Lorelai looked up at the sky from the balcony of Lexi's small apartment. The stars were out tonight, maybe it was because they were far from the city proper, maybe it was so they could fix her with their damning gaze. She sighed and took a long drag from her cigarette, or rather one of Lexi's, and watched as the smoke curled into the night. Her thoughts turned toward Lexi. She was sleeping happily in the bed they'd just shared a torrid couple of hours in. Alive and well, Lorelai felt no particular desire to extinguish the brave girl’s life. She mused about what the girl might be dreaming, was it filled with dark women with fangs? Perhaps rainbows and better days? Vladimir had once told her that vampires don't dream. For the longest time he was right, but recently she'd been dreaming. In those dreams she wandered an iron labyrinthine prison filled with her own personal mausoleum of torments. The air would be filled with the voices of those she'd wronged, and just beyond the bars of each cell lurked faces. Each in turn would ask [i]why?[/i] To each she offered nothing, because she had nothing. You eat to survive, and survive to eat. There's no more meaning than that. That is, unless you make it yourself. [hr] [i]A few hours earlier[/i] "Got anything exciting planned for the evening ma'am?" Shaun interrupted her reading. [color=92278f]"Not really, made any progress getting a hold of the Bloodbloom's matriarch?"[/color] "No significant strides in that direction, you may consider taking a meeting with someone less busy than the boss herself." [color=92278f]"Is that so?"[/color] Lorelai thought a moment, Shaun was right of course. It's not like she had a lot of other prospects for allies in the city. [color=92278f]"Perhaps tomorrow night I'll give someone a call."[/color] "What will you do tonight then Mi'lady?" That was Shaun's way of saying 'get off your ass', and infuriatingly enough he was right again. [color=92278f]"...You can be a bit of a task master Shaun. Perhaps I'll take a walk, grab a bite."[/color] "As you wish ma'am, I just hate to see you languish." Minutes later she was wandering the streets of Santa Somabra aimlessly. The sky was black with rain. The city streets, which normally smelled like sweat and garbage, instead smelled almost fresh. Mother nature was here long before man or vampire, and would be here long after they were gone. Mother nature had a way of cleaning things, rain, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. No matter what man built or ruined eventually nature would return it to pristine harmony. Lorelai looked up into the raining sky and wished that nature would work faster, that the rain would surge and wash them all away, leaving them clean and perfect again. “Lorelai, is that you?” A feminine voice pierced her thoughts. She turned to see a pretty blonde approaching with an umbrella, Lexi. [color=92278f] ”Lexi, is the city truly that small? Or is this providence?”[/color] Lexi blushed, smiling. “I don’t know about that, but what are you doing out in the rain? You’ll catch a cold.” She moved to share her umbrella with Lorelai. “Come on, my apartment’s not far from here. Let’s get you out of this rain ok?” [color=92278f]”What about your boyfriend?”[/color] They began walking down the street. Loelai didn’t care one way or the other about Lexi’s romantic status, but was curious to see how she explained her behavior. [color=92278f]”I’m sure he wouldn’t want me alone with you.”[/color] “That didn’t seem to bother you last weekend, now did it?” Lexi replied blithely. “This isn’t an invite to get in bed with me. I’ve just been wanting to talk to you since then anyway.” [color=92278f]”Why?”[/color] Lorelai responded. “I don’t know. You seem dangerous and edgy? I can’t leave well enough alone? The way your smile never reaches your eyes?” Lexi mused aloud. “You’re interesting is the short answer. The long one is that I want something from you, but don’t know what that is.” [color=92278f]”Now you’ve got me curious.”[/color] and that was the truth, Lexi’s sudden honesty was impressive. She didn’t know many people who could wrap their heads around what Lexi was grappling well enough to state it as well as she had. [color=92278f]”Are you sure this isn’t an invitation to bed?”[/color] Lexi shrugged. “I’m sure if you want me you’ll find a way to charm me. You did last weekend after all. It’s not like I’m taking sex off the table.” Lorelai giggled. [color=92278f]”You seem pretty calm about all this, nothing like the girl I met. This could be fun.”[/color] “I don’t exactly do well out of my element. I like dancing well enough, but not by myself. Also I’m hardly calm, my heart’s going like a mile a minute.” She looked over to Lorelai, revealing her flushed face. “But panicking isn’t going to help me communicate and get what I want from you. Whatever that is.” The rest of the short walk was spent in silence. Lorelai was truly impressed with the woman. She seemed smart, savvy, and even a little sexy. How long would her interest last though? What would Lexi think if she knew what Lorelai was? The difficulties involved in such things were daunting. Soon they arrived at the front of Lexi’s apartment building. She unlocked the door with her key, and a long walk up the stairs later they came to the apartment itself. It was relatively spacious, a nice sized living room, a small but full kitchen, two bedrooms of which one had been converted into a study, and a full bathroom. After Lorelai had changed into a set of Lexi’s clothes, which were quite oversized on her diminutive frame, and dried her hair they took a seat at the kitchen table. Lexi provided a cup of hot chocolate for Lorelai and coffee for herself. “I’m not gay.” Lexi eventually blurted out, breaking the silence. “I like guys.” [color=92278f]”You do some weird stuff for a straight girl.”[/color] Lorelai giggled. [color=92278f]”I don’t think gay or straight are useful words anyway. We’re attracted to whatever we’re attracted to, are you attracted to me?”[/color] “Somewhat paradoxically yes. Does that make me Heteroflexible? Basically straight, but I’ll bend for Lorelai’s?” She inquired smiling. [color=92278f]”Do you know a lot of Lorelai’s? Does this happen often?”[/color] Lorelai returned laughing. [color=92278f]”Besides I didn’t make you bend that much.”[/color] she added lasciviously. “Yes you did! I’m not that flexible.” She shook her head laughing. “But for some reason I really wanted to see you naked, so I did it anyway.” The laughter died down eventually, leaving Lorelai strangely warm, this was getting dangerous. [color=92278f]“What are you going to college for Lexi?”[/color] “Computer programing. I like solving problems using logic.” She sighed. “You’d think that would mean I keep my personal life neat, but it’s unfortunately messy.” [color=92278f]”What do you mean?”[/color] Lorelai tilted her head smiling. [color=92278f]”Are you talking about me again?”[/color] “Yes, and no. My boyfriend is a friend from my childhood. Growing up he got into some pretty bad stuff, drug stuff.” She reached across the table and ensnared one of Lorelai’s hands. “I thought I could change him, stupid really. That’s not how things work is it?” [color=92278f]”No it isn’t.”[/color] Lorelai’s voice was gentle. [color=92278f]”You can help someone change, but that’s it.”[/color] “I think girls who want guys to change for them are greedy, including myself. It’s the ultimate romantic gesture, we don’t want to change them really, we want to be the reason they changed. We want that as a testament to how wonderfully in love we are.” [color=92278f]”So what will you do now?”[/color] She squeezed Lexi’s hand. [color=92278f]”I can’t be making this easy on you.”[/color] There it was. The second hand of the clock wasn’t spinning like the blades of a fan. Lorelai gripped this moment, free of banalities, full of genuine human struggle. This wasn’t a simple transitory moment, fleeting by just to explain the next moment like scenes in a movie. This was a moment in which things could change, an impossibly powerful moment that laid open the myriad paths that Lexi’s life could take. Lorelai was humbled by its power. The power of choice, of growth, and adversity. Maybe this is what she lost somewhere in the sands of time. Did she choose anymore? Did she grow? Or did she simply flit from one moment to the next sating her impulses and strategizing her next meal? When did her life become so comfortable she quit noticing it? “I-I think I’ll leave him.” Lexi said looking down at her hand, currently in Lorelai’s “Then I think I’ll ask you to get a coffee with me or something.” Lorelai was so proud of this little mortal. Rather than comfort or complacency she’d chosen the pain of change, something Lorelai rarely had the strength to accomplish. Leaning across the table Lorelai started a kiss that ended in Lexi’s bedroom, after an hour or so spent in pleasant agony. [hr] [i]Present[/i] She heard a knock at Lexi’s door. Calling on her ancient blood she muted her presence and stepped inside. Making her way to Lexi’s bedroom Lorelai moved with a stealth cats and owls alike would envy. She arrived just in time to catch a brief glimpse of Lexi’s naked form before the woman had tossed a robe on, tieing it in the front. Lexi then moved past Lorelai, she didn’t even notice her, on her way to her front door. She opened the door, revealing a tall man. He was pale, unkempt stubble grew around his face, he wore jeans and a leather jacket that hadn’t seen a proper wash in some time, and his eyes were dilated and wild. “Hey babe, sorry to leave you hangin’ last weekend, but I had some stuff.” The man spoke quickly. “What stuff?” Lexi crossed her arms. “Scoring? Fuck off.” “Babe, come on. I said I was sorry right? You know how it is, let me in.” “No, this time we’re done for good. Get out of here, and don’t call me again Jamie.” “I walked all the way here from downtown.” He pushed his way past Lexi and made his way toward the fridge. He removed a beer and took it to the living room and sat down. “Let’s at least talk about this.” “Ok, how about this? I’m leaving you, because you can’t get your shit together long enough to hold down a job, remember our dates, or accomplish anything of note.” Lexi’s face reddened with anger. “Then I’m going to start fucking this cute girl I met at the club last weekend. How’s that?” “You’re gonna what!?” Lexi had gone a little too far. “You’ve got somebody picked out already huh? I doubt they’re interested in little fat Lexi.” He laughed. “That was highschool asshole. I lost weight if you haven’t noticed, and now I can have whoever I want, and I don’t want you.” She intended to go farther. “And I know she’s interested because I just woke up from passing out with her on top of me. So fuck you, and get out.” “You cheating whore.” He stood, flipping the coffee table in a fit of rage. He slowly advanced on Lexi, who’d realized what was about to happen and was shrinking against the wall at her back. As amusing as this had been Lorelai was getting to be rather fond of Lexi. [color=92278f]”Did I miss something Lexi?”[/color] She revealed herself in the doorway of the bathroom. Jamie snarled, spinning around. “So you’re the bitch, I’m gonna teach you a lesson about fooling around with a man’s girl.” As soon as they made eye contact Lorelai was in the man’s mind. [color=92278f][i]No one loves you, no one can love you. You have no friends, only people who make money off of your suffering. You’re something to be laughed at or pitied, not loved. And nothing you can do will ever change that.[/i][/color] Her voice in his mind became his new truth. He stopped in his tracks. Tears rolled down his face as Lorelai’s magic informed his new existence. With a wretched cry he turned and ran out the door. [color=92278f]”Are you ok?”[/color] Lorelai moved over to support Lexi, who was looking a little shaken. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Lexi hugged her. “I thought you’d left again.” [color=92278f]”I was going to leave a note this time at least.”[/color] They stepped out onto the balcony so Lexi could have a much needed cigarette. [color=92278f]”With my number of course. I don’t get out much during the day. So I was thinking maybe we could do something tomorrow night?”[/color] “Sure, that sounds lovely. I’m busy during most of the daylight hours anyway.” She smiled. “Why don’t you ge-” Her question was interrupted by tired screeching from the street below, the high pitched note was then punctuated by the sound of glass breaking. Looking over the railing they saw Jamie’s twisted corpse several yards from an SUV that bore a Jamie sized dent in its grill. [color=92278f]”To answer your question, I don’t get out much because I’m a vampire. I’m nearly a millennia old, and I just murdered your ex before he could beat or rape either of us.”[/color] She’d decided earlier that night that honesty was in fact the best policy. (To be continued…)