Varin sat solemnly watching the rain streaming against the window pane, her fingers lightly resting upon the glass. Her skin as cold as ice, her eyes were wide, and unseeing. Staring out into the night with nothing to fix upon, her mind was flying in circles, the room was dead silent but noises screamed in her head.
      Yuji was still being taken care of by the council's healers that were known as Dyan and Alia. No words on her situation, but Varin was definite that her dearest friend was in the same position as she was, utter disbelief. They'd never thought they would be chased by their demons that had long been hidden.
      On their return, all of the Weir's had given them their distance. No one had bothered to ask whether the ambush had gone successfully. When Kavyrn had dragged the two vampires back, their eyes filled with a ghostly horror, not even Celia spoke up. That was when they had realized just how bad Yuji's wounds were; luckily Constance had two friends' healers that were visiting. If they hadn't been there then they might have lost her. Even Vampyre's could die from mortal wounds. They weren't able to fix a stab to the stomach.
      She kept on having visions of her mother, her father, and her mentor…she wouldn't be able to survive a blow such as the lose of Yuji. Varin closed her eyes and exhaled sharply as she remembered vividly the feeling of that mans fangs sinking through her skin, how awful it was. Utterly violating, it was worse then any form of rape… his blood flowed through her veins. She had gotten over it through the time, but the issue was that the encounter had brought up all her nightmares.
      It felt like acid, her nails dug deep into her skin, the crimson liquid swelled up around her fingers. She felt no pain and she stared in a sick sense of fascination at the color, it was bright against her pale unnatural skin. Matching eye closed slowly and her head dropped in exhaustion, she couldn't keep holding up a strong front. Inside her barriers were shattering one by one and it was leaving one hell of a bruise behind.
     The moon was blocked by the clouds, and it was an ebony night, hours til the sunrise, which she wouldn't even be able to fully appreciate. All due to her curse, the damned thing that held her back from being truly human; Varin let her eyes flutter back open but slowly, when they did she stared at her hands that now bore crescent marks upon her. The crimson orbs shimmered with unshed tears, emotions that were coming unbidden. Shaking her lightly she drew her knees up tight and rested her forehead against it, breathing in and out quickly. She didn't want to accept this, she refused to.
    Varin gritted her teeth against a sudden wave of nausea; she was disgusted with herself with everything. She had just encountered the monster that was to blame for the destruction of her happy little family, of her humanity, of her capacity to love. Her body was shaking with small tremors; it was all too much to take in so quickly. One moment she was sturdy safe ground and with one simple step the ground crumbled beneath her feet. The beast had smiled at her as if they had been old friends; spoke her name as if they'd been companions for ages.
   The disgust was building up little by little, and her thought pattern was not helping… it was definitely NOT helping at all. A scream was welling up in her throat; it was clawing its way out, her mouth burned with the desire. The ache was too tremendous, but she fought it with all she was worth. Ignorant of the presence that had slipped into her room silently, not a word, nothing to disturb her. Red eyes watched her, and he ached to hold her and comfort her.
    She bit her lip in a nervous gesture, pain glowed in her eyes, and the darkness illuminated everything about Varin, as opposed to cloaking her in shadows. He ached to speak his presence her was unable to, his mouth was dry as sandpaper. The unshed tears glittered in those crimson orbs, and it struck his unbeating heart so hard it could have torn it in two.
      Yet still his lips were sealed tightly, she finally moved for the first time in the last forty-five minutes. She reached up and unlatched the window, pushing it open lightly, so the rain could enter. Adrasteia might get annoyed in the morning when she noticed the carpet damp. But the look of her standing there, the water pouring in, drenching her hair, face, skin... was leaving a layer of wetness clinging to her glowing skin. The breeze made her shiver and she closed her eyes and tilted her face up to the sky, her ebony hair clung to her face.
    It framed all her ethereal features; he let a sudden intake of air penetrate the silence. Her muscles tensed but she didn't turn towards him, Varin didn't even move an inch, she sighed shakily her eyelashes fluttered and the drops that collected upon her lashes slid down her cheeks. Mocking her with false tears, predicting the future, he thought silently.
    Slowly, almost hesitant, he moved towards her, and she seemed to tense even more, but she didn't move to hurt him at all. No defense was building; ordinarily he would be able to sense it. Each footstep was careful and considerate, no words passed between the two of them. None were needed in that moment, the silence spoke novels worth. Even though he was only four feet away, it felt like it was football fields.
    Finally, as lightning lit up the sky, he stood behind her shaking form, wrapping her in his arms... he held her tight to him. She tilted her head back, and let his chin rest upon her shoulder. Still not a word was spoken; it was as if he knew that she needed a latch onto reality, something to rip her out of her world of darkness and doubts. Her hands rose to rest over his that were wrapped around her waist.
    The rain continued to drench them fully. Her body was trembling, what at first only from the cold, but little by little turned into silent sobs.
   "She'll be fine... Jasper will be fine." Pulling away, she turned and tried to be angry and glare at him. Tried to yell at him, but that look in his eyes... it destroyed everything that she was going to say. For a moment she stood there and stared at him, but quickly he snatched her back to him. His left hand rested upon the top of her head, the right was wrapped tightly around her.
    Varin clung to him, unwilling to let go, determined to let him leave her. That was when the scream finally escaped her throat, it was loud, and it pierced the night like a sharpened blade through flesh. It was a raw noise that removed the storm that was raging within her. Kavyrn was the last piece of reality that she clung to as her pain flooded out. When she couldn't scream any longer she simply cried against him, and he ran his fingers though her hair comfortingly.
   Every little gestured was slowly easing her torment, and eventually she was just shaking. The tears were gone, he placed a chaste kiss upon the top her head.
   "I swear to you that you're safe... that bastard can't come here. We've delivered a lethal blow that will have them on the top of their feet for the next few days." she nodded and yet she couldn't get her fingers to move. Lifting her head to look at him, she was swept away by the emotions that swirled in his ruby red eyes. A blush burned at her cheeks like a forest fire. He smiled softly at her and ruffled her hair gently,
   "Jasper is already in bed resting, fighting with Celia over food. Takoda is about to shove blood down her throat. Care to watch?" she shook her head fervently. Finally words escaped her throat,
   "No...I can't... can't face her..." she whispered with a rough scratchy voice. He placed a quick kiss upon her lips and startled her.
   "Sooner or later you will... But you take your time. Want me to bring something for you to eat?" she quirked her lip up at that comment. Lifting up her toes shyly, she pecked him on the mouth and licked her lips nervously. He flushed with wide eyes, and a small smile.
   "Thank you...For being there for Me." she whispered to him, she started to pull away, but he caught her wrist,
   "I know what he did to you... but, don't let it get under your skin. I never would have gotten the chance to meet you if you had died." He said with a shaky voice, calm and careful, unsure on her reaction. Her hands clenched tightly, as if wishing to beat something, tear something to shreds.
   "Too late, he flows under my skin, he did the worst thing possible, he didn't just change me... he slaughtered my family... but you wouldn't know that, What with your seven sisters?" That was a harsh blow, though it wasn't spoken with spite, it was filled with hurt and defeated pain. Kavyrn pulled her back to him and held her by both wrists and stared at her in the eyes.
   "You have no idea, how wrong you are... I lost six mothers. My own, and five others. My father killed himself right before me. I have lost countless friends in wars, and numerous family members in betrayals. One life is never equivalent to another. Nor should you pity yourself, wishing that you were lying beside your parents in a grave. That will happen eventually, but there are people that care for you here, do not waste what you have been given, whether forced or not. The monster that made you did not destroy you. He simply made you stronger."
   She stared at him with amazed eyes. Something shimmered within them, determination, trust, care, belief, faith, strength? All of those emotions? She threw her arms around his neck and their lips met with a sudden shock that traveled down their spines til it hit their feet. And their mouths molded to each other, fighting for control, yet betraying the love they would never put into words. Breathe mingled, tastes mixed, and thoughts faded.
   When they pulled away and locked eyes, there was such trust that it took away everything that stood around them. He had eyes only for her, and as she took deep breathes she smiled and it shone like a beacon.
   "Thank you Kavyrn" she said and for a moment there was a hint of an Irish brogue in her voice. Then she turned on her heels and ran out the door to find out about her best friends condition. At the door she stopped and flashed a smile that he bet no one had seen for decades.
    And as she vanished, he realized that this was the first time that Varin had removed her beautiful mask that betrayed no emotions other then hurt, rage, anger, and pain. The first time she had ever actually smiled at him. Something within him bloomed with warmth. Perhaps he had a chance after all.