I don't own any of the characters in this story besides Marcellus and Guildenstern. All rights reserved by Anne Rice.

Note: I'm not sure what I should do with this story. Part of me wants to trash it. Please tell me what you think of it. *grabs fire blanket* -Koj

They sat back to back on the floor which was numbingly cold, even for vampires. The unlikely pair just sat there in silence
since they arrived. Finally the ashen haired one decided to break the silence saying, "Thanks for coming Lestat.

"You said you needed me. You always were there for me, Daniel, this is the least I can do."

Daniel turned around, climbed into Lestat's lap and held him. Lestat was shocked but not totally surprised, Armand had hurt
Daniel badly for this kind of response. "Tell me what happened," Lestat requested.

"Well I went out to walk around Night Island for a while. I usually take a nice walk around because Armand suggested it.
Well tonight I came back early because we were supposed to go out to night and I found the door locked. I've locked myself
out before so I have been in the habit of carrying a spare key in my wallet..."

"Who was Armand with?"

"David."

"I'm... sorry."

"I should've seen it coming," Daniel said, "they were so much alike and we are complete opposites."

"Maybe this is just a fling..."

"If the roles would have been reversed..."

"Did you make a scene?"

"Got in and got out unnoticed though I doubt a herd of elephants could've run through Night Island and they wouldn't have
noticed. I wanted to say something and make a scene but I didn't."

"Lestat put his arms around Daniel, "Don't go back, Daniel, go out and find someone else who won't hurt you. If you like
you can stay with Louis and I until you get yourself together."


Daniel moved out that night while Armand was out. He left no note, only his spare key. When he left back door of Night
Island and tried to get a cab a blood red Mustang pulled up to him. He knew the car and the driver well.


Marcellus.

Marcellus? What was he doing here?


The long black haired, tall Italian angel had come to him. His soulful near black eyes were warm and caring unlike Armand's
eyes which were cold and distant. He got out of the car and walked quickly to Daniel, kissing both his cheeks and hugging him
tightly. He was very open with his affections, again unlike Armand. Marcellus smiled down sadly at him, "I sensed your pain,
Daniello, you're mind flung images of your sires infidelity and I picked them up. Are you all right?"

"No, Marcellus, I am not," Daniel said as tears gathered in his eyes.

"I am overjoyed to see you are moving out," Marcellus said as he took Daniel's bags from him, "you come with me now. I
take care of you, my Night Angel."

"You want me to stay with you?"

"I adore you, Night Angel, you raised me up from the muck and the mire; gave me hope and love, you did. You opened
many doors for me and gave me money to start again. I didn't realize how much our time together and you meant to me until
you left. I love you, Daniello, and I will forever. We will be happy in this eternity we shall carve for ourselves."

Daniel put his arms around Marcellus and the dam of tears broke. Marcellus was here and he wanted him. "I've waited so
long to hear those words... I always thought I was supposed to hear them from Armand but I'm glad it was you."

"You were destined to hear those words you longed to hear from me, Daniello, we met in the City of Love."

"Beloved," they heard Armand call Daniel; he sounded very annoyed not worried. Marcellus kissed Daniel full on the lips.
"Daniello, be strong. You have fulfilled your duty to your sire. You have gone beyond the call of duty."


Damn him, damn the cold hearted bastard that is Amadeo. It is past time that I acted against him. With Guildenstern,
Baltimore's Clan Leader, on my side I couldn't fail for it is written in the cards that Daniello and I are supposed to be together. I
will not let that cold coven master ruin our destiny. We, Daniello and I, are kindred.


"Marcellus?" Daniel asked.

"Get into the car, Night Angel, and don't be afraid."

Armand called again, this time he was getting closer. "He must sense you..."

"I have repressed my aura and it would be nearly impossible for Armand to sense me. Remembers, Night Angel, I am from
the old school," he said as he issued Daniel into the Mustang and got into the car before Daniel could catch his breath.

Daniel knew in his heart that Armand was coming closer and he would react badly to the sight of Marcellus. Armand would
think he was running away with another lover.

Betraying Armand as he had been betrayed.

When Daniel had come out of his thoughts he and Marcellus were already on a private jet heading for Baltimore. Just as he
got comfortable with the idea of leaving Armand the reached B.W.I. Jetport and reached Marcellus's house plenty of time
before dawn. How Marcellus pulled this stunt off he wouldn't know. "Marcellus has a... shall we say special way wit' time,"
Guildenstern told him, "He can slow time but cann't speed dit up dat is forbidden. Marcellus knows dis... pray dat he doesn't
forget."

Marcellus wasted no time getting Daniel into the guest bedroom, right next to his own. As Daniel was making himself
comfortable by taking a shower Marcellus took out a deck of Tarot cards. As he was preparing the Celtic Cross the phone
rang. "So Amadeo went through Daniello's address book. I knew it was a good idea to drop it 'accidentally'," he thought
smugly as he picked up the phone. "Hiya."

"I'm looking for Marcellus."

"I am he."

"Do you have Daniel?"

"Daniello? Oh yes, I have Daniello Molloy with me."

"Finally, you are the tenth person I've called. Did he just show up?"

"No, I come pick him up from Night Island. He was... how do I put this... having an.... episode and called out to me."

"Episode?"

"Oh yes, he seen his beloved sire with another fledging and sent for me. He needed me... again."

"Just fucking great, doesn't he know what a locked door means...? Let me speak to him..."

"Daniello is taking a shower."

"Get him out."

"Why should I?"

"I am Armand, his sire."

"Even less of a reason," Marcellus murmured just loud enough for Armand to hear it and continued, "Nothing would please
me more than to see his angelic body naked...."

"You lay one finger on him..."

"Fingers weren't exactly what I had in mind," he stated with mocking seductiveness.

"Try to seduce him and I will rip the flesh from your bones."

"Me? Seduce? Is that what you did with David: seduction? I love Daniello and I love him more than any cold, distant
sonovabitch coven master like you could."

"How dare you...."

"You erased faithfulness from your vocabulary a long time again."

"I will..."

"Don't play stupid. How many others have there been? Louis? Lestat? Marius? Come on, we both know your record and
it ain't good. You mock love, you faithless bastard... oh here come, mi Night Angel, now. The only one who has been totally
faithful to you."

Daniel entered the room as Marcellus handed him the phone and kissed him passionately. As he broke off the kiss he said,
"It's Armand for you, Night Angel."


Daniel quickly answered the phone a little breathless, "Armand?"

"Where did you meet that crude, vile Marcellus?"

"Venice. We went there on our anniversary one year but then as I recall David showed up and the pair of you went off.
David found something that might 'interest you'," he said mockingly.

"I remember," Armand said coldly.

"Marcellus was poor and broken when I found him on a flooded street. He thought I was there to destroy him but I felt a
connection with him... he reminded me of myself before..."

"I could imagine."

"So I wrote you a note and took him to Baltimore to a friend. We got him a place there and got a job as a art Authenticator
at an Art Gallery."

"A Vampire Art Authenticator? Wouldn't his employer get ..."

"Not if the owner is a vampire also."

"He owes you."

"Nah."

"He says he loves you."

"Marcellus is a vampire of strong passions."

"He wants you..."

"He never kept that a secret."

"Do you want him?"

"Why in the fuck do you care?"

"Daniel..."

"You just keep pushing me away while you fuck David and heaven knows who else. You scream, ignore and punish me for
crimes that are not mine. You take all your hurt out on me and you have a lot of hurt. Me, the one you claimed to love."

"I do love you, Beloved."

"Then why...?"

"Because I knew you were going to leave me, Daniel, you had to hate me for what I did for you."

"You did what I asked..."

"It doesn't matter, Beloved."

Those words sparked such a murderous rage within Daniel. He had heard Armand say those words when he found out that
he had cheated on him with Louis, then Marius, then Jessie and at last David. They didn't matter, he didn't matter, love didn't
matter: Nothing Mattered to Armand. "You're right, Armand, it doesn't fucking matter. Congrads you've got your wish
because I've left you. I'm with Marcellus, my Italian Angel, I hope you are damn happy with yourself. Don't come here and
start any shit with him trying to get me back because I will never return to you, not this time. After all you've done to me you
never loved me just used and abused me... you make me sick. I hate you Beloved as you wished." Daniel hung up on a
sobbing Armand.

"I am proud of you, Daniello."

"I feel horrible, Marcellus, just horrible. I made him cry," he said as he brust into tears, "I'm glad I made him cry, the bastard
deserved it but..."

"I understand, Night Angel, you've had an emotional night. You need to sleep and you will feel better tomorrow night and we
will begin our life together."

"Truly Marcellus?"

"Truly, Daniello."


"Wake up," someone ordered as the shook Daniel, "I said wake up. Can you not obay orders?"

"I'm up, I'm up. What time is it?"

"Noon."

"How in the hell am I up at noon?"

"Because I wished it," the man said as Daniel opened his eyes. The man was Guildenstern, Master of the Baltimore Vampire
Familes and possibly the oldest vampire left alive not that he'd admit his age. "Dammit, Guildentern, what is the meaning of
this?"

"De meaning of dis?" he asked, his voice amused, "do you know I got a call from your Grandsire a few hours ago. He had a
lot to say to me and dared to insult me about how I conducted business in my own city."

"Grandsire?"

"Marius, Sire of Amadeo, Amadeo is your sire dus Marius is your Grandsire."

"I'll talk to Marius, Guildenstern, I'm so sorry you were distrubed."

"Now what is dis about you leaving Amadeo? You made de old block of ice... cry?"

"Armand has been cheating on me for some time. I caught him in the act so I picked up and left."

"You were supposed to go with Lestat but didn't."

"Shit, I forgot to call Lestat."

"Lestat, along with Louis, Jessie, David, and of course Marius want your head on a silver platter."

"Wait... Lestat was in my corner..."

"No, childe, how innocent you are of de ways of your coven," the Master said throughly amused, "Lestat was going to get
you calmed down den set you back up with Amadeo. No one is in your "corner" as you all it besides Marcellus."

"Not even you?"

"I never said dat, childe. If I wasn't dere for you I won't be here now. Can you patch dings up with Amadeo?"

"Can he stay faithful?"

"Ack... I'll take dat as a no. Marius knows to stay far away from me because I will slaughter him and those who come with
him. I... protect my own and you are a big part of de family. Dough I know, I feel, dat you still love your Amadeo and I
understand your pain. If I were you I won't have put up with him as long as you did and you took many of his blows. He beat
you as a release for his own pain, childe. Now I can talk to Marius again and lay down the law which right now is very
tempting or I can leave a message on Amadeo's answering mechinine saying that you are returning..."

"You are trying to talk me into going back with Armand..."

"No, I want you do be happy. Hard of me to find happiness, not happened yet but I keep hoping."

Daniel sat up and looked up the ancient immortal. The clean shaven, red headed, green eyed viking. Guildenstern's past was
a mystery and his mind even more mysterious. He was about Daniel's height and his hair a bit longer. He kept it back in a
loose pony tail. Guildenstern's appearence was totally modern, with jeans and cotton t-shirt with a leather jacket.
"Guildenstern?"

"Yes?"

"What would make you happy?"

That caught the famous Vampire Master off guard. "Explain?"

"You said you weren't happy."

"True."

"What would make you happy?"

"A love to last me drough time, someone to make me forget... so many dings."

Daniel sat up and put his arms around him. "That is all I want."

"Go back to Amadeo dis one last time and if he is unfaithful again return to me," Guildenstern ordered as he took someone
out of his pocket and gave it to Daniel. It was a silver ring with a blood red ruby in it, "Wear dis ring and I will be with you
always."

"Don't make me go," Daniel said, realzing that he was had been falling in love with his long time friend, "I want to be with
you."

"No, stay with Amadeo, he will make you happier than I can but if he does hurt you..." Daniel kissed the old one silencing
him. Guildenstern was so much like Armand is was scary at times. He met the old vampire by accident when Armand and he
got seperated in Dublin, Ireland. "Why is a fledgling childe away from his sire, especially in Ireland?" Guildenstern had asked
him.

"We got seperated."

"I see you survived de Queen of the Damèd's attack," he said mockingly.

"So did you."

"What clan do you hail from? Name the Master, boy."

"Armand's Coven Master."

"Amadeo has another coven? After dat Paris destaster?"

Daniel's eyes narrowed and answered mockingly, "Yes, he is Coven Master. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Ack, I see you must be his childe... I dought be wasn't going to have children? Den you must Daniel, his beloved. I heard
you were a drunk."

"You know about me but I don't know shit about you."

"Dat's the way it's going to be. I'm a Vampire Master, boy. Do you know what that means?"

"Sounds like something from Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

"Yes and no. I was elected Vampire Master after the Royal Bitch nearly knocked out the whole population. Most ran to dat
boy of a man, Lestat de Lioncourt, but some ran to me. We last twenty live in Baltimore, Maryland but go around the globe
and are allowed peace. I, being the oldest, am in control of dem all."

"Good for you."

Guildenstern mock bowed. "Dangerous to be away from Amadeo, boy, I don't like him. I should destroy you were you
stand but something pleages me. Why break his vow on you?"

Daniel asked sure if he was asking the question to him or to the air. "Answer me," he demanded.

"We are in love."

"Love? Amadeo doesn't know love nor can he give it. He's playing around with you, childe, and I pity you for it. I will
allow you to live but watch your back around him. He still have many affairs and lash out at you. In the end he will kill you or
drive you to your death. Mark my words, childe."


Guildenstern let him go but showed up many times in many places though never seen by Armand. We spoke many times,
sometimes he would just call me up saying he was bored. We'd talk for hours if Armand wasn't home. I never spoke to him
about Armand's affairs but he knew. He let me know he knew without saying anything. Then two years back I sent Marcellus
to him. Guildenstern was greatful and invited him to join his clan, so I could get Marcellus in. It wasn't until tonight I realized
that my membership still stood with him. Where he stood with Guildenstern, himself.


"Go to sleep now," Guildenstern ordered, "I will call Marius and explain that Marcellus took you away before you could think
clearly."

Daniel broke away from him and obayed without question. I wish I had more vampires that would obay me as you do,
Daniel. I do love you, but you belong with Amadeo... for now. Guildenstern thought as Daniel went back to sleep. The old
vampire went next door to Marcellus's room, unfolded the fire blanket he put in there before talking to Daniel. He put the
blanket on the floor and placed Marcellus on it. He took out a lighter and burned the vampire. Marcellus was a pain in the
ass anyway, oh well, even the best laid plans of vampires and men do go wrong.


Daniel waited at the airport for some sign of Armand or at least a ride but there was none. He had the ring that Guildenstern
put on his finger after he went back to sleep. How Daniel longed for his company but he wasn't sure why? Was it the ring that
made him think of him? "Where are you Armand? I want to get out of here," he whispered as he went for the pay phone. He
dialed Night Island's phone number. After a few moments he got Armand. "Didn't you get my message?" he asked sheepishly.

"I got it," Armand said stifly, "Maybe I don't want you back."

"Okay, then I'll just get back on the plane and head to Baltimore."

"What about Marcellus?"

"He was killed sometime today."

"I wish I could say I was sorry but I'm not."

"I'm not surprised."

"Marius told me that this Marcellus kidnapped you. Did he... hurt you?"

"Nah, I'm fine," Daniel said, "hey, I've got a flight to catch so I'll talk to you later..."

"Not so fast," Armand said, "Do you love me?"

"What a silly question, Armand, I love you."

"Then why did you say what you said to me."

"Because you hurt me very, very, very badly."

"You will leave me again, Daniel."

"Only if you make me again," he said smoothly as he heard David in the background, "with David again, I see."

"With Lestat, Louis, Marius and all the rest. They are ready to rip you to pieces."

"So Guildenstern told me."

"I have decided not to take you back..."

Daniel looked up to see his flight take off tears in his eyes. It was all for not. His love for Armand, his crush on Guildenstern,
his hopes and his dreams went down the crapper. Luckly this is what he excepted; he should never have let Marcellus take him
from Armand. That doomed him to eternal loneiness. "Goddammit, I've missed my fuckin' flight," he hissed more to himself
than Armand.

"Is that all you have to say?"

Daniel try to wipe his blood tears so no one would notice them. He tried to swallow a sob but was unsuccessful. "You do
love me," Armand said but not over the phone but right behind him.

Daniel turned around to face his sire who put his arms around him. "I love you, Beloved, more than anything. I take things
out on you because I love you. You can take it so well and are so caring. My intentions are good but my actions are not
always," Armand said as he held him close to him, "let's go home, Daniel, we have a lot to talk about."

"Nothing matters.... as long as I have you."

"We are kindred in a way," Armand said as he lead Daniel out of the terminal.


Guildenstern watched the pair walk out of the jet port and into a limo. The pair would make it, Daniel's patince and Armand
determination would win over in the end There had never been a pair such as they and they would have to work very hard to
stay together. He knew that they would never break for good, it was impossible they were not kindred totally but Daniel was
the other half of Armand and Armand the other half of Daniel. Viva Amour.