Lilith/Cain

Dexter returned to Simon's lab on the thirtieth floor and was startled when he entered. A woman stood next to Dr. Smythe, her sharp golden eyes flicking intently around the room. Simon was at his usual counter, prepping a row of pipettes.

As soon as he saw the woman, recognition zipped through him. "Are you…?" His mind went blank. Who?

Smythe turned to him. "Ah, there you are Barnes. Meet Vivian Ecklund."

His confused expression only deepened. "Katrina Riley's niece?" She certainly bore a striking resemblance to the large painting of the school's co-founder, but he still felt as if he knew her from somewhere else. "I'm sorry, but have we met before?"

She gave him a long look as if sizing him up. Her expression told him that she viewed him as a minimal threat, unflatteringly so. "No, I've never seen you before." She turned back to Smythe. "And what about Katrina? What does she have to do with all of this?"

"Young lady, that is the entire point," Smythe told her. She bristled at his tone.

Dexter took his chance to retreat, sidling over to Simon. "So, he's really going through with this?" he lowered his head and whispered to his friend.

Simon didn't look up from his work. "That's the plan. He's got everything he needs now, so there's no point waiting around."

"Well, what does our subject think about all of this?" Dexter glanced at Vivian over his glasses.

"She'll be informed of everything, of course. If she doesn't like our plans for her," He paused. "We'll just go ahead anyway."

Dexter frowned. "She wouldn't really object, right?"

Simon spared him a sympathetic glance. "It doesn't matter, she's the only one Smythe will use."

Dexter straightened up and squared his shoulders. He raised his voice, hoping he sounded confident. "You know why you're here, Mrs. Ecklund?"

"Actually, I have no idea," she answered sharply. "From the way I was brought here I can only assume I'm not going to like it."

"We're conducting an experiment here, and we need you to be a part of it." Dexter faltered as indecision trembled in the back of his head, but regained his composure. "We're attempting to create a human/vampire hybrid."

She took a step back as her eyes widened in alarm. "You can't be serious."

"I assure you that we are."

"You're going to try to turn me?" A memory flashed before her eyes, standing in a hospital room while her daughter lay dying. Someone at Mechanex had tried to turn her and it hadn't worked. The man that had rescued her, the vampire in front of her, his eyes closed, his defenses down. That pale gray skin and those wicked black claws. His eyes opened and for a brief second she could see those slitted red orbs before the illusion snapped back into place.

She shook her head as she backed up into a counter. She gripped it with both hands. "I don't want to be turned."

"You're not going to be turned," Smythe said calmly.

She whirled around to face him. "Then what-?"

"You're just a vessel. A receptacle to carry the hybrid."

She put a hand to her stomach as the room swayed. "You can't mean…"

Dexter moved to support her, as she looked like she could collapse at any second. Instead she lashed out at him with a cry. He jumped back, avoiding her blow with less than an inch to spare.

There was a sharp hiss, and her fearful eyes widened. Then her eyelids grew heavy and she slumped forward. He quickly caught her under her arms. Smythe stood behind her, a dart gun in his hand.

"Why…" she mumbled as she leaned on Dexter heavily. "Why me…?"

He struggled to hold her so that she wouldn't slump to the floor, but she was heavier than she looked and he made a habit of never exercising. "Because you're the closest blood relation to Katrina Riley that we could find," he answered with difficulty.

Simon hurried over to help him and together they managed to keep her off the tiles. Smythe stood there unperturbed. "Bring her back to her room," he said as he slipped his dart gun into his lab coat pocket. "It's time to get to work. I've waited long enough for this moment."

xxxXXXxxx

Katrina Riley… this was all because of her?

Vivian drifted in a haze, her thought floating around her, meandering through the quagmire of time.

They only reason they'd gone after her was because of her aunt. Because they were blood related.

She'd been warned, hadn't she?

'Leave New York, this is the only time I'm going to warn you.'

Her mother had laughed, that soft tinkling sound that was always breathless at the end. 'But it's been so long, 'Trina.'

The memory flood back like it had been waiting for this moment. Her mother's older sister had sent a letter to the house, asking to meet at a park nearby. Papi had thought it was a prank, but Mama decided to go anyway.

It was a nice day at the park. The sky was a brilliant blue and everything was growing green and tall. Mama had sat on the bench for over an hour after the appointed time, but she didn't look like she minded. She watched her daughter playing in the grass with a gentle smile on her face.

She arrived eventually, reluctantly. She appeared silently behind the bench, leaning both hands on the back. Alice glanced at her without turning her head. Her older sister was staring into the distance, her harsh gold eyes showing no warmth. "Did you follow me to this city?" Her voice was low and just above freezing.

Alice shook her head. Her blond curls bobbed against her cheeks. "I'm afraid not. Ariel brought us here. His father passed recently and it's his turn to take over the business. It's pure coincidence, 'Trina."

"Don't call me that. Don't sound so familiar around me."

Alice smiled, her blue eyes shining. "But it's so cute."

"You have to leave. Go back to Puerto Rico."

Alice looked out over the park, pleased with what she found. "I think not. I like it here. I brought Vivian with me."

Katrina's fingers curled tightly over the top of the bench. "You shouldn't have done that." She stood under the shade of a tree, dressed head to toe in black. "It's too dangerous."

Alice covered her mouth with a hand to hide her smile. "I think we'll be fine. Ariel always sends a few of his employees when I go out with Vivian. She's his only daughter, you know." She lifted a hand and gave a small wave to a man sitting at other bench. He wore a suit and dark sunglasses and looked completely absorbed in his newspaper. "Oh wait, he might be FBI…" She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Agent Jimenez, good to see you. How's your wife?" The man flipped to another page of his newspaper a little too sharply. Alice laughed merrily.

She turned to her sister finally. Katrina's long red hair was tied back and her face was lined around her eyes and her mouth. "You see? We're perfectly safe."

Katrina shook her head. "You're not. You never will be if you stay so close to me."

Alice looked back at Vivian. "She looks like you, you know. I'm so jealous. All of my boys take after their father, but my only girl doesn't even look like me." She sighed. "It's not fair…"

Katrina stared at Vivian for a long time. Alice could feel her tension through the wood of the bench. "It's a shame you never settled down and started a family."

"I don't want one," Katrina snapped.

"I see. I guess that's your choice..."

She pulled away from the bench and turned to go. "Leave New York, this is the only time I'm going to warn you."

Alice laughed again, softer this time. "But it's been so long, 'Trina."

Vivian looked up from her playing and saw Katrina walking away. She jumped to her feet and ran up to the tall woman. "Are you leaving already?" They hadn't even had a chance to play.

Katrina turned her eyes down to the child. "I have to get back home before dark."

Vivian moaned in disappointment. "That's still hours away, you still have time to play." She grabbed the woman's hand with both of hers.

Katrina snatched her hand away. "I don't have time," she said coldly. She looked over at her sister, who remained on the bench. "I warned you Alice. Don't expect me to help you when they come for you."

"I know," Alice replied, her smile unwavering. "Take care of yourself."

"Whatever," she muttered as she walked away.

She exited the park and looked up and down the street. An aging station wagon sat across the street. It looked like it was ready to be towed, but there were two people sitting inside.

She frowned at the car and crossed the street. "Statton!" she called out. as she made her way to passenger's side.

The man behind the wheel leaned over the empty passenger's seat and rolled down the window. "What do ya want, ya banshee?" he snapped callously.

"Give me a ride back to Long Island. Your car is faster than the train."

"Barely," he grumbled. "Yer on yer own." He started the engine.

Katrina opened the passenger's door and climbed in just as the car started moving. "You followed me all the way out here, you can drive me back."

"Ya never leave ya house, I thought somethin' was goin' down," he muttered darkly.

She caught a glimpse of the passenger in the backseat. A boy, old enough to be a teen, but thin as a rail. "Is that your son?" The boy stared blankly ahead, as if he didn't notice her.

"Arthur!" Statton barked. The boy jumped fearfully. "Say hello to Katrina Riley, the world's greatest hunter." He leered as he said that.

Katrina rolled her eyes in disgust. "Shut up."

"Pleased to meet you," Arthur said politely. His voice was as hollow as his gaze. Just the sight of him made her skin crawl so she looked away.

"You can drop me off after you get off the bridge," Katrina told his father.

"What were ya up to over there?" he asked gruffly.

"Nothing. Just tried to put out a fire before it started."

He snorted, then cleared his throat loudly. He spat out his window. "Yeah. Good luck with that."

xxxXXXxxx

The plane touched down at LaGuardia just after midnight. The four of them waited around at the luggage turnstile. Angie checked the time on her phone and sighed wearily.

"Tired?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, couldn't get any sleep on the plane…" She let out a wide yawn. "As soon as we get home I'm passing out."

Chris stifled his own yawn with difficulty. "I hear you."

Gabriel and Azri stood off to the side. Gabriel had changed out of his torn clothes into a set that Angie had brought with her. Azri wore his usual jeans and sweater. He had a small carry on over one shoulder. He was looking all around. "So, this is New York…"

"This is just the airport," Gabriel told him. "There's a lot more outside." Even without his eyes he could tell that Azri was amazed.

His brother sniffed. "I knew that."

"Come on," Chris called to them. "We should all fit in my jeep."

"Shotgun!" Angie and Azri said at the same time. They looked at each other.

Chris gave them both an exasperated look. "Angie, you rode shotgun the whole time in Alaska. Sit in the back with your boyfriend."

She looked over at Gabriel. "I suppose I could do that. Let me get in touch with Ciel, first. We have to swing by the clinic before we go home." She tapped at her phone.

"Oh yeah, we need some of that stuff they… uh, collect." Chris wrinkled his nose.

"We might just have something a bit better," a gentle voice said from the side.

All four of them spun around, towards the pair that approached them.

"Nymph!" Angie cried, running up to the blind fey. Nymph opened their arms and she threw her arms around their neck.

Donovan stood a few steps behind Nymph, grinning broadly. "Surprised?"

Angie looked at him over Nymph's shoulder. "Yes! What are you guys doing here?"

"We thought that Gabriel might be in poor shape when he returned," Nymph explained.

Donovan looked him over. "And we were right."

"What is he missing?"

"His eyes, which we can fix. Any and all common sense, which we can't. He also seems to have been split in two." Donovan frowned at Azri.

"I'm Ga'vriel. Azrael's brother." Azri held out a hand to Donovan.

"I see." Donovan shook the vampire's hand warily.

"I'm surprised you got back here so quickly," Nymph said. "I was sure you would spend more time up north."

"Lilith urged us to return as fast as possible," Angie explained as she pulled away from Nymph. "Apparently there's a much bigger threat out there. Have you guys ever heard of Cain?"

Donovan and Nymph both stiffened. Donovan looked around the airport wildly. "We have," Nymph said sadly. They reached out blindly for Donovan's arm.

Donovan gripped Nymph's hand tightly. "Cain was the one that turned me," he told the group. "He's the most dangerous force in this entire world, and the reason I never stay on dry land too long."

Angie felt a knot of dread form in her stomach. She looked over at Chris, whose face showed the same tension was twisting his insides. "Let's find somewhere to talk."