DISCLAIMER: Blade: The Series and its characters are the property of Spike TV, New Line Cinema and Marvel Comics . No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I don't really know what's going on in this fic. I just started writing, and this resulted. My first Blade fic. Takes place right after the scene towards the end in 1x11 Monsters, where Chase makes Krista an offer.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
The Gift of Friendship
By TheAgonyofBlank
"The gift of friendship I've continually extended to you. The gift of healing… I'd hate to think that in the next few days, when so much change is happening to the house, you didn't have me as your friend. Because I know you don't want me as your enemy."
The first thing Krista does – as soon as Chase leaves the room – is to release the breath she doesn't realize she's been holding. She takes deep breaths in and out to calm herself, and within the next few minutes she feels, she hears, her heartbeat slow. She slowly turns back around to face her closet to search for something to wear, something less revealing than this silk slip Chase has draped around her. Running her hand over her selection of clothing, she stops at a dark red nightgown and pulls it out before slipping it on. Then, after making sure the shutters are shut because dawn is approaching, she climbs into bed, turning off the bedside lamp only when she's properly settled.
This is the part where she should fall asleep - and usually, she would already be deep in her slumber, but not tonight. Chase has given her a lot to mull over, and that's exactly what she's doing. Mulling it over, thinking. Chase is right; Krista knows that she doesn't want the blonde vampire as an enemy, even if she can take care of herself. There's just something about Chase that Krista can't quite put a finger on. Like why she was so damned confident. Until Chase, Krista didn't realize that it was possible to have such high self-regard. Obviously she knows better now. And there's the killing without any hesitation – that bothers Krista too, but she knows it's only because she's not used to it. Well, that, and a part of her is envious of Chase for being able to do that. Krista thinks that's why she's so bothered by the killing.
But what really bothers Krista – really, really bothers her – is the way she feels when she's around Chase.
She doesn't understand her feelings, exactly. Most of the time she feels annoyance or exasperation; she knows that Chase is just waiting for an excuse to take her out (in more ways than one, she sometimes thinks). But other times, like just now when Chase was offering her a chance to be an ally… those times, she feels… breathless. Enthralled. Completely and totally captivated. And she only realizes it after the encounter that she's been hanging on to every word of Chase's, that she herself has been holding her breath in anticipation. She doesn't understand why she feels this way, why Chase has such an effect on her; she doesn't think she wants to know why.
All she knows is that no one has ever made her feel like this before.
Even sleeping with Marcus doesn't give her the same thrill than merely being in the same room as Chase does.
But perhaps even more important than that is the fact that she doesn't feel so alone when Chase is around. She feels like she belongs somewhere, has a place in this house, when Chase is there. They're never friendly to each other; it's much too easy to be friendly. Instead they exchange cutting remarks and banter back and forth. To the simple observer they dislike each other, and on some level that's true. Yet at the same time, Krista feels a connection to Chase.
And to be perfectly honest, that's what scares her the most.
Because this connection to Chase that Krista feels is not part of the plan. What is part of the plan is making sure that she remains on Marcus' good side. And if sleeping with Marcus will help that, then that's what Krista's willing to do. But Chase? Chase is not part of the plan. Chase doesn't matter. Chase shouldn't matter. And that's just it. Chase does matter. In fact, Krista is starting to realize that Chase matters more. Chase matters so much more just because Krista feels like she belongs when she's around. It doesn't make much sense, and it's the most ridiculous thing in the world, but Krista thinks she likes Chase better than she does Marcus, and she doesn't even like Chase that much.
Krista wakes up early the next evening for no apparent reason at all, and immediately she knows that something's not quite right – which is likely the reason she's awake in the first place. But she quickly figures out there's no threat – it's simply Chase, paying her a visit yet again. Briefly she wonders why Chase isn't off on one mission or another; certainly, Marcus could put her to good use. Then she remembers it's still bright out, which always is a little problematic. With a sigh she sits up in bed, her eyes focusing on Chase's shadowed form by the side of her bed. Krista's not sure how many more surprise visits she can take, but she has a feeling this won't be the last. Chase, after all, tends to do as she pleases, and if visiting Krista is what she wants to do, then that's what she's going to keep on doing until she tires of it.
"Is it really that hard for everyone to learn to knock?"
"I knocked," Chase replies matter-of-factly. "You were asleep. I thought it best not to wake you."
"How very kind of you," Krista retorts in a low mutter.
Chase doesn't say anything. Instead, she looks at Krista, aloof.
Krista looks away, and after a few more minutes of silence, takes it upon herself to break the silence, trying not to shudder when she meets Chase's eyes. "What do you want now, Chase?"
She watches Chase's lips curl into a smile. "Your answer."
It really isn't that difficult.
Krista never did resolve the issue of whether to ally with Chase or not, having fallen asleep whilst thinking, but she knows what she should do. She remembers the connection she feels – is feeling right now – with Chase, and she knows it's what she wants to do. And this? This has nothing to do with Blade or whatever plan he has for the purebloods. This, for once, is purely for her own benefit. It's something she's doing for herself.
Besides, Chase did say she had continually been extending her the "gift of friendship."
And Krista isn't going to be the one to deny her that.
With a smile, she accepts Chase's offer.
And already she feels a step closer to belonging.
The End