Blueblood

Story: Blueblood

Chapter 12 Near Loss

Author: Eric McQueen (mcqueen.richarderic@gmail.com)

Adult Readers, Sexual Situations, Sex

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Near Loss

As I said in the beginning when we saw Stan and Mark were close, it was none of our business. The relationship was working for them. Should we have stirred the pot? "Should we have done that?" I asked Colin after we disconnected the computer link.

Colin grinned. "Those two apparently have been dancing around each other for years. They need to stop dancing. Either say something or move on." He hugged me closer in the chair we shared. "Remember when you asked me why I trusted you in the beginning? I said I had a feeling?" He pointed to the screen that now had the screen saver on now. "I don't see how anyone could have missed that! But they did. Mark is afraid to upset Stan because of something in Stan's past that made Stan mentally fragile. Stan, whose confidence is only behind a computer screen, his nose was so far into books he couldn't see what's right in front of him." He chuckled. "Stan was right, he is too smart...about that."

"Maybe he is afraid to see it." I wondered.

Colin nodded. "I think so. Stan is afraid of rejection, but he didn't object because he was straight, no, but afraid Mark is straight and would hate him if he knew the truth."

"I just know nobody should be alone." I shrugged. "I just hope we're not pushing them into something they'll regret."

Colin chuckled. "Regret love and being loved? I don't think so."

Even with Stan's amazing program narrowing down the search, there were a few names that were flagged. We spent the next few nights searching the areas that were hot spots in Charleston. The problem was we didn't know what to look for. I told Colin this vampire had been around much longer than he had been and knew to cover his tracks well. Charleston was old but very popular. There were the night clubs and restaurants that were busy. People didn't feel unsafe when they walked the streets at night. As loathe as I am to admit it, we had neighborhoods that were...less comforting at night.

"We're not thinking like a vampire," Colin concluded one night as we walked through a rough part of town. "As violent as some of these gang members and common criminals are...there are a lot of deaths because of disputes and whatever."

"So, what are we not looking for?" I asked.

"Who is the person undocumented that no one would miss?" Colin asked. "It's the same in Manhattan. The drunk in the alleys, the drug users...but one group of people is notorious about coming in and leaving without anyone knowing. One of them could disappear and no one would notice."

I nodded. "The Homeless." I held up a tablet I was using. "But these hot spots don't show the areas where the homeless usually stay in Charleston."

Colin smiled. "But!" He said dramatically, "...don't forget what a homeless person does."

I shrugged. "They panhandle." I thought about it more, "And look through garbage cans."

Colin nodded. "Look at these hot spots. They are near restaurants and other businesses. They might not be popular restaurants or even in the trendy places in the better parts of town, but they're there. A homeless person would frequent the area in hunt of food, cans and whatever they can find."

"The other problem is you can't sense a vampire until he's near you," I frowned. "We need Alex."

"We'll call him," Colin said grimly. "The thing is...this vampire would have to be aware that he can't just bite and let someone go. The victim would become a vampire if allowed to live. This new vampire has to feed, thus creating another one would be an additional problem for them. If he did turn another person, they would also be feeding on others, diminishing his own food supplies."

"But you were one, too," I said. "Then Gabriella."

Colin nodded. "But we were no threat here. We fed on the game and the occasional livestock. Not people."

"And Brett?"

"You were right. We don't know that Brett was turned by this vampire. There were other towns. It could have been any one of those." Colin said. "There are far more vampires than George and I even imagined."

"So, we give up for now?"

Colin frowned. "I don't see any other choice."

I grinned. "We can at least find out what's happening between Mark and Stan!"

We flew back to Manhattan. Alex was doing well locating other vampires in Manhattan. His talent for tracking and the ability to sniff them out was paying off. Things between Gabriella and Alex were moving forward, and they were a couple, but Stan had not spoken with Mark yet. He was more conscious of Mark when Mark was around watching Mark more, telling me he was thinking about it, but lacked the courage to say anything yet. I just let it go. When Stan got the courage to say something, he would.

Shelly, Chuck, and Mark were patrolling at night. They did fieldwork during the day, conducting interviews with the families of the missing, talking with the families of the unexplained deaths. Alex had managed to ferret out four new vampires. These vampires were the hunter kind and nothing human left and we ended them. We tripled our patrols when Colin and I were in Manhattan. Mark and Alex were a team, Shelly and Chuck were a team and Colin and I were a team. Those shows on TV only showed you the action on the cop shows. That made you watch the program, but it was grueling with all the downtime when patrolling. George was working on a device that could pick up the smell of a vampire. The problem was it picked up George, Alex, Colin, Gabriella, Burke, and me as well. Only Alex seemed to be able to smell a difference between a serum taking vampire and a real vampire.

One night, Colin and I were wrapping it up for the night. We were on our way back to VUN when we got a call.

Looking at my phone, I saw Alex come up on the ID. "Hi, Alex."

"Mark was attacked!" Alex said in a hurry. "He's hurt really badly. Who do I call? 911?"

"He wasn't bitten, was he?" I asked feeling dread in my gut.

"No! This was a biker guy. He is a vampire, but a recent turn. The disflavor kept Mark from getting bitten, but he was hurt in the struggle."

I looked at Colin. "Stan has the ability to locate them by the phone signal?"

Colin nodded. "But under no circumstances is he to go to a regular hospital! I'll call George. He's a walking trauma unit." He said opening his phone and called George.

"How bad is Mark?" I asked.

"Very," Alex said. "He could bleed to death or even grow worse! He could die!"

"We'll be there!" I said to the phone. "Don't tell Stan!"

There was a pause. "Because they are involved?" Mark had told Colin and me about how he felt about Stan. Stan had not even told Mark how he felt toward Mark, but Alex knew?

Caught off guard, I just let it slide. "They're close friends. It could be a problem for Stan to deal with it. Did you get the vampire?"

"He got away!" Alex said nearly hopelessly.

"We'll get him later!" Using my tablet, I got their exact location. "We're on our way. I'll call Shelly and Chuck."

It was a good thing I did; Shelly and Chuck weren't far away from them. We had a little drive, but being night there wasn't too much traffic.

"George should be there," Colin told me.

When we arrived, Shelly was confronting a couple of New York Police.

"What's going on?" One officer demanded walking toward where Mark was lying as he bled.

Shelly pulled her badge out. Chuck got his badge out as well. "FBI. Agent Vargas and this is Agent Slaughter. This man..." she pointed to Mark. "...was confronting a possible contagion spreading terrorist. He's an agent, too. If you don't want to be contaminated, let those that know what to do, do their job." The police saw the badges and heard contagion and backed away.

That's when George came up in a van along with two others and hurried over to Mark.

"He needs a hospital," Alex said again to us, but mostly George.

"Alex, please," George said trying to work. "I've been a practicing doctor for over sixty years in one form or another. Give me a moment." He had everything needed. He got the IV going and stabilized Mark and had the two with him load him on a gurney and in the van in less than ten minutes. "We're taking him to VUN. The disflavor in his system would cause alarms if they don't know what it is in a regular hospital."

"Will he be okay?" I asked.

"I need my lab and I need more time," George said. "I'll get him back and see."

"We're right behind you. Does Stan know?" Colin asked.

George frowned. "I don't think he knows its Mark, but he knows there was trouble. He needs to know." He looked at us. "He needs to be told gently." He said it knowing telling Stan was not like telling a professional partner. There were other emotions involved.

Again, George seemed to know about Mark and Stan being in a potential relationship also!

"Does everyone know they're in love, but Stan?" I groaned. "We'll tell Stan," I said pulling Colin toward the car.

We drove quickly back to the VUN and went up to the room the agents were using. Stan stood from the computer and looked concerned as we came in.

"Who was hurt?" He asked fearing who it might be. "No one would tell me."

"Mark is being treated," I answered. "George is with him now. He was alive when I saw him last but is being cared for now."

Now, Stan sat down hard. "Mark?" He said in a near whisper. "George is bringing him here."

"George is a very, very good doctor," Colin assured coming over to Stan to assure. "There is no better doctor I know of." He put a hand on Stan's shoulder.

Stan nodded as he processed what he'd been told. "But he...he wasn't..." He looked at me, "Was he bitten?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No." I came over and took Stan's arm. "We'll go to the lab and wait."

These few hours were agonizing for me. I could only imagine what Stan was feeling. He sat very still. That was very unnerving to me. It wasn't natural. He wasn't pacing or looking anxiously at the door of the lab where George was working. In many ways, he seemed not to be there except in body. His eyes were vacant. I was suspecting it was shocking. Colin drank coffee. I never drank coffee at night, but I would have to be up a few hours more, so I did.

At last, the doors opened and George came out with a grim smile. He'd even put on a fresh scrub shirt so Stan wouldn't see blood. "Okay. He's alive. The next twenty-four hours will tell the tale. He has a pretty bad head trauma and lacerations. He was stabbed with a pretty nasty knife. I've stopped the bleeding. We just have to wait. He's in the process of waking up as I've talked to him just before coming out here."

Stan nodded and got up, but he was heading back toward the elevator. "I'll be with the computer."

George looked surprised at me and Colin. He looked at Stan. "Don't you want to see him?" George asked. "This isn't a regular hospital. I'm not restricting visitation as they do. Aren't you going to at least see him?"

Stan stopped but didn't turn around. "Why?"

"Because he loves you," George said simply stated the obvious to him. "Your presence here could be the key to helping him recover faster. He needs his loved ones here. That's you."

Stan turned. "Who told you that?" It was almost an accusation.

George looked surprised again. "No one told me. It was so obvious! The very first day, I saw it. So did everyone else. You love him, don't you?"

Stan wavered a little. "I do, but I never even told him!" He said angrily pointing toward Mark. "How can I do it now? Will he hear me?"

George came over to Stan. "I know he will." He put an arm around Stan's shoulder. "A person, even in a coma can hear. He's not, he's regaining consciousness. He loves you, Stan. I know you love him. I wasn't kidding. You being there will make a difference." George looked at Colin and me. "You saw it, didn't you?"

"Bigger than a billboard," I nodded.

Colin nodded. "I will even tell you, though I didn't want to because I wanted you two to talk first. Mark is in love with you. He said so. He was worried about you and whether you could handle it. Something in your past was telling him to take it slow. He loves you as is in, he's in love with you."

Stan was now crying. "I didn't know." He shrugged. "I just thought he was being a friend when he helped me out."

"That's what love is," I said getting up. "Colin and I are best friends. We're married, but we are friends first. The fact that Mark was your friend is important, but it doesn't have to stop there. Two souls touching in love is so much more!" I looked at his face as he was crying softly. "Is the fact that he's a man, bother you?"

Stan was still having trouble with the idea until I asked if it bothered that Mark was a man that loved him. "What!? No! But I never...you've seen him! He's gorgeous! I never thought he could feel something for me! He was a jock! Jocks don't like me."

"Well, this one does!" I said with a sad smile.

"You can speculate all you want," George said pushing Stan slowly to the door of the lab. "But Mark needs you, Stan. Now."

Stan nodded. "Right, right." He was moving on his own now. "I'll just...sit there."

"And talk to him," George said again. "Tell him what he means to you. If you're going to be with him, let him know you're there! Don't just sit!"

Stan looked uncertain about going in.

I took Stan's hand. "I'll go with you if you like."

Stan nodded squeezing my hand. "Please."

Going in the lab, George had set it up for doing the surgery, but Mark was still on the table where he'd been worked on. It was not a bed but was larger than most operating room beds hospitals used. There were IV tubes and wires going to monitors that showed all his vital signs. A portion of his dark hair had been shaved, but there was a bandage over that. Bruising was now seen on his face. I looked for a chair for Stan to sit in. I stood off to the side, ready to be there if Stan needed me.

Stan took a deep breath and walked over to his bedside. "Oh, Mark...I am so sorry." He took Mark's right hand. "I can't lose you, Mark. I love you! Don't leave me." He said as the tears came now freer. "No, that's not enough. It's not the whole truth." He shook his head. "I'm in love with you, Mark. I'll die if you don't get better." He started sobbing a little more. "I was an idiot. You loved me and I didn't see it? Everyone else saw it, but me! I may have a good IQ, but I'm stupid when it comes to feelings. You're my best friend, Mark. I love you. I am in love with you! I want to be with you as long as we live. Don't leave me." He pleaded kissing the fingers of Mark's right hand. "Please get better. I promise to love you back. Please give me a chance. Give us a chance." He sat holding the hand next to his heart and rested his head on the side of the bed.

I grinned as Mark's head moved slightly. "Do you mean it?" Mark's voice came thick, rough, and scratchy, but I heard it. So, did Stan.

Stan jumped up. "You're awake!"

Mark tried a weak smile. "Barely, do you mean it?"

"Yes! I mean it!" Stan declared as now there were tears of joy. "I love you, Mark." He said leaning over kissing Mark gently on the lips. "I love you."

Mark nodded slightly but smiled. "I love you, too." He lifted the hand that Stan had and wiped some of the tears with a finger. "It'll be okay. You'll see."

Stan nodded, kissing the fingers again. "I'll be right here. I won't leave you; I swear." He reached up and smoothed some hair on Mark's forehead. "But you need to rest. You've taken care of me all this time, now I'm taking care of you." He said kissing the fingers again. "I'll be here." He assured. "You just rest."

Mark nodded and drifted off to sleep again.

I walked over touching Stan's shoulder. "I'll go see my husband if you don't mind." I patted his shoulder. "I think you're good. Mark will get well, you'll see."

Stan nodded, but kissed the fingers again, content to wait.

I hadn't realized just how long we'd been up until I came out to see Colin speaking with Ruben Chance. I looked at my watch. It was almost noon now.

Colin came over and hugged me. "How are they?"

"Mark's alive. He woke enough to talk with Stan. Stan told him everything." I smiled. "I pray Mark recovers; it will destroy Stan if he doesn't." I looked at Ruben. "How does the FBI feel about agents that are involved with each other?"

Ruben looked surprised. "I thought they already were involved." He shrugged. "I said they were sibling rivals, but I had a feeling it was more. I just felt they were more already and hadn't admitted it to anyone."

"But you don't care," I said again.

"Care?" Ruben asked. "Hell, why should I care? No, to me, it makes them a better team."

Colin looked surprised at that. "It does?"

Ruben chuckled. "The Greeks or Romans...I forget which...were the ones that capitalized on that. Having two soldiers that were lovers just made them defend each other more. I saw that right off with Mark and Stan. Stan stays on task and is very good at what he does, and Mark keeps him there." He shrugged. "Some of the other unit directors had problems with it, but not me. As long as they didn't fight, I'm good. Mark and Stan never fought. I knew you two wouldn't mind, seeing that you're both like them. Then I met George and Burke. I figured Stan and Mark would fit in fine."

Colin nodded. "And so, they have." Then he stifled a yawn.

I grinned as I pulled on Colin's arm. "Okay, husband. Time for bed."

Colin grinned back. "Can you believe it? I've had enough coffee."

I chuckled. "You're right, I don't believe it."

"Coffee works for you guys?" Ruben asked. "The caffeine works to wake you up?"

"Sure," Colin nodded. "We get tired, too. Most drugs will work. Even if it's just in my head, coffee works wonders."

"But no illnesses?" Ruben asked.

"Not yet," Colin smiled leaning on me. He held his hand up to Ruben. "We can discuss it later. Now, Devon and I are beat and need sleep."

I looked back at the door for the lab. "I hope he'll be alright. Stan's tired, too."

Colin nodded. "I couldn't leave you if you were sick even if I was tired."

I nodded. "That's true." I pulled him again down the hall. "Let's go, husband."

Colin and I didn't waste a lot of time but practically collapsed into bed. We cuddled, of course. Colin didn't sleep well unless he was spooned up behind me. I didn't sleep well without him pressed against me. I knew that would never stop.

We made up for lost time when we woke up. Loving and then a shower and Colin was again drinking his coffee.

"It was easier when I was a vampire," Colin groused as he sipped his coffee. "There was no doubt when the sun came up, it was time for bed. Now, my body clock doesn't know what time it is."

I grinned as I put my last shoe on and came up behind him. "That's easy to fix. We'll take the disc out and don't take the serum anymore." I said kissing him behind an ear.

Colin sighed but didn't turn around. "Nah, I lost my taste for rat's blood." Then he pulled me around to face him as his lips pressed to mine. "And now, Mr. Wentworth, I am saying it again. I love you. You came in my life, and you make me so happy." He kissed me longer. "As messed up as I was, I couldn't ignore you."

I grinned as my arms went around him. "But you tried!"

Colin's eyes grew. "I did not!"

I chuckled. "Yes, you did! You were afraid to even touch me at first."

Colin was shaking his head but smiling. "No, no, I was afraid of hurting you. That was different. I fell in love the first day, but you broke my defenses very fast. I knew you and I were meant for each other."

I nodded. "So, you knew we were meant to be together?" I smiled. "I suppose you could have known that."

Colin wavered his head slightly with a smile. "My point is...when we met, I feel my life began when you came. I remember the past, but it's more like I'm remembering someone else's nightmarish past. It couldn't have been real. I waited a long time for you. Now that you're in my life..." he kissed me. "...for the first time. I'm happy."

I smiled when he said that. "That's because of me?"

Colin kissed me gently. "Yes." He hugged me. "I love you, Devon. I can't imagine spending as long as Stan did and not see it with Mark."

"There were some things that made Stan not see what everyone else saw. He sees it now." I said. "I love you, too. You had some things that made it hard for you. I'm glad we got beyond them." I felt his hands move over me. I've said it before, but I loved how warm and solid he was against me.

He smiled at me. "And I haven't forgotten. We have a honeymoon we missed. We will go, I promise."

"Being kidnapped and then all the new vampires...we've been busy." I chuckled.

"I think we owe it to us to go anyway," Colin said. "The vampires won't be eliminated by us. They've always been. We can't put our lives on hold."

I kissed him. "We'll go, but for now, let's go see how Mark and Stan are doing." I took his hand as we headed out. "Besides, you need to eat. It's been a while."

Colin nodded. "It's almost dinner time." He chuckled.

"After we check on Mark," I said.

In the lab upstairs, we came in to find Mark awake and talking with Stan.

"...and you've been here all day." Mark was saying to Stan. "I'm going to be alright."

Stan nodded. "But you're not in the clear yet. I'm staying right here until you are." He said firmly.

They both saw us come in and smiled. Stan has looked a whole lot better. He needed a shave if nothing else. Mark's bruising looked worse from time. After an initial greeting, Mark asked us for support.

"Tell him," Mark said a little pleading. "He's not slept in more than twenty-four hours. He needs to rest."

"I know you're concerned, Mark." I smiled. "But we nearly lost you. Stan almost lost you. He'll not leave easily. I wouldn't."

Stan folded his arms over his chest. "I'm not leaving." He said again.

"Why don't you tell us what you remember," Colin suggested.

Mark frowned. "Well, Alex picked up on a scent." He began. "We followed the scent to this alley. He in his mid-thirties and new. I say that because his clothes weren't that dirty." Then he chuckled. "Then again, I don't think he was all that clean when fully human. The typical beard and uncut hair for a biker, he was probably ruff before. He was big. Well over six feet and a few inches. Probably a hundred and eighty to two hundred pounds; he was hunting."

I nodded. "Aren't most bikers in a gang? He was alone?"

Mark nodded. "He was. Sons of Satan was the emblem on his biker jacket." He shrugged. "We cornered him, and he was going to attack, but whatever that stuff is in my blood made him cringe. He could tell Alex was off the menu, as well. That's when he spoke, telling us to leave him alone." Mark smiled. "I couldn't just let him go, so I told him there were people that could help him. He said the only help he needed was fresh blood." Then he frowned again. "That's when he pulled the huge knife and came at us."

Colin nodded. "He's still part human." He said sadly. "His aggressiveness tells me he wouldn't be a candidate for the serum." He looked again at Mark. "There were others that were questionable. What's being done with them?"

George came into the lab. "That is an issue I am having a problem with." He said holding some box looking thing in his hands. "Once a vampire, they can't return to the world. Do we hold them indefinitely? Do we end them because they're not good candidates for the serum? We can't let them go." He frowned as the...whatever...beeped. "Damn it." He said to something he didn't like.

I looked at him and smiled. "What's that?"

George grinned. "It's a vampire detector."

"Really?" Colin looked surprised. "It works?"

George gave a shrugging nod. "Too well." He muttered. "It's still reading us as vampires." He chuckled. "Which we are, but I need it to cancel the alarm if the vampire is on the serum. There are subtle differences with each vampire, which a good sense of smell like Alex's can detect. The olfactory senses in some are more refined. Like...a cat's sense of smell is greater than a dog's, but the cat behavior is less likely to be as obedient as a dog so they can't be used for drug or bomb sniffing."

"Can it be calibrated for just the venom?" I asked.

"Again, the venom changes...slightly...with each vampire. The venom you got, Devon, has changed since Colin gave his to you. Now, it's your venom..." George said. "...made from Colin's venom now is your venom. The Biochemistry changes." George replied. "Something that Alex can detect naturally. Subtle changes in the air cause a unique scent." He sighed and put the device down. "The problem is making it sensitive enough to sense it." He walked over to Mark. "Let's see how you're doing." He smiled and began to prepare to look. "If you let me."

Mark nodded. "Sure."

"I have to ask. It's polite." George explained and lifted the sheet and blanket. He gently pulled the bandages away. He smiled at what he saw. "I see you're doing well." He looked at Stan. "I told you being here would help." He looked back at Mark. "You're healing well."

"Is he out of the woods?" Stan asked.

George nodded. "I prefer a few more hours, but I think so." He patted Mark's shoulder. "In a few hours, I'll move you to a room and out of my lab."

Mark smiled. "You're a good doctor."

George laughed. "I was performing surgery when your grandfathers were in diapers. I think I can stitch a man up."

I heard Colin's stomach growl. "Okay, we'll be back." I grinned. "Colin needs to eat."

"We'll be hunting for the vampire that got you, Mark, tonight," Colin said.

"If nothing else, we can hold him with the others," I said getting up. I grinned at Colin. "Now, let's get you something before you faint."

It was later when we had another surprise. Alex and Burke were going to be joining us on patrol tonight. What nobody expected was Gabriella. She was dressed in dark clothes, but still blue. She wore pants and shirt that were form-fitting, but flexible enough to move easily. Her hair was down in that crinkly free-flowing fashion and even I thought she was attractive. I was gay! It was non-sexual, but we saw attractiveness in the other gender.

Both Alex and Colin raised eyebrows when she showed up.

"Where do think you're going, Gabby?" Colin almost growled.

"We talked about this, honey," Alex said almost at the same time as Colin asked his question.

Gabriella nodded. "You talked about it, Alex." She said casually. "I listened." She turned to Colin. "And I'm going with you tonight, Daddy."

Alex frowned. "It's dangerous!"

"There will be another vampire helping you out," Gabriella said logically. "I'm not sitting home knitting because I'm female. He can't infect me again. If nothing else, you'll have another set of eyes. More teams."

Colin didn't like this at all. "I don't like you out there. These vampires don't always bite. They can also attack with weapons."

Gabriella nodded. "Yes, they can. Why should it be that the men I care for are willing to put their lives on the line while I'm home safe? Women have the right to vote now, and women's lib is alive and well." She smiled. "I'll be fine. If it's too much, I have four strong men to protect me. Besides, when I was alone at the old Wentworth Manor, I could take care of myself." She folded her arms over her chest. "Do we waste time discussing this? Or get out there and get this vampire?"

Alex looked at Colin, waiting for Colin to say no. When he didn't hear one... "Well?"

Colin shook his head. "She was always pig-headed even as a child." He frowned and walked over to Gabriella. "You listen to whatever we say!"

Gabriella smiled, kissing her father's cheek. "I will, Daddy."

We also had Shelly and Chuck for their badges if nothing else if we had to deal with New York's finest. We were dressed in dark clothes and even I have to admit, we looked badass. It was good that Gabriella came with us. We found a hidden asset.

As we neared the area where Mark had been attacked, Alex held his hand up.

"I smell him," Alex said. "He's been here since last night."

Colin looked around the dark street and alley. "He feels safe here, thinking there is no threat he can't overcome."

Gabriella frowned and sniffed. "That musty smell?" She asked.

We all looked at her in surprise.

Alex nodded. "It is musty. It's strong."

Gabriella nodded. "Very strong."

Colin raised his eyebrows. "You smell that!?"

Gabriella nodded. "It's hard to describe, but yes. I smell it."

I jabbed Colin lightly. "See? Sexism in vampires is just wrong, too."

"Later with the women's liberation in vampires, can you tell us where he went?" Shelly asked.

Both Alex and Gabriella pointed in a direction and said together. "That way."

Colin nodded as we moved in the direction they said. "I should have known." He muttered. "She always did have a very good sense of smell." He griped taking my hand as we went.

It was nearly a block later when both Alex and Gabriella stopped and turned to look down an alley.

"That way," Alex said.

Going down the alley, we heard someone finishing their meal with a wet slurp. The man was tall, and he was a little hairy. More hair than I liked on a person. He was dressed in a jeans jacket with sleeves missing and the Sons of Satan on the back. He let the body of a female drop. He had pushed the woman against a wall to help stop her from escaping. He turned to rub the back of his hand over his blood-stained mouth. He saw us and hissed; the fangs still elongated. He sniffed and frowned.

"I don't want any of you." The man said gruffly.

"But we want you," Chuck said as he looked at the woman that was now dead. "For murder, if nothing else." He pulled his badge out. "FBI. You will come with us."

The man smiled snidely. "She was nothing but a cheap whore. I was her last trick." He chuckled. "What do you care?"

"Well, for one, she was alive when you brought her to this alley. Now, she's dead. That's a crime." I said.

The man sniffed again. "What are you? Almost all of you smell like I do, but different." He looked at Shelly and Chuck. "They could have been prey, but I smell something wrong with them. Like that guy last night."

Shelly moved forward. "There's nothing wrong with us. We just won't be on a menu for you." She pulled her gun out, as did Chuck. "As I understand it, you're not bulletproof. One good shot and you'll go down like any man."

"That guy last night was a person," I said. " A person we call a friend and who has meaning." I waved at the woman's body. "She was someone's daughter, perhaps sister...she had meaning. Why she was doing this is her story."

The man laughed. "I've never been afraid of cops, Federal or otherwise." He waved at the dead woman. "But I've just fed. Do you think you can stop me?" Then he moved very fast, too fast for a regular man. He brought the knife out that he apparently used on Mark, and he rushed Shelly. Chuck fired before the vampire had gotten to Shelly. The vampire was overconfident and that was his mistake. Chuck hadn't aimed at the usual spots like the shoulder or a nonlethal spot. He had changed his thinking and Chuck hit the vampire in the head with one shot, causing the vampire to stop, held a surprised look for a second and then the vampire collapsed.

"So much for what to do with him," Colin said grimly.

"What do we do with her?" Shelly asked. "She's dead. She won't turn into a vampire, will she?"

Colin shook his head. "She has no more blood for any venom to work in. He won't have anything left of his body in a few hours when it becomes dawn. We can check if she has an ID."

While they were dealing with the victim, I walked over to Gabriella. "So, you could smell him?"

She nodded smiling. "I could." She gave a shiver that was from excitement. "This has been thrilling! Is it always like this?"

I chuckled. "With your help, it probably will be." I put an arm around her. "You've proven you are an asset. We won't be going out much without you now."

"No one ever asked me before," Gabriella said shrugging. "A woman's place doesn't always have to be in the kitchen."

I chuckled. "It's taken a few hundred years for most men to understand that. Some men still haven't gotten it. Your father is from the 19th Century and will take a little longer. Even Alex is from a period where the delicate little woman was supposed to be at home and protected. If you've convinced them; we'll be fine."

We got the scene more ready for discovery. We put the vampire in an area that won't be seen so easily and the sun would take care of the body. The prostitute's body could be found and logged as a Jane Doe since she had no identification on her. She would be another who died of a mysterious cause and blood loss.

When we got back to VUN, we told Mark and Stan the vampire that had attacked Mark was gone. Stan almost growled when he heard us talk about the guilty vampire. Stan looked a little better having shaved and showered but was in an extra pair of scrubs thanks to George. He still looked tired. But Mark would be moved in the morning, so Stan would sleep at that time and probably in the same room with Mark.

Going to get something to eat; we saw Amanda moving down the hall with a young man with dirty blonde hair in his mid-twenties. They were having a conversation that wasn't what the young man liked.

"...you're hiding things!" The man objected.

Amanda nodded. "Yes, I told you, I'm hiding things for a reason." She said tired of the discussion. "Doug, I love you. What happened was bad...really bad. If these people hadn't stepped in, I would be dead. I'll tell you when I'm ready, but right now, I don't feel I can."

"This isn't like you, Amanda. Is there someone else? Why else would you be so out of character?" Doug asked and looked at Colin and me. "Is it one of them?" He pointed to us.

Amanda looked at us and laughed at the idea. "Hardly. They're gay, dummy! They're married to each other!!"

Colin nodded taking my hand and leaned in kissing me in front of Douglas. "And happily married to each other!"

Amanda patted Douglas on the chest. "It's for your own safety. The FBI is even in on this. Trust me. There's no one else and what happened has to be kept here for now. Don't claim a lack of faith as a reason. I thought we were beyond that." She smiled. "Besides, I wasn't the one that cheated that once."

Doug was a nice-looking man but was turning pink. "We had just started to get serious and were new! I wasn't sure how you felt!"

Amanda nodded. "And I forgave you. Can we at last move on?"

Doug looked doubtful. "I don't like it."

Amanda nodded again. "Neither do I, but it is. Either we deal with it or not...that not means we go our separate ways."

I chuckled at what we heard and saw. "Love is a tough road sometimes," I said to Colin.

Colin nodded. "But so worth it." He kissed me again. "I love you, Devon."

I grinned giving his backside a squeeze. "I know. I love you, Colin."

Colin smiled. "I know."

After getting something to eat, we met together back in the room where the agents worked. Gabriella had shown she might be as good a tracker as Alex. She was too pleased she'd proven she was more than just Colin's daughter. Colin wasn't happy about it, but what could he say to her? Don't come anymore? Alex was not happy either. The human male was naturally protective.

Gabriella was listening in a chair to their objections calmly, but in the end, she got up. "You know? I was watching a program on that magical box you call TV, I found that the magic box does more than entertain. A woman was talking with these women who were victims of sexual assault." She smiled. "Now, I wasn't exactly sexually assaulted, but I was attacked, wasn't I?"

Alex frowned. "Yes, but..."

"Daddy, was I attacked?" Gabriella asked Colin.

"Yes, but..." Colin said hesitantly.

Gabriella hurried on. "This woman explained about taking control," Gabriella said calmly and began to pace in a circle as she spoke, just like Colin did. I was smiling when I saw that. She was definitely Colin's daughter. "She talked about empowering themselves by taking charge. They could remain a victim or take control." She turned with her arms folded. "I'm choosing to take charge by taking control. Object all you two want. I could smell the vampire and you know I could." She said firmly to Alex. "I was outside of the world over a century. You two were in it, how is it you don't think a woman can do this? I am a vampire. I didn't want to be one, but that's the way it is. Now, I ask..." she stopped pacing with a frown. "...no, I demand you acknowledge I can contribute to this." She said a little angrily. "Evolve! Now!"

Colin and Alex were speechless.

I walked up behind Colin. "It's hard, I know, but she can track vampires. We need her." I said quietly to Colin.

"She's my daughter," Colin said as if that explained why he objected.

I looked at Alex. "Was she right tonight? Was she able to track the vampire?"

Alex nodded. "Yes, but she can get hurt."

"And you can't be hurt?" I asked trying to make him see reason.

Alex was a little uncertain. "Yes, but..."

Gabriella threw her hands out. "There you go! I can take care of myself." She crouched into a stance. "Try to attack me."

Alex was alarmed. "I'm not going to attack you!"

Gabriella smiled. "You couldn't if you tried. During the war, I was left alone in that house. We had many that tried to rob me and even rape me; displaced souls that wandered during the Civil War. Many were just hungry, but some..." she shuddered. "I found I could take care of myself. I had to. Now, I am certain I can take care of myself. I know you love and care about me, I love you even more for that, but I'm doing this."

Colin sighed and touched Alex's shoulder. "Give it up, Alex. She's right."

It wasn't too long before the fatigue got to us and we retired for the day, getting the few hours needed and rose again to face a new evening.

"Come on, we need to check on Stan and Mark," I said as we were going for our first meal.

As we didn't have a hospital as such, George had sent Mark to one of the dormitory rooms like the one Amanda was in. George did periodic visits to make sure Mark was doing alright. The building had been an office building built in the 1950s or 1960s. Where these dormitory rooms were, was a floor that had been just that. There was a central area where the secretaries and whatever sat to support the offices that ringed around the floor, the edge of this area had offices to line up along the walls. There were ten floors like that. This was where we had the dormitories. An office between every other office had been converted into a bathroom that the room on either side shared. Where the secretaries sat was a living area with various couches, chairs and tables and even a big screen TV for the residents to enjoy, but most rooms had a little TV in them. It had been redone and looked comfortable. We looked at the occasional guest there presently, one of who was Amanda, but she was off somewhere, doing whatever. We stopped at a door we were told Mark had been placed. The door was cracked open, so I looked inside carefully. Colin smiled, just as I did. Mark was awake, watching the little TV at a very low volume and lying in a...well, it was a twin sized bed, but there were two bodies in it. Stan was on his side, his back against Mark as Stan slept. Mark waved to us to come in but held his finger to his lips urging us to be quiet.

"How are you?" Colin whispered to Mark.

"Fine," Mark replied in the same whisper. "I should be up in another day or so." He grinned at Stan who hadn't moved. "He had a rough few days. I'd prefer he gets as much sleep now as possible." He said, lovingly running a hand gently over Stan's sleeping form.

Colin chuckled. "He had a rough few days!?" Colin said still in a whisper. "You nearly died."

Mark chuckled back. "But here I am." He said.

I smiled. "More important, how are you two doing?"

Mark grinned even bigger. "Looking forward to..." he literally began to blush. "...more when I get better." He looked again at Stan. "I couldn't even roll over without him at my side instantly." But he didn't have any regret in his voice as he said that.

I chuckled. "That tells you he really loves you."

Mark smiled a little more softly. "Yes, he does."

I looked around the dorm room. "Perhaps you can move to one of the apartments we have here." I smiled. "There's one on Colin's and my floor. This was just for a short-term guest. You guys were housed here for us and for when you decide to do this full time. Do you think you'll stay now?"

Mark nodded. "I can't imagine any other place now." He shrugged. "Can we do that? Move to your floor?"

I looked at Colin and then back at them. "I can't say for the others, but when something's working, why change it? Stan is amazing with the computer and you're good on the streets."

Mark chuckled. "When I don't get stabbed."

Colin smiled. "I don't think anyone will get the drop on you now." He jutted his head at Stan. "He'll be watching out for you."

"We'll be on patrol again tonight," I said. "The Vampire Search Squads will be out in force."

Colin looked at me in surprise. "The who?"

I patted him on the chest. "Naming takes time, it's a work in progress. I'll think of something."

Colin rolled his eyes and took my hand, then leaned a little toward Mark. "We'll check on you later." Once back in the hall he said in an almost normal voice. "You and all these names!?"

I shrugged smiling. "Every pot has a handle."

Colin and I waved back at Mark and Colin spoke a little louder. "What now, VSS1 and VSS2?"

I grinned. "We need call signs." I kissed him lightly as we walked. "I said it was a work in progress. Didn't you ever see Stargate? SG1? It makes it...cooler!"

Colin rolled his eyes again. "Cooler." He shook his head, but he was smiling.

Chuck came up behind us as he slapped Colin on the back. "Good morning!" He said and stopped. "Or good evening...well, good whatever." He shrugged with a smile.

Colin smiled back. "You're in a good mood. You must be looking forward to hunting again?"

Chuck laughed lightly. "I am!" He said. "I've done a lot of field work in the past, but..." he thought. "...this job has been...rewarding. I feel I'm making a difference."

Colin grinned but was a little surprised. "Okay, I'm happy for you."

Chuck looked a little sheepish. "I mean...I've been chasing bad guys, serial killers, and terrorists, but these are vampires. No political bullshit. Every time I'd corner a perp, there was always the lawyer or somebody to explain away what needs to be done...diplomatic immunity...are their rights being observed...but this...we find them and stop them! None of the red tape." He shrugged. "I'm helping to get bad guys off the streets!" He said happily. "I feel like I'm really doing something!" He patted Colin on the back and then me and hurried on.

Colin was staring as he watched Chuck walk through the corridor. "Should I be concerned about him?"

I looked at Colin surprised. "Why are you asking me? I'm not the one that can sense people. What do you feel?"

Colin stood a minute thinking and finally shrugged. "Nothing. He's just happy with what he's doing."

"So?"

Colin shrugged again. "So, nothing." He kissed me quickly. "Let's go."

We gathered to decide where we would search. It was decided where we should go and then came deciding who was going with whom.

"You should have an agent each, so Shelly in one team and Chuck in the other," Ruben said. "And with Gabriella a tracker, she should be in one team and Alex in the other."

"What!?" Alex balked. "We'll be separated?"

Gabriella chuckled as she took his hand. "That makes more sense, and you know it." She kissed his cheek. "It's just for a few hours. We'll be together again later."

Alex looked almost hurt. "I thought you going with us so we can spend more time together."

Gabriella smiled as she leaned close to Alex. "No, Sweetie, I wanted to go to do a job. I'm tired of sitting around waiting to see if you, Dad and Devon come back. I want to be productive."

Alex looked disappointed but nodded. "Okay."

"Then I guess we should split up, too," I said smiling to Colin knowing how he'd react.

His eyes widened. "What!? No way! We are a team! We don't need to split up!"

"So? Gabriella and Alex aren't on the same team!" I pointed out.

"Because they both are trackers." Colin looked at my face and then narrowed an eye. "You did that on purpose."

I nodded chuckling. "Yes. Guilty." I grinned.

"That's not funny!" Colin swiped at me but didn't make contact.

Ruben handed us two tablets, one for us and the other for the other team. "The hot spots have been highlighted. Stick together. Phones fully charged?" He asked acting and sounding like a unit director.

I knew ours was, but Colin looked to be safe. Colin, Shelly, Alex, and I were a team. Chuck, Burke, and Gabriella were a team.

I thought of something, so I asked. "Ruben, are you reporting to anyone?"

Ruben looked surprised. "Certainly. I give Senator Cooke and Grace a daily report."

I nodded. "And no one else?"

"Why?" Ruben asked.

I shrugged. "Vampires are secretive by nature. The more people know about us, the more the chance of the wrong people finding out. Most people won't understand or believe it if they saw anything written."

Ruben nodded. "Senator Cooke is being careful, so is Grace."

The door opened and in walked Stan. He was smiling, showered, dressed and ready. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together anxiously. "Okay. Let's do this."

We all looked at him surprised.

"But you're with Mark," Colin said. "And sound asleep a few hours ago!"

Stan waved that off. "He's asleep. I'll check in on him later. He needs to rest, not me." He shrugged. "I'm your centerman."

Ruben frowned. "I filled in for you last night. I was prepared to do it again tonight."

Stan was horrified. "You touched Buddy!?"

Ruben looked confused. "Buddy? Who the hell is Buddy?"

I chuckled. "Buddy is his new best friend," I explained and pointed to the computer Ruben was standing over.

Ruben looked down and nodded, but then back at Stan. "Are you up for it? I can do it if needed."

Stan nodded. "No, I'm fine. Mark is in dreamland a while; I've got time and I slept enough."

Ruben nodded. "Okay." He smiled. "I guess I'll go home to Carrie." He referred to his wife. He chuckled and lifted the big cup of coffee he had. "I guess I don't need this." He was about to get rid of it.

"NO! I'll drink it!" Colin said hurrying over and taking the coffee from Ruben.

I shook my head. "He's an addict."

Colin sipped with a smiled. "It should be a crime to waste good coffee." He sighed as he relished the taste.

I watched as Alex was speaking with Gabriella softly, ending the conversation with a kiss. I grinned seeing things were becoming so serious between them. I also noticed that Colin seemed to have at last relaxed about it, too.

We didn't dredge up any vampires that night but returned at near dawn very tired.

"I'm as tired as I was when fully human," I said after undressing and sitting on the bed. Colin grinned as he took his shirt off.

Colin nodded. "We used up what little we could store."

"So, why aren't we aging?" I asked. "If our muscles ache, why don't we age? My muscles are asking to rest, don't the cells die?"

Colin looked at me surprised. "You're asking me? I'm not the egghead." He tossed his shirt on a chair and sat to remove his shoes. "Our muscles ache because we use them. In order to work, they need fuel and downtime to rest. Things like hair and fingernails grow, but don't die. It just keeps on going." He pulled his pants off and then crawled over the bed to me and pulled me down as he rested on top of me. "Now, do we continue the science discussion, or maybe do something else?" He asked kissing me. My arms came around him and once again I loved his warmth and solidity. His love I could see in his emerald, green eyes.

My hand came up to his face as I ran my fingers over his cheek. "You have the most beautiful eyes. Not the faded dull color green, or even bluish green, but the most vibrant emerald gem green. Sharp and expressive."

Colin grinned. "I'm glad you like them. You're the one that has to look at them." He ran his lips over my cheek, kissing tenderly as he went. "I hope I convey how much I love you in them."

I nodded. "I can see it. I love you, Colin."

Colin ran a hand down my side. "I know."