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Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlines	By : devilsdoormat Category: +S to Z > Vampire Hunter D Views: 1732 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Vampire Hunter D is obviously not my original property. I will make no money and benefit only emotionally from sharing. The title character, D, is pulled from both animated movies and not from the manga.

Chapter List
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Aatrak and Shoyan had stopped at a pub, knowing it would be open late, and he had something to eat and drink. He was smiling, laughing and she was nodding along, her own smile tempered.

He asked her to dance and they did, the few people in the pub clapping for them.

To be accepted by humans still unnerved Shoyan, but she did like these ones. Whatever the history had been, these humans were kind and friendly.

But it never seemed quite right.

There was a shadow over Morrow Valley. Shoyan knew about shadows. She was one.

But Aatrak was happy and he would live.

She had to be happy too. She'd wanted this as well. She'd talked him into it. It had been her idea, hadn't it? It had come to her the other night while she was drowsing. She'd thought of the witch. Imagined going with Aatrak to see her. It had felt so real, as if her fantasy had been a premonition.

He pulled her close, initiating the worst, most clunky waltz she'd ever experienced. He could not dance at all. For a creature with such dexterity and stealth, Aatrak danced like a boulder. Shoyan was fortunate not to have tangible feet for him to step on.

"It is time to go home now, Aatrak." Shoyan kissed his cheek, "You've eaten five hams and drank an entire keg. Pay Gregori."

"Fine, fine." Aatrak smiled, "It is getting late, or early."

"Tomorrow we can have breakfast with Meredith." Shoyan told him.

"Meredith." He mused.

Aatrak paid and then they left together, Shoyan floating at his side.

"Do you think that Elsira felt angry over our.. relationship with her daughter?" Shoyan asked suddenly as they traveled down the cobbled stone street together.

"Hm? What?" Aatrak shook his head, "We are her keepers, Shoyan. She is like our own child. She is our own child. That is what Elsira had wanted from you, was it not? We have raised her. We love her."

"I do wonder though if she is upset over that though." Shoyan continued, "As a mother, my children were my world. To be apart from them broke my heart. To lose them destroyed me. Elsira hardly spends any time with Meredith. It must hurt so much."

"Shh now, my love." Aatrak gave her vapors a squeeze, "Elsira has business to attend to. That is why she has us to watch over little Meredith and-"

They were passing along a street that both knew very well. Noises were coming from a high window up ahead. It was an attic house set atop another two story home and the door was set on the front of the tower. No human could scale that wall to get to the door. It was Gallicker's apartment home. In another thirty feet they'd be right under it.

"Wonder what that ass is up to this late?" Aatrak pondered, "Probably angry that I beat him at cards. He is fortunate that I did not bet real mone-"

He was struck by a scent and turned his head, his lips pulling back.

"I smell.. I smell Meredith. Why is she here?" Aatrak pulled Shoyan close.

"Aatrak? What do you mean? Meredith?" Shoyan asked.

There were a few more noises and then that door opened. A conversation was taking place. Meredith's voice. Gallicker's voice.

"So, um.. eh, heh heh.. maybe, tomorrow night, we could hang out again?" Gallicker sounded nervous.

"If I'm free. But tonight was fun. Kiss!" Meredith spoke and there was a wet sound.

"Mmh.. Maybe you could, uh.. stay?" Gallicker was asking.

The conversation was quiet but Aatrak could hear every word. He was shaking, every nerve tingling. Shoyan could not hear as well and was tugging on his thick, muscular arm.

"Aatrak?" Her voice was distant.

"Sorry, 'Icker. I gotta be up for breakfast in the morning. Aatrak'll lose his shit if I'm not home." Meredith said.

Aatrak was suppressing a growl. He was shuddering from the effort.

"Maybe stay a little longer..?" Gallicker again.

"I have to hurry up and take a bath. I gotta get your smell off me, silly. Ok, talk soon! Night!" Meredith jumped down to the street and began to attempt straightening her clothing. The door many feet up closed with a soft wooden 'clunk'.

She froze then, her senses not as good as Aatrak's, and began to turn toward the couple standing thirty feet away. Meredith had only just noticed them.

"Meredith." Aatrak said, and Meredith made eye contact. He was bristling.

Meredith froze in the dark, the street lights barely illuminating her, and she fixed her shirt with a mad haste that caused her to drop her belt buckle.

"A-Aatrak! What are you and Shoyan doing out this late?" Meredith smiled.

Aatrak's blood boiled. He could smell Gallicker on her. He could smell the younger man's sweat. He could smell the lewd scent of passion. His fists clenched, his shoulders raising. Aatrak felt the bones in his body attempting to rupture. His elongated canines pushed their way out, his eyes glowing yellow in the silent town. He could not suppress his growling any longer.

"Aatrak.." Shoyan took his arm, "Let's go home. We can talk about this in the morning.."

"Gallicker.. Were you.. with Gallicker?" Aatrak was tensed so hard his teeth almost chattered.

"Look, Aatrak, it's.. it's.." Meredith held her hands up, "I'm an adult, Aatrak, Ok?"

It only took Aatrak a second to scale the building and kick in Gallicker's door. The wooden frame exploded in a fury of splinters. The sound was loud, deafening, and Aatrak was inside of Gallicker's attic apartment, standing in the entry way heaving with rage.

He'd touched her.

He'd more than touched her.

Gallicker had.. had..

He'd had his Meredith.

Bastard.

He would die.

"Gah! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Gallicker had been about to go to bed by the looks of it, his black breeches the only clothing that he wore. His slender form leapt at the wall and he got a fix there, holding fast like a spider. The long black hair he kept combed over the side of his face hid one eye, but the other was wide open and the color of oil.

"You.." Aatrak pointed at Gallicker, "You had her! You had Meredith!"

"So I fucked the Princess, what of it?" Gallicker tried to force sarcasm into his voice but his fear had bubbled up through the cracks, "Aatrak, calm the fuck down, old man!"

"Aatrak, please." It was Shoyan, floating next to him, "You'll wake the whole town. Let's go back home. Meredith has already left. We'll want to make sure she gets to the castle safely."

"Not.. before.. I kill this.. this waste of flesh." Aatrak felt his bones shifting. He was going to turn right there, right then. He could feel the animal clawing at his insides. His voice was rough and deep, the glass windows in the attic trembling as he roared, "How dare you?! How dare you touch her! How dare you lie down with her!"

"She's not your fuckin' daughter, Aatrak!" Gallicker snapped, hissing as he skittered along the far wall of his room, near the bed, "Did it ever occur to you that maybe she's a grown woman capable of making her own choices? And she chose me. She didn't choose you, y'mongrel."

"She is my Meredith! My..My Mere!" Aatrak yelled, "And you have spoiled her innocence!"

"Hah.. hah hah.." Gallicker placed his long, spindly hand across his own face, closing his eyes and lowering his chin, "Are you.. are you fucking kidding me right now, old man? Me? Spoiled her innocence? Tell me you're joking around."

"What? I will tear you apart, Gallicker." Aatrak's claws were longer, sharper. His teeth were bared. The fur along his jawline had grown a bit thicker, and the buttons of his shirt were straining against his growing size, "What are you saying to me?"

"Aatrak, please." Shoyan wrapped herself around Aatrak and he felt her cool, calming essence trying to merge into his searing rage, attempting to quiet his wrath, "We can talk in the morning."

"No. I want Gallicker to tell me what he is talking about." Aatrak was shaking.

"I'm saying, nanny wolf, that if you want to tear apart every man who has.. had your Meredith, you'll be murdering a few other people in this village." Gallicker snickered, and then shook his head, "I can't believe how naive you are, Aatrak. Even I know that Meredith won't see me as special in any way. And you know what? That hurts, because.. because I do love her. Not that you care. But she's not innocent. She hasn't been for awhile. She's just kept it from you."

"You are lying." Aatrak threw his hand out toward Gallicker before seeing a table with a lamp nearby. He grabbed the lamp and hurled it at the thin man, missing him but causing an explosion of glass and fire close enough to Gallicker to make him fall to the ground. Embers caught on the floor, smoldering and threatening to grow.

Gallicker produced his knives from his body, positioning himself to spring at Aatrak.

"Stop it!" Shoyan embraced Aatrak more intently, "Stop it, both of you!"

"You're lying to yourself, old man." Gallicker hissed, grinning ear to ear and showing off his long, serrated fangs, "You're just angry that you weren't the first."

"What.." Aatrak bristled, his eyes gleaming an intense yellow, "I will.. I will tear you limb from limb. I will chew the flesh from your skinny bones and spit out the gristle!"

"Aatrak, calm yourself. It will be fine." Shoyan tried to soothe him.

"Did you know about this, Shoyan?! Did you?!" Aatrak hollered at the misty woman and growled more loudly when she looked down, "You did! You knew! How could you let this happen?!"

"Because she knows Meredith isn't a child anymore, old man!" Gallicker shouted.

"I will kill you." Aatrak crouched and felt his legs tense. He would show him what this 'Old man' could do.

"I am ending this." Shoyan whispered.

Aatrak would have ended it himself, for he felt the inertia in his muscles finally snap. He would have rushed Gallicker, taken as many knife wounds as it took to just get a hold on the younger man. The pain would have just fueled Aatrak's rage. Oil on a fire. Gallicker was fast, but in such close quarters Aatrak only needed to get his claws in once. Then the teeth would find purchase. Gallicker could slash and slash, but Aatrak would catch him. And he would kill him.

The battle cry that left his lips had tried to become a howl of fury, just as Gallicker's sharp exclamation of his own rage had tried to raise in pitch. But the room was filled with black mist, and it was suffocating and took the air right from each man's lungs.

In a few moments, both Aatrak and Gallicker were on the ground, passed out in sprawled heaps. Aatrak was shifting back to his normal, less feral size and Gallicker's knives were slipping back into his arms.

Shoyan hovered, her black shadows touching every wall, and exhaled softly.

There were lights on in the village surrounding them. Candles being lit. Curious, alarmed people coming to their windows. She would think of a story, yes. Now and then some villagers got to drinking and caused a ruckus. Well, so could the emissaries of their Lord Romulus. Very sorry. It had never happened before and would never happen again.

Shoyan was strong and lifted Aatrak up into her black tendrils. She also put out the fire that was had been trying to start on the floor near the broken lamp. She could not fix Gallicker's door though and had to leave the broken frame as it was with his attic apartment open to the summer night air. It was cool out with a faint breeze. At least it was pleasant outside.

She carried Aatrak back to the castle.

***

"Uhhh.." Meredith was rubbing her face with both hands, moaning in misery as she hit the wall with her back and slid down to land on her bottom, knees bending on the way down, "That was painful."

"Love is often painful." Gabriel mused, staring off into the distance that was literally only ten feet away. That is where the mirror sat, though only Meredith's reflection was visible. Gabriel wouldn't appear in a mirror. He was lounging in the long reading chair, sprawled across it, "You will learn, Meredith, after centuries of endless emptiness."

"Yeah, right." Meredith managed a smile, her face bright red and her eyes moist. She hadn't cried though. No, she'd merely been kicking the walls of the sitting room for about an hour or so since arriving back at the castle, unable to sleep but not wanting to find Shoyan to ask any questions, "I don't love Gallicker, Gabe. It was just painful because Aatrak wasn't supposed to know, y'know? I didn't want to hurt the big guy's feelings. It was painful because it sucked."

Gabriel turned to look at her with crimson eyes. He was a strong, tall man with beautiful, elegant features and slightly pointed ears. His ears were pierced many times with many shining hoops. His hair was long and golden, spilling across his wide shoulders. His thin, silk shirt was mostly unbuttoned and his long white gold necklaces were visible. Some had pendants which were hearts, others swords. He wore white gold rings on his fingers, his nails long and sharp. Gabriel Morrow was muscular, but he wasn't massive. He'd always reminded Meredith of the Prince from any illustrated fairy tale; buff but agile. He wore black leather breeches with straps laced at the sides of his hips, a belt loose around his waist. His feet were bare, the toenails sharp.

He was pale, perfect and posed for long dramatic pauses often.

Gabriel was posing now.

"You are a daughter to him." Gabriel stated, "You must have known that one day he would find out. It wouldn't have mattered if it were tonight or fifty years from now. A heart will break one day."

"But they heal, right?" Meredith asked her brother.

"They do, but they are never the same." Gabriel mused, "You either become stronger, or you are never able to love the same way again. I know this to be true.."

"Were you ever in love, Gabriel?" Meredith folded her arms around her knees.

"Yes. I was." Gabriel looked to the ceiling and clenched a fist before his chest. His eyes closed and then reopened slowly as he continued, "But how can I love her back? I feel as if there is a chasm inside of me, Meredith. There is something missing, and I must find it. A part of myself is hidden. How can I love someone when I barely know myself? She will grow old and die before I am able to return her affections, so it is better that I never see her."

"That's really sad, Gabe." Meredith sighed, studying him.

"It is for the best. Lucia detests humans. She would never forgive me for taking one as a lover." Gabriel exhaled, melting into the chair more languidly, looking deflated, "She would not want me to risk creating, well, something like you."

"Blah." Meredith waved a hand in the air, "What a surprise. Did you ever just consider telling Lucia to fuck off and get over it? Humans are great. There's nothing wrong with me either. I don't know why she hates me so much."

"Because father has changed." Gabriel whispered, "We all have, I think."

"You've always been fine, Gabriel. A little, um.. poetic, but always fine to me." Meredith said, "If Lucia hates humans so much, and hates me, why didn't she just go with Raziel when he left?"

"She didn't care enough. Lucia doesn't want to get her hands dirty. She is happy in this castle." Gabriel smiled just a bit, a rare sight, "Besides, Raziel was murderous. Lucia is just a spoiled brat."

"Where is she anyway?" Meredith asked.

"Lucia is probably getting ready for bed. It is nearly dawn. I should do the same." Gabriel stood, pulling himself from the lounge and flipping his long locks of gold behind his shoulder, "Did you never sleep at all last night, little sister?"

"Uh, I guess not. I'd better have a nap and then get up at eight. Ah, shit. I'm supposed to have breakfast with Shoyan and Aatrak. I am not looking forward to that table." Meredith stood as well, shaking her head, "He's gonna look at me and point his finger, and say..."

She coughed.

"'Meredith!'", Her voice deepened, forced down low. She feigned pointing at Gabriel, her lips curling back and her brow lowering. Meredith did her best Aatrak impersonation, squaring her shoulders as she stared at her brother,"'Meredith, you have disappointed me'."

"That does sound like something Aatrak would say." Gabriel passed by Meredith, touching her shoulder briefly, "Go rest. You cannot be blamed for breaking the heart of a man who thinks of himself as your father. It was inevitable."

"I just.. I just didn't want to see him upset. I hope Gallicker's Ok. Damn. What if Aatrak killed him?" Meredith was suddenly wide eyed, "Holy crap, what if Aatrak did eat him?"

"Good day, Meredith." Gabriel left her side and disappeared into the hall outside of the room.

***

Valeria Talbot woke up when the alert went off. It was a soft chiming, set to go off early to wake them all up. Six in the morning, as she'd programmed into the device, was met with both the sound of the alert and the sound of church bells ringing fairly close by.

"Nnhh!" Tengen made a terrible noise and began kicking before he sat straight up in his cot. Both eyes were closed and he reached around in the cubby hole in the wall of the car beside him searching for his eye patch. His dirty blonde hair was a mess, choppy looking and in a state of chaos. He was wearing his boxers, dark gray, but was otherwise undressed. Tengen was built strong, lean and heavily muscled despite his smaller, smoother frame, "Uhh.. I don't wanna go to church today, mom.."

The lights in the cabin were beginning to raise but the sun was also beginning to peer into the windows from outside, coming up from the distant horizon, above the mountains.

"Oof.." Gencho was sitting up, shirtless. He wore a pair of brown slacks and his boots. He never took his boots off, save for when he showered. Gencho kept his musket just under his cot. His tribal tattoos extended to his wide, powerful chest. He had some sparse, dark chest hair. A silver hoop dangled from his left nipple, "All I gotta say is this, if this town doesn't have a bar, we're burnin' it to the ground."

"I thought you weren't drinking any more." Valeria smiled. In her short, white night dress and her hair hanging in her face, Val felt more comfortable than she'd care to admit. The whole black leather witch thing was such a hard facade to maintain sometimes that she treasured the little human moments she got with her teammates, "I thought Bella needed you."

"When you wake up hearin' church bells, you start takin' a good hard look at your life." Gencho grinned, pushing his long, dark hair from his face. He'd let it out of the ponytail before he'd gone to bed and it was hanging to his shoulders, "You either start prayin', or you start drinkin'. And I don't think I'm gonna be prayin' any time soon. He never listens anyway."

"You up, Ren?" Val asked, looking to the heap of shifting blankets that was Renshen Bui, the cot across from her own, "Last one to wake up has to make breakfast."

"Remember when Renshen used to be the first one up?" Tengen stretched, "And he'd be tipping our cots over and shoutin', making a huge deal out of it? Wake up, old man! Rise and shine!"

Renshen sat up, running his fingers through his graying hair. Some mornings he felt older than others. He didn't feel too bad this time, but he still felt groggy and it bothered him. Shirtless, scarred and just as strongly built as Gencho Jones, Renshen Bui felt no shame in his appearance and cracked his shoulders loudly.

"Ah, much better.." He exhaled.

"Breakfast!" Tengen exclaimed, "Starving!"

"Aw, quit your whining, boy." Renshen grinned, shaking the sleep off, "Why waste our supplies when there's a town right outside of our car? Maybe we'll grab some breakfast at a legitimate establishment and have a nice sit down meal, huh? Haven't had one of those for awhile."

"In vamp town?" Gencho coughed, "You wanna sit down and have some pancakes with the undead, pops?"

"It's day light. Ain't gonna be any vampires out." Renshen stated, "And I believe that witch. No one here is going to harm us. They could've at any point last night, but here we are."

"Speaking of which, did any of you guys hear that commotion last night?" Val asked, rolling her shoulders and standing, "Sounded like a tree falling."

"I heard it." Gencho nodded, "Far off, but in the town."

"I didn't hear a thing." Renshen shrugged.

"You're losing your hearing then." Gencho grinned.

"Well, what of it? Did anything else happen?" Renshen watched Gencho.

"No." Gencho shook his head, "Just the noise, then nothin'. I fell back asleep pretty easily."

"I'm gonna take a shower." Val stated and grabbed a towel from above her cot. She went to the back of the car, sauntering by Gencho and Tengen after throwing the towel over her shoulders, "I'm turning on the auto-cycler so if anyone else wants one, the water will be filtered and clean. Did anyone mess with the furnace last night?"

"Nope, left it runnin'." Gencho shook his head, "Go ahead, Snowflake. I'm next."

"Heh." Val smiled at him and he smiled back.

Then, she went into the compartment in the back and closed the hatch.

***

Valeria Talbot was drying her shoulder length, pure white hair, staring in the tiny, foggy mirror. It was a cramped stall with a toilet, shower and sink all within a few feet of one another. She didn't mind it anymore.

She hit the exhaust fan to clear the humidity and the mist. The humming was calming.

In her reflection she saw her mother. Sometimes. Not all of the time. Now and then she'd catch a glimpse of herself and jump, startled and angry at the reaction. Today, looking at herself, she didn't see Persephone Talbot. Val had jade eyes, like her father but white hair, like her mother. Val's eyes weren't purple and cruel.

"I am myself." Val spoke to her own reflection.

She remembered her mother sometimes, at night as well.

"Valeria! Valeria, get back here! You little beast! Get back here!" The screaming from every corner of the large mansion as Val had run down the halls. It had been night, the fires all dimmed. She was clutching the book close.

Val closed her eyes.

Only eight years old, Val had known that her mother was terrible. A selfish, horrid witch. She remembered meeting a new gentleman every now and then who Persephone would introduce as "Dad" and they would live in his house for a time.

"Cast a love spell on a man and you will hold him for as long as you can." Persephone would sing to little Valeria, combing her long, white hair as they sat together in front of a burning fireplace. There would be music in the house and servants sending the two suspicious glances, "Remove his wife and move on in, no one knows about your sin."

Persephone the Gray Lady.

Val exhaled.

How long had she run after pushing her mother away and stealing her book of spells? Hours? Days? Had her mother ever come to seek her out? No. She'd moved on, as she always did. The only act that Persephone had made against Val was the only scar on the girl's body. The word 'shame' was burned into the flesh of her shoulder. At least it hadn't been on her face. Small favors.

Val touched the word, feeling the upraised skin with her slender fingertips.

And then there had been Renshen Bui.

Weeks of wandering, starving and so thirsty she'd been drinking from a mud puddle after a storm, she stumbled and fell. Val didn't understand the book she was clutching. She just had to keep it. Keep it away from her mother. But she'd dropped the book before she fell. She'd rolled down the hill and landed in a larger, deeper puddle. Without the strength to keep going, Val had nearly drowned in only inches of water.

After tasting the dirty mud, after giving up and letting the black seep in, she'd been lifted up. Saved.

"Little girl? Little girl, are you Ok? Hello?" The deep voice had roused her. Someone strong was holding her up and helping her, lifting her from the murky water.

"Is she Ok?" A younger male voice, another child.

Val had opened her eyes, so tired and in so much pain. Her white dress was stained and dirty, torn from brambles and rocky hills. Her shoes were missing and her feet were bleeding.

The man before her was older, a real grown up. He had a short beard and deep eyes. The cap he wore was slightly crooked and he was wearing a vest. Taller than her, big and muscular. He was helping her, smiling at her and trying to push her white hair from her face. He'd knelt down so he might be closer to facing her, holding her steady with a strong hand.

"You Ok, sweetie?" The man asked her, "Well, you ain't lookin' Ok, but why don't we get you some dinner? You look mighty hungry. You want something to eat?"

Val had begun to cry and hugged the man.

"Oh.. Oh, hey.." He patted her little shoulder, "Ok then, sweetie. Let's get you back to the car."

"M.. My book.." Val sniffled.

"Gencho, go get the little lady's book, Ok?" The man called out.

"Ok." The younger male voice replied, "Is she hurt?"

Val was picked up and carried for a little bit, but she'd become unaware of what was happening as she'd started to fall asleep in the man's strong arms as she was rocked gently by his motions.

She'd came to again as she was being sat down on a cot. They were in a small compartment, the windows all round and glass. She rubbed at her face.

"I'm gonna make the little lady something to eat. Gen, Ten, keep an eye on her." The man said and was moving off a few feet, looking through some shelves in the back of the structure.

Val wiped at her face again. There were two other kids looking at her. One was holding the book and Val rushed at him, grabbed it from his arms and returned to her cot. She was holding the book tightly, tiny knuckles turning white.

"Oh! Um.. Ok. That must be special to you. What's your name?" It was a boy, slender and with dirty blonde hair all a mess, sitting on a cot in front of her. He had to be about the same age as she was and was about the same height, "Uh, my name is Tengen Hai. Hello?"

"Maybe she's shy." The other boy was sitting down on the same cot, right beside the blonde child. This boy was taller than the other, wider at the shoulders and must have been just a little older. His hair was very dark, his skin tan. He had a nice smile though, and it was contagious.

Val smiled at them just a bit, lowering the book.

"My name is Gencho. Gencho Jones." The dark haired boy said to her, "That's Renshen. Isn't that funny? Ren, Gen, Ten? Haha! Get it?"

Val nodded, her eyes wide.

"If you tell me your name, I'll show you a trick." The dark haired boy said.

Val shrugged and lowered her chin.

"Ok, I'll show you anyway." The boy stood on the cot and held both hands in front of himself, "I'm going to make a dork say what!"

Tengen and Val were both looking at him.

"Hey, Tengen?" Gencho began.

"What?" Tengen asked.

"Tada!" Gencho bowed.

"Uh, what.. Oh.. Hey!" Tengen exclaimed.

"Boys.." Renshen scolded from nearby, beginning to fry something on a small stove top, "Offer her a drink of water if you wanna be useful. She's probably dehydrated."

"Oh, yeah!" Gencho nearly knocked Tengen off of the cot as he jumped off and hit the ground. He ran to the back, almost bumping into Renshen while looking for a container on the shelf.

In a few moments Gencho had run back to her and was opening the container, offering it to her.

"I bet you're real thirsty." He said.

Val grabbed the metal container, dropping the book, and began to empty it into her mouth. She grasped it with firm hands, drinking.

"Slow down." Gencho urged her, "You'll make yourself sick."

"Like Gencho once. And he puked all over his cot." Tengen stated.

"Shut up!" Gencho threatened the smaller boy with a fist.

"Make me!" Tengen stuck his tongue out.

"Boys!" Renshen called out, "You don't wanna 'make me' come over there, got it? Be good hosts to our little guest. She's probably scared and alone."

"I know what that's like." Tengen said and looked at Val, "It's gonna be Ok now. We've got you."

"Are we keeping her?" Gencho asked loudly.

"Uh, well.." Renshen was coming over with a plate in his hand, approaching the little girl sitting on the cot bed and dropping down to one knee, "You gotta home, sweetie?"

Val shook her head, looking at Renshen and then the empty water container.

"You can't be out there all on your own.." Renshen frowned, "You lost?"

Val didn't answer.

"You runnin'?" Renshen asked.

Val's eyes filled with tears. A few begin to slide down her dirty cheeks.

"Whatcha runnin' from, sweetie?" Renshen pushed onward.

Val shook her head.

"Here, have something to eat. We can talk after that." Renshen lifted the plate to her and Val grabbed at it just as eagerly as she'd grabbed at the water container, "Whoa now!"

She pulled the plate toward herself and began to shovel whatever he'd made right into her mouth. It tasted like potatoes and eggs, fried in something sweet and salty. It didn't matter. It was food. She was licking the plate, her stomach clenching.

"I guess she was hungry, huh?" Tengen laughed a little, "But I bet she feels better now. Do you?"

Val nodded, feeling suddenly sleepy again. She yawned and fell over, curling up on her side on the bed.

"Hey, that's my bed.." Gencho began.

"Her bed now, I guess." Renshen chuckled, "Be nice, Gencho. You can sleep next to Tengen tonight."

"You're gonna have to add another bed." Gencho muttered, "Tengen kicks in his sleep."

"I do not!" Tengen cried.

Val was dimly aware of Gencho as he stood over her.

"I wanna know her name. She's real pretty though. But dirty." Gencho was saying.

"She can scrub the dirt off herself when she's up and moving." Renshen stated, "Let her sleep, boys. It looks like she's had a real bad time."

"She kinda looks like a little snowflake." Gencho said.

Val passed into deep sleep, drifting off somewhere nice and warm.

In the present day, in the bathroom, she studied her face in the mirror.

She exhaled, wrapped the towel around her body, and opened the hatch.
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Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlines