment. The best thing to do would be to get Carol out of the apartment, the Ginnie or Alec could feed Shay for now, and the other could go replenish their supply. Or they could take Shay out to hunt...no that wouldn't be a good idea tonight, dawn wasn't that far off.

"Shay, I think you should stay here tonight, then we can get you settled tomorrow, take you to your old home and get clothes and things, or we can go shopping and buy you new things. But I don't know if it is a good idea to be alone, just yet."

She looked up at Alec for support, there was no way to protect Shay if she left for the rest of the night and the next day. At least here they could keep her and those around her safe. A new vampire, just did not have control. Ginnie remembered the first human her sire/husband had given her, that poor girl had not lived through it, and it had not been a clean death.








((sorry it took so long, it has been a crappy week))

Walking to the kitchen while others talked, Alec rummaged a bit to confirm that they were all out of the "take out". Frowning, he glanced around, as if some might have been left on the painting on the wall, or behind the vase, or perhaps on the counter in front of him. Realizing he was stalling and that he didn't want to leave, he smiled at himself. At least he was aware of the uselessness of his activities. That made him a procrastinator rather than an idiot. With that established, he wandered back into the living room.

Looking to Carol, he smiled. Then he realized that Shay was looking at Carol, and...not quite smiling, but looking...a bit too much. Another situation that required easy defusing. Give folks an excuse to leave, and get the fledgling a source of nourishment outside of the Boss's Wife.

"Carol? If you could be so kind as to have someone send up some units of blood to replace our supply, I would appreciate it. It won't do to have a young one about in the day without anything tasty for her to snack on. Ginnie's probably a bit tapped out and I ate early tonight. And thank you both for taking care of so many of the details. We all appreciate it."

Looking to Ginnie, he smiled, nodding. He didn't add that there was no way in hell that he was letting Shay leave tonight. Stable or not, something could surface later, or things could take a turn for the worse. She wouldn't know what to do, necessarily. As for the home goods, there would be strange technicalities to handle there. He'd have to let Simon...well, duh.

"Oh, and...one more thing, Carol? I will leave you alone after this, I swear. Can you let Simon know that I'll be entering Matthias' Nachton residence to procure items that I suspect belong to Shay tomorrow night? Clothing, personals and things I know for certain, nothing more. Anything marginal I will leave behind."

The last thing on the list was caffeine. He wouldn't be sleeping, but both of them should. He wanted to be as alert and functional as possible if anything came up. Returning to the kitchen, he reached into the fridge, replacing his water with Mountain Dew. Frowning, he wondered if caffeine worked on vampires. He honestly didn't know. Was it psychological? He'd ask Nova.

'Alright, seeing how Shay is looking at me like a piece of prime rib, I'm going to let Simon know the situation. Get that girl something to eat, sheesh and clue her in on the who not to touchie slash bitie bits please?'

With a smile over her shoulder, Carol exited - stage right.

((ooc out))

"Uh huh..." Shay was fixated on the human woman now, as the hunger inside her seemed to be expanding exponentially. Licking her lips, she was only marginally aware of Ginnie sitting next to her, and really had little idea as to what she was being told.

She didn't care what she was wearing, or where she slept. If Ginnie and Alec didn't mind her staying there, as long as she had a place to sleep she didn't mind. And when the pangs in her stomach grew to be more than minor annoyances, Shay stood. The matter of survival was apparently not something her body had forgotten, as it obviously began directing her actions.

Without thought, Shay felt drawn to the slightly smaller human, but managed to stop herself from flying across the space between them. Running her tongue caressingly around her fangs, her hands clenched at her sides, and she tried to focus her mind.

"I don't want to appear rude, but someone better tell me how to take care of this rapidly increasing hunger, before I take matters into my own hands."

Funny how she found the ability to announce her concerns with a relative calmness she really didn't feel at all.

To emphasize her seriousness, she looked over her shoulder at Ginnie, and then Alec, and gave them both a look that brooked no need for discussion. If they couldn't tell by the fire in her eyes that she needed to feed, she feared they would not be adequate as caretakers, much less teachers.

Alec seemed aware of the issue and began making preparations to assuage Shay's hunger. She was feeling a lot more secure in his presence, seeing how adept and readily able he was to take charge of matters. Yet watching the woman, Carol, leave, she admitted to herself that she was more than a little disappointed. Besides the hunger, Shay felt the urge to really sink her teeth into something soft, and fleshy. A plastic bag seemed a poor substitute.

Because it didn't look like anyone was going to offer up a vein, Shay leaned back into the couch, and rested her head on the back, eyes closed. She suddenly felt tired, and knew once she filled her stomach she'd want to sleep. How long would it take to get some blood up to her, from wherever it was they kept it? Worrying about clothes, and cars, and sleeping arrangements was starting to sound pretty damn silly when the only thing that really mattered was quieting the belly rumblings growing louder even faster now.

She tapped her foot, laced her fingers and cracked her knuckles in an attempt to pull back some of her earlier short lived peace.

Having not known if he had been a father, Alec failed to recognize the nearly parental concern for a hungry child. Glancing at his watch, he calculated the time to dawn, and frowned. It looked like they were limited to take-out for the time being, but no need to let things get dire. Heading back into the kitchen, Alec grabbed an empty mug with a kitten on it before heading to the bathroom. He didn't want anyone to have to watch.

Biting his tongue hard with his fang, he held it over the cup, filling it slowly. Any time the flow slowed, he reapplied the fang in the same spot. Mouth and head cuts bled plenty. Normally he'd have taken from a vein, but he had a job tomorrow and needed to be sure that nothing would slip out of place. Glancing in the mirror revealed a strange sight, and he managed not to laugh and spray the sink with blood.

Looking down, Alec smiled. A mug would do until the delivery arrived. Problem solved for the short term. Getting their allotment up while he and Ginnie were "nursing" was another thing to add to the list. And that put him over. Laughing, he just let it all out - all of the tension, nervousness, panic, worry, all of it came out in a bout of laughter.

Wiping up the bit of mess he'd made, he brought with him out from the mug out from the bathroom and placed it on the coffee table. Plopping down next to Ginnie on the couch, he leaned against her slightly.

"This'll tide you over until the take out arrives."

Shay had seen Alec leave the room, taking a cup of coffee with him, and was mildly curious what he might be doing in the bedroom. The growing hunger made it difficult to think about anything else for long though. As each minuted ticked away, she considered the way her body felt, and hoped it wouldn't get any worse, and yet when the next, even stronger pang of hunger squeezed through her insides, she began getting scared again.

Surely these people knew how important it was that she feed. Surely they wouldn't just sit by and watch her go mad from hunger.

When she heard laughter coming from the other room, Shay noticed she was now sitting on the edge of the couch, gripping her hands so hard her nails were nearly cutting through her skin. Yet anger temporarily nudged out her fear, to think Alec could just go off and have himself a merry old time, while she was close to starving to death in the next room!

As he came back into the living room, coffee cup in hand, Shay perked up. It wasn't coffee she smelled in the cup, and the salivatory glands began going haywire even before she picked up the offering, and almost inhaled it. There was no polite pinky extended, or timid sips taken, but huge gulps of the liquid, and even a tongue washing once the cup was empty.

Not ungrateful, but also not fully sated, Shay turned slightly confused eyes on Alec, and then Ginnie, and lastly Dayle. But once a minute or two had passed, Shay licked her lips she smiled. She wasn't hungry anymore. Deciding there must be a slight delay between when she drank and when her body understood it had been fed, she decided from now on she'd take her meals a bit slower. Though the idea of biting someone still intrigued her, she had no burning desire to kill anyone. She could see how that could happen though, if she wasn't able to appease her hunger in time. She didn't like feeling out of control like that, and hoped between the people there around her, they would give her the information necessary to avoid it.

"Thank you Alec. Thank you everyone. I don't imagine this situation is anymore pleasant for you, than me, but knowing I couldn't do it without you, I am grateful for your help."

Yawning, Shay leaned back on the couch again. She wanted to think about the evening, and what had happened, and would need to happen in the immediate future, as well as down the road a bit, but as her hunger faded it was replaced with the need for sleep. Scooting over into the corner opposite from her two saviours, she curled up into a fetal position, and got comfortable.

"I'm...afraid..." Yawn. "I'm very tired."

Ginnie watched Shay become more ad more agitated in her hunger. She's watched her love leave with the mug and knew exactly what he had been up to. She was thankful to him for his ability to adapt to the situation so readily. When he leaned against her she turned her body toward him slightly so that he rested half on her chest. It was comforting, and she needed just a little of that right then. Later when Shay was settled for the evening, would she let go and have a good long cry, and perhaps breakdown just a little. She was missing her sire, her children, Alec, live as she knew it and she knew peace would not be her's again for some time. She needed to mourn a life that was gone and she would do so, but not just yet.

When Shay curled up on her half of the couch Ginnie gently extricated herself from Alec and went into the bedroom. From the closet she retrieved a blanket, sheets and an extra pillow ad case. She took them into the living room and when Alec stood, she tucked the sheet around the unoccupied half, then gently helped Shay move on to that portion before making up the rest of the couch. She put the case on the pillow and got that under Shay's head before covering her with the blanket.

Finished with the simple task she stood and stretched out aching muscles, her eyes falling on Dayle. "Thank you for staying with us, Dayle."

She smiled gently at the brit, before bending over backward to stretch her back.

When Alec disappeared into the kitchen, Dayle realized she was still standing, and sat on an empty chair.

When the mug was brought to the woman who now knew herself as Shay, her eyes widened as she watched the new vampire practically chew through the glass to get at the blood inside. She made a mental note to make sure Ginnie and Alec were supplied with plenty of fresh blood over the next few months.

A twinge of longing erupted inside her when she saw Ginnie snuggle into Alec... But it was quickly set aside. She watched the matronly action of the Scotswoman covering her 'daughter' and simply nodded at the American's accented thanks. "We should talk somewhere with a bit more privicy," she suggested, her accent striking a soft chord as she pronounced the last word 'stereotypically', nodding towards the dining room.

Ginnie straightened and looked at Dayle curiously then down at Shay. The woman's eyes were closed and she had settled down around her pillow. She looked asleep, and since her chest was moving in a slow even rhythm, Ginnie could only assume it wasn't an act. Not that she would suspect it of Shay, she had not been conscious of life long enough to be duplicitous, or was she strong enough to resist the call of sleep just yet.

"Can't have much more privacy than a sleeping person, but since there isn't enough space over here, we can sit at the table. I'm going to have a glass of wine. Can I get you anything Dayle, Alec?"

"A glass of wine sounds jolly good right about now," Dayle assented.

She sat at the table in an empty chair and leaned her forearms against the edge, turning her head enough to focus her perceptions on Shay. "A new vampire is a strain on all of us," she began sympathetically, "But I think even more so due to her amnesia. Alec," she noted, looking at the gentleman, "I think she'll take most of her cues from you in regards to that, in rebuilding herself, but Ginnie," she continued as the taller woman returned, "You're her mother. Everything else... she'll likely garner from you. If she happens to pick up your talent for glamour, I hope you teach her how to use it or at least observe her as she does so. Other than that... I know the burden a new child can put on parents, so I'll offer my services to you as a babysitter of sorts for her. I won't be able to devote a whole lot of time, unfortunately, but maybe one or two nights a week, help her as far as the Clan is concerned, and so on. Carol too may request such duties, I don't know, but I'm sure she will let you know."

It was no use. She tried to listen, but it was as if there was a heavy weight attached to her consciousness, and it was pulling her under, hard. The best she could do was pick up snatches of the conversation, words mostly.
'Wine, amnesia, cues, mother...' before she knew it she had fallen into a dream, and was now playing pool, shooting the ball into wine glasses suspended beneath the holes on the table. Ginnie stood on a stool nearby, shouting instructions on the shots to Shay, and Dayle sat in a rocking chair nearby, knitting.

After making a glorious shot, in which she cleared the table of all the balls, Alec jumped on top of the felt and began to dance around. He was also singing a song, but Shay couldn't understand it. That she was able to make sense of the remaining goings on was no small feat either.

While everyone began to celebrate, the scene before her changed, and the people dissolved away. Soon she was sitting in a forest, and all manner of creatures frolicked at her feet. Bunnies, and deer, and squirrels...

(shay out)

Holding up his bottle of Mountain Dew, he smiled.

"All set, love."

Heading to the table, he declined the chair, leaning on it. Looking down on his hand on the edge of the table, he contemplated the job the next evening. He envisioned the way that his fingers would interplay delicately, caressingly with his tools, coaxing gently the electrical responses he would need to be rewarded. At the sound of his name, he was suddenly back - Dayle was telling him he was taking an even greater role in training new recruits.

The only local vampire who didn't remember being human would be coaching another vampire down a path that he had forsaken and ultimately run from. The blind leading the blind, indeed. Still, if he could spare her that pain it would certainly be worth the time. Humans were nothing but trouble and snack packs. Shay was better off on this side of the line, memory or no.

Laughing a bit uncomfortably, Alec shook his head slightly.

"I'm sorry...nothing is funny. I just am not sure how to handle...all this. Kind of an identity shift going from an art thief to Ward Cleaver with fangs over the course of an evening. Hopefully she'll learn more from Ginnie than from me."

Taking a sip from the Mountain Dew, he looked with disgust at the bottle afterward. Swinging himself forward, he headed back into the kitchen and swapped the soda for some bourbon. Taking a heavy slug, he exhaled heavily and returned to his spot against the table. Best case scenario he was looking like a film noir private eye...but he suspected he was closer to looking like a depressive starving artist tonight.

"Also...I'm...not sure how wise it would be leaving her with Carol...or any of the humans, for that matter. From what I can tell, I don't...empathize...with them at all. They're just food, really. I've taken to studying them like a biologist would study other herd animals, to understand their behaviors and whatnot...but ultimately I don't have that connection. She doesn't anymore, either. It might be awhile before she'll be safe alone in the company of a familiar. Of course, she's a lot more stable than I was when I came over, so she'll probably progress faster than I did. Hell, I could barely communicate."

Taking another swig, Alec closed his eyes and savored the burn. Every now and then he missed being that pure predator, in the darkest corners of his thoughts. Ultimately, that was what brought him to high stakes theft. The closest he could get to that rush again. Staring at the floor, he hoped someone would change the subject. He didn't enjoy digging in his past, and it looked like he'd be doing it a lot in the coming weeks.

Ginnie slipped into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of white zinfandel from the wine fridge she'd installed in one of the cabinets recently. She liked the new addition and gave the counter a little pat over the spot where it sat. She put the corkscrew in place and removed the small obstruction. Two glasses and the bottle were taken with her into the dining area. They should count themselves lucky that she had recently cleaned off the surface as she was between ops at the moment.

"...but ultimately I don't have that connection. She doesn't anymore, either. It might be awhile before she'll be safe alone in the company of a familiar. Of course, she's a lot more stable than I was when I came over, so she'll probably progress faster than I did. Hell, I could barely communicate."

"I'm rather inclined to agree. One of us will need to be with her when ever she is with a human in any capacity."

She set the glasses on the table and gave Alec's shoulder a brief caress before pouring the rose colored liquid into the glasses. It was from the Barefoot vineyards and had a wonderful citrusy flavor and she found it relaxing. She gave one of the glasses to Dayle and took the seat next to Alec.

"I'm rather hoping she gets something more useful than Glamour Dayle. It has it's good points but I'm not sure it will do her much good with no concept of humanity to back it up."

Ginnie sipped her wine and then rubbed her hands down her denim clad legs. "Why am I so...anxious. I feel like I'm about to present some new invention to Simon."

She sighed softly and took a bigger sip of wine. Her brain began to go over her schedule for the next month and there were only a few things that couldn't be moved around to day time hours. She'd have to sit down with Alec and get them settled.

"It is amazing how children change your life, no?" She was sure Alec and Dayle would think she was nuts moving from subject to subject, but her brain just would not settle on one thing.

"I think that, with the skill and ease you both seem to have with training new recruits, teaching Shay our ways will be a doddle for you." She went to sip her wine, and reiterated, "Easy peasy."

She sipped of her wine, and smiled at Ginnie after swallowing. "It's very good. I'll have to get the label from you... I'm not much of a wine drinker but in this glass I could make an exception." She sipped again, and looked at the two lovers across the table from her. "My offer to 'babysit' her stands, though you are correct, I'm such a dullard sometimes. Interacting with Carol on a regular basis, with the things she knows about vampires, sometimes my brain is pretty duff. Er, useless. I tend to forget she's not fully..." Dayle let her voice trail off as she sipped again. "And her room is set up, and a new phone and car should be easy. You took her dog to a shelter? I hope she filled out the licensing papers, from our records he seemed to be a new pup and perhaps he can be placed instead of destroyed."

She looked over at Shay again, lying on the couch. The new vampire seemed to be completely asleep, even after Dayle focused her perceptions on the woman. Retreating to her 'normal' sensing mode she returned her attention to the table. "I won't trouble you any longer tonight. You both have my info if you need to contact me. I'll probably stay in my suite here at the Domicile for a few days or so to see how this all plays out."

She took a steady pull of the wine, wishing to leave her Clanmates to their solitude and child, but not give the impression that she wanted to be out quickly; rather, just efficiently.

Ginnie longed to be asleep, as sitting down had completely drained her body of it's pent up energy. One could only use adrenaline for so long. She listened carefully to Dayle, nodding along when she agreed with her words.

"I appreciate all of your help tonight Dayle. I am sure I will be calling on your services as I work out my schedule for the next few weeks. I have a couple of urgent matters to attend to, but most of my lab work can be carried on with out me for a few days."

Ginnie stood and moved into the kitchen, catching her foot briefly on the carpeting. She was indeed tired if she was tripping on nothing. Sighing softly she retrieved the cork for the wine and took it back to the table. She tucked the small piece of wood into the bottle.

"Please take the bottle with you. It is a wine to be drunk slowly and enjoyed. I fear I will not have the time to do it justice and I would hate for it to go to waste."

Her accent was heavy and she had reverted to a much more ancient way of speech than she normally used. Ginnie offered Dayle a tired smile and put her hand on Alec's upper arm.

"Love will you show Dayle out. I need to find my bed before I fall to sleep upon my feet."

She offered Dayle one more smile and turned to go into her room. Once there she toed off her shoes, promising herself she'd put them away when she woke, and peeled off her blood stained and sweat ripe clothing. She wanted to shower, but didn't think she had the strength to stand that long and didn't care to drown herself in the bathtub, so she crawled into the sheets wear only what God gave her. Three deep breaths and she was asleep, pulled under by sheer exhaustion.

((Ginnie Out))



((sorry for the crappy post, the flu monster has attacked and left me for dead))

Slugging back the second half of his drink, he smiled suddenly. They had been talking, but he'd been elsewhere. He'd let his thoughts wander for a bit, apparently, back through the earliest nights of his memory...for what they were. Fragmented shards as his mind pulled itself back together from whatever strangeness that had caused the fragmenting. Still, there was a bit left to do before zoning out.

"Sure...I'll take care of it. Thanks for the offer, Dayle...just please double check to make sure the blood gets here sooner than later. Oh, I had the car totally sanitized, so with new plates it should be all good. Saved the old in case we needed them. All of the sundries are here, so if you need any of it, just let me know. We may have to take you up on that in the very near future - I have one job I'm fully booked on that I won't be able to move. Beyond that, well...hopefully we'll be ok."

Checking the security settings, he paused. He'd have to leave them off today since he hadn't explained the living situation fully to Shay before she zonked out. Altering the internal alarm to a frequency above Ginnie's range of hearing, Alec smiled. Well, at least one of them would wake up if something went down today. Tonight he'd get Shay all oriented on the basics of the security and input into their personal system for the time being. Popping the door for Dayle as he heard Ginnie on her way to fading out quick, he shook his head.

"Let us know if anything comes up, or...hell, if we're doing anything stupid, wrong, out of order or forgetting anything. I'm pretty sure Ginnie'll have it covered, but I know I'm a bit out of my element here."

"Good idea that, with the car. Perhaps we should at least let her choose, give her the illusion of choice in that."

Dayle recognized a subtle "time for you to leave" as well as the next guest, and graciously picked up the bottle of wine that Ginnie had gifted her. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to thank her before she retired, but I'll remember to do so. You've got my number if you need it. I think you'll do wonderfully, Alec, as a father. Good night, Alec."

With a last glance towards the vampire-burdened sofa and the general direction Ginnie had disappeared, Dayle smiled at her gracious host and exited the suite.

With a sigh as she heard the door close, she figured she should find Carol... They'd have a lot of paperwork to do.

(( Dayle out. ))

Letting the door close and security reengage behind Dayle, Alec wandered back into the center of their living space. That "F" word was getting thrown around a lot...but was that really what he was? He supposed that it would be a reasonably close human parallel, but inapplicable due to the differences in age. Either way, he wanted Shay's transition to continue as smoothly and painlessly as it had thus far. That was a fairly fatherly outlook, but would also be true of a mentor, and without all of the disciplinary considerations.

Mentor. He liked that word better, but didn't quite understand why. The lack of direct biological tie and the fact that Shay wasn't a real child probably were what was setting his brain to niggling.

At a high pitched whine, Alec turned toward the monitor - he'd been zoning out again. It looked like the ladies had done well by them - first blood drop-off. Switching off the sensors, he went to the door, brought in the parcel and stored it appropriately. He'd wait for Shay to wake naturally, give her the instructions and coach her through the first prep, then get some shuteye himself.

Strange night.

((Alec out pending any response))