It was an hour after Angel had left Royal Oaks to tie up the loose ends of her life. Peg was in Joshua's basement apartment, sitting upon a thickly upholstered settee, Joshua's dark head cradled in her lap. She gently stroked his thick, silky hair away from his pale face. It helped her to relax, this tactile connection with the man who had been and still is the love of her life. That love had faded from the fiery physical passion of their youth, even as her looks had faded from that of a stunning bathing beauty to a handsome senior citizen. But not Joshua. Her Joshua would be forever hold the beauty of youth that she'd fallen heads over heels for so many decades ago.

"She's quite lovely," Peg insisted. "And we had the most fabulous time this afternoon. She's going to bring in such a breath of fresh air. I can see it." It was as if she were pleading the case for Angel to be hired on and stay at Royal Oaks. It was a game that Joshua had played with her for years. He never refused her anything her heart's desired, but he did make her work for it. "You were watching on the CCTV, and I felt you nearby when I laughed so hard I coughed. I know you saw how wonderful she is!"

Joshua's eyes remained closed during all of this. Her gentle scalp massage had brought a peaceful, almost dead, look to his face. And he was very good at keeping his emotions hidden deep within himself. "Yet, you bring her to me, offer her to me." His eyes opened then and he gazed into the face that he knew and had loved for so long. "You know what will happen, Peggy dear. Are you sure you want this for her?" A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "It's been a while since I had the thrill of the hunt. " He nearly said with fresh, new blood, but he refrained. It had been his stubborn decision to leave Peggy a human. She had begged and pleaded, but he hadn't wanted the curse for her. And now that she had aged gracefully and beautifully, with the help of his blood over the years, she had become frail. Too frail to maintain his voracious appetites.

She met his eyes, just as lovely and intense as the day they'd met. "I can't think of a lovelier gift to give such a nice young lady." She trailed off, and broke eye contact. Her eyes closed and she let her head fall back against the soft upholstery. "Nor can I think of anything more lovely to give to you." She sighed then and when she opened her eyes, she was smiling. "I'm not going to be around forever, even with your blood. It's time to face the facts. With a little training, she will take over Royal Oaks. Please say yes, darling."

Joshua's smile faded a little and he reached to direct Peg's gaze back down to him. He couldn't imagine a life without Peg in it. But he'd made that decision and wouldn't back down from it now. His heart went to her; how hard it must be to find your own replacement. But she'd insisted upon this endeavor and on being a part of every step. "I will always love you," he assured her, though no assurance needed to be given. Lifting his head from her lap, he kissed her softly, gently, upon the lips. Lowering his head once again, he smiled and nodded. "I think you're right, as usual. She makes you happy, and that's all that matters right now."

Peg's expression transformed from anxiousness to happiness in seconds flat. "Oh, Joshua! Thank you, thank you!" She clapped her hands happily, and then slid out from under him, leaving him laying flat upon the settee. "We need to hurry, if we're going to catch her act." And, already she was crossing the apartment to the door that led up, into the mansion proper. Joshua was up and around to put a hand up to stop Peg in less than a second. "No," he leveled a look upon her that might wilt anybody else. "I'm going alone. As much as you love this girl, I have to form my own opinions, Peggy." And then his gaze softened. Taking her shoulders between his hands, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. He knew that no matter how much Peg wanted to help him with the transition that would inevitably follow her death; it would be awkward at the best for Peg to be truly involved with every step. "Now go, rest, my love. You've had an exciting afternoon."

He embraced her gently, but briefly then. Her eyes were closed; they always were, when he left her. "Goodbye, Joshua," she whispered softly. "Be safe, my love." But he was nowhere near to hear her whispers.

(Thanks cannot be given enough to my wonderful and fantastic partner! Love ya muchly!)

When Josh realized that the ladies were onto him, he nodded slightly, tipped his hat and pushed off of the lamp. Turning, he strode away. He bore a peaceful expression, but his mind was in turmoil. The need to hunt, the overwhelming bloodlust tinted the town red. Perhaps it was best if he did hunt and slack his insatiable hunger first. This sounded like a good idea to him. The local streetwalkers were an easy target and not very far from his current location. He would be quick, neat, and the girl wouldn't remember a thing. Yes, that was the plan. When he rounded the corner, the gust of wind from off of the lake struck him hard, blowing his jacket open and causing him to clutch at his hat, keeping it in place. And there they were: three women huddled together. They wore loud, garish clothes, ripped stockings and incredibly high stiletto heels. Their faces were painted so thickly that Joshua could smell the foundation from a block away. They'd be perfect.

The loss of that dark stranger's attention was an odd blow to Angel's confidence, pushing her slightly off-balance for the remainder of her performance. Though nothing showed to the passersby and casual customers, she felt strangely at a loss without the unseen eyes on her. This was very strange, because he was just another pair of eyes on the other side of the glass.

Joshua had managed to separate one of the whores from the pack and led her into a dark alleyway with the promise of quick cash for a cheap thrill. Once into the shadows, he grasped her face and gazed intently into her eyes. "You won't remember any of this and you're not going to scream." Alright, so it wasn't much of a hunt, but her blood would do the trick to soothe his screaming hunger. The whore gave him a dumb, confused look and Joshua smiled. It never ceased to amaze him how easy it was to manipulate the human mind. He embraced her then, filling his clothes with the pungent scent of her perfume. Lifting his head there was a flash of white and then the sound of crunching as his fangs sunk into her jugular. He moaned with pleasure as the hot, coppery-sweet tang of blood filled up his senses. He held her tightly, his body pressed against hers, holding her to the brick wall as he feed. It would have been so easy to lose control, lose himself. But he refrained; control over himself had been what he prided himself on for years. Knowing just went to stop and not spilling a drop was his motto. And suddenly, all too quickly, he pulled back and pressed his thumb over the tiny puncture wounds in her neck. His breath clouded about his head for the first time that night as he inhaled and exhaled in a shuddering breath. Licking his lips clean, he pulled his hands from the whore and stepped back. She was writhing with ecstasy and Joshua smirked. "Thought whores didn't cum," he jeered, tossed her a bill and started to walk away. He licked his lips, then the blood for his thumb. Now, he was ready to do some hunting. He headed back to the Boutique with the same leisurely stroll as before, only this time he had a more determined look upon his face.

There were only ten minutes left of the evening show to run when Angel felt the unseen eyes on her again, and to her great surprise, she blushed. The darkening flush crept over her skin, illuminating not just her face, but the lovingly displayed swell of her d?colletage and the graceful sweep of her arms. The sway of her hair protected her face for a moment from the curious, ordinary stares of those closest to the window, hiding the widening of her eyes as she realized that she was reacting to nothing but a look. She didn't even know what the owner of those eyes looked like. It was a relief, nonetheless, when eleven o'clock came around and the show was over. With Laura, and the other two girls, she took a bow that showed off legs, ass, and boobs, just as Bonnie had insisted up, and slipped from the window to pull on her robe. Customers milled in between the racks, browsing or buying - tonight's show had been a success, it seemed.

Joshua thought he could feel the heat of her blush from across the road. The rush of warmth from the recent feed was fading quickly, it always did. Perhaps he was just imagining that he could feel Angel's heat. And then, the show was over. He applauded quietly, and then slipped into the shadow cast by the lamp he was leaning against. Seemingly, he had vanished into the night. Far from it, he casually strode across the road and tucked himself into the recesses of a doorway, the shadows nearly pitch. And he waited...

He had to wait a while - Angel had to wait herself for a changing room to be free before she could slip out of the racy lingerie and back into her more comfortable clothes, looping the belt of her coat about her waist as she made her final farewells to the girls and Bonnie. She was visible in the doorway for a long moment, laughing and talking with the matronly designer before Bonnie finally let her go with a little extra something in her pay packet for the night. Relieved that the evening was over, and looking forward to starting anew with the delightful Lady Margaret Cavendish tomorrow, Angel was still smiling to herself as she started the long walk back to a more run down block quite a distance from the boutique, where she currently shared a cramped one-bedroom apartment with a very grumpy aspiring actress. The sense of being watched had faded, leaving her vaguely disappointed but also a little relieved. There had been as much danger in that sensation as excitement, and she wasn't certain she approved of her reaction to it.

Joshua was a patient man. He didn't mind the wait. When one gets to be as old as he, time has little consequence. But then she did appear, and Joshua did nothing. He waited, again. When she was a full block away, that is when he finally stepped from the shadows. Matching her pace, even walking in step with her, he simply followed. He observed the way she moved. And even through the layers of clothing that protected her from the chill of the evening, her natural stride told him much more than the skimpy costume she'd been wearing when gyrating on the pole. He could see she had a natural grace, but was cautious and perhaps a teeny bit scared of walking through the dark to get home.

He hadn't found her stare as rude, but then he could make a living out of staring. The blush was becoming, and he could feel the heat radiating from her. "It's nice to meet you, Angel," he commented as he turned to walk beside her. "And it's incredibly rude, where I come from, for a gentleman to allow a lady to buy a drink for him." He glanced over, brow quirked, as if expecting some sort of heated response about sexism. "I'm just an old fashioned kind of guy, I guess." Joshua smiled again and shrugged.

Her own brows quirked at his glance, guessing with a soft smirk of her own the reaction he was expecting from her. She couldn't help laughing as she answered the sound as easy as the laughter she had shared with Peg that afternoon. "Well, I'm a member of the post-feminism generation," she told him in a confident tone. "I'll burn my bra only if it doesn't fit, and if a cute guy wants to buy me a drink, who am I to say no?"

Joshua was relieved to find her laughter as genuine as it had sounded earlier. He couldn't blush, but he could pretend very well, Reaching up to adjust his fedora over his eyes and lowering his head, he laughed softly. "So I'm a cute guy, then?" He couldn't help it; he was finding himself lusting for the girl beside him. With vampires it was love, lust or hate. There was nothing in between. Attraction was intensified instantly to lust. "Well, you're a pretty cute girl, if it's not too forward to say."

"Oh, come on, you know you're gorgeous," was Angel's no nonsense tease of an answer. She could feel herself moving into flirt mode without first discovering if this delicious man was even free to be flirted with, wondering where her wary sense of stranger danger had gone to in the past minutes. She'd certainly never done anything like this before. "Pretty and cute, huh' I guess I'll just have to work on the wide-eyed innocence to go with it then, won't I?"

Joshua was finding it easy to relax and laugh with her. And as they approached the little coffee shop, he jumped ahead to pull the door open for her. "If you pull the wide-eyed innocence, I may not be able to control myself." His eyes swept from the brightly lit shop back to her. He was grinning again, perhaps a little smugly. "We wouldn't want that, would we?" He held the door open with his right hand, and swept his left towards the inside. "After you, Angel."

Ah, there was the stranger danger, right there in that smug grin that looked her over and seemed to see through coat and dress with ease. Angel felt herself blush again, attracted to the danger as much as she was repulsed by it, hurrying to step into the brightly lit cafe before he could change his mind about being able to control himself now. "I couldn't pull that off if I tried," she chuckled just a little awkwardly. "I haven't been innocent in years." Carnally innocent, that was. She was beginning to suspect that she had a lot more innocence than she had previously believed under Joshua's gaze.

He could sense the fight or flight instinct just by the way her eyes changed color. "I do believe you could," he chuckled as he sauntered into the shop behind her. Already he was untying his belt and unbuttoning his coat. He then reached for hers. "May I?" He was behind her then, and his hands hovered above the lapels that rested upon her shoulders. "I won't bite, promise."

As he drew his coat off his own shoulders, Angel forced herself not to watch, turning her own attention to the belt and buttons of her own coat as she quite firmly informed her libido that even if there was any chance of sleeping with this man, she wouldn't be doing it because she didn't know him. She'd never jumped into bed with anyone on the first date, she wasn't about to start now just because of a handsome face, gorgeous eyes, kissable lips ....Startled out of her thoughts by his presence close behind her, she glanced over her shoulder, careful not to let her gaze linger on lips or eyes. "Oh, uh ....thank you," she smiled, letting him slip the thick coat from her shoulders, revealing the modest short dress beneath. I'd let you bite me, she thought, and again her cheeks pinked in response as she looked away.

The pheromones she exuded into the air were a fragrant perfume that nearly sent Joshua reeling. It was lucky for him that he couldn't read her mind. He could feel the need rising in him to take her, body, soul and blood. The hunter had to be quelled and he accomplished this by stepping back, her coat over his arm. "There, much better." He took another step back and gestured to a table with a nod of his head, then tuned to go hang the coats by the door. As he hung hers, he took the moment of pleasure reamed from inhaling her scent. His eyes rolled closed and he fought against a soft moan that was just dying to escape his throat. He stepped away then, eyes opening. He took just a moment to gather himself, and then turned back towards her and the table.

"Yes," he answered straight up without a flinch. "I didn't go inside because I didn't want to talk to the other girls." He left the rest to dangle in the air between them. So far, he'd been mostly honest. But to admit that he'd watched her entire absurd interview with Peg was something he could not do. The relationship between the two women was fresh, young and very fragile still. Not to mention that Peg truly seemed to adore Angel after just one meeting. If he ruined that for her....he couldn't bear the thought of her tears.

The sense of danger now was very alert, sparking off alarm bells in her mind to override the sense of lustful desire that had been clouding her thoughts since she'd looked up into his eyes. Angel sat back, that alarm showing in her face as she looked over at him. "You followed me from Bonnie's?" she repeated, glancing suddenly toward the door. "What, were you thinking of finding out where I live, or something?"

"No, just a cup of coffee." He could hear the panic in her voice and see it in her eyes. Her pulse jumped, and he could see that in her neck. "And now that I've completely freaked you out, I think I should go. It was very nice meeting you." He smiled a bit sadly, then slid off of the bench and stood. "Good luck with your new job tomorrow." Only when he turned, did his brows come down heavily and he scowled at what a mistake he may have just made. It was impulsive to come out tonight, even more so with the intentions that he had. He gathered his coat and turned to look back at her. When he looked back, that self deprecating scowl was gone, replaced by a winsome smile.

And what a treat awaited him when he looked back. Angel was gazing at him, feeling oddly lost without his presence at the table with her, guilty for implying that he was anything but what he seemed, torn between calling him back to enjoy the heat his gaze seemed to spread through her and letting him go, since she was not likely to see him again. All this played out across her face as she gazed after him, a tiny, hopeful smile touching her lips when he smiled back at her.

Now faced with that, how could he possibly leave" Joshua was seeing, more and more, what Peg had seen in Angel so it was no surprise to him that he felt his heartstrings being tugged. He turned and hung up his coat once again, then returned to the table. He sat down slowly and delicately. "Ok, so start over?"

Angel wasn't entirely sure what was wrong with her. She shouldn't have been so deliriously happy that her apparent stalker stranger was coming back to the table, but, oh, she was happy to find him sitting with her again. "I'm sorry I accused you of having nefarious intentions," she offered in a quiet voice, nodding as he spoke. "Start over."

"And I'm sorry for having those nefarious intentions," he spoke as quietly as she. "But let's be honest, men are dogs and when they see a beautiful woman, they think with their small heads. Forgive me?" He posed the question with wide blue eyes and brows that were raised. He really wanted her forgiveness. It was a shot at redemption and he found himself yearning for it.

How could she resist that handsome face, pleading with her for something that was only too easy to give" Very slowly, her smile returned, warming the sweetness in her own expression. "You're forgiven," she told him with a small laugh. "You should sell those puppy dog eyes, you could make a fortune."

"But then I wouldn't be able to see." He laughed at his own joke and picked up his now just hot enough by human standards coffee to take another sip. "Thank you for forgiving me." He put the coffee down once again and leaned back to get more comfortable. Just as he was about to speak, the plate glass windows in the front of the coffee shop exploded in what sounded like a shot gun blast. Leaping across the table, he tackled Angel off of her chair and onto the floor to protect her from flying glass and bullets. The implosion of glass and noise was even more shocking for being so totally unexpected, yet Angel was only aware of it as she was being borne to the ground, tucked under the protective curl of Joshua's body. God, he moves so fast. Other, less fortunate customers caught in the blast of flying glass and bullets were screaming, falling to the floor with them, wounded or, worse, dead. Angel bit her lips hard, fighting not to scream, not to draw attention to herself, pressed down against the cool wooden floor beneath the startlingly reassuring weight of a man she barely knew.

The second the last of the glass tinkled to the floor, Joshua's head lifted and he turned his head sharply to look outside. There was no speeding car going by, no footsteps of a running shooter. Lifting up, glass and metal cutting into his palms, he looked down at Angel. She seemed alright, rapid pulse and respirations, but that was to be expected. Lifting onto his knees, he brushed his bloody hands together and cringed. He hoped she hadn't seen his hands. It was a strain, but he moved with normal human speed to get up. Before offering a hand to help her, though, he looked back at his palms, then to the floor. He turned this way and that, then back to the quarter in his palm. Interspersed with the glass were a dozen or so coins, but no bullets. The realization of the warning to him hit him hard. He sat down upon the pock marked bench and let his head fall back, eyes rolling shut.

"Wait, you - you live with Peg?" As the calming cloud over her mind began to dissipate, the fear and anger began to reassert itself, the fight returning to her as she began to struggle to get away from him. "I don't ....no ....Who the hell do you think you are, putting me in danger, throwing me in here and thinking I'll do anything you tell me to do' I don't care how privileged you are, you can't do this, I won't let you -" She lifted her head, took a deep breath, and screamed, hoping like hell someone would hear her.

He could feel the panic rising once again in her and as soon as she began to scream, he clamped his hand over her mouth and held her tightly to the wall. "You won't remember any of this. You went home, packed your things and arrived at Royal Oaks as planned. You cut your hand on a knife during the move. When you got to Royal Oaks, the move tired you out and you took a nap. Now sleep." His voice was strong, unwavering and commanding.

She struggled against his hand, against the strong male body pinning her there against the wall, but there was something in that voice, some powerful suggestion that overrode everything about herself. Sleep, that voice said, and Angel obeyed, slipping into blissful oblivion with a soft sigh.

When she sagged against him, he lifted her up and over his shoulder. It wasn't a very dignified way to carry her, but he was in a hurry. There wasn't a moment to waste now that Anastos was so closely on his trail. Slipping out of the shed, he blurred out of sight, running straight to Peg's house. There would be a boatload of explaining to do and a very distraught Peg to deal with. But die had been cast with a handful of coins tossed casually at a pair of plate glass windows. All that Joshua knew for certain was that life was going to change for Angel, on a permanent level.

(Great big thanks and most humblest of gratitude to Angel's player!)

"Wait, Joshua." She wasn't quite ready to listen to what had happened. She tossed the hypodermic needle into the fireplace, and then walked over to Joshua. Her bony, wrinkled hand caressed his bristled cheek. "Are you alright?" She could see the anguish and fear in his eyes and this concerned her. She'd only seen him frightened once before, and that was at a very bad time in both of their lives.

Her touch was like a balm to his soul and he felt himself relaxing. Placing his hand upon hers, he closed his pale blue green eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the pleasure of her warm touch. She was the one person on Earth that could calm him so quickly. When he opened his eyes, he found her smiling softly. Their eyes met and he knew that before he said another word, she'd understand. They'd been together for so long, only she could understand.

"I followed her, wanting to be sure that she wasn't going to hurt you," he started the story. "Saw where she worked, what she was doing. Then I kind of bumped into her when she was on her way home." To this Peg gave a knowing and skeptical look. She'd moved from his side to sit upon the edge of her bed. She wasn't dim-witted enough to believe that it was an accident. Joshua was too clever for that to happen. Still, she remained quiet and let him finish his story.

He told the story, not leaving out a single detail. And he finished with, "I am sure Anastos is behind this. He's done it before, with the coins."

Peggy listened to the story, believing Joshua's every word. She knew he wouldn't lie to her, they'd been together far too long for that sort of thing. Her hands were upon her knees as she looked up at him. "It was a foolish, impulsive mess you've made. But we'll be alright. We always are, Joshua. We sent Anastos packing before, and we'll do it again." There was a fierce determination in her voice. She'd gone toe to toe with the Original and wasn't afraid to do it again.

Joshua heard and saw the determination and he admired her tenacity. "Yes, but?" he offered her a slight smile. It was the first smile he'd had in hours. "We'll do it in the morning. You need to rest." He leaned over her then, gently kissing her wrinkled forehead. "Sleep now." He couldn't compel her, not with the necklace she constantly wore. It was a strong suggestion and one Peg would take. "Good night."

She lay back upon the bed and allowed him to pull the warm blanket up and over her. Curling onto her side, she smiled her dimpled smile. "Good night, Joshua."

(continues in The Darkness in my Dreams And, as always, a huge thank you to the most amazing partner ever!)