Who Died and Made You King? {Kat/Chris}

[Commander Katarina Foster]

Whoever said Death was easy... LIED! Death wasn't easy. It was a real pain in the ass when one wasn't human. Commander Katarina Foster knew this by personal experience. After having spent a week in the "tender care" of a pyscho vampire and his delusional reasoning, she was more than willing to attest to the fact that a person could be taken to the point of death time and time again and never quiet manage it. In fact, she'd actually prayed for death in the last few days and it wasn't because she was cowardly. It was because she hated being a toy for some assholes pleasure and dying would have been one final "FUCK YOU" before she'd died.

The Fates, however, had different plans. Fickle bitchs that they were. Instead of granting her wish as it was, they let her linger. Let her suffer at the hands of her tormenter only to bring her back to awareness just when she thought surely it was over. In the end, she supposed she should have thanked them. As her team had storm the theater, she'd found the strength for one last hurrah. A hurrah that she hoped had buried the monster somewhere under the rubble of a fire that swept through the building. She'd watched through darkening awareness as the torch she'd lit ignited the stage on which the vampire fled and the cry that she'd heard was enough.

Smiling in satisfaction, she'd turned her face to Death and known it would soon come for her. Finally, after all these years, she would no longer have to worry about the future. No longer have to be strong. No longer be responsible for others. Death was a freeing master and one she could accept gladly.

After what seemed like ages of agonizing limbo and darkness, Kat felt herself climb back to awareness. On some plain, she knew she was still in her mortal body but she couldn't understand why. As her lashes fluttered on her pale cheeks, a frown flickered over her ruby lips and her nose twitched. Was that... Cologne she smelled? Did the devil wear cologne? No, wait a moment, she KNEW that smell. She'd smelled it before. Somewhere. Sometime. But.. that made no sense. She was dead... Wasn't she?

With that baffling thought still in mind, her lush lashes slowly lifted and she found herself staring at a canopied bed like some kind of morbid sleeping beauty. What the devil? Blinking rapidly, she wondered if her mind where making up things. Nope. Still there. What in the world? Trying to make sense of it all, Kats eyes traveled along the roof to the tall oak bedposts and down. She lay in a bed of silken sheets the color of midnight and crimson.

Frowning, the young woman blinked again and then made another realization that put all the others to shame. SHE WAS NAKED UNDERNEATH ALL THOSE COVERINGS!!

With a sputter that sent her bolting straight up, she haphazardly caught at the sheets and shoved her own cascading hair back away from her face. It was only then that the easy breathing of another being in the room brought her eyes up and around towards the fireplace that was the rooms only light. A man sat regally in the reclining chair there and Kat instinctively reached for a weapon that was not to be found.


"Who... Who are you?" she demanded, pausing to clear a voice that trembled from disuse and sounded slightly different. "Who are you and.. WHERE THE HELL AM I??"

Earlier that day, Christopher Savage had awakened with the knowledge that he officially hated his life. Sure, the richly embroidered satin duvet that lay atop him was worth more than the average person's mortgage, and the suit that he wore a short time later cost more than his butler's livelihood...but still, he was in Hell. A political, stab-you-in-the-back, fake on all angles Hell.

Groaning, the vampire let his forehead rest on twin fists and stared down at the mound of paperwork under his elbows. At one time, he'd thought that those kings of old did nothing but sit on their laurels or fight far off wars. As a naturally belligerent man himself, he'd thought the last to be romantic; the perfect way to live one's life. With nothing but a sword, a horse and the memroy of a perfect love, what more did a man need?

Little did he know that the life of an aristocrat had so much damn paperwork attached to it. Land disputes, squabbles amongst the uppercrust, rules and laws being made or broken; it was a freaking never ending list of useless information! Gritting his teeth, he fought against the childish urge to sweep his arm out and knock the offending papers into the fire across from him. Ever since he'd done that one good deed and he'd been named de-facto King of the Southern Vampires (gah, even the name made him twitch), there had been a seemingly never ending pile of paperwork to be done. The old leader had been very much obsessed with himself and not so much with his people, and as such, there was a lot to maintain. The Clans had to be kept safe and under the public radar; homes had to be refurnished, families had to be stopped before their blood feuds spilled out into the street. If he'd ever lived a normal life, he couldn't remember it now...but he yearned for it. For ANYTHING not concerning his current responsibilities.

So, when an old acquaintance from the Council called him and asked for his help, he was ditching his guard and on the soonest private jet he could get his hands on. Hello, Hollywood, California. It had certainly been a while.

The events following his arrival had been a haze of motion; travel to a secret base, interrogated by a certain dour faced General, glared at by the Shadow Team members and their resident doctors...and then faced with the worst decision he'd ever made: whether or not to turn a dying hybrid.

At first, the vampire had balked, hating the fact that he'd be doing to her, what had happened to him all those years ago. He'd never been given the choice to become what he was, and the mere thought of returning the favor to an unconscious woman was...unthinkable. But the others pleaded that he reconsider; begged and even THREATENED him to help her...so he did. It was obvious that the woman had people who cared about her. Who was he to deprive them of her presence?

He would face the mental fall out later, he supposed. So, with some urging, he managed to get the grumpy General Hawk to relinquish the girl to his care and had her moved back to his mansion in Louisiana. There, amongst his things and his own private quarters, could he do the 'deed' and not feel like he was about to slide out of his own skin. It was...quite disturbing, to bite into his wrist and share his blood with her, but he managed it with only a small amount of gagging. Then, retreating to a recliner across the room, he waited for her to wake up.

And waited...and waited.

Finally, she began to stir and he sat forward, watching her. First, her eyelids fluttered, then her chest expanded in a breath. When her eyes opened and she jerked into full awareness, Chris prepared himself for what was to come. The damnation, the condemnation, the hatred. He expected it all...for it was just a taste of what he had shown his own maker all those years ago.

"My name is Christopher Savage, and you are in my home in New Orleans," He replied smoothly, voice a dark, casual rumble. "Don't be alarmed; you're safe. If there's any mercy in the world, the bastard who kidnapped you is long dead. You were wounded, but...at the request of your compatriots, I agreed to help you."

Leaning forward, the light of the fire caught across his face and on the single abnormally long canine that flashed as he smiled. "Welcome back to the world, Commander Foster."

Christopher Savage... Christopher Savage... That name rang bells loudly in her mind but it wasn't until he sat forward and she saw his face did she recognize him. HOLY COWBELLS! It was the head of the Vampire Council. Suddenly, the smell of that cologne made sense even if nothing else did. She wasn't sure if he recongized her or not but she'd seen him a time or two within the Council quarters.

Unfortunately, while that relieved her a bit.. her primary concern was still front and center in her mind. Before she even knew what she was doing, her eyes flashed and the obvious was blurted from her lips. "I"M NAKED!!!"

As soon as the words were out though, Kat wanted to clap a hand over her mouth. Hello? That fact was kind of obvious wasn't it? She was lying...no.. currently sitting in the middle of the mans bed with only a sheet covering her interesting parts.He was no doubt quiet aware of that fact. If it was indeed his bed. With a quick look around, Kat tried to assess the truth in that assumption and found that the room was tidy and well cared for but gave no clue as to the ownership of the quarters. Which made her eyes narrow and her prospective shift as she turned back to the older vampire.

"Why am I naked?" she found herself saying before common sense made her want to bang her head on the first hard surface she could come across. Which would just happen to be the nice sturdy oak bedpost she reached for in order to pull herself from the bed. Thank god those sheets came away with ease too. "I mean... I'm sure I'm quiet safe, sire, and I appreciate the reassurance but.. What the DEVIL happened?"

And there went her mouth again. Damn it. This was certainly not going to endear her to a man that might just hold her life or death in his hands. Unfortunately, Kat didn't do humility well. She was just to damned use to controlling her own fate and making her own decisions. She wasn't used to pulling punches and she preferred candor over mind games any day."I'm sorry, my lord but... I'm afraid that I'm not used to bowing and scrapping... I hope that your not expecting it because I'm very much afraid that if I try it, I might fall flat on my face and ruin all the effort you've gone to to make me healthy again... Not to mention.. I really , REALLY suck at keeping my mouth shut."

Wincing a bit, Kat closed her eyes and then opened one a slit as she eyed her new leige. And that was exactly what he was if she were truly a vampire. Damn, she WAS a vampire wasnt she? Why didn't she feel any different if she was though? She felt as she always had. That thought made a frown shift across her pretty features even as she tried to think back. The last thing she remembered was Derek's face hovering and then nothing. SHe knew she'd lost a lot of blood and the injuries were fatal. At least, she'd thought they were. Maybe she was wrong? After all, the king had merely said he'd agreed to help her. Maybe that didn't mean she was a full vampire after all....

"Um... when you say you agreed to help me..... Would you care to expand on that? Because .. you know.. help could mean a lot of things... Am I a vampire now or not?"

His lips practically twitched at her little exclamation and, without his control, his eyes slipped down to where her hand was squashing his sheet to her chest. The enticing flash of pale skin had something unfurling low in his stomach; something that hadn't moved for quite some time. He frowned, forcing his eyes to go right back up to her face, lest he offend her, but the little niggle of arousal remained. She just had to go mention her lack of clothing to the hungry vampire, didn't she? She just had to.

"Don't worry; I wasn't in the room at the time when your gown was removed. There was a nurse that accompanied me from your compound, and she took care of your clothing so that she could examine your wounds, and make sure you hadn't worsened from the trip to my home. And for God's sake, don't call me 'sire.'" The old monicker had his eye twitching, as he slowly rose from his seat. He moved toward her in a nonchalant stride and stopped at the foot of the canopied bed, leaning casually on the bed post.

"Or 'my lord,'" He said, voice revealing a smidgeon of the annoyance that flashed through his mind. "If you must, call me Mr. Savage. I prefer Christopher, myself, but...whatever floats your boat. Now, as to what happened; I believe you were severely wounded while captured by a renegade vampire. Whom is being hunted down by your people as well as my own." His face darkened slightly, revealing a hint of the rage he felt at the other vampire hurting one of his kind. But quickly, it was replaced by his normally neutral mask. "And if he isn't already dead, he will be very soon. You were brought back to your Team's compound with the rest of your fellows, and your wounds were very serious. I was called in to help you speed up your healing process."

And here it came; the moment of truth and the moment of pure, unadulterated hatred. He schooled his face to lack all emotion, and answered her after a moment of silence. "Unfortunately, Commander, your wounds were so extensive that your human side couldn't withstand it. So I fed you my blood."

He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for that to sink in. "You are a full vampire, now. I know this might come to you as a shock, but please understand, it was the blood exchange or your life."

As the man spoke, Kat tried to swim up through her murky mind. She had a feeling she was rattling along in a manner unlike her usual demeanor but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Thankfully though, the minute he stood up and moved towards her.. her wits took notice. Only, unfortunately, the took notice in a manner that was completely different than what they should have. Suddenly, she found that she was hungry. Very VERY hungry and the man across from her was looking very VERY tasty. The prick of pain upon her lips halted her even as she found her body starting to sway forward. Reality set in and it grounded her from doing something completely stupid.


Holy Hell in a Hand Basket. She had a set of full fangs. Well, that answered that question nicely, didn't it?

Then she became aware of the fact that the lord was speaking. Forcing herself to pay attention, Kat held on to the bedpost for dear life even as she struggled to keep the sheet covering all her important parts. The information that the creature who had "killed" her was still alive was the thing that really brought the fire back to her eyes, though. "Hes alive? He still lives? I thought he was dead.. in the fire!" she hissed out, unaware that her eyes dilated and fury fairly crackled from her aura. "He has to be taken down... You can't imagine how evil he is..."she continued, flinching visibly as the memories returned. "I've run across a lot of monsters in my day, Savage... but he is by far the worst. He makes Hannibal Electra look like the freaking Tooth Fairy. Sadistic is far to lame of a word for him and he, quiet literally, gets off on the blood he spills... Hes a new kind of psycho that can not be allowed to exist. "

Taking a deep breath in order to control her emotions, the newly turned vampire lifted her brilliant green eyes to his and frowned as he spoke his next words. He seemed almost reluctant to tell her the tidings. As he were gearing for an attack of some kind or a fight. When he told her she was indeed a vampire, it was almost... Anticlimactic?

"Um... OK.. Well... I guess thats that then. No use crying over spilled milk and if this allows me to hunt that bastard down and kill him... Then hell to the yeah." she replied with a bit of an arched brow. "If the choice is dead or alive... I'd much rather be alive..." she continued with a shrug. "Call me crazy but unless I can't control the bloodlust that I know comes with this... then I can only be grateful. I always knew there was a chance I would wake up in this shape so if your expecting me to curse you for doing what needed to be done... YOur going to have to look somewhere else for your guilt trip."


That said, Kat licked at the tiny prick of blood welling from the wound on her lip and felt her stomach clench. A new awareness seemed to bubble forth and her eyes took on a new sheen as she watched him. His scent drifted to her and her lashes fluttered closed over her emerald depths as a soft sigh of delight escaped her. 

Only a life time of self control kept her from launching herself at him like a newborn vamp but it was a control hard tested by the hunger she felt burning in her stomach. The hunger she'd felt as a human had nothing on this and it was enough to almost bring her to her knees. If she hadn't been gripping the post, she was sure it would have. "Savage..... If you know whats good for you... You might wanna move away..... Your smell.... Its making me hungry I think...... "

Well, when he'd broken the news to her, he certainly hadn't expected THIS kind of reaction. For a minute there, he could only look at her with a half shocked expression on his face, until he could school it back to neutrality. Right...so being a full vampire wouldn't be a bit surprise for a hybrid who has always lived with the 'disease.' Good to know. Now, if only she hadn't insulted him in the meantime with that 'guilt trip' comment...

A scowl slid onto his lips as he just stared at her for a minute, then sighed and shook his head. He would ignore the barb for now, in favor of his hero complex. She had just given him free reign to feel all warm and fuzzy about the fact that he'd saved the dame, and as such, he would be happy about it. Utterly ecstatic. Oh yeah, he had NO idea what to do with himself.

"My people are searching for the rogue as we speak," He said firmly, voice losing a bit of its previous friendliness. "They're good at what they do, and I have complete confidence that they'll find the animal as soon as possible and bring him to me. I plan to take care of him myself," There was that bloodthirsty look in his eye again; one he couldn't seem to mask, no matter how hard he tried. Oh yes, he still favored the image of a king with a sword and couldn't help but relish the idea to use it once again. As one in his 'station,' doing the actual dirty work was almost unseemly; it was expected that he would merely sit around and...play with himself, for all he friggin knew. The prospect of killing someone should have put him off, given his need to cling to whatever humanity he still had left, but in the end, he supposed that he was looking forward to the execution. It would be a damn sight better than sitting in front of that desk full of papers again.

Not to mention that he would be doing some real good; taking out someone as dangerous as the vampire who'd hurt Foster. Once again, he found his eyes trailing down to the aforementioned 'nakedness' and lingered there for a second, before he forced his mind back to the present.

But then, like some sort of curtain being slowly pulled up, a familiar look came onto the fledgling's face. Ah, yes, the hunger was coming onto her, just as he knew it would. She might have been a hybrid living with the need for blood, but now that her human half had been repressed, he imagined that the thirst would intensify tenfold. And given the way she eyed him like a piece of prime steak, he knew that it would become full blown very soon.

"Don't worry, I came prepared for this," He said with a small shrug. There was plenty of synthetic blood in his little iced cabinet, but knowing that this was her first feeding as a full vampire, she would need something stronger. Turning around, he walked over to the sideboard across the room and unbuttoned his shirt sleeve, pulling it up just far enough to reveal his wrist. Then, using the pen knife he kept there, he made a clean slash along the vein and allowed his blood to drip steadily into a glass beneath it.

"This will put off the hunger for a while," He said after a moment, bringing his wrist up to his lips so that he could swipe his tongue along the wound, urging it closed. "My blood is old, and thus a bit more powerful than your average human's."

Bringing the glass, now half full, over to her, he offered the glass with a little smile. He could have allowed her to take his wrist, but the act of biting was...not a welcome feeling to him. It brought back all kinds of painful memories and if the last time he'd allowed a friend to take his vein was something to go on, it wasn't good to set him off down that road. It had taken quite some time to put his room back to rights, and Esmarelda still wouldn't look him in the eyes...

Still gripping the bedpost, Kat could only watch him with mezmerized eyes. Eyes that remained glued upon the glass he held and eventually brought towards her. The glass that held blood. Oh God.. The Blood. As much as it disgusted her, this need to drink of it... It called to her like a siren's song to a sailor. As the scent waifed to her, she practically felt herself salvitate. It smell so damned good.

Releasing the bedpost, the new vampire found herself reaching for the out held glass and taking it. As if her hand had a will of its own, she brought it to her lips and drank. The taste was intoxicating and disgusting all at one time. As a human, she'd resisted the call of the blood and giving into it seems almost a betrayal on some levels. However, Kats logical self knew this was better than becoming the sort of monster that she'd made a living killing. Thankfully, the one drink seemed to sastify the hunger.

Lowering the tumbler from her lips, Kat stared at Savage over the brim for a long moment before she spoke softly. "So... Christopher... I think that the fact I'm a vampire is establish beyond any doubt... What now?" Offering the glass back to him, she found she felt steadier on her feet and her thoughts not so scattered. Tilting her head in a manner that sent her auburn hair splashing around her shoulders, she met the older vamps gaze with an expression that was much more alert. "I assume that there is some sort of vampire training program? I'm quiet familiar with all the things to expect so I think that much is covered. What more can I expect from this ... existance?"

With a slight tug at the sheet that kept trying to slip south, the redhead lifted her chin and tried to look as professional as possible in the circumstances. Unfortunately, she felt like some sort of prized love slave being parade before the sultan of the palace. Just the thought brought the mental image of another time and another place and she suddenly felt warmth rush to her cheeks. So much for professionalism!

"Um... I"m sorry but... I don't suppose theres any chance you brought some of my clothing with you is there?" she finally asked, worrying on her bottom lip and finding herself in the uncomfortable position of feeling indebted to a man. "Maybe this conversation might be better put off until I'm clad in something more than your bedsheet?"

It took most of his self control, but Christopher managed to hide the amused smirk that threatened to tug at his lips. She stood before him with her chin tilted up so regally, she reminded him of some kind of...stalwart Queen. He had the very unseemly urge to bow to her, or catch hold of those sheets and give it an improper tug; both of which were unacceptable thoughts and were dismissed quickly. Placing the glass on the edge of the bed, he watched as the lines of obvious strain around her eyes loosened as the blood took hold.

"No, unfortunately, there is no How To for what comes next for you," He replied truthfully, leaning against the canopy beam again. "The bloodlust is really the only handicap that you want to worry about...other than decapitation, of course. Now that you're a full blood, you'll have to feed regularly and your reaction to sunlight may be altered somewhat. Other than that, you can expect to heal faster and be altogether stronger."

Bah, but he felt like he was giving her some kind of pro-vampire speech and it irked him. Shrugging his shoulders in a show of nonchalance, he buttoned the cuff over his now healed wrist. Despite himself, he felt his lips twitching when she pointed out her lack of attire and his eyes drifted downward of their own accord. "Ah, yes, I apologize. Unfortunately, you came with only a hospital gown. Here...you can borrow one of my shirts until we find something else for you. Perhaps one of the servants has an extra pair of pants..."

Moving quickly to the large wardrobe near the door, he plucked out one of his larger dress shirts and smaller pairs of pants and handed it over. Giving her a regal nod of his own, he clasped his hands behind his back. "They might be a tad large, but they should do. I will wait for you in the hall; come find me when you're ready." And with that, he retreated outside, shutting the door firmly behind him.


Standing with his back straight and his arms crossed over his chest, Chris sighed and shook his head at himself. He felt...strange, looking at a woman whom he'd basically turned. He'd always vowed that he'd never use his blood to make another vampire, but...well, he supposed that he hadn't, not really. Kat was already part way there, so it didn't really count, right?

He rolled his eyes at himself, resisting the urge to go back his head against the wall. Yeah, he didn't sound like a sap having some kind of inner crisis; not at all. He was no Piers the Plowman, dammit, and as long as the soldier inside wasn't trying to rip his face off, what did he care if he'd fed her his blood? He bit back bile as the memory of her gulping down the glass of his blood made him want to find the nearest toilet and rubbed at his eye with the heel of one hand. Get over yourself, Savage, he mentally growled. And get ahold of it while you're at it.

He paused, the sounds of soft thumping reaching his ears. What the...it was coming from down the hall. Strange; the bedroom next door to his was empty, now that Esmeralda had left to rejoin her family. Curious, he moved down the hall, opened the door...and immediately wished he hadn't. With a hiss, a stake came shooting through the air, and only instinct had him jerking to the side. The missile sank into the wall behind him with a dull thud, but before he could turn around and appreciate what he'd just done, a body flew from the bedroom and slammed into him, sending him back against the window at the end of the hall.

Glass shattered and he hissed as shards cut through the fabric of his arm, slicing it open, but he didn't have time to appreciate the damage. His hands came up, grappling with what appeared to be a knife as big as his freaking LEG.

"Time to die, Savage," His masked assailant snarled, putting his full weight against him. Chris growled, gasping as his a sharp pain exploded in his back. Oh, great...he had a knife at his chest and a sharp piece of glass sinking into his back. Either way, he was dead. Again.

Well, OK then. She knew all of that good stuff. Maybe there were perks to the job after all. "Well, I suppose that is good then, right? No messy hysterics or fear of a newbie going off in a mad bloodlust that calls attention to vampire kind, right? Right. All pretty well black and white." she said, pasting on a smile that never went quiet to her eyes. "Not much different than my old life except now I don't have any mortality to worry about and I've got to keep blood around."

Keeping the smile on when the toping turned to clothing, Kat couldn't help but feel her eyes widen when he suggested she wear his shirt. It wasn't that she was unfamiliar with mens clothing.. She was military, after all, it was just that wearing THIS mans clothing seemed so.. Personal. So... intimate. And givin the way her pulse raced as his eyes drifted lower... Intimate was something that took on a whole new meaning when applied to the king of the vampires. Kat had never been good with intimate on any level. Much less royalty.

Thank GOD Savage turned away before she could do anything truly stupid like stutter like a ninny or worse, fling herself into his arms and do her best Scarlett O'hara impression

God Lord, she really had to get a lock down on this whole naked in front of my vampire king thing. No doubt he was used to ladies flinging themselves at his feet but Kat wasn't such a woman. It took more than just a handsome face to trip her trigger and just because he was king.. She wasn't about to give him the free pass to her bed that remained yet unclaimed.

When Chris turned from his closet and presented a shirt to her, Kat quickly put her best poker face on and took it with a dignity that she suspected Queen Bess would approve of. As he retreated into the hall, she gave a small nod and dropped the sheet in order to pull the crisp white fabric on to her much smaller limbs. If she took the time to inhale the scent of the man who'd worn it before her, well, she might not be human but close enough. Surely she could be allowed one or two slips. After all, who was to know but she?


With nimble fingers, Kat aligned the buttons and closed the front. The shirt was big enough that it hung to mid thigh and the sleeves fell past her hands leaving her feeling like a child in her fathers dress shirt. Quickly rolling the sleeves up, Kat was just finishing when noise from the hall drew her attention. Freezing in mid motion, years of training kicked in and she needed need the crash of something hitting the wall outside to tell her that something was wrong.

With vampire stealth, she glanced to the door and then made her way out silently. The scene that unplayed before her made her narrow her eyes and then she was moving without thought for the fact that she was clad only in a mans shirt and she had no weapon in hand.

"HEy, ASSHAT! Hasn't anyone taught you that its impolite to drop in without an invitation?" she shouted, grabbing the intruders arm just as he started to strike his victim once more. "I think its time someone remedied that little oversight."


Yanking backwards with more strength than she'd intended, Kat was only somewhat horrified when the mans arm came right off in her hand. FOr a moment, she didn't know who was more dumbfounded, her or the assassin but the other recovered first and proceeded to try to impale Chris on the wooden frame he laid precariously upon. Knowing she hand only seconds to act, the auburn haired beauty shrugged off her disbelief, gripped the arm she now held and used it as a club as she swung it at the black masked fiend. All in all it gave new meaning to the phrase, "Beat you with your own limb" as the target was flung away from the vampire king.

Immediately, Katarina followed and a struggle of will took place among the shattered tears of glass and wooden frame. The assassin obviously was at a handicap missing one arm but that didn't keep him from trying his damnest to impale her with what strength he had left. Thankfully, one of Kats free hands came in contact with a likely looking stake and she brought it up in time to catch the vampire in the throat as he reared back to bare fang before latching on to her neck. A sickening crunch was the only sound he made before Kat found herself covered in centuries old ash.

However, a veteran of many battles, the red head didn't allow herself to dwell on that fact as she launched herself to her feet and moved to Chris's side. Taking in his injuries, she bit into her own wrist without thought and shoved it to his lips. "Here... Take my blood... Your going to need it" was the only thing she said as she did what needed doing.

Well...call him a pansy of the first order, when the newly turned fledgling in his room had to save his hairy ass. When the vampire was pulled off him, Chris fell forward onto his knees, growling in pain as he tried in vain to reach for the glass shard at his back. If Kat had taken just a few more seconds, it would have gone through his heart from the back. Talk about his goddamn luck!

He shared her horrified look when the assassin's arm came off, but neither was given too much time to delve into the utter Monty Python moment, as the vampire lunged at him again. He cursed himself for his unmanly weakness and just watched, irritatingly helpless, as the trained soldier rid them of their unwanted visitor. Ash rained down in the hall, blinding him for a minute, and with another growl, he shoved himself to his feet.

And proceeded to be assaulted by a bleeding wrist. Instantly, his teeth lengthened and his eyes darkened, fixated on the little flow of blood as they were. But, instead of taking what she offered, the Vampire King stumbled back, practically shoving himself away from her. If not for his catching himself on the windowpane, he probably would have gone back into the wall, impaling himself further.

"No...no, I don't need it. Just take the damn thing out of my back," He managed to say in a choked voice. Tearing his eyes away from her wrist, he whirled around and braced his hands on the wall, baring the shard to her. "I'll heal. Just take the damn glass out of my back so I can alert my staff to what's happened. There might be more of those fuckers in the house."

Rolling her eyes at the "ME MALE VAMPIRE, YOU FEMALE VAMPIRE" logic, Kat shook her long red curls and then conceded. Reaching forward without a by your leave, she grasped the shard and pulled it cleanly from his back. Knowing he was going to need blood no matter what he said, the redheaded tigress jerked the king around and put his back to the wall even as she moved in front of him in what could only be considered as a protective move.

"Listen, Savage. We both know wounds like this need blood to heal. I don't have time to cater to your male ego so shut up and just take my wrist, would you? Cause if you don't, we are both going to be in a worst position than we are now if you don't. If there are more lurking, then you need to be on top of your game." she said, waving her bleeding wrist in front of his face once more. "Take it or I'm going to kick your ass three ways to sunday when we are attacked again and I have to save your royal ass again."

Glancing up and into his eyes, Kat read the denial there and sighed. "Shit... your really going to deny it aren't you? And people said I was stupid..." With a shake of her head, she dropped her wrist and pulled away to check the scene. "If you wont take my vein, your highness, then got find some blood in your room. I'll stand guard out here until you are ready."

Waiting for him to comply, the redhead turned away and headed for the ashes where the body should have been. There would be no clues as to who was responsible but the weapons that lay about gave no doubt that the attempt on Chris's life had been and earnest one. An attempt that pissed Kat off to no ends. How dare they come here and attack? Fuck that. This was HER turf and she protected what was hers.

The logic of that thought didn't even hit her until a few seconds later. Shit. She wasn't even awake an hour and she was already taking responsibility for things that should have been nothing to her... Except for the fact that Chris had saved her life and now she felt bound to him in ways that she'd never felt bound to anyone but her mother country.

Oh yeah, she was so freaking screwed.

The sounds of movement coming up the hall had her rising quickly and taking a defensive stance. If it was more assassins then they would have to kill her to take the king.

[Commander Katarina Foster]

Oh, if only she knew the truth behind his reluctance to take her vein. The pain of the glass being dislodged from his back was enough to snap him out of his initial shock- he managed to bite back the urge to howl, when his back roared itself an unhappy tune and retain some of his manliness- but when she turned him around and shoved him up against the wall, baring her wrist again...something in his mind just clicked. If she hadn't removed herself, he would have flung her away with all of his strength, which, thanks to his age, would have probably landed her somewhere through the window in the other room. His stomach practically snarled for what she was offering, but he saw another wrist...another smiling face in his mind and it rejected the image with a vengeance.

Let her think him egotistical and cold, he didn't care. As long as she stayed the hell away from him, with those damned good intentions. Without a word, the Vampire King pushed himself off the wall and hurried into his room. Falling to his knees in front of the small fridgedair, he yanked out a small water bottle full of his company's famous synthetic blood and guzzled it down. It tasted horrid, much unlike the warm sustenance that a living person provided, but it would do. Almost instantly, he felt the stinging pain in his back subside and, with the distance from Kat, he felt himself slowly coming back from the dark place in the back of his mind.

Damn her. Damn her for making him relive that horrible moment in his past, if only for a second. She had been trying to help, he knew, but...damn her.

Surging to his feet, he tossed the now empty bottle onto the top of the fridge and moved quickly toward the hallway. He swiped at his mouth with the back of his hand, not caring at the impolite gesture and hurried past Kat. She could do her guard dog thing at his back, he thought on a growl. He had people in the household that had to be warned, protected, ushered into a safe place. But he wasn't to make it to the stairs, as another hooded body came careening through the window above it.

"DEATH TO THE IMPOSTER!" A voice screamed, and Chris ducked with a curse as something sharp and metallic flew through the air, landing somewhere inside his bedroom. What WAS it with these guys, already?!

OH hell, here we go again!" was the only thing Kat had time to think before all hell broke loose once more and her body was instinctively turnd to the danger. Savage stalked by her like a lord in his power but that wasn't going to keep him from a stake to the chest. At the moment, it appeared only she was.

Moving with skill that spoke of years of training, she threw herself into the path of the body careening through the window and sent them both rolling on the floor. Her opponent, mistakingly taking the fact he had a woman under him, eased off of his attack long enough for Kat to wrench the stake from his grasp and shoove it into his chest. A puff of ash fell down about her and she hissed as she blew out a breath to keep from inhaling it. "SON OF A BITCH, SAVAGE! WHO THE HELL DID YOU PISS OFF THIS TIME!!" was all she got out before yet another body dashed down the hall towards the king and she was forced to push to her feet. This time though, the body paused and raised its hands in surrender and Kat realized that she'd about staked one of the kings loyal men. Shit. HOw the hell was she to have known that!



Spinning about, Kat sent Chris a glance to assure herself that he was whole and healty before dashing the length of the corridor and checking the security of each. Before she reached the end, another would be assassin popped out and she was forced into a deadly hand to hand fight. Getting feed up with the inadequecy of the attacks, she head butted her opponent and then threw him head first into the hall wall. When he slumped into unconciousness, she stepped forward and kicked him for good measure.

Then and only THEN did she realize that a staff full of people stood watching her and that she was clad in nothing but their lord's shirt and a make shift stake.

Well, hell.. this certainly wasn't going to go over well on a resume was it?

"Er...my Lord?" Jasper, one of the guardsmen that came with the mansion, looked at Chris with a mixture of shock and dismay, his eyes practically bulging out of his head when they landed on Kat. Most of the others who'd turned up during the commotion were doing the same; either gawking at her, or at his bloody, disheveled state. This wasn't good, he thought with a little growl. His people had seen her, wearing nothing but his goddamn shirt, defending HIM; King of the Vamps. If he didn't fix this quick, there would be many more assassins coming at his back with many more faces to support them.


"Go make sure the rest of the grounds are clear," He snarled to a few of the shocked guards. "Don't just stand there! I'll be safe here...with my Sentry, Foster. Now, go."


As one, the soldiers moved down the stairs, fanning out to check the more vulnerable parts of the mansion. The others dispersed along with them, running to secure their own families and personal rooms, leaving him, Kat and the dead vampires alone in the hall. Weariness and adrenaline battled for dominance as he turned around to face the female soldier.

"You have my thanks," He said simply, jaw clenching as he glanced down at the ashes around her feet. "Without you...I would probably be dead."

Saying that really burned his ass. Kat could see it radiating from him like rays from a sun. He'd been taken off guard and it had almost cost him his life. If not for the fact that she'd been nearby, no one would have known he was in danger until it was to late. His home, his fortress that he no doubt thought was unassailable, had been infiltrated.

To top that off, a slender woman clad only in his shirt had managed to take the attacker out and foil two more attempts before he'd even been able to heal from the first. For a proud man, that was the ultimate insult and she'd just battered his pride with the force of a midevil battering ram. On some level, Kat could understand his feelings and even appreciate them but she'd been a soldier to long to let mere emotions get in the way of what had to be done.


"How about we just consider ourselves even and call it good?" she said, flipping the makeshift stake in her hand and prowling towards him with all of her new vampires grace. "I'm sure you would have had it all well in hand eventually but my presence just made the problem easier to deal with." she continued for the ears that she was sure were no doubt eavesdropping. "I think your security could use an upgrade though. Shadow headquarters would never have been breached like that. Perhaps that is something I can help with in return for your gracious hospitality."


Reaching his side, she gave him a quick look over before catching sight of two guards still shifting nervously on their feet. They were obviously there to protect their king but she couldn't help but wonder where they'd been just moments earlier.

Narrowing her eyes, she watched them for a moment but other than the unease they showed at not having been there with Savage needed them... Neither one radiated guilt.

Pursing her lips, she turned back to the older vamp and raised a brow. "I assume from what I'm seeing that we are in your private quarters and that you don't normally have your guards here... Someone would have spilled that information... The question of the day though.. Is who?"

[Commander Katarina Foster]

Something akin to gratefulness flickered in the vampire's eyes as he looked over at her again. She was playing along with his charade quite well, and quite easily...which begged the question how often she had to lie in her profession. Not that it mattered; as long as she continued to play the subordinate, he could keep his reputation intact...before going off to kill the actual culprit behind the assassins.


And really now...hooded assassin-ninja's? REALLY? It was as if he'd been transported into some lame ass gung fu movie, for crying out loud. If someone wanted to kill him, at least be so kind as to do it themselves...but that wasn't how the world worked these days, he thought with a sigh. Everyone was a fan of plunging the dagger in their enemy's backs, rather than their fronts.


With a wave of his hand, he sent the remaining two guards off to search the house with the rest of their fellows. Both hesitated, obviously wondering if they should be leaving their king alone, with only a woman to guard him, but with another stern look from him, they were off. When they were out of earshot, Chris sighed and rubbed as his forehead. God, but he had a headache to end all damn headaches. And if he didn't down another one of those water bottles soon, they'd have to worry about something other than possible masked figures out to kill him.

"No, I don't usually have the men guarding this wing of the mansion," He admitted, shaking his head ruefully. "Usually, I don't have a problem holding my own...but these men were specially trained," Almost military-like, he thought darkly, casting her a little sideways look.

Which turned sharp, at her last question. Who indeed...the question should be 'who wouldn't?' After his ascension into the title, there had been many older vampires who were unwilling to accept the changes he proposed to their laws. Especially when he declared that the feeding off of humans was a thing of the past. There were many of their kind who thought the blood his company provided would weaken them...the fools.


"Unfortunately, that list is quite long," He said on a sigh, rubbing at the back of his neck now. His back was aching like crazy, but he refused to show it; standing straight and schooling his features. "When I came to rule, I made many changes to the previous King's laws. There are some factions who don't appreciate my 'take' on the new world."

In the absence of any immediate threat, Kat finally let herself relax a bit. Unfortunately, now that the adrenaline was gone, she found herself surprisingly shaky on her feet but worked to keep it firmly under wraps. It wouldn't do to let anyone else know just how weak she truly was or give the impression that she was anything but capable. Not when there had just been an attempt on the kings life and she'd been the one to narrowly avert it. To much was at stake.


Seeming to read her mind, however, the older vampire sent his remaining guards off and Kat could only give a sigh of relief. Savage seemed to feel the same way if his sigh was anything to go by. Easing over to the wall across from him, she finally allowed herself to slump against it and rest her body as she listened to his words. "Damn, sounds like you make about as many friends as I do." she said dryly. "However, if you've truly got that many enemies.. It surprises me that they've taken this long to try this plan. Have you done something lately that has them riled up again?"

Reaching up, the young woman caught at hte mass of red hair spilling about her and tied it in an untidy knot. Then, and only then, did she realize that sometime during the fight the top buttons of her shirt had come undone and she was flashing an unseemly amount of skin. Groaning at the realization that the kings guards were probably even now talking about the free peep show they'd gotten, Kat let her head fall back with a thump. THis day just kept getting better and better. NOT. She was beginning to wonder just what the hell she'd done to deserve this slap of Karma.

"So now that you know someone is getting brave, Savage, what do you plan to do about it? You don't strike me as a stupid man and I suspect that there is far more to you than meets the eye. In fact, you actually strike me as the sort of man who gives as good as he gets. I'd be more than happy to help you if you wish....."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Chris merely sighed and looked away at the pile of ash near the stairs. How easy it was, to kill one of their kind, he thought absently. All of them believed themselves to be special; gods, almost...but with one strike, they could be felled. Why couldn't any of the older vampires appreciate the life they'd been given and live peacefully? He just couldn't understand it.

"I've been pushing some of my company's new synthetic blood sources for mass production in some of the more secluded colonies," He said, looking back at her again. "You can imagine how well that's worked out amongst the locals. More than a few have tried to firebomb my car, which's why you'll find it the most secure vehicle ever made...and truth be told, this isn't the first time there's been a breach in the mansion. I just prefer they come after me, rather than my people."

It was probably a very stupid plan to a trained soldier such as herself, but he did have his own tricks up his sleeve. She just hadn't been privy to seeing any of them...yet. The vampire frowned at the thought, wondering why he imagined she'd be staying longer than the intended few days. She had a life to get back to and after she heard some of his new 'laws' for the rest of the vampire community, she'd probably try to take a shot at him herself.

Then again, maybe not, if she'd been truthful about fighting her bloodlust. But that was a conversation for another time. Slowly, he also leaned back against the wall, biting back yet another sigh. "As you can imagine, this' just another day at the office for me. I've been holding this title for almost fifteen years now, but...well, most of our kind see that as small change. When I reach fifty, I'll be a real ruler."

It was obvious how much he liked that idea, given the sarcasm in his tone. But he shrugged, looking back at the ash pile again. "I don't know why they bother; it's obvious I'm not going anywhere. God help them all."

As far as Kat was concerned, that about said it all. Giving him a rueful smile, the auburn haired vampire pushed herself away from the wall and wearily turned back to the room she'd earlier occupied. From the rays of light just starting to burst over the horizon, she figured it would be daylight soon and everyone knew that vampires and sunlight didn't get along. She and Savage both needed to be tucked in somewhere safe and he wasn't looking any better than she felt at the moment.

"Come on, King Savage.... Lets find some of that synthetic blood your so proud of and call it a night for now. As much as I'd like to sit here and converse about vampire politics... I'm not to macho to say that if I don't find somewhere to sit soon? I'm going to be landing flat on my face." she drawled out, moving to stand before him, waiting. "Is there another room you'd prefer I take or do you mind if I crash in your recliner? Anywhere will do as long as you've got blood and a chair. I'm military so I"m used to uncomfortable places."

Letting her vision run over his chiseled features, the former commander knew he was close to collapsing himself but wouldn't admit it. As a ruler, he was no doubt used to putting his subjects needs before his and wouldn't rest until she did. Which worked out just fine because she'd actually be completely serious about the falling flat on her face soon part. Hell, she'd been dead mere hours ago so playing Superwoman had plumb taken everything out of her.

(OKIES.. AGAIN.. WE LOST A CHRISTOPHER POST AND THE BEGINNING OF KATS. HEAD DESK)

Laying there in bed, Kat got her first look at Christopher Savage without any guards up around him. Dozing softly in his recliner, he looked younger in years than she knew his vampire age to be. He was definitely a handsome devil with chiseled features and a body that would make most women salivate. No doubt, vampire women and mortal women alike vie'd for a position on his arm and the thought, for some reason, didn't please her. Giving herself a sharp mental shake, she forced herself to keep evaluating him but found nothing to be faulted. He was, in essence, everything a ruler, man and king should be. Damn his hide.

As if sensing her gaze upon him, the older vampire shifted restlessly and then began to awaken. Not wanting to get caught gauking at him like some hormonal teenager, Kat closed her eyes and pretended sleep. Noise from the hall made her stiffen slightly but that was the only indication she made of being awake. Eventually, she felt the probe of an intense stare and gave a little sigh as she pretended to awaken.

Feathering her lashes open, she met his gaze and gave a slight smile. "Good evening, Savage.... Whats on the agenda for tonight? More murder and mayham? More maybe just an assassin mystery?"

Chris couldn't help himself; he had to chuckle at the fact that her first few words were that of a sarcastic quip. She was lucky that he was nothing like his predecessor, and that his humor was as twisted as hers. Slowly leaning back into the recliner, he flashed her a half smile and glanced back at the door.

"No, hopefully there won't be anymore of THAT kind of fun," He said after a moment, looking back at her. She looked so damn...cute there, with her hair all tousseled and her eyes squinty from sleep. Pushing himself to his feet, he stretched and bit back a yawn. "I'll have to go speak to my household about what happened to day and what they should expect. Then, it's more meetings and paperwork. The work of a King is never done."

He had no idea why he felt so comfortable around her to speak in such a way, and the realization made him pause. He was usually either coldly informal or cuttingly insulting when it came to vampires he didn't know. Was it because he'd turned her and she was, for all intensive purposes, connected to him now? That and the fact she'd just saved his life, he decided with a small nod to himself. Shoving his hand through his greying hair, he moved over to his wardrobe and removed a suit jacket matching his slacks.

"I'd ask if you'd want to accompany me, but I suspect it would bore you...and you must be anxious to get back to your men. I can arrange transport for you on one of my personal jets...after we find you some suitable clothing, of course. I doubt if your teammates would appreciate me very much if I allowed you to walk around in just my shirt."

So maybe the old vamp wasn't as cold as he liked to appear. The sudden spark of humor in his eyes lit one in Kats own and a small grin spread over her lips. Pushing herself upright, she stifled a yawn and then watched as Savage pushed himself to his feet and stretched. The movement caught his profile perfectly in the soft light of the fire and the red head was hard pressed not to gawk more than a moment. His explanation of his coming day had her wrinkling her nose and then she too stood up as he slipped into a suit coat.

"Hmmmmm... Didn't anyone ever tell you that all work and no play makes a King a very dull king indeed?" she couldn't resist teasing even though she respected his obligation to duty. "Of course, I suppose I'm not one to talk since I have been acused a time or to of being a workaholic myself. The bad guys of the world just never seem to take a day off, wouldn't you know it."

As he went on to tell her that he'd be happy to arrange transport for her, a small smile spread across her lips and she leaned her hip against a chair. Her emerald eyes danced with mischief as she eyed him. "Wow... Damn, I think you can't wait to get rid of me.... I suppose I should feel hurt and all but since you aren't the first person to have that reaction... I think I'll just take it that I've still got my edge of getting under peoples skin..... " she said with a dry sarcasm that made her feel more like herself. "Your probably right though.. Depending on how much time has gone by and what the ramifications are of the vampire assault in New Orleans... I probably need to be getting back." she continued, blowing out a long breath and looking delicate for just a moment as the events came pouring back to her. Just as suddenly though, the trace of vulnerability was gone as if it never existed and Commander Katarina Foster was back in action.

"If you wouldn't mind seeing to that, I would appreciate it. Suitable clothing would also be appreciated if something can be found. As professional as my team is.. I somehow doubt they would take me seriously if I came strutting in wearing nothing but your shirt. They might even accuse me of taking a vacation instead of being raised from the dead... My team is nothing if not imaginative."

Chris couldn't help but pause in mid-button, as Kat's teasing voice rang out in the room. There weren't many people who could look him in the eye; forget sharing good natured bantering with him and the realization that he was doing just that...well. It sure as hell made it harder to go over to his phone and ring for the airport to fuel his plane. The sudden urge to keep her right where she was, ruffled and smiling at him from his bed, was strong and he frowned at the new intensity. It was probably due to the fact that he'd turned her, he thought firmly, shoving those annoying thoughts aside. It was some kind of fledgling bond that he felt, and one that would go away with time and distance.

With a determined air, he finished buttoning his coat and looked into the mirror on the wardrobe door. He ran his hands through his hair until it looked semi-respectable, then smoothed out the wrinkles in his sleeves. A King had to look like a King, after all.

"Yes, it is a habit of theirs to feel the need to work until they drop," He replied, a bit dryly. Looking back up at her with yet another small smile, he resisted the urge to throw back his own quip about his being boring, knowing that anything THAT part of his brain kicked up would be entirely inappropriate. Then, he made the mistake of looking back at her after fastening his cuffs and felt his heart stop beating.

Oh yeah, but she looked nice in his shirt; smiling at him like that and flashing that tiny bit of fang. Did she even notice how much longer her canines had become? Or that her skin seemed to radiate health and vitality? Something inside him stirred and raised its head to leer at her out of his eyes, and he shifted a bit uncomfortably. Bah, this is what happens when he focused on work for two months and ignored baser calls.

"I shall arrange it immediately, Commander Foster," He said with a formal bow, thankful that she'd helped the situation go back to being professional. With one last tug at his collar, he strode to the door and paused in the doorway, glancing back at her. "I'll have one of my staff bring you some clothing. When you're dressed, feel free to meet me downstairs, and I'll have one of my drivers take you to the airport."

With that, he gave her another regal nod and exited the room. The housemaid he managed to catch would surely scurry up to his quarters a few moments later with whatever clothing she could find, and when Kat headed downstairs, she would find him speaking to his Guards near the front door. Each man shifted nervously from foot to foot, while their ruler practically scowled at them all.

"I just want to know how our security didn't catch anything," He said, frustration evident in his voice. "We have cameras all over the estate and hidden ones in the hallway of my wing. How could those men have made it into the mansion undetected? They aren't ghosts, are they?"

[Commander Katarina Foster]

For a long moment after Chris left the room, Kat stood and stared at the door in puzzlement. There had been several different emotions on his face but she hadn't been able to catch their meaning before they'd been gone again. All except for the flash of heat she thought she'd seen banked in his eyes. That she'd definitely caught but it had left her feeling unease and strangely warm so she'd not examined it to closely. That sort of awareness wasnt something she was real familiar with since she'd spent the years most girls were putting on make up and talking about dances learning how to control her extra abilities and kill the boogeyman.

Giving her long red hair a shake, Kat was just turning away from the door when she heard a knock. Cautiously bidding the person to enter, she watched a young maid tiptoe in with some clothing in hand. "Miss? His lordship asked me to bring these up for you. I hope they are of your size. We keep some new things on hand in case of visitors but this was the closest guess we had as to your size...."

Smiling at the young woman, Kat moved forward and took the pile. After thanking her, she waited for her to retreat and close the door before getting dressed. WHomever had done the selecting was dead on and the only thing the young vampire could grip about was the fact that she was forced to wear a dress instead of the fatigues or jeans that she was comfortable in. Evidently, whoever over saw the clothing department thought every woman belonged in a dress. Of course, she WAS in a royal house some maybe all the women DID wear them. Whatever, at least she was clothed and ready to go.

After quickly running the provided brush through her hair and drinking the bottle blood supplied for her, Kat shuddered and then left the bedroom. Heading down the hall and following the descending stairs, she soon came to the front doors and heard voices. Moving forward, she saw Savage talking with some men and it was clear he was not happy. Neither would she have been in his shoes.

With a soft clearing of her throat, she waited for the men to notice her and glanced out over hte dark lawns.

He was so tired of the excuses he was being given, that he was half in his mind to bash some heads together and dismiss his entire staff. The mansion had been a gift from one of his supporters; something about a 'summer home' that the previous ruler had supplied the other vampire's family with long ago. It had come with the servants and the guards...and so far, Chris had only enjoyed the services of the maid staff. Everyone else was utterly incompetant, and he felt a pang of memory as he thought of his home in New York. Oh, how he wished he hadn't killed a SOUTHERN vampire king...

The sounds of a throat being cleared had him turning toward its source, and then everything just...melted away. He blinked once, twice, then a third time as his eyes practically drank in the woman standing near the stairs. The clothing she'd worn on the base- what he'd seen of it, anyway, before she'd been stripped into a surgical gown- had hidden most of her figure. And when she'd been wearing his shirt, he hadn't exactly been focused completely on her...but now? Now, he could see all the right kinds of curves being hugged by the loose material, as well as a pair of very attractive legs. Talk about a walking distraction.


"Ah, Commander Foster," He said, relieved when his voice came out sounding calm and collected. "The clothing...suits you. Are you ready to go to the airport?"

As that keen glance turned her way, Katarina suddenly felt like shifting uncomfortably. The kings expression didn't change but Kat felt as if she were an interesting new specimen under a microscope lens and she hated it. Damn the dress anyways. While she'd often worn skimpier things than this on missions for the simple purpose of bait, she'd never felt as exposed as she did now. Perhaps because she was wearing no weapons underneath the thing.

Deciding that standing there was only making it worse, she moved forward at his greeting and turned her green eyes on th guards standing nearby. One of them worn an expression that was as close to sneering as she supposed he could get in his liege's presence and it pissed her off. His eyes were what really tipped the scale though.They looked her up and down like she was some sort of curb side street whore and worthy of nothing more than his lust. Obviously, he didn't take the title his king had just installed upon her seriously.

His mistake.

"Savage."she drawled out by way of greeting, although her eyes never left the guards. "Yes, I'm quiet ready to go. You've been most kind during my.. convalescent. Please allow me to return the favor by telling you that your left side guard is keeping secrets that you will probably find very interesting." As she spoke, she watched the guards eyes flare with alarm and felt a spur of pleasure. "gotcha" she thought in her mind before continuing. "I wouldn't even be surprised if that maid he's bumping hips with was grilling him for the information that lead to yesterdays incident. I would imagine that he's been here since you took.... possession of the place?"

Not even bothering to slow her step, she walked right up to the vampire and smacked away hand that swiped at her. With expert tactics, she spun him around and twisted his arm behind his back before idiot even knew what had hit him. When he tried to grab at her with the other one, she simply twisted it too and then patted him down in a quick fashion that spoke of years of experience. When she found something long and hard on one side of his pants, she smirked. "Awww... Whats this?? Since I know your not happy to see me.......I wonder what we have here?"

Grabbing at the thing, she pulled out a long, slender wooden dagger. Anger rushed through her but she kept her voice light. "A toothpick maybe? For those big fangs of yours?"

Instinctively, Chris found himself tensing when the guards shifted nervously. He'd known that there had been something hinky going down for a few weeks now, but he hadn't made a move on it; too engrossed in launching his new line of synthetic blood and changing some of the more antiquated laws in their society. The signs had been there- the empty corridors, the whispering late at night- but he'd rather concentrate on what actually mattered, his people. Now that Kat was standing there, looking all self assured in her flattering dress, however, he felt a twinge of shame. As King, he should have taken care of this a long time ago. Even after ten years, he was still learning, wasn't he?

Darkly, the Vampire King straightened to his full height and eyed the guards, who were now taking cautious steps back. A few of the other soldiers, obviously a bit more loyal than their fellows, flanked them in a semi-circle, blocking the door. Without looking at Kat, he took the stake from her and approached the traitors, who were now shaking in their boots.

"You all know the law," He said softly, a hard expression on his face. "We have no prisons. We have no holding cells. There is only one punishment for betraying your King...death."

At that, the younger of the four practically screamed and fell to his knees. Though his fellows yelled for him to be quiet, the guard started babbling, begging for mercy, promising to tell Chris everything about a plot against his life. He wanted to believe him, but...the law was the law. As King, he had to uphold them.

And, without another thought, he plunged the stake into the guard in the middle's chest, shot the one next to him with a weapon confiscated earlier, then turned to the younger.

"What do you think, Commander?" There was a cold edge in the older vampires voice as he turned to look at the woman behind him. He tried to keep all emotion from his face, but he coudln't hide the guilt in his eyes. "You sniffed them out. Will this one do as he says?"

Damn, Kat hated when these sorts of decisions came down to her. She could only imagine what Savage felt as he faced off with the men who had lied and betrayed him. Mercy and compassion were things to be valued in their time but in circumstances like this... A true leader could not afford to show leniency. To do so would be to invite other attacks and cause further blood to be shed. It was never an easy thing to be in the position of a ruler but like the dude in the story once said "with great power came great responsibility". As asinine as it sounded, it was the truth.

As Christopher moved forward to squared off with his guards, Kat instinctively flanked him to cover his back. Standing slightly to the side, she had a front row seat as the first traitor dropped to his knees and started to confess. It was such a pathetic sight that the redhead wanted to tell him to quit his sniveling and take his punishment like a man. However, she did manage to keep her mouth shut out of respect for the man who'd saved her life and was glad she'd done so when she glanced up and read the tell tale trace of resignation in his eyes just before he plunged the stake into the other vamps chest. In that moment, Kat found herself admiring the man for doing what needed done even while abstaining the ability to still feel regret while doing it.

And then he turned turned to her with that closed expression that told her so much but so very little and asked his question. For a moment, she simply stood and looked into his eyes steadily willing some of her own strength into him, before turning to gaze at the younger guard. Pleading eyes met hers but she forced herself to look past that and shook her head. Once a traitor, always a traitor. IN matters of life or death, ones personal guards must be above reproach and this one had already proven himself flawed.


"My lord...." she started out, turning slightly to look up at him and addressing him formerly as was due his position. "I dont' believe that he lies but I think removal from his duties in is order. Logically, the proper course would be to kill him for he knows your household, your habits, the inside layout of your manor and other pertinent information that could be leaked. However, if you have some place to send him that him might be under constant guard...."

Chris:

Chris knew the answer before Kat had a chance to say it. Intrigue like this- actual assassination plots that might have been successful, if not for the trained soldier- were only a precursor to coups. If he allowed the young vampire to live, he might end up joining one of the older families currently demanding for Chris' resignation. Or, worse yet, he could join the Malcontents, who were convinced that they should 'rule' over the humans as the dominant species. Even though the guard was so damned young, he just posed too much of a risk, alive. Like he'd said before; they have no prisons.

His number one priority was to his people, and this young man posed a serious threat to the peace. God...he didn't want to kill him. He really, really didn't want to kill him...

"Please, my lord, send me back to my family in Scotland. I swear, I will never speak against you again. Please...I swear on my life..." The guard begged, clasping his hands in front of his chest. There were some tears involved, some grabbing of Chris' shoes- talk about uncomfortable- and more promises to never be a bad vampire again.

All in all, Chris was having one helluva bad day. Kat was right; the logical side of him understood that weak minded morons like this one would be easy to re-program by the right orator. He already had enough problems with certain assassination attempts whenever he went outside; it just wasn't a good idea to let a potential future assassin walk away scott free.

"I'll send him to his family, as he says," The King said slowly, giving a small nod to Kat. "I know his father, and word of his betrayal will exclude him from many circles. Fine, traitor...I will let you live. For the moment being. Pack up your things and your former brothers will escort you to the airport."

Yeah, he was an idiot and a bleeding heart. This was not going to end well.

With a murmured exchange with one of his favorite guards, the promise of a not-so-happy escort was given and he dismissed the others in the hall. Rubbing at his temples wearily, he forgot for a minute that Kat was still standing there, and sighed. "Thank you for your help, Commander," He said, without looking up at her. "I appreciate it your input. Now...I bet you're just about bursting to get out of here, hmm?"

Well... This was AWKWARD

As Chris went about disciplining his help, Kat rocked restlessly on her high heels and then made a show of being entirely too interested in a patch of pretty looking flowers. In her mind, she went over the zillion names for what they could be and tried to give the reluctant monarch some space. Unfortunately the list of flowers she actually KNEW was short and she couldn't stare at the stupid blooms forever.

Heaving a little sigh, Kat waited until the others had left the front steps before turning to face Savage once more. He seemed lost in thought so she simply waited and allowed him to gather his thoughts. Finally, he seemed to remember her presence and spoke. His words made a slight smile play about her ruby lips but her voice was level when she spoke.

"Well, I can't say that I envy your job but... it hasn't been all that bad. At least I haven't been bored." she teased, trying to lighten the heavy moment. "I don't suppose it will help but what you just did.... I admire you for it. Its a lot easier to kill than to show mercy. Mercy isn't neccessarily a weakness, you know... It might not always work out like we hope but at least it shows that some of us still have some humanity."

Feeling she'd said enough, Kat pivoted and walked around him and towards the car that waited. Casting him a glance over her shoulder, she arched a brow. "Well, are you coming?? Or are you going to send me off like some unwanted pest?? Ohhhhhhhhhh Rightttttttttttt.. I AM an unwanted pest!"

[Commander Katarina Foster]

Chris:

Chris couldn't help but snort in amusement at her first statement. Bored? Not all bad? Gah, she should stick around for tonight's fiasco, when the rest of his guards realized what their brethren had done. Let the damned apologizing and prostration begin. Yeesh...some of these vamps and their antiquated sense of honor...for Chrissakes, even he was old, but he didn't bow at every Tom, Dick and Crowned King.

"Yes, well...rethink that 'admiring' comment when those who appose me start saying I'm a weakling who lets assassins live. Believe me when I say that the political fallout for that fiasco is going to haunt me for the rest of my days." Crossing his arms over his chest, he cut himself off in mid-rant and watched her saunter toward the door. Damn, but if he wasn't careful, he was going to start drooling.

A guilty flush practically surged onto his cheeks as his eyes snapped back up to her face when she whipped around and he immediately began moving outside. The day's events had him glancing around, hoping like God there were no more would-be assassins leaping out of the trees like flipped out ninjas, and let loose a sigh of relief when the driver was the only new face.

"You aren't an unwanted pest, Commander," He said quickly, giving the driver a brief nod. "If anything, I owe you for saving my life back there. I just don't want to keep you, and...well, obviously, now isn't the best time to be playing host. If you're not careful, you could find yourself getting stabbed."

KAT:

Instead of replying to the "Kings" last remark, Kat just smirked. Casting a glance back over her shoulder, she caught the guilty flush on his cheeks and couldn't help the husky laugh that escaped her throat. She was, after all, only a woman and any woman like to be appreciated. Especially when the one doing the admiring was devilishly handsome and was worth a few glances himself.
KAT: Not that she'd noticed, of course. Yeah, and if anyone was stupid enough to believe that, she'd throw the golden gate in free.

Time to turn the subject. Back to reality. That thought was sobering in and of itself. She had no idea what to expect when she got back to base and her new idenity wasn't exactly one that was going to endear her to anyone she didnt think. True, she'd always been part vampire but now she was fully vamped out. What would her teams reaction be? Would they still be willing to follow her? What was she going to do if they didn't? All the uncertainties instantly made her head hurt.

Not that she was about to let thought show though.

"Just to make it clear, Savage. You don't owe me anything. Chalk it up to repaying the favor and all that. You saved my life, I saved yours. Its how things work between.... friends? Acquaintances? Hell, I'm not sure what we are but whatever it is.. we're even so thats all that matters." she said, sliding into the backseat as the driver held a door. "Nothing more needs to be said on the subject."

As she waited for him to join her, the redhead began to thrum her fingers absently on the seat. Suddenly nervous for no apparent reason, she shifted uneasily and stared out into the night. The coming meeting with her team weighed heavily on her mind. When the sound of the other door shutting came, she was so lost in thought she didn't react

Chris:

He was doing his best not to look at her, but knew he was failing miserably. Like some kind of tween, he was sneaking sideways glances at her; feigning shifting around, leaning back, 'looking' out her side of the window...it was all very sad and very, very annoying. In all of his years as a vampire, he'd never doubted the fact that he was appealing to the opposite sex. Hell...given his track record with the ladies- both human and vampire- he'd definitely won some kind of cosmic lottery. And yet, sitting beside the spec ops soldier, he felt almost...unsure. This woman, unlike most of the others he'd come into contact with, was more sure of herself, more capable of taking care of herself and others, that he felt almost...green, in front of her. Useless. Young.

And those were really NOT things that any suitable King should be feeling, that was for shit sure.

When she started talking to him again, he bit back a sigh of relief. Thank God; something to concentrate on that didn't concern the fact that she made him fidgety as hell...not to mention uncomfortable in all the wrong places. A frown stole across his lips when she dismissed the obvious debt he owed her and crossed his arms over his chest. The driver was taking the long route, he thought with an inner grumble. He was going to fire the guy on the spot later, he swore...

"We're more like family, now that you have my blood in your veins," He couldn't help but point out. And the thought REALLY didn't help all that rampant discomfort. "As for the debt...as King of the Southern Clans, I do say that I owe you. And if you ever need my help, or the help of one of my subjects, please let me know." And if you're ever back in my neck of the woods, PLEASE stop in for a drink, he thought with an inner sigh. This was just getting ridiculous now.

There was a short silence after that, which he wished he could fall into, but found himself talking again. "Where did you learn how to move like that, anyway. I've only seen vampires twice your age move so...fluidly. Was that your training?"

KAT

God save her from honorable vampires. As the southern “king” spoke and gave voice to what he felt was his “obligation”, Kat was hard pressed not to roll her eyes. Something that she suspected wouldn't go over well with this manner concious male. Seriously though, what had he expected her to do? Stand around and let him be murdered? Or at least murdered a second time? Could a vampire technically be “murdered” a second time? Damn, she was really going to have to get on track with all this. No matter what he thought though.. She'd only been doing what was ingrained in her. It wasn't in her blood to stand around when evil was going down and the fact that he'd saved her own life had only been the nail that sealed the coffin, no pun intended.

However, suspecting that nothing she said would change his mind, Kat remained silent as his words trailed off. As seconds ticked into minutes, her mind once again wandered back to the coming reunion and she almost started when Chris's voice broke the silence again.

Turning her emerald gaze on him, she watched him for a long moment before she replied. When she did so, she weighed her words carefully. She wasn't sure exactly how much the immortal knew but she wasn't going to give him the complete truth if he didn't have it already. It was always good to keep some secrets close to your chest just like a good hand of cards.

“Its no secret that I've never been exactly... normal. From the time I can remember, I had better cordination and dexerity than most people and was far stronger than a normal human. It wasn't until I was six or seven that my mother and uncle explained why but even before that they stressed how important it was that I be careful with how I did things. I guess when you spend your whole life being different... adjustments just come naturally.” she drawled out slowly. “As soon as I was able to understand the difference between myself and others, Uncle Hawk made sure I was put through a battery of tests and my free hours were spent drilling. While other kids were playing dolls and putting on dresses... I was learning twelve ways to take out an oppenent. When most teenagers were dreaming of their first kiss, I was performing tasks that even the most elite units around the world were iffy about.”

Falling silent for a moment, the red head gathered her thoughts before continuing.

“I guess thats the price you pay for being a rare kind of creature that everyone wants to figure out. I only know of one other of my kind and he dissapeared from puble sight around the 1800's so you can imagine what the government thought about having one of their own to study... I'm like one of those weird lab rats performing tasks I guess.”

Although there was no anomosity in her expression, the bitter edge to her tone was apparent even to herself. With a self depriciating look, Kat ran a hand through her hair and sighed. Glancing back out into the darkness, she remained quiet for a moment before continuing.

“Its not been a bad life.... but I can't help but wonder what they are going to think about the fact that I'm no longer their little project. Or what my unit will think now....”

Chris:

Good Lord...she'd had quite the intense life, Chris thought with a little frown. He just pictured her as a little girl with pigtails, looking outside to watch the other children her age running around happily...while she had to clean her gun for inspection. And he'd thought that growing up in the 1920's slums had been hard. At least he'd had a relatively enjoyable childhood, thanks to his hardworking parents. She'd been so isolated, so obviously alone. It was a miracle that she'd turned out sane, he couldn't help but think. Or able to speak to him with such an intelligent wit, instead of showing off her isolation with social awkwardness. He could be nothing but impressed...and more than a little intrigued.

And just about when a certain idea popped up in his head. Oh, she probably wasn't going to take it very well, given the nature of his request and her obvious alliance to his 'Hawk' person, but...he had to try.

With a rap of his knuckles on the blackened window that separated the passengers from the driver, the towncar slowed and pulled over to the side. He knew such an act would alarm a trained soldier such as herself, so he kept his hands where she could see them.

"Then don't return to them," He said, his eyes locking on hers. He had the strange urge to take one of her hands into his own, to chase away the obvious shadows lurking around in her eyes at the memories of her past, but he tamped them down. "Stay here, with me; with people who understand you. Your people. None of this should have ever happened to you; dhampir or no. You are one of us and you should be with your kind. Not these humans who have caused you so much pain in the past."

Pausing, he looked down at his hands for a second, before bringing them back up to her face. What a brazen turn he'd brought the conversation to, he thought absently. As if he were any better than their 'human' counterparts. Deciding to keep with the bluntness of his statements, he continued. "Stay in the mansion, with me. Become my Sentinal; the head of my elite guard. As you can see, I am in need of people that I can trust, who are good at what they do, and I sense that you are both."

KAT:

To say that Kat was a bit shocked at the turn of the conversation would have been putting it mildly. For a long moment, she could only stare at the vampire king in bemusement. Her rational mind clicked as it processed his offer with all its ramifications but she couldn't help the narrowing of her eyes. In her experience, very few people made offers like that without some kind of catch and she wasn't fool enough to believe there wasn't one here.

Not that she said that though because it only took a moment for her to catch his unease as he glanced upwards to capture her gaze.

"Um... Well..... Thats an intriguing offer." she said instead, watching him with thoughtful green eyes. "Please understand though.... My team... they are like family. No matter what hells the government put me through, they were the end result and they are the people who stood with me in the end. We aren't just a squad... We're something more. There isn't a man or woman in my squad who wouldn't lay down their lives for another member and I can't reward that sort of loyalty by walking away first. I have to return and at least finish this out or I'll never be able to rest easy."

Reaching up to tuck a lock of red hair behind an ear, she watched him with a level gaze before continuing.

"As grateful as I am to you for saving my life.....I don't know any of you truly. I've never been a part of the vampire community and those I've met... Well, forgive me for saying that I haven't been to impressed. Maybe this is because its been my job to hunt those gone rogue with bloodlust but I've found most to be selfish and egotistical to the extreme even while they took my blade to the heart. I'm not sure I could stomach that on a day to day basis. I've never been very good at holding my tongue or acting polite when theres something pissing me off... No doubt, your clan would not appreciate that."

Then, smiling slightly to take away some of the sting of her rejection, she tilted her head.

"That said...... I appreciate the offer and would like to assure you that any time you have need of me... You have only to pick up the phone. While I might not be able to give my loyalty to your clan, I can give it to you because I believe you to be a man worthy of the title bestowed on you even if there are idiots lacking in the intelligence to understand that the world is changing and they must change with it."