I Love You, I'll Kill You

I sat there on the black leather couch for what felt like hours, crying into my hands, hiding away my tear stained face. Desmond sat next to me, quietly watching me sob my eyes out after what he had showed me on the news. His words after the news had only made me feel more depressed. Now that the clone of me in my world was dead, my parents thought I was dead. It would now be impossible for me to go home. My parents would freak if their dead daughter suddenly showed up on their doorstep, looking alive.

There was no going back now.

I let out another cry, and as much as I tried to stop myself from letting out sobs, I couldn’t stop. I finally pulled my hands away from eyes, suddenly feeling dizzy. My eyes widened in panic, my hands covering my mouth. Desmond seemed to catch on quickly and picked me within a blink of an eye and rushed me to the bathroom. He sat me in front of the toilet, letting me release my acidic contents just in time. He rubbed my back and kept my hair out of my mess as I held my head over the toilet, trying to make myself feel better.

I flushed the toilet a couple more times, making sure there was nothing left in my stomach to divest. After moments of hanging over the toilet, I fell to the floor, holding onto the toilet seat. I had no more contents to release. I heard the water run before a cup was pushed in front of my face.

"Here," Desmond muttered, holding the cup for me to take. I shook my head wearily, feeling sick again just thinking about drinking or eating anything. "It will make you feel better—trust me," he spoke in one of the kindest voices I had heard from anyone. It was hopeful and caring. I stared at the cup for another moment before lifting my shaking hands to grab the cup. I stared down into the cup of water, the clearness reminding me of all the tears I had shed for the past couple of hours. I closed my eyes, slowly sipping the water on the large bathroom floor. Desmond bent down next to me, looking over my face carefully.

"Thank you," I murmured, my eyes refusing to look to his. He nodded his head and sat down next to me on the floor, leaning against the wall. I quietly sipped the water, finding the cup extremely interesting all of a sudden. I didn't like these kinds of tense silences, so I couldn’t help but speak up.

"Why are you doing this?" My voice cracked as I asked the question. Desmond seemed to tense at my question, his eyes on me with uncertainty. They stayed on me for a moment before they averted back to the tiling on the bathroom floor.

"What do you mean?" he asked in a naïve voice. My eyes stayed on the cup in my hands, watching the ripples on the water. I wanted to cry some more, but I couldn't conjure up any more tears.

"Why are you trying to make me feel better? For some reason, I don't think it's because you're obligated to." By his reaction, I knew I had hit a nerve. His body went tense, but as soon as my eyes looked up to his, he seemed to relax, his eyes softening a bit, as though I had just said something sweet and kind. He was the first one to turn his eyes away this time. I watched as he looked over the tiled floor.

He sighed before he began to speak. "I don't remember my parents. Seeing yours crying on the television makes me wonder if my parents ever cried or cared like yours. Whenever I think of what my parents might be like, I think I would vision them to be something like yours."

“Your real parents weren’t the ones I saw at your house? But I thought they were your family,” I said in confusion.

He shook his head. “They are my adopted parents. Selene is their true daughter, but the rest of us were brought into the family many years after they had been a blood-related family.” He paused for a moment, looking at the wall across him with a content look on his face. “They took me in when I had just turned into a vampire, not caring how crazed I was. They taught me everything I knew, helped me through it all.” I didn't quite understand where he was going with this, but I listened anyways, a bit interested about who he was. There was an old saying about something like this; Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. But for some reason, he didn't feel like the enemy right now.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can relate to you in a way. I didn't choose to be who I am." As he spoke these words, I was sipping some water, but choke on it as I tried to speak at the same time as drinking. I coughed a bit, but choked out a surprised, "What?" He chuckled quietly at my reaction of choking on water, but explained.

"I was not always a vampire. At some time, though I hardly remember, I was human and alive. I don't think it will be a surprise to you to know that Cain was the one to change me. Otherwise, I don't think I would be his right hand man."

I blinked a few times, taking in all the information slowly. "Actually, I am a bit surprised. I didn't know Cain was a vampire." I shuddered, thinking of how easily he could have stuck his fangs in me. My eyes became lost when Desmond shook his head a little.

"Well, he's not a vampire. He has the power to create or change a human into any deadly creature, just like his father. You see, he could have changed me into a werewolf or demon—if he wanted to," he replied.

I shook my head slightly, not liking this bit of information one bit. It scared me. "Is he really that powerful?" I whispered, my voice quivering a bit as I spoke.

He nodded his head. "Yes, he is. Consider who his father is, and I think you should understand why he's so powerful. I mean, Lucifer is the most feared being in this world. Cain is the second."

I sighed loudly, glancing to him from the side. "And let me guess—you're the third."

He smirked at my comment and shrugged his shoulders with a cocky smirk. "More or less," he said innocently as he could be. I shook my head, not believing I was sitting on the floor with such a feared being...er, vampire. It just figured that I was stuck with him. I didn't understand how he was going to figure out my 'special' power; that is if I even had one. Cain sounded like he was sure of himself, but for some reason, I couldn't help but shake my head mentally. The devil's son believed his father because of some feeling? How lame was that?

"By the way—how old are you?" I asked with a quick glance. He seemed so young; no more than 19. He smirked at my question, capturing mine for a moment. I tried not to gasp as the color of his eyes were so captivating; it was almost impossible not to get lost in them. I prayed mentally that I wasn't blushing, but from the chuckle he made, I was pretty red.

"I had a feeling you were going to ask that question. How about we make a deal?" he proposed. I lifted an eyebrow at him, knowing how cleaver he could be. He was probably going to trick me some way. I knew this could only get me into more trouble and mayhem, but I considered it.

"What kind of deal?" I hesitated to ask, feeling Desmond's wide smirk on me, his eyes bright with something amusing. He was probably thinking of something evil in his mind. I turned my eyes back to him and immediately regretted it. His eyes were staring right at me, his fangs shining with his smile wide. I watched as he jumped to his feet with a blink of an eye. I stared with a lost look as he bent down and held out his hand to me. I looked at it as though it were some strange beast that was waiting to bite my hand off if I touched it.

"Come. I'll tell you how old I am after I explain things. I need you for something." He failed to explain why he needed me, so automatically I was a bit apprehensive about this whole deal. I reluctantly took his hand. He effortlessly lifted me to my feet and immediately began to drag me out the bathroom by my hand. He stopped dragging me, obviously forgetting I was a human—not a strange creature. He turned to me, and his eyes held excitement, clearly having fun thinking about the deal.

He released my hand and let me walk on my own to the front door. Like a gentleman, he opened the door for me and let me walk out first. I blinked, not getting how it was still dark outside, even after hours of it being nighttime. I heard the door close as he walked out of the two story house and over to me, his hands in his pockets. I stared over the misty looking neighborhood, the lights casting shadows. I shivered when it reminded me of a scene from a horror movie.

"Now, I'll explain the deal. See that house across the street?" he asked, pointing to possibly the darkest house on the street. I swallowed hard, nodding my head slowly with wide eyes. I already didn't like this deal.

He smirked, noticing my sudden worried form. "I need you to get something from inside the house that only you can get," he said, straightening himself again and putting his hand back in his pocket.

"Excuse me?" I asked with a sudden slump of my shoulders. Nope. There was absolutely no way I was going through with this deal. I tensed and felt my breath get caught as Desmond's arm falls over my shoulders in a friendly approach.

"Oh, come on, Grace. I thought you wanted so dearly to find out my age. Plus, this is a way to prove to me you've got courage and…talent." I didn't like the way he ended that small explanation. I shook my head, bringing my fingers to the bridge of my nose in annoyance. He kept his arm around my shoulders, leaning on me, waiting for my reply. I let out a loud sigh before I mumbled a few incoherent insults, but I knew his keen ears would hear them.

"Okay—what is it that I must absolutely get for your convenience?" I asked with dark sarcasm, not liking this idea one bit, but was not about to let a deal like finding out his age slip away so easily. Plus, I was not going to be seen as a wuss. This was what always got me in trouble. I could do the evil thing and tease him until I got his age, but for some reason, I had a feeling he was good at holding himself back and composed when it came to teasing. I could feel him smile down at me with pure delight and excitement.

"Excellent. Now, all you have to do is break into the house and grab a certain jewel."

"And why am I stealing this jewel?" I grumbled, wanting to know his motives for having me break into a house. "And why am I the one doing this? You could get it a lot easier and faster than I ever could." I was getting to be a bit of a smartass. I was not an idiot when it came to people like Desmond. There was evil intent hidden behind his eyes, but I let it slide, knowing that he really was a bad guy just waiting for me to screw up. He chuckled a bit when I sent him a dark glare while crossing my arms over my chest. My frown fell even further when he lifted his pointer finger and rocked it from side to side while shaking his head.

"Tsk, tsk, Gracie. That was not part of the deal. I'll give you the answers to your questions when you get back. All you have to know is that you need to break into that house to get a red ruby to get answers. You will see it on a stand, on the first floor. It shines in the dark, so it should be easy enough to find it." I wasn't sure, but he closed his eyes, probably hiding the hilarity in his eyes. I sighed, shaking my head for the hundredth time, knowing that this was probably just another one of his tricks.

I can't believe I am doing this. I shook my head mentally. I opened my eyes to look at the ground, my feet plastered on the ground. They suddenly felt heavy, as though choosing to go against me.

"Well?" he began, holding his hand out to the house, waiting impatiently. I bit my lower lip and forced my legs to move, even though they weighed greatly. Each step was painfully loud as I walked onto the concrete. It was as though there was an echo for each step. When I made it half way across the street, I glanced behind me to Desmond. He was still standing on the misty lawn, with his hands in his pockets, his fangs now glinting from the streetlights as he smiled widely, watching my shaking form cross the street and into what I now believed was going to be my doom.

Like a secret agent, I pressed my back against the side of the house, trying to be as invisible and quiet as possible. I could hear Desmond chuckle from the other side of the street, laughing at my attempts to be like James Bond. I growled quietly, wanting to smash his head against something and forget about this whole deal. But I was not going to let him pester me for however long I was going to stay with him, making fun of me for being a coward.

I slid with my back to the side window. I peeked inside to make sure no one was in sight. The coast was clear. I took a quick glance around the dark first floor, seeing almost nothing. Almost. In the corner of the room, on a stand, just like he said, was a tiny red light. This was going to be easier than I had first thought. Feeling like a super agent, I silently grabbed the edge of the window and lifted it up. Whoever left their windows unlocked was an idiot. I kind of gracefully lifted my body onto the windowsill and pulled myself into the house. I took another glance around the dark first floor before putting my foot on the carpeted floor. I froze when the floor squeaked as soon as I put any weight on it.

My breath got caught, and I couldn't hear anything, and only hoped that it was the same for the owner of the house. I let out the breath and continued with putting my other foot on the floor, sighing mentally when the floor didn't squeak. Like a ninja, I go unnoticed while tiptoeing over to the red shining color. As I reached over to the stand, I suddenly realized how pretty the ruby was. Its light shined in the dark, its color and shape dazzling. It was a girl's best dream. That is if she loved jewels. I reached across to grab the ruby.

Without any warning, a hand surrounded my mouth while the other arm slid around my waist, bringing me back against a hard body. I screamed into the hand, panic taking over my reflexes. I tried to kick and move my arms, but I was suddenly frozen in place. I tensed and felt fear hit me hard as soft lips brushed against my ear.

"Well, what do we have here? A burglar? What a sweet and sultry being. So small and fragile. And human, no less. I think I'll take advantage of this little intrusion," a dark voice whispered against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. My eyes were so wide, I was sure they were going to break out of their sockets. I gasped and screamed again, feeling lips trail down to my neck, nipping at it. I froze when I felt fangs slide across the crook of my neck. Right then, I knew he was a vampire.

Damn you, Desmond! You knew what I was getting myself into! I scream mentally, cursing Desmond in every possible way. Before I could blink my eyes, I felt a strange sensation run through my veins. I stared in horror, realizing I was suddenly in a totally different room. A bedroom. I grunted as I was thrown onto the bed like a rag doll. I went to sit up and pushed off the bed, only to be harshly pushed back down and hovered by a dark figure.

"No!" I screamed as he grabbed my wrists and pinned them to the bed. I finally got a good view of him in the dark when the lights from the streetlamps shined in. I gasped. He was handsome, but had dark crimson eyes. His dark brown and bleached hair was spiked with too much gel.

I started to stammer. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I mean, I did, but..." I couldn't finish, unable to suddenly speak as he smirked down at my stuttering form. I stared with wide eyes while his fangs sparkled in the dark, just like Desmond's. I struggled to lift my wrists, but barely got them to move at all. He was too strong.

"You're a very peculiar girl. It's not every day that I meet a human with such...beauty and desirable...scent, I believe is the right word. I think I shall put you to good use. And I have a feeling you'll enjoy it...for the most part," he ended with a chuckle that made the hairs on my skin stand on end.

"No! I'm sorry. Please—just let me go!" I tried to reason with him, begging for him to get off of me. He merely chuckled at my pleading, his head bending down to my neck. I tried to kick my legs to get him off, but nothing seemed to make him budge. I think I only made matters worse by struggling against him, for he let out a low growl.

Just when I thought it was the end for me, when his fangs trailed across my neck, a sudden force pulled him off of me and threw him into the wall on the other side of the room, making the wall crack. I immediately sat up and saw a cool and composed Desmond standing next to the bed. I gritted my teeth, wanting to slaughter him for this whole deal. Ignoring me, he walked over to the other vampire and stood before him, his hands in his pockets. The vampire, who was now slumped on the ground, looked up with mad eyes, but as soon as they saw that it was Desmond, they turned to fear. I could feel the panic radiate off of him.

"D-Desmond?!" he stuttered in shock, backing further against the wall. Desmond looked at his nails, as though he had just touched something grotesque and was trying to get the feeling off of him. I watched with narrowed eyes and observe the scene before me.

"Marcus, I would like to introduce you to my new love, Grace. Grace, come here," he said in a silky voice, glancing back to me while holding his hand out for me to take. I blinked a few times, not knowing where he was going with this. I saw from the floor that Marcus's eyes seemed to grow bigger when he heard the word 'love' in Desmond's sentence. I had, too.

I stood from the bed and slowly walked over to his side, holding out my hand to connect it with his. I gasped when he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me in a protective barrier, his eyes on Marcus, who still sat on the floor in shock. I tried not to hyperventilate with Desmond's arms wrapped around me, his head now resting on my shoulder.

"Now, as I recall, Marcus, that little ruby down there really belongs to me. I sent over my precious jewel, Grace, to retrieve it for me." Desmond was speaking in a deadly, but amused voice. I swallowed hard, feeling the cold of his body radiate onto me, sending icy chills across my body. I could feel him smirk when he felt I was tense against his body.

"I-I swear, I had no idea. Forgive me. It won't happen again." Marcus looked like a little bug, praying for his life to Desmond, who was the kid with the large shoes, ready to mush him. I turned my head to the side a little to see Desmond's fangs shine with a smile.

"Be sure that it doesn't. If you ever lay a hand on my Gracie ever again, I'll make sure that you suffer greatly. And tell the others it goes the same for them as well." Desmond sounded like he was enjoying himself, tormenting this pathetic name for a vampire. Marcus was looking like he was dying all over again.

"O-of course! And please accept my apology and best wishes for you both by taking one of my finest bottles of champagne." This guy was a total suck up when it came to Desmond.

Was he really that powerful?

I felt every muscle in my body tense when Desmond bent down and kisses my neck, obviously trying to show off in front of Marcus. I could do nothing but stay frozen in shock.

"Thank you, Marcus. We shall take our leave," he whispered against my ear. I was thinking he was trying to show off and make his comments more believable by touching me, but by the time he began to drag me to the door, I realized that he was just doing it to get a reaction out of me. His arm wrapped around my waist and leads me to the door, never releasing me as we walked down the stairs and to the first floor.

"Pathetic," I heard Desmond murmur from beside me, a wicked smirk on his face while he had his eyes closed. Marcus was probably still on the floor, his expression still frightened. As we walked towards the door, Desmond reached for something, snatching it protectively in his hands. He stopped and turned around.

"I almost forgot," he stated before disappearing within a blink of an eye and reappearing just as fast. The whole time, my eyebrow was raised to him in confusion. He smirked and lifted up his hand to reveal the fancy bottle of champagne. I shook my head while snorting, opening the door harshly and stomping outside. He chuckled from behind me, closing the door before appearing next to me, keeping up with my stomping pace easily.

"You're angry,” he commented, noticing the irritated look on my face. I gritted my teeth, growling in frustration while turning to glare at him, pointing my finger at him without stopping.

"Of course I'm angry! You set me up, you jerk!" I snapped, fury flowing through my veins. This whole thing was all part of his plan, and I knew it from the smug look on his face during that whole rendezvous with his 'buddy', Marcus. His smug look only seemed to grow at my accusation. I growled and walked faster across the street while he shrugged his shoulders innocently, as though it was nothing to have worried about. I ignored him, and I walked up to the front door, opening it quickly, and slamming it in his face before he had the chance to walk in after me.

I turned around, and shrieked when I came face to face with the same smug Desmond, the bottle in his hand, the ruby in the other. I let out a loud snarl of aggravation and I brushed past him, making sure to slam my shoulder carelessly into his as I pasted him. I stomped into the television room, throwing myself on the black leather couch, my arms crossing over my chest while I fumed. I snatched the remote control and turned on the T.V. I practically screamed and threw the remote when the love scene from the second Underworld was on.

"I like that scene," a voice came from behind me. I reached over and turned the channel to something else; flipping through channels quickly without really seeing what was on. Desmond walked from behind me and sat down next to me with two champagne glasses and the bottle he had gotten from Marcus. I kept my arms crossed over my chest while I flashed through the channels.

"Care to have a drink?" he asked friendly, his smirk perfect as always. I ignored him and kept my glare and eyes on the television screen. He let out a sigh and grabbed a cork screw before opening the bottle. My eyes watched from the side as he poured two glasses of the champagne, setting one in front of me on the coffee table.

"No thanks," I spat out, quickly averting my eyes from the welcoming sparkling drink. He shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on the couch, one arm leaning on the back of the couch, looking rather relaxed. My eyes narrowed at him while he let out a tiny moan after taking a small sip of the sparkling liquid, his eyes closing.

"Man, that's good stuff," he said with a sigh. I rolled my eyes, trying to fight the urge to take one sip. My mother had always allowed me to take small sip of her drinks; nothing that would hurt me or get me drunk. It became a habit of mine to test taste all the bouquet whenever she was trying something new.

"You're missing out on a real great drink, Grace," he said while he sent me a small smirk. My eyes rolled again and turned back to the television. He let out a sigh and he set his drink down on the coffee table.

"Okay, so I used you. I'm sorry. I wanted to see if your powers would show if you were in a dangerous situation by yourself, but I guess that didn't turn out so well." He was speaking as though it was no big deal—that his actions were simply kind and helpful.

"You think? I almost got bitten because of you!" I tried to keep my voice leveled, but failed and I ended up yelling.

Desmond's face turned into a frown, looking more like me every second. "Look, I said I was sorry." He was sounding more defensive every second.

I finally turned to glare at him, my eyes showing my feelings. "You know what, Desmond? Sometimes sorry just isn't enough," I replied in a less angry voice, grabbing the glass of champagne he had poured for me and chugged it with one gulp. All was silent for a moment. I poured myself another glass, not caring if he was watching my every move or not.

Before I knew what I was doing, I had poured my fifth glass of champagne within ten minutes. I didn't care. I wanted to be reckless. Desmond's eyes were watching me devour the expensive champagne, not touching his after my remark.