Salazar's Tower, the next morning

[allie_vamp]

Allie didn't expect to dream, but she did.

A flash of light, confusion as his eyes opened in a strange room. It was different then what he'd become used to: darkness, stone, iron bars, anguish. He'd forgotten an existance without pain. And now, just like that, he was free. Because of her.

But there was still something wrong. Something inside, a dark coiling intruderer, spreading to through his veins. What had happened to him? And where was Sarren in all of this mess?

Kanin's suspicions faded away when Allie opened her eyes. The room was dark but she could tell that the sun had just gone down. Knowing that Salazar would want them on their way as soon as possible, Allie set aside her sword and made her way to the bathroom to clean up.



As she stood under the spray of the shower, Allie wondered what she would have thought of the Inner City's luxuries if she hadn't just spent more than a year in Fandom. A huge bed and electricity and hot water, food whenever you wanted it. She could see how tempting it would be to someone like Stick who was used to just barely surviving.

Allie had just shrugged into her coat when someone knocked on the door. She wasn't sure who she expected to be on the other side. The Prince, come to tell her about Kanin. Jackal, looking to irritate her or Kaidan touching base. After the way she'd walked away the night before, Zeke was the last person she expected to find at her door.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Can I come in?"

Wordlessly, Allie stepped back and let him in, locking the door behind him. She noticed the blade strapped to his back and the gun on his hip and blinked. "You found your weapons."

"I didn't exactly find them. Someone gave them to me earlier this evening," Zeke explained. "With this."

Allie snorted as she read the note he handed over. Try not to lose these again, minion. "He's such a bastard, even when he's trying to be helpful." Zeke nodded, but his face was solemn. "So why are you here Zeke? What's going on?"

"Do you remember what it was like before?" he asked. "Before Jeb died, before Eden...before all of this? Do you remember those days? What it was like...between the two of us?"

"Of course I remember," Allie said quietly. She'd never forgottne.

Zeke reached out and rested his warm hands on Allie's arms. "I want it to be like that again. Please. I care for you, Allie. I want us to be together...I don't care what it takes. Let me prove it to you. Give me another chance."

"Zeke, you know what I am." She closed her eyes, not able to look at him. "A vampire and a human..I could never..."

"I'm not afraid. I know what I'm getting into," Zeke insisted. "I have both eyes open this time. I'm betting I mean something to you, and despite everything that's happened between us, we can make this work. I want to try. Please?"

Allie put her hands up between them, not pushing him off, but stopping him from coming any closer. Under her fingers she could feel Zeke's heart beating. "I want this, too," she whispered. "I just can't trust myself."

"Why not? You didn't kill me in Jackal's tower," he pointed out, easing closer. "You could have and you didn't."

"But I was close."

"I'm still here."

"Zeke, I'm always going to be a threat to the people I'm around. I'm not just saying that," Allie insisted, needing him to understand. "Yes, I try to control myself, but if something happened...I'd never forgive myself."

"Allie." Zeke's eyes were intense as he took her hand. "I've watched you. From the time we met, to the day I discovered what you really were, to now. You've always been the same fierce, stubborn girl who refuses to give in to anything. I've seen you fight so hard not to hurt people, to keep your distance so you're not a danger to anyone. And I'm ashamed that I thought the worst of you when you showed up with Jackal. I know better now. You haven't changed. You're still beautiful and dangerous and incredible, and I'll keep telling you that for as long as it takes you to believe it. But right now, all I want to do is kiss you, except I'm terrified that if I try that you might throw me through that window."

Allie laughed, remembering the first time Zeke had tried to kiss her. He'd ended up on his back in the dirt, her sword pointed at his heart. "This isn't going to work. It's crazy, Zeke."

"I'm willing to take the...mmmm." His words were cut off when Allie wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

The Hunger rose up, always there, but Allie tamped it down. She could do this. He was willing to try, and she wouldn't betray that trust. No matter what it took she wouldn't become a monster. "What?" Allie asked as Zeke pulled back to look at her.

"You," he replied, holding her tighter. "I never really thought we could be here like this. That we would be here at the same time and run into each other. It's like it was meant to be."

"Meant to be?" Allie scoffed. "Lucky coincidence is more like it. I don't believe in fate."

"It doesn't matter," Zeke shrugged. "We're here now." He smiled and brushed a hand over her cheek. "Both eyes open," and kissed her again.

Which was when the pounding on the door to her room started. "Salazar's calling," Jackal yelled through the door. "Better get a move on."



Allie wasn't surprised when Jackal nominated her to be the one to fill Kanin in on what was happening. Any awkwardness caused by Kanin's guilt at attacking Allie was forgotten when Salazar joined them and explained just what he had done to ensure they stayed in the city and fulfilled their promise to find Sarren.


Salazar wasn't in the hall when Allie and Kanin emerged from the room Kanin had recovered in. That was probably for the best. Allie was still furious with the Prince and more then likely would have said or done something that would have gotten her into trouble if he had been there.

"I'm sure you two know each other," Allie said, moving aside to watch Jackal and Kanin.

Kanin	"Yes," Kanin said as he stared a Jackal, his face unreadable. "We do." When Jackal met his stare with a dangerous smirk, Kanin smiled faintly. "Hello James."
Jackal	Jackal sighed and gave Kanin a disgusted look. "Nice one, old man. Well played. You would have to bring that up, wouldn't you?"
Kanin	"I also said I'd kill you if I ever saw you again," Kanin pointed out.
Jackal	"Yeah, well...." Jackal shrugged and nodded over at Zeke. "Get in line behind the little bloodsack over there. Although, really, you should be the one at the top of his list. It's kind of amusing, really. That he has no idea who you are, what you've done." Jackal, stir up trouble? Never.
Allie	Allie had been highly amused to find out Jackal's real name. And at some point, when things weren't so tense, she was definitely going to have some fun with it. She had to make up for all those times he called her sister after all. "This is Zeke and Kaidan," she said, stepping forward once Kanin's attention had shifted to the humans in their group. "They came with us to help us find you. And they're coming to help us find Sarren as well." Surprisingly Kanin only nodded his acceptance. Allie would have sworn he would have questions.
Jackal	Jackal wasn't done yet. Sorry, Allie. "Oh, and here's an interesting tidbit for you, Kanin," Jackal said, his voice low and his eyes gleaming dangerously. "Remember those scientists, the ones working on a cure sixty years ago? The ones you hunted for, handed over our kin to? What was the head guy's name again? Oh yeah, Malachi. Malachi Crosse." He jerked his head at Zeke again. "Say hello to his great-grandson. Ezekiel Crosse."
Kanin	His back rigid, Kanin slowly turned to stare at Zeke as if seeing him for the first time. He ignored Allie as she stepped forward and focused on the human in front of him. "Your father is Jebbadiah Crosse?"
Zeke	"He was," Zeke answered calmly. His eyes flicked to Jackal for as anger flashed across his face for a brief second. "He died a few months ago."
Kanin	"I'm sorry." It was obvious that he hadn't missed the look between Jackal and Zeke and could no doubt guess what had happened. "But the research? The vampire experiments? Do you know about that? And what happened to it?" For a centuries old vampire, Kanin's tone was surprisingly anxious.
Zeke	Zeke shook his head. "Not anymore." He was surprised when Kanin's shoulders slumped in despair. "It's safe. In Eden. I can't tell you where Eden is. But it's a real place and they have the data."
Kanin	"I wouldn't ask you to. You have no reason to trust me." Kanin's eyes were distant, focused someplace far away. "But to know that it's safe. That there's hope..."
Allie	Allie felt a rush of sympathy at the expression on Kanin's face but whatever she was going to say was cut off when several of the Prince's elite guards entered the room with supplies. While the food they offered Zeke and Kaidan was probably okay, there was no way Allie was going to touch any of the blood they offered. Not after what they'd done to Kanin. A sharp look from Kanin cut her off when she opened her mouth to tell them just what they could do with their blood bags. As the guards urged them towards the waiting cars that would transport them to the gate that protected the Inner City from the Fringe, Allie fell into step beside Kaidan. "You doing okay?"
Kaidan	"I'm good," Kaidan answered automatically. "A little overwhelmed with the vampire politics, maybe-- but good." This whole thing felt otherworldly, but he was Kaidan, and not about to externalize something that didn't need to be.
Allie	"Good. That's good." Because Allie wasn't, and after a over a year of spending time with her, Kaidan would probably be able to tell that. The guards led them to the elevator that would take them up out of the basement hospital. When they wouldn't all fit, Allie welcomed the opportunity to hang back with Kaidan and wait for the elevator's return.
Kaidan	"How about you?" Kaidan asked, as soon as the elevator was gone. "How are you holding up?"
Allie	"I'm okay. Just, really, really angry at the moment." She took a breath and let it out before speaking softly. "The vampire politics piss me off. Salazar wanted a fail safe to make sure Kanin and I didn't run. He fed Kanin infected blood. We've got a little under forty-eight hours to find Sarren and some sort of cure or Kanin's dead."
Kaidan	"Jesus," Kaidan said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "There's always another complication."
Allie	"For once I'd almost be happy with boring." Allie was going to just ignore the sudden stab of longing for quiet mornings in the park with the flamingos. "He doesn't want Jackal...James," she said with a small huff of amusement because that was never not going to be funny, "to know. It makes sense. I don't know how he's going to react."
Kaidan	"I think I'll stick with Jackal," Kaidan said dryly. "It suits him better." He cast a look towards Allie. "Letting him know about the urgency of the situation might actually get him to-- I don't know, play serious for once."
Allie	"You haven't spent a week with him calling you sister, she replied. "But you're right. Jackal suits him better. And it's probably for all those reasons that Kanin didn't want me to say anything. It doesn't matter in the long run. It's going to obvious he's sick soon enough." Allie grimaced, remembering the still animated rotting corpse of Salazar's volunteer. "We'll deal with the Jackal shaped complication then."
Kaidan	"I don't know if putting it off is the best strategy here," Kaidan said. The last thing they needed was for Jackal to learn the information at the wrong time. He shook his head. "But it's your call."