Lay stepped out of the bathroom in a pair of baggy sleep pants and white tank top. She just finished using the blow dryer on her hair and looked over to the rge bed. This bed in the guest bedroom in the Silvervine manor was a four-poster bed and white sheer curtains attached to it.

  Lay would have thought Aziza would pose up on bed as Aziza didn't need to blow dry her short hair. She was surprised to see Aziza just lying on her stomach in a pair of gym shorts and white tube top.

  She was hugging a pillow under her chin and Lay sat down beside her, “What’s wrong, love?” Lay asked and gently touched Aziza’s back.

  Aziza let out a sigh before rolling to her side to face Lay, “I’m just worried about how we just fit in.” Aziza said and moved one of her hands to hold Lay’s hand. “You think we would have trouble getting used to everything but yet…here we are.”

  Lay took Aziza’s hand and leaned down to kiss Aziza’s head before ying on her side to be face to face with Aziza. “What has brought this up?” Lay asked and Aziza moved closer to Lay, almost burying her face in Lay’s colr bone.

  “When Diamond was in that fighting pit, tearing apart Jack, I wasn’t horrified by her actions…instead I wanted to jump in to help.” Aziza said and gently squeezed Lay’s hand. “I never had those feelings before…”

  Aziza felt Lay’s free hand to pet her head, “Are you worried that you are losing yourself and becoming someone else?” Lay asked and Aziza gave Lay’s hand a small squeeze again. “I don’t see that happening, if anything you’ve been acting more free.”

  Aziza’s face shot up to look at Lay in confusion. “How does the feeling of wanting to help tearing apart a person mean I’m acting more free?!” Aziza asked and Lay softly smiled to kiss her forehead.

  “Well that is new but what I mean is you're no longer trying to please everyone around you.” Lay commented and kept petting Aziza’s head. “Your confidence skyrocketed ever since you gained your health and training with Diamond.”

  Aziza let out a sigh before burying her face back into Lay’s colr bone. “True.” Aziza paused before gncing at Lay. “How are you feeling about all this?”

  Lay smiled before nuzzling the top of Aziza’s head, “Perfectly fine as I have you by my side…though…” Lay paused to think and Aziza gave her hand a small squeeze. “I think I got a glimpse and feeling Diamond gets when she is in a room…the fear and stares.”

  “From what happened at the party?” Aziza asked and Lay squeezed Aziza’s hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No, I just want to sleep…with you beside me.” Lay whispered and Aziza nuzzled Lay’s neck. “We will have to apologize to Tullia for missing the movie.”

  “They will understand,” Aziza said before getting up and Lay moved under the bnkets. Aziza turned off the lights and returned to bed to slip under the covers with Lay.

  Aziza moved to snuggle up to Lay and Lay embraced Aziza, allowing Aziza to get comfortable first. Aziza’s face became buried into Lay’s chest and her legs interlocking with Lay’s legs. Lay closed her eyes and remembered the eyes of fear from the party before washing away from Aziza’s warmth and embrace as the two drifted asleep.

  Diamond walked into the theater room with a rge bowl of popcorn and was humming as she walked. She had a shower and switched to wearing only bck pair of panties and an oversized white dress shirt with sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

  The theater room was very simple in design with bck walls, and one wall hung a rge screen. Instead of seats or a couch for seating were several rge soft pillows and bnkets and hanging above the pile was the projector that was bolted to the ceiling.

  “So where is mom and dad?” Diamond asked as she spotted Tullia in the pile of pillows and bnkets. She was wearing a very cute tiger onesie and she held her hands out for the bowl of popcorn, even making small grabby hand motions like a raccoon. “I would have thought they would still be here.”

  Diamond handed the bowl to Tullia, “Mom was having a hard time staying up and dad took her to bed.” Tullia said and gnced at the door. “Are your friends going to join us?”

  “Probably not, Lay had a hard time at the party, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t join us.” Diamond said as she walked to a small table that had a ptop set up on it. “So sister’s night for the rest of the night.”

  “Too bad, and I picked some more modern cssics for them too.” Tullia said as Diamond clicked the ptop to start the movies. “But I did avoid movies based on books you read.”

  Diamond returned to the pillow pile and plopped herself across from her sister. “Good, they either rarely get it right or too much missing.” Diamond sighed and noticed Tullia smirking. “What?”

  “You ran into ‘them’, didn’t you?” Tullia chirped and Diamond raised her brow from sister’s words. “You’re wearing their old dress shirt, I know because it still has a Corporal pin in the colr.”

  Tullia leaned towards Diamond and grabbed the shirt colr to show the pin. “I did not meet them, I met with our Aunt at the ball.” Diamond sighed and Tullia had a big smirk on her face. “She gave me an…interesting birthday gift.”

  “Her golden eyes reminded you o-Mhm.” Tullia was cut off by Diamond covering her mouth but Diamond could still see a gremlin smirk on her face.

  “Enough, I don’t want to talk about them tonight,” Diamond removed her hand from Tullia’s mouth and Tullia leaned back in her spot. “I see you got a haircut, eh?”

  Tullia put down her hood to show her new haircut, “It’s been bothering me tely and figured it was the best time to cut it.” Tullia said and toyed with her bangs a little.

  “Looks good on you…” Diamond’s trailed off as her eyes trailed down to Tullia’s neck, more on the old scarring on it. “How have you been tely?” Diamond slid over to sit closer to her little sister and she was trying her best to not look like she was trying to get a better look at Tullia’s neck.

  Tullia lifted her chin and caused Diamond to take pause for a moment before gently touching Tullia’s throat. “I’ve been doing fine, Dia.” Tullia kept rexed as Diamond checked out the scarring. “Though I will return back to Sanctuary soon.”

  Diamond’s eyes flickered back up to Tullia’s eyes, “Having trouble sleeping?” Diamond did notice the bags under Tullia’s eyes were darker now.

  “Ya and I’m running low on my medication too,” Tullia shifted her sleeves to show her wrists and Diamond’s hands moved to scarring on Tullia’s wrists. “I’m okay and no new scarring, Dia.”

  Tullia had heard the rumors and stories swirling around her older sister about her being a stone cold killer. Though Tullia only saw her sister oozing anxious aura and putting up a strong face to hide it. Tullia noticed the tension in Diamond’s shoulder lower after examining Tullia’s wrists and Tullia slid to be seated beside Diamond.

  “Do you want me to take you in tomorrow?” Dia asked as Tullia rested her head on Diamond's shoulder. “I could dr-”

  “Brutus will drive me and mom tomorrow.” Tullia quickly cut Diamond off quickly and grabbed a handful of popcorn to eat. “I don’t want to be in another fender bender with you driving.”

  “Excuse me, I was not at fault for that,” Diamond huffed and ruffled Tullia’s hair. “It was the snobby and uptight vampire…showed him a thing or two.”

  “You sure did,” Tullia giggled as she focused on the screen now and she felt Diamond rest her head on top of her head. Tullia would have loved Diamond to drop her off but at same time she hated seeing her big sister's heart broken.

  Diamond focused on the screen with Tullia and Diamond’s eyelids were getting heavy. Tullia could feel Diamond’s rexed weight on her and she carefully shifted so Diamond’s head rested on her p. “Sweet dreams, Big sis.” Tullia whispered while petting Diamond’s white and soft hair.

  The morning sun peeked over the horizon and slowly enlightened the city in its golden light. Sitting in the SUV, that was parked in front of the Silvervine Mansion, was Anderson waiting for Diamond to join him.

  Diamond came out of the mansion in her normal clothing and she opened the passenger door but paused in seeing a bouquet of snowdrop flowers. “I knew you were too busy to get them beforehand.” Anderson said and Diamond softly smiled as she gently grabbed them.

  “Mom and sister already left with Brutus.” Diamond stated as she got in and Anderson nodded. “They both know it’s hard for us to see her back in, don’t they.”

  “Yep and reason why they left so early,” Anderson said as shifted his hat before starting driving. “I set up one of the maids to drop off Aziza and Lay at their apartment, if we aren’t back by the time they are ready.”

  “I see,” Diamond said and looked over the snowdrops. She smiled seeing they were fresh and Anderson lightly hummed along with the music coming from the radio.

  The ride was quiet but neither of them felt odd about it and the drive was further north. Once they left the city limits Anderson gnced at Diamond and smiled seeing her rexed in her seat.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you so rexed.” Anderson chuckled and Diamond gnced at her father. “Or has the winter effect finally taken hold of you?”

  “No, I just…I just felt a small bit of stress off my shoulders today.” Diamond said and looked back out the passenger window. “Will you join me this time?”

  “No, this is your thing at this time, if it wasn’t for the party you would have Brutus driving you up here.” Anderson said and Diamond nodded. “I also think she will understand why you didn’t show up st night.”

  Diamond nodded and the quiet once returned with only the radio pying in the background. The two had a silent understanding of each other and didn’t need much words to enjoy each other’s company.

  Anderson slowed down the SUV and pulled over to the side. It had been an hour long drive to get where they were and parked at the edge of a forest. Anderson put the SUV in park and Diamond gave him a small nod before getting out.

  Diamond headed to the forest edge to a hidden pathway that was covered up by snow and a huge down oak tree. For a normal human it would be hard but Diamond easily climbed over the oak tree with one hand. She didn’t have any trouble with snow either and if she truly had a problem she would have just transformed.

  At the end of the trail led to a rge clearing covered in snow and there was a single tree on a small hill in the middle of the clearing. Diamond knew this clearing would be covered in wildflowers in the spring and summer season and make it breathtaking.

  Diamond let out a sigh before she trudged through the snow to get to the lone tree and it was a huge yew tree. Once at the foot of the tree she bent down and cleared some snow, it revealed bevel headstone. Diamond found an older bouquet of snowdrops and she could tell it was at least a month old.

  ‘Mom must have been here a month ago.’ Diamond thought before she took a deep breath and felt a catch in her throat before finally speaking, “Hello, Eve, sorry for being te this year.” Diamond put her bouquet on the grave. “It’s been an interesting year to say the least.”

  Belle slowly opened her eyes and felt something was off, she noticed she was alone in her bedroom. ‘I remember Op-’ Her thought was cut off when she heard the bedroom door open up.

  “Morning sleepy head.” Ophelia said as she noticed Belle was awake. Belle sat up and moved some of her hair out of her good eye. “Hope you're hungry after st night's events.”

  Ophelia was only wearing a dark blue bathrobe and she was carrying a breakfast tray. On the tray was a smaller one having four hard boiled eggs with the shells still on and the rger pte had a full spread of scrambled eggs, bacon, waffles, sausages, pancakes, and a muffin.

  “I know you like bacon a little crispy.” Ophelia said as she returned to her side of the bed. “The other pte is mine.”

  “Thank you,” Belle kissed Ophelia’s cheek before picking up some bacon and took a bite out of it. “Perfect crispiness.” Belle started to eat the rest of the meal made for her.

  Out of the corner of Belle’s eyes she could see Ophelia grab one of the hard boiled eggs and move it to her mouth. As Ophelia opened her mouth it looked like she slightly unhinged her jaw and swallowed the egg whole with the shell. Belle was always slightly at odds of seeing Ophelia’s ability of swallowing eggs like that and stranger is how it aroused her when she saw it.

  “Tastely as always and be very satisfying.” Ophelia sighed as picked up another egg. “Another one down the hatch.” Ophelia let out a chirp before swallowing another hard boiled egg.

  When the two finished their meals Belle leaned over and nibbled on Ophelia’s ear “I’m still hungry,” She whispered before trailing down to her neck. Ophelia let out a small gasp from the nibble and let Belle undo her bathrobes.

  “Oh my~” Ophelia moaned and fell back in bed as Belle gently pushed her down and started to kiss Ophelia’s chest. Belle saw the old bullet scarring grouping on her chest and started kissing them gently. Ophelia moaned from the kissing and bite her lower lip, “B-Bell-”

  Ophelia and Belle stopped in their tracks when one of their cellphones went off. Belle groaned and buried her face into Ophelia's breasts as she knew it was her cellphone. “I’m off duty…” Belle groaned into Ophelia’s chest.

  “Sorry, but it looks like they need you, my winter fairy.” Ophelia petted Belle’s head and Belle groaned as the phone kept ringing. “They won’t stop no matter how much you ignore them.”

  Belle sighed before she got off Ophelia to grab her cell phone and answer it, “This better be important or I’m skinning someone alive.” Belle huffed.

  Chris was sitting at his desk in the bullpen and was doing paperwork as today was thankfully slow. He rubbed his temple due to a headache from a bit of hangover and let Nix have a bit of a sip from his arm. Chris looked up from paperwork and looked around to see the skeleton crew on this shift today, making it a lot quieter than normal.

  Chris noticed Belle coming out of the elevator and she was grumbling up a storm with a scowl on her face. She was wearing a cyan wool sweater, bck dress pants, bck runners, and police winter coat. Her pistol was in a shoulder holster and her police badge was attached to her belt line hidden by her sweater.

  Her eyes scanned the room then locked on Chris and started to walk towards him. Chris kept still and his eyes on her mouth, that started to shift from scowl to pyful smile. “Morning, Quinn, see you drew the short straw for today.” She said with a pyful tone.

  “Yes, I did but I thought you had the day off.” Chris said and rested her face on his hand. “Why are you here and not glued to Ophelia?”

  “I got called in because a suit from the French Branch of Moonflowers is huffed about something.” Belle sighed as put her hands in her jacket pockets. “Just because I was there when Diamond teared apart Jack Turner a-”

  “Wait, the main person that tortured Diamond and her sister when they were in the fighting pits, Jack Turner?” Chris interrupted Belle and sat up straight. “And she just tore him apart and not killed him?”

  “Officer Hiver, my office,” The Chief yelled out from his office door with another man in a suit. Belle turned around and Chris knew she would be fshing her ‘Smiling but angry’ face as she walked into the office with the Chief and the suit.

  The suit was wearing typical bck suit with bck tie and very shiny bck shoes. He looked to be on the younger side, maybe simir age as Chris, and short slicked back bck hair hair. Chris thought he looked too shiny for a moonflower officer and wondered if he ever fired his gun.

  Chris paused before rolling to Chip’s desk and leaned in, “Hey, Chip, mind listening in for us, who don’t have super hearing.” Chris whispered and moved some paperwork to look like he was getting Chip’s thoughts on something.

  “Way ahead of you,” Chip said as pyed with Chris’ act of pretending to offer his thoughts on something. Chris noticed every werebeast in the office doing the same thing with other human officers.

  “I’m more surprised that Jack Turner survived an enraged Diamond attack,” Chris whispered and was still filling out the paperwork he had brought over with him. “I would have thought she would kill him after making him feel helpless.”

  “The suit is called Jules Bernard, and it seems like the French branch was watching Jack, hoping he will lead them to more Kek operations or Kek himself.” Chip expined as he lightly tapped his desk and paused as listened in for more. “Belle is chiding Jules as it is a clear waste of time as it didn’t show any results.”

  “That is true, nothing about Kek or his operations being in France.” Chris commented and Chip raised a brow. “When Diamond lost it on that drug dealer, I did a deeper research into the Kek case, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she loses it again.”

  Chip nodded before freezing up and head jolted to the Chief’s office with disgust on his face. “The Mark of Asmodeus, Jack Turner had the mark.” Chip growled and Chris’ head now whipped to look at the Chief’s office. He could see the Chief's pissed off face and Belle having a bit of a smug face. “She just got Jules admitted knowing about the ritual being done and not stopping it.”

  “Good job, Belle.” Chris whispered before noticing the bullpen was deafening silence and all the eyes on the Chief’s office, or more on Jules.

  The elevator door opened up once more and three other suits came off it. At first Chris thought more French suits but how they walked and how they presented themselves, American suits. They went straight into the Chief’s office and they quickly surrounded Jules.

  Chip rexed back in his seat, “American suits, they want words with him.” Chip said and twirled his pen between his fingers. “Oh…the American’s have what’s left of Jack Turner.”

  “Guessing there's not much left, the bastard probably wished he was able to die. Thanks for being my ears, Chip.” Chris said before rolling back his desk. Chip nodded to Chris before watching Jules being dragged off back into the elevator.

  Belle came strutting out of the Chief's office and headed towards Chris’ desk. “It seems Sona helped the American Branch in honeypotting Jack in returning to Canada.” Belle stated and Chris leaned back in his seat once more. “She ‘promised’ a clean passport and papers.”

  “But it was all a trick and made sure Diamond was there too.” Chris said and Belle confirmed with a nod. “In which Diamond tore him apart, more brutal than before because of the mark.”

  “With Section 15-MOA protecting her back, it allowed her to be as brutal as she wanted.” Belle said and pulled out her phone as it dinged. “They did wish she did sp off her lower jaw b-”

  Belle cut herself off when she opened her phone and turned red. “But…?” Chip asked before Belle turned on her heel and started to speed walk to the elevator. Chip and Chris looked at each other before it clicked and both said, “Ophelia.”

  Chris let out a small sigh as he stood outside and put a cigarette in his mouth. It had been a long day of paperwork after paperwork and he was taking his st break of the day, being a very rare smoke break. The sun was finishing to set, and causing winter night to slowly take over the city.

  “Need a light?” A familiar female voice asked and he gnced to his right to see Nix. She had pulled out a silver lighter and Chris leaned down to allow her to light it. “Long day?”

  Nix was wearing her surgery greens and Chris noticed a bit of blood on the green shirt. She was wearing a headband to get her bangs out of her face and showing her cyan blue eyes. She was also wearing her winter coat over her greens and didn’t care if blood got on bck coat.

  “Thank you and yes, lots of paperwork.” Chris said and watched as Nix pulled out her own cigarette. She leaned up and Chris smiled as he used his lit cigarette, performing a cigarette kiss with her. “What about you?”

  “Inventory paperwork too, though I just had to do a bit of cutting on a heart attack victim.” Nix sighed as rexed and drew in some smoke into her lungs before blowing it out her lips. “It’s been a long year, and…” Her voice trailed off as thought swarmed her mind.

  Chris noticed the trail off and puffed out some smoke before speaking, “A penny for your thoughts, mon Cheri.” Chris gently smiled and Nix looked at him for a second before resting her head on his shoulder.

  “The extinction of the vampire race.” Nix sighed and let out some smoke from the rge sigh. Chris paused at her word before moving his hand onto her hip to hold her close. “In the start of the Georgian era the vampire race was ten percent of the world's popution but now less than one percent now.”

  “Then there are low birth rates and some vampire families are ‘puritans’ about their feeding css.” Chris sighs as he scratches the back of his head with his free hand. “Add on too is that most vampire victims of murder are caused by their fellow vampires nowadays.”

  Nix became quiet and only the sound of cars driving by could be heard. “I’ve been thinking of changing up my hairstyle.” Nix finally said and Chris didn’t mind the btant change in subjects.

  “Going for a long or short hairstyle?” He asked as he rubbed her side. “Hopefully something that will show those beautiful eyes of yours.”

  Nix blushed from his words as she rarely got a response from her odd eye colour, “M-Maybe, I’ve been leaning more to long hairstyle.” Nix said before finishing her off her cigarette. “Something that makes me look more mature.”

  “I see, trying to look like a motherly figure.” Chris said as he finished his cigarette as well. “Guess that comment Madam Lekfest go-” Chris made a small yelp from Nix’s free hand pinching his side.

  “Our smoke break is over,” Nix commented before putting the cigarette bud in the public ashtray garbage can. “Come on, Casanova.” Chris chuckles as he follows suit with throwing away his cigarette bud.

  Nix started to walk back in and Chris had to catch back with her. “I love you, mon Cheri.” He whispered into her ear as he pced his hand on her hip once more as they walked back inside together. Nix smiled and leaned into him and enjoyed his warmth and tenderness.

  “I love you too, Dragul meu.” Nix smiled as she leaned into him and enjoyed his warmth and tenderness. It had been a while since she felt this, until she started Chris, and she was a bit saddened when she had returned to the morgue, alone.

  Nix had just hung up her coat at her desk when her aids rolled in a new body, “Just came in from hospital, Doc.” One of them said and handed her clipboard when came over to inspect the body.

  “The family wants me to cut him open to make sure he died the way the hospital said he died.” Nix sighed as she looked over the paperwork. “Alright, I’ll get some new greens and gloves on, put Mr. Wake on the table for me.”