My first Vampire Spec, I'm so proud. Please pardon any crass mistakes in my French, I only did up to standard grade and I was always crap at writing in it. I dedicate this to my French/English dictionary. This is un petit explicit in places. This is and this is [mental speech to someone else]. I reached 600 lines and suddenly realised I had no plot, if I'm not careful I may have to resort to Louis leaving or being kidnapped just for a change. :-) Possibly spoilers for first four Vampire books but certainly nothing serious.

All characters except Oriana belong to Anne Rice. This is a non-profit, freely distributed piece or whatever you're supposed to say.

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It wasn't until she woke up as the plane was landing that she realised how monumentally stupid what she had just done was.

"I prefer to fall apart abroad," she mocked herself.

God but she could be so melodramatic at times. She had outdone herself this time. She had definitly read one too many Vampire Specs. This time when she had decided to run away and die on an unknown street she'd chosen New Orleans. Of course all the other times she'd decided to do that, usually to Greece, she'd never gotten further than wandering the dark streets of Glasgow looking for a taxi to the airport. This time she'd foolishly gone the whole hog and was now in America with nothing but a passport and the clothes on her back. What on Earth had possessed her? She'd just about emptied her account to buy the ticket and she had no way of getting back. She couldn't even really remember what had got her so depressed, probably nothing, as usual.

The plane landed heavily. It was late afternoon. The atmosphere was warm and wet, the sky clouded. She wandered unseeing through the airport and on to the city. It was almost as if her life were over already, she would starve to death on the streets on New Orleans.

------------------------------ Lestat stood watching the last light of the day drop away at the horizon. He was waiting for Louis to wake up, there had been a bit of a fight last night and he wanted them to make up. He heard a sound behind him and spun around, but it was only David.

"Is Louis up yet?" he asked.

"Good evening to you too Lestat," David replied. "I hope you are intending to apologize to him for last night."

"Apologize! Why on earth should I want to do that? I am waiting here, despite my hunger, for Louis to come apologize to me for being a whining, annoying bore who always spoils my fun."

"Well in that case," said Louis from the doorway. "You can wait there until you starve for I most certainly have no intentions of apologising to you for _not_ being a hot-headed, impulsive fool who delights in endangering himself and those around him!" With that Louis stormed out the front door, David following.

Lestat stood for a moment watching Louis vanish angrily down the street with David in his wake before he swore loudly and raced after them calling out, "Louis! Louis wait for me!" In his rush he carelessly left the front door open behind him. It swung closed slowly and stopped before the latch caught.

---------------------------------------- At first she had resigned herself to her fate, she'd gone to all the bother of getting here, she may as well do what she came for. Die. She had walked for what seemed like an eternity, having no real reason to stop, when she finally looked around her. It was now very early morning, the sun would be rising in about four hours she guessed. The streets were narrow and dark, the few streetlights unable to light them. She suddenly felt very vulnerable and very sure that she didn't really want to die now. Depressive melodramatics were all very well in your safe bedroom at home but they fled in these dim, damp streets leaving only every humans desperate desire to live. She had a sudden premonition that she as going to have to fight for that desire very soon, but you didn't need to be psychic to know that when you saw a pretty, defenseless girl wandering alone in the dark.

The shadows moved.

They slithered and reformed themselves into legs and arms and hands and faces and leering grins.

They ringed her in a loose circle, looking nonchalant. 'We do this every day.' They said. 'Nobody cares what we do.' They said. 'And nobody cares what we do to you.'

She stood her ground, quivering slightly, as one came toward her. Behind him he left a larger space in the ring. He grinned meaninglessly at her as he cupped her chin in his hand, "You lost, pretty young t'ing?"

The others laughed, behind him the space widened again as one of them moved closer to another to whisper something. She said nothing. He ran his hand down her neck, over her breasts and stomach, between her legs. "Mebbe you found what you lookin' for." He took another step toward her and he was close enough.

With all her strength she drove her knee between his legs and then ran for her life through the space. With angry cries they gave chase. She was not especially fit but she had something over them, that thing beyond adrenaline, that endurance you only get when your life depends on it. She managed to stay ahead of them, but only just, never far enough ahead to make them give in. Occasionally she fell, skinning knees and elbows, but she always scrambled up in time. Once they thought they had her in a dead end but she vaulted the fence and ran and ran and ran, but they never gave up.

Finally, when she knew it would not be long before she slowed enough to be caught, she decided to risk it. She veered towards the nearest door and threw herself at it. Hoping someone would be home, hoping that someone would care enough to help her, hoping they would open the door in time. To her surprise the door flew open the moment she hit it and she stumbled inside, banging it shut in their faces and throwing every bolt she could find. They slammed against it but there was no way in.

She fell useless to the polished floor gasping for breath, her chest and throat a mass of pain. Her entire body shook with shock at the sudden and unexpected energy drain. She lay there for a half hour before dragging herself to a bathroom and into the shower to wash away the blood and the sweat and the pain and the fear. She wrapped herself in a large fluffy towel and sat on the bathroom floor. The house was empty, for now. But when its occupants came back they would not be pleased to see an intruder. But she couldn't leave, she couldn't go back out there, not yet. She had to hide. She pulled herself to her feet and went upstairs, heading for the attic. She was so tired she couldn't think, if she had she would have realised that bolting a door from the inside made it fairly obvious she was there and leaving her dirty, torn clothes on the bathroom floor didn't help either. There was an attic. Inside was a coffin. Black and gleaming, inside it was lined with purple silk. She felt it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Who would think to look in an attic, in a coffin? If she had looked more carefully it might have worried her how clean and tidy the attic was, how prominantly the coffin was displayed, but she didn't. Instead she roughly toweled the rest of the water out her hair and climbed into the purple silk, dropping the towel on the floor behind her. It felt cool and soft against her bare skin as she pulled the lid on, leaving it slightly open to let air in. In seconds she was in a sleep so close to death you might have thought she was.

---------------------------------------------- Louis and Lestat had made up. David thought.

Louis picked up on the thought and smiled, it was probably true. He looked round at Lestat, who's hand he held as they walked, and pulled him to a stop. When Lestat turned to ask him what was wrong he kissed him.

"What was that for?" Lestat asked, surprised at Louis' unusual action.

"I do love you."

Lestat actually blushed slightly, Louis was not usually so demonstrative. He pulled him into an embrace whispering in his ear, "Je suis amoureux de tu aussi, mon cher."

Louis smiled, Lestat almost always slipped into French when he was feeling romantic. Arms around each others waists they contined to the house where they found a rather worried David waiting at the door for them.

"Lestat, did you throw the inside bolts when you left the house?"

"No, of course not. I was in such a hurry I just left it on the latch."

"Well it's bolted now, _someone_ is in our house."

Lestat stepped forward and opened the bolts with his mind. Together they stepped cautiously inside, reaching out with their minds to find the intruder. Lestat frowned, "I can feel something, I think. It's so faint."

David strained but could sense nothing, Louis cocked his head to one side, "I'm sure I can hear a heart beat, but I can't tell where from."

They moved inside, switching lights on as they went. "Fee Fi Fo Fal, I smell the blood of a mortal," announced Lestat, enjoying the hunt and leading them to the bathroom. Inside they found a heap of dirty clothes, bloodstained at the knees, elbows and wrists, and puddles of water on the floor. "Who's been washing in our shower?" he asked dramatically, changing fairy tales as he lifted up the clothes revealing them to be those of a small female.

"Really Lestat, will you be serious for a change?" scolded David.

"I don't know," complained Lestat. "One minute you complain that I never read anything and then when I bring up literature you tell me to shut up. I just can't win."

Louis grinned as David rolled his eyes. They checked each floor room by room until there was nowhere left but the attic. Lestat went first. As he opened the attic door they could all hear the faint thud of a slow heartbeat and smell the sweet perfume of mortal blood. It came from Lestat's coffin, he turned to them.

"There is a _mortal_ sleeping in _my coffin_!" he exclaimed.

"It is rather odd," agreed David. Most mortals weren't comfortable with coffins, never mind willing to sleep in one.

Lestat quietly lifted the lid to reveal a naked young child-woman with damp, tangled, white gold hair. "It's Goldilocks!"

Her age was rather indeterminate. She was very slim, with shoulder length blond hair. Her skin was very pale and blue veins ran their hypnotic journeys' just beneath it. By her side lay a pair of glasses. She could have been anything between fourteen and twenty. Her elbows, knees and hands were still oozing a little blood.

Lestat reached out and stroked her cheek saying, "Time to wake up Cherie." At the same time he prodded her mind gently out of her deep sleep.

Her eyelids fluttered and she turned pale blue-grey eyes toward him as she awoke. Then she gasped in fright at being found, feeling for her glasses as she sat up. Once she got them on she froze in amazement as she found herself face to face with two of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. David was behind her and she hadn't noticed him. Lestat stood before her with Louis slightly behind him. She came slowly to her knees in the coffin reaching out a hand to touch Lestats cheek. He took her hand and ran his tongue over the cut that sliced up one side of her palm. In her mind he set off the memory of the events that had brought her here. Her sudden depression and need to get away, the flight to America, the regret at her impulsiveness, the attack. Glass cutting into her hand as she pushed herself off the ground to keep running, must keep running.

"There is no need to run now Cherie. We will not harm you." He handed her the towel she had left on the floor and she wrapped it around herself. "I am..."

Then she finally spoke, "Lestat." She looked over his shoulder, "and Louis." She glanced around and saw the third vampire, "and David. I'm Oriana." She glanced down at the blood-stained silk lining of the coffin, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

"That is of no matter, you have not had the best of days I think," he said. He took her hand again and helped her step out of the coffin. "You must be dreadfully hungry. David go find some food while we make our guest more comfortable."

David frowned, both at Lestat's order and also at his sudden adoption of this mortal girl. Lestat already had a dog, he didn't need any more pets. She ought to be killed now that she knew them, though the thought did not lie comfortably with him. But he went out to get food anyway, they could talk about it later.

--------------------------------------------- Lestat escorted Oriana down to the living room and started a fire which he sat her down in front of. He brought through a comb which he handed to a rather bemused Louis and sat down in front of their stray. He gestured impatiently to Louis, who was still standing in the middle of the room, to sit down and comb out her tangled hair. Louis did so, surprised that Lestat had recalled the time Louis confessed how much he loved to play with long hair. Comb it out and feel the soft strands between his fingers, the sweet smell of it. Meanwhile Lestat was cleaning the remaining blood from her cuts... with his tongue. She smiled languidly at him through half closed eyes. Once the blood was cleaned away Lestat bit his tongue and let his own blood trickle onto the wounds closing them up without a trace. Louis wondered what was going through Lestats' mind, why was he doing this? Was he planning on keeping the girl somehow or would he kill her? Perhaps he would simply send her home. Or perhaps he had something else on his mind... surely Lestat would not make another fledgling so soon after David? In fact Louis had rather hoped he would make no more fledglings at all. Well, he was sure Lestat would make everything clear eventually. Of course that was assuming Lestat knew what he was doing, which was probably not the case. He concentrated on his task, he had got rid of nearly all the tangles. Her hair was much finer than Lestats', straighter and paler as well. It smelled faintly of apples and was as soft as the finest silk. Finally freeing it of the last tangle he ran his hands through it, giving in to temptation and leaning his cheek in to rub against it. She lifted her arm over her shoulder to stroke his hair as he did. Lestat had moved around her so he could watch Louis, keeping one of her hands. He ran his tongue around her fingers, drawing them into his mouth one at a time. Louis was amused at his own reaction to her, it was usually his job to tell Lestat he should be more careful, less impulsive. But her mind was like a cross between an aphrodisiac and a sedative, she relaxed him and seduced him at the same time. It was a very pleasant sensation. She heard David returning and brought her hand back from Louis' hair to pull the towel back up from her waist where it had slipped. David came into the room frowning at the scene before him.

"Lestat I want a word with you."

Louis helped Oriana up and took her and the food David had brought through to the kitchen. He left her to sort out the food and went to fetch a shirt for her to put on. They could get some decent clothes for her tomorrow night, there was no time tonight. he thought. But he had to admit he was already rather fond of her. So strong even after all she had been through that night. She wasn't at all afraid of them and she was so quiet, she had hardly spoken a word since she had woken. Her mind was so peaceful. Of course that could just be due to her exhaustion. He brought a heavy green checked shirt back to the kitchen for her.

--------------------------------------------- "Just what do you think you are doing Lestat? And you have Louis caught up in it as well."

"Caught up in what? What are you babbling about?"

"That girl! She knows who we are! She knows where we live! She should be disposed of."

"Disposed of! You sound like you're talking about some animal. She is a human being, she will not be killed."

"Why not? We are vampires Lestat, it is what we do."

"It is what we do when we have to. To feed, to stay alive. I will not be pressured to kill when I do not want to."

"Then what will you do? We have to sleep soon, where will she go then?"

"She is tired too, she will sleep with me."

"Are you mad?" David looked astounded. "You would let a complete stranger, a mortal, sleep with you when you are at your most helpless?"

"Surely you have seen into her mind David. She is not going to hurt us or betray us to anyone. I like her and she is staying."

"You are mad! Louis. Louis!"

Louis poked his head round the door. "What?" he said looking worried.

"Lestat is going to let this unknown mortal girl sleep with him today! Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?"

"Will you sleep in the bed Lestat?" Louis asked.

"Yes, mortals aren't really suited to sleeping in coffins. She knows enough not to let any light in the room if she wakes up. She's read all the books you know, I saw it in her mind."

Louis looked rather embarrassed, "Lestat I... I don't suppose you would mind if I... um... joined you today?"

"Louis!" cried David, feeling beset upon by lunatics.

Louis looked puzzled, "I know it's not what we'd normally do but she's really no danger David. Can't you see that?"

"I know she wouldn't do anything on purpose but it is still too dangerous, accidents happen. What if she goes to make something to eat and a pan catches fire? What if she lets someone else in the house? What if she forgets where she is and opens one of the curtains? Maybe you could survive that Lestat, but Louis couldn't. Send her to a hotel if you must, but she can't stay here."

"It is too late to take her to hotel, the sun will be up soon, and she can't go herself. She will stay here and that is final David." Lestat left the room, signifying the conversation was at an end.

David turned to Louis, "I must say I'm surprised to see you taking Lestat's side."

Louis shrugged, "I'm tired of arguing with him, half the time I'm just playing Devil's Advocate anyway. What about you, are you really that bothered by this?"

David sighed, "I guess not. I just like to make sure Lestat has really thought things through. Of course even if he did agree with me he'd never admit that he might have been wrong in the first place."

Louis laughed, "You are right of course. Good night David."

"Good night Louis." David kissed Louis on the cheek and left for his room.

--------------------------------------------- In the kitchen Oriana was just finishing a sandwich and a glass of orange juice. Lestat was hanging arund the doorway, his nose wrinkled at the smell of food. Louis joined him.

"David has gone to bed. I have to go soon too Lestat."

"She is just about finished, take her up to my room with you and I'll check all the locks before I join you."

Louis nodded and went into the kitchen, the smell was not too bad now she had finished. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"Tired," she answered.

"Well that's good, it's time for us to sleep. The sun will be rising soon. Lestat thought you could sleep with us, if you like that is. Or we could put you in my room if you want."

"No, I'd be happy to stay with you."

"Okay. Well, lets go up then. Lestat's just closing up the house." He led her upstairs to Lestats' overly-sumptuous room. "You will be careful won't you? If you wake up during the day I mean."

"Don't worry Louis, besides I'm so tired I doubt I'll wake up any time before Christmas." She sprawled heavily onto Lestats' large bed, her eyes closed. Louis smiled, he lit a lamp and drew the blinds and curtains after making sure the windows were locked. Oriana was watched him, her body having decided to fall asleep before her mind, as he undressed for bed leaving his clothes folded on a chair. Feeling a little awkward he went into the bathroom to remove his jeans and put on a soft pair of pyjama bottoms, then sat on the bed to wait for Lestat. He could hear Oriana thinking,

He answered her silent question, "We sometimes sleep together, if we've managed to get through the night without arguing."

[You really do argue that often?]

"I'm afraid so. But I'm going to try to stop. It is my new resolution, to put up with Lestat and not argue with him unless absolutely necessary."

She smiled, [Instead the two of you will argue with David.]

Louis laughed, "Perhaps."

Lestat swept into the room. "All is secured in our little castle, time for bed." He stripped completely, carelessly leaving his clothes strewn across the floor, modesty did not even cross his mind. "You will be dreadfully warm in that heavy shirt," he pointed out to Oriana.

[My body has gone to sleep,] she told him. Only her eyes still awake, taking in the sight of him. [I couldn't move if I wanted to.]

Lestat sat on the bed next to Louis, "And what about you mon Cher?" He pinged the waistband of Louis pyjama bottoms, "It's such a warm night."

"Lestat!" Louis turned bright red. He was beginning to regret this. He had though they would all just go to sleep, obviously Lestat had every intention of completely embarrassing him first. But Lestat's attention went back to Oriana as he unbuttoned the shirt she wore and pulled it off her, throwing it onto the floor with his clothes. Louis got up and moved round the other side of the bed to climb between the cool sheets, Lestat lifted Oriana off the bed and Louis pulled the covers aside so he could lay her down and climb in beside her. As Louis dropped into his death sleep she rolled over and snuggled against him. Lestat switched off the lamp and spooned in behind her, his arm resting on Louis' chest as he felt her too slip into her own, mortal, sleep. He lay there a while listening to their breathing before the rising sun banished him to sleep as well.

-------------------------------------------------- Oriana did indeed sleep the whole day. Lestat woke before her and snuck out to shower before Louis woke up. By the time he stirred Lestat was back sitting on the edge of the bed by his side, he was still naked. Oriana had rolled back to take the space Lestat had vacated. As Louis green eyes flickered open he kissed him lightly, "Bonsoir mon beau Louis. Comment tu fait dormi?"

"Tres bien mon coeur." He made to sit up but Lestat stopped him.

"Pas encore Louis, laisse-nous reveille trop tard ce soir."

"Mais..." Louis gestured to Oriana who was starting to wake up.

Lestat silenced him with another kiss, this time pressing his body against Louis' and slipping his tongue into his mouth. Louis struggled to push him off a moment but soon gave in to the heat that rushed through his body. When they broke apart Oriana was lying on her side watching them. Desire was evident in her eyes.

"S'il te plait," she said softly, "Reprendre. Cela ne me derange pas."

Louis chose the moment to try and escape again and nearly made it. But Lestat snagged him and rolled him back onto the bed, Oriana squealed as he landed half on her and struggled out from under him laughing. Lestat pinned Louis to the bed, "Where are you going mon cher, do you no longer want me? Do you no longer love me?" Lestat made a hurt face.

"Of course I still love you Lestat. It's just... oh forget it! I am just being my usual "pruddish" self, as you would say. So if you want display yourself in public who am I to argue?"

"Merveilleux!" Lestat tugged the sheets out from between them so he could feel his skin against him as he once more delved into Louis' mouth. He felt Oriana moving closer and soon her hand was pushing his hair aside so she could see their faces more clearly. She leaned in and brushed her lips across both of their cheeks before she climbed out the bed and went into the bathroom. Lestat was surprised to see her leave but was too busy with Louis to do anything about it. Louis was relieved, he never could say no to Lestat at times like this but he had been embarrassed at her presence beside them.

-------------------------------------------------------- She left the two of them together. Lestat might not care who saw them but she knew Louis wasn't comfortable with it. When she lay there, watching the two of them together. They were so beautiful. But she felt lost watching them, what was she doing here? Why did they let her stay here with them? Was he going to kill her? Then why hadn't he done it last night? Perhaps he was saving her for tonight. She wasn't scared, or angry or anything like that. She just wanted to know where she stood. She left the bathroom and tip-toed through the bedroom picking up the t-shirt Lestat had left on the floor the previous morning to wear. Outside the rain was pouring done like a tropical storm in intensity. She went to a window to watch it fall, no, not fall. What it was doing was filled with too much energy and purpose to be described as falling. The window led out to a balcony and she unlocked it and stepped outside into the torrent. Wearing only Lestats' t-shirt she was drenched in seconds but it was still incredibly warm, she leant back against the wall and let the rain wash everything away. As it ran from her hair and down her chin, soaking the t-shirt and trickling between her breasts she relaxed. The booming thunder filled her mind and she was a part of the storm. Suddenly her eyes flew open as energy filled the air and lightning struck the street- light that stood before the balcony. The thunder roared so loud that if she hadn't been leaning against the wall she would have fallen. Beside her the window opened and David stuck his head out to stare at the ruined streetlight. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her, he grabbed her arm and pulled her inside again.

"What were you doing out there in the rain?" he demanded.

"I... don't know, I was just standing outside. Did you see that!?"

"No, but I certainly heard it." He looked her up and down. Lestats' white t-shirt just reached her thighs and was soaked to transparancy, clinging to her erect nipples and her stomach. She dripped a puddle onto the carpet before him, he sighed. Louis and Lestat came tumbling into the room looking warm and tousled.

"Did you see the streetlight outside?" Lestat asked excitedly. Then he noticed Oriana. "What happened to you?"

"She was out on the balcony in the rain," David answered for her. "And now she is inside destroying our carpet."

Meanwhile Louis had found some towels and brought them through. He went over to her and stripped off the sodden t-shirt which he threw at Lestat, "For God's sake Lestat, stop looking at her body and do something useful for a change."

"What should I do?" he asked.

"Go make some tea." Lestat left holding the dripping t-shirt at arms length and Louis wrapped Oriana in a towel. "What were you doing out there?"

"I..." her eyes brimmed, though it was hard to tell with all the water dripping down her face. "I don't know." She started to cry.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He pulled her into his arms.

"I don't know." Her legs went and he knelt on the floor with her. She buried her head in his lap and wept, soaking his jeans with her hair. He looked up at David helplessly.

[What's wrong with her?]

David came over from drying up the water and knelt beside them laying a hand on her head. [It's a reaction to yesterdays' events. She was too tired and in shock yesterday to let it out. She'll be alright, once she's finished we should probably get her to talk about it.]

When Lestat came back through he sat a mug of tea on the table and sat down silently beside them. Eventually her sobs quieted and she raised her head from Louis' now sodden jeans.

"Are you hungry now?" she asked him.

"Well, yes," he answered. "But..."

In a swift movement she pressed her neck to his mouth, "Then drink."

Beneath his lips he could feel her pulse and he nearly bit down auto- matically, he was very hungry, but he pushed her away, "No!"

She fell back to the floor tears springing again to her eyes, "Why not? What else am I here for?" She turned to Lestat, "Don't you want me?"

He folded her in his arms. "Of course we want you cherie. But we did not keep you here to feed on. And don't ask me why we did, because it was my idea and I never have a reason for anything. I did it because I wanted to do it."

"Mark the calendar Louis," said David. "Lestat just admitted to never thinking things through." Louis laughed and Lestat stuck his tongue out at David over Oriana's shoulder.

Lestat took hold of her shoulders and sat her back. "Now I am going to go through my wardrobe and see if there is anything that will even vaguely fit you while Louis takes you through and makes you a bit more presentable. Then we shall all go shopping!" He disappeared through to the bedroom.

Louis sighed at the thought of yet another of Lestats' shopping sprees and took Oriana through to the bathroom. He turned on the water and stripped off his wet jeans to climb in the shower with her. She allowed him to shampoo her hair along with his own. The hot water cleared her thoughts and soon her hands were exploring Louis' smooth body as she soaped his back for him. She pressed her body against his, circling her arms around his waist as she leant her cheek on his shoulder.

"David said it might help you to talk about what happened," Louis said feeling rather akward. She had seemed so helpless earlier that he hadn't really considered the implications of showering with her.

[Perhaps,] she thought to him. She seemed fond of being able to speak mentally. [But not just now, we should get dried so we can go out. You still have to feed and I'm starving too.]

he thought. The smell of her blood was driving him nuts. He turned off the water and they stepped out the shower, wrapping themselves in thick towels. He took her through to his bedroom and produced a hairdryer for her, there was a muffled noise from the walk in closet. He threw the door open revealing Lestat pawing through Louis' clothes. "What are you doing?"

Lestat looked up, "None of my trousers will fit over her hips, they're all too tight. You have some baggy jeans in here, I know you do. I've seen you wear them."

Louis counted to ten mentally, "Lestat get out of my closet, I'll find a pair." Lestat made way for him and went over to dry Oriana's hair for her. Louis found a pair of trousers for her and clothes for himself ignoring the clothes Lestat had dropped to the floor, he'd clear them up later. He vanished into the bathroom to get dressed, their 'encounter' in the shower had been more than enough for one day. When he emerged she too was ready to go out. She was quite an amusing sight in one of Lestats' t-shirts, Louis trousers rolled up at the bottom and a pair of braces to hold them up. She wore her own scuffed shoes, as no-one else's would fit her, but a pair of Louis socks. He tried not to laugh, Lestat already looked about ready to explode.

[Not funny!] she thought at them. [Let's just go and get me something to wear before anyone else sees me, please.]

David was waiting downstairs for them, he turned his face away as he saw her but not fast enough to hide the snort of laughter. She swept past him imperially.

------------------------------------------------------- The first order of the day was feeding. Louis and David went together and Lestat had planned to wait until they returned to watch Oriana while he went but she had other ideas.

"Lestat. May I... watch you feed?"

He looked at her, startled. "What?"

"I would like to, if you don't mind."

He searched her mind and she seemed sincere, "Well... alright. I don't see why not. Although I'm sure if David were here he'd tell me why not." She smiled. "Come on then." He led her into a darkened alley where he could here the thoughts of someone suitable. "Walk ahead of me," he whispered and melted into the shadows behind her.

She walked ahead into the darkness rather fearfully, he was so silent it was as if he wasn't there. Then a figure appeared before her, from the shadows.

"I know you," it said with a menacing grin. "Mebbe you get away last night but you won't dis time little girl. Don' your parents ever tell you lil children shoun't go out in de dark?"

"I'm not a child," she retorted. "I'm eighteen."

"Don' matter none to me what age you be little girl." A knife glinted in the darkness. "I be goin' t'enjoy this." He stepped forward and she was on the verge of running when a streak of light flew from the darkness and smashed him against the wall knocking away the knife.

Lestat held him by the throat. "Not half as much as I will," he said. "How does it feel to be on the other side for a change?" He bared his fangs with a snarl letting the man see them before he plunged them into his neck and drained him. As the heart slowed he pulled back, still holding the body against the wall.

Oriana was standing next to him. "I had forgotten how hungry I was," she said. Her eyes were fixed to the neck of the man he had slain, blood still flowed from the wound. She leant in front of Lestat and touched it with her fingers bringing them back to her mouth to taste. It was good. Still warm. She came closer and fastened her mouth to it, unable to sense anything telepathically the man being dead did not affect her in the way it would a vampire. She drank until the flow became too slow and then let go. Lestat allowed the body to fall to the ground and turned her to face him. Blood stained her lips and dripped down her chin as he stared at this mortal child-woman who drank blood as if already born to darkness. Unsure what to say he knelt and dripped a few drops of his own blood on the wounds the body bore to close them. When he stood up she had wiped the blood from her face and was looking at him with worried eyes. "Are you angry with me?" she asked.

"Of course I'm not Cherie." He took her face meaning to give her but a light kiss to set her at ease but as soon as his lips touched hers he could not hold back. He crushed her to him as he opened her mouth with his tongue. She did not resist but responded as passionately as he. She impaled her tongue on one sharp fang and her blood filled his mouth. It was not as rich as some but it was subtle, like an expensive perfume or a fine wine. She made him feel dizzy as a mortal in her slim arms. He had the feeling that too much of her, like too much wine, could be fatal. In her mind a song played,

"Split me open,
With devotion.
Put your hands in,
And rip my heart out."
Put your hands in and pull a plum out

Before he released her he cut his own tongue to let her taste his power- ful blood and heal the wound in her tongue. She almost frightened him. He felt she was, in a way, even stronger than he was. A song came to his mind, how did it go?

"Here you got me crawlin', crawlin' on the floor. An' my knees are aching and my hands are raw. An' I've never known a girl like you before."

Yes that was it, he'd certainly never known a girl like her before and he'd been around for quite a while. He was certainly not going to give her the blood, she was strong enough already. As a vampire she would be terrifying.

"Come on," he said. "We better go meet Louis and David." He hurried her on into the night.

The End (for now)