DISCLAIMER: Blade: The Series and its characters are the property of Spike TV, New Line Cinema and Marvel Comics . No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
In the Aftermath
By Janine
"I appreciate the company, but I think I can make it the rest of the way on my own," Chase said to Sabine as the elevator doors opened, her tone pleasant though her smile was somewhat strained.
Sabine turned and looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, her eyes roaming up and down her body before the Arab beauty inclined her head.
"As you wish," Sabine replied remaining where she was as Chase stepped out of the elevator. Marcus had wanted her to keep an eye on Chase after she had left the test chamber, but the blonde looked as impeccable as usual and was displaying no unusual symptoms. Marcus had not asked her to keep an eye on Chase overnight however which meant she would have parted ways with the blonde in a few minutes anyway, so she saw no reason to fight her over it. "You did a remarkable thing this evening."
"I simply played my part," Chase murmured in response before nodding in Sabine's direction once more and turning to head for her room as the elevator doors closed.
Rounding the corner that would bring her to the hallway her room was located in Chase stretched her senses as far as they would go, listening carefully to determine if anyone was close by. Satisfied that she was alone, the blonde then allowed her eyes to close and took a deep breath that was followed by a series of rapid shallow ones as she leaned against the wall.
Her stomach was painfully tight and she was vaguely aware of one of her hands shaking slightly. Decades had gone by without her thinking of her own mortality, but Berlin had reminded her that she was not immortal. Marcus had borne no ill will against her for her failure in Berlin, had assured her that it hadn't cost the operation anything, but she still felt the shame and embarrassment of her failure acutely, not to mention an unfamiliar feeling of inadequacy due to Krista's success cleaning up her mess. She wanted to prove her usefulness and her devotion, but she had not anticipated how putting her life on the line again when she still hadn't healed completely from her last life threatening ordeal would affect her.
It had taken all of her will power to remain standing by Alex's bed watching as he slowly disintegrated. Afterwards, all she had wanted to do was disappear for once yearning for quiet and solitude instead of the spotlight, but congratulations were to be had and results to be looked over. It had been the longest two hours of her life and the elevator ride with Sabine feeling like an eternity when she was finally so close to being able to relax.
Opening her eyes, Chase pushed herself off of the wall and straightened up, tugging her blazer back into position just as a body rounded the corner hurriedly, jerking to a stop when they spotted her.
"The prodigal childe returns," Chase drawled as Krista stared at her. The brunette's hair was loose and matted, smudge of dirt were visible on her arms and upper chest, the blue tank top she was wearing was smeared with blood and dirt and she had a wild and confused look in her eyes. Needless to say the brunette had seen better days.
"I'm not in the mood," Krista said wearily, her voice devoid of any fight as she ran a hand through her hair. She really couldn't deal with Chase at the moment. She couldn't deal with anything at the moment. She just needed to get to her room and curl up with a blanket in the corner and forget that there was a world outside of those walls.
"No," Chase replied still eyeing Krista able to sense the weariness and exhaustion emanating from her almost like a physical force. "You're not are you?" she continued softly almost to herself reaching out to rub her thumb along Krista's exposed collarbone, removing it a second later to see a spot of tanned skin exposed. "Where were you?" Chase asked louder her gaze focused on Krista now, studying her.
"Around," Krista responded looking past Chase and down the hall to where she desperately wanted to be. "I had something … I had to, I can't," Krista continued biting her lip and blinking rapidly as tears began to sting her eyes. "I didn't, I'm sorry," she mumbled salty drops beginning to leak from the corners of her eyes as she remembered the look of surprise on her mother's face before she burst into flames. "I'm so sorry," she felt a hand on her cheek and leaned into it momentarily before registering a streak of white-blonde through her misty eyes and turning away from the touch.
She couldn't lose it like that in front of Chase.
"You fed," Chase said quietly, her voice almost tender with the realization her fingers playing along Krista's healed arm as she eyed her once again flawless face. Looking at the state Krista was in she wondered if she had even attacked multiple people to get herself as disheveled and stained as she was. The first kill was easy, it was uncontrollable, the second was always much harder. The first was instinct, the second was acceptance and the realization of that always hit newborns hard.
"I should," Krista began taking a step back so that Chase was no longer touching her, "clean up," her eyes were once again looking down the corridor.
"You actually shouldn't be alone right now," Chase replied watching the brunette but not making another attempt to touch her. "It's a difficult thing, we understand that. It's why newborns are paired with a mentor. It's why I've tried to take you out with me before," she continued as Krista played with her fingers distractedly though her eyes drifted back over to Chase as the blonde spoke.
"I thought I was taking too long," Krista murmured finally shifting her weight, her eyes dancing away from Chase again momentarily.
"It wasn't that you were taking to long," Chase began slowly closing the distance between them once again. "You were drinking what was provided and were healthy and strong. But giving into the urge to hunt is inevitable, and it's more difficult when you're alone."
"I've always seemed to do things the hard way," Krista said letting out a sharp, brief bark of uncomfortable laughter before dropping her eyes to the ground. "In any case, what's done is done, and I don't know about my blood but I do reek of death."
Chase was quiet, thoughtful for a moment as she considered the situation. Ten minutes before she had wanted nothing but to be alone, and Krista was certainly in the same frame of mind. But she no longer felt that way. In fact it was the last thing she wanted now after interacting with the brunette. Krista was wrong about reeking of death, just like the House of Lycan was about their blood smelling of it. Krista smelt like life, she smelt like sweat, and blood, and the outdoors and dirt. She smelt of everything Chase had suddenly become afraid of losing when she was in that chamber surrounded by the sound of hissing gas, and she wanted more of it, more of the film of life that covered Krista because it chased away her lingering fears.
"Marcus wouldn't forgive me if I left you alone like this," Chase said finally as Krista tired to inch around her.
"What Marcus doesn't know won't hurt him," Krista replied trying not to smirk darkly at how much of her life was based around that sentiment.
"Maybe I want to keep you company," Chase responded her voice almost challenging.
"And why would you want to do that?" Krista asked surprised by the comment. Chase always did what Marcus wanted her to, but Marcus hadn't told her to keep her company and she was sure that even if Chase knew that's what he would want she would have accepted the out Krista offered her.
"Because I remember," Chase sighed, a touch of exasperation in her voice. "I was a newborn too once. A long time ago," she continued getting the irritation in her voice under control before looking at Krista steadily.
"You're going to come along no matter what I say aren't you?" Krista asked the weariness back in her voice.
Chase smiled.
"You're not allowed in the bathroom," Krista said at the blonde's smile and then headed towards her room.
"Don't you have your own clothes?" Krista asked toweling her hair as she emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later. Chase was in her closet … again.
"Clearly I do," Chase said looking down at herself before focusing her gaze on Krista. The brunette was wearing a short black robe, and Chase couldn't help but admire her legs for a moment. Krista's scent had changed with the shower from the dark, earthy aroma she had after two days on the street to something sweeter and more airy but it was still intoxicating to her. "How're you feeling?"
"Pretty much the same," Krista sighed before tossing the towel she'd been using on her hair onto a nearby chair. "Less sticky, but otherwise unaffected."
Chase held out a pale blue nightdress as Krista moved towards the closet and the brunette stopped and stared at her with a surprised expression. That was the nightdress she had worn before she left to see her mother and the one she was going to put on.
"How …" Krista began looking up suspiciously as if she suddenly expected to be able to see a spy camera.
"Your scent is the strongest on this," Chase replied cutting Krista off as she wiggled the garment as a reminder to Krista. "You wore it last."
"That's kinda creepy," Krista responded taking the nightdress out of Chase's hand finally not sure how she felt about the fact that Chase was so familiar with her scent. Then again she supposed she had spent more time with the blonde over the past few months than she had with anyone else including Marcus.
Chase shrugged. "You have to concentrate now to heighten your senses but it will come naturally soon enough. It's actually quite handy."
"I'm sure," Krista said eyeing Chase pointedly, her right hand hovering by the tie to her robe.
"Seriously?" Chase asked realizing that Krista wanted her to exit the closet so that she could change. "I have seen it all before."
"Then you're not missing anything new," Krista replied before cocking her head to the side.
"Fine," Chase drawled and then sauntered out of the closet allowing Krista to pull the doors in so that she would have some privacy.
Krista lay down on her bed and draped her arm over her eyes blotting out the world. With Chase being quiet for once she could almost forget that the blonde was still in the room. She sighed deeply and lifted her arm away from her eyes allowing the light of the room to hit her again. All she could see when she closed her eyes was her mother's face and Blade decapitating her Uncle.
"The easiest way to get over death is to concentrate on life," Chase said conversationally as Krista sat up.
"What?" Krista asked nodding when the blonde looked down at the mattress.
"You're upset because you've taken someone's life. That's a pessimistic way of viewing the situation," Chase continued settling herself onto Krista's bed. She'd already made herself comfortable by removing her blazer when Krista was changing so she figured she should continue to settle in. "That life helped sustain yours. It's like that song, that death was part of the circle of life," she went on finally turning her gaze on Krista. "You should concentrate on the life that was preserved. You should surround yourself with pleasurable things. Things that remind you why you're glad to be alive and why you fight to stay alive," she continued stretching out slightly. "Food, shoes, chocolate … sex," she said listing out some of things she enjoyed most, looking directly as Krista as listed her last point.
"Orgasm therapy," Krista replied sharply.
"Or food therapy, or shoe therapy or chocolate therapy," Chase responded. "It's interesting that you went with that one though," she continued smiling sensuously.
Krista said nothing and looked away from her.
Chase reached out and placed her hand on Krista's exposed thigh.
"It sounds simplistic but it's highly effective," Chase said her voice dropping seductively as she moved her hand up Krista's thigh suggestively.
"You must take being a mentor very seriously to make such a generous offer," Krista responded covering Chase's hand with her own holding it where it was on her thigh.
Chase's jaw clenched at Krista's implication that she was whoring herself out as it brought back memories of the past few days. She didn't particularly mind the mission she had been tasked with, but Alex wasn't her ideal choice of lovers and never had been which was why she had stood him up sixty years before.
"Maybe I'm taking my own advice," Chase replied finally looking away from Krista, tempted to pull her hand out from under Krista's and leave in a snit, but wanting to stay more than she was offended.
Krista was taken aback by Chase's comment for a moment. She hadn't expected Chase to respond to her insinuation like that. However, when she thought about all of the things Chase had said about not fearing death and embracing life she could see how it could apply to Chase herself. The blonde had almost died a week before, she could certainly see how after that ordeal Chase would want to make the most of the second - or third or fourth - chance she had been given at life.
"I didn't mean …" Krista began suddenly feeling bad about her last comment.
"Yes you did. It's inconsequential," Chase replied stroking her thumb along and smooth skin of Krista's thigh since she was still unable to move her hand. "We can help each other."
"Help each other what?" Krista asked though she had a strong idea what Chase was going to say and felt a tingle run through her body.
A wave of shame shot through her at her body's response to Chase. She had, she had done a stupid horrible thing that had led to her mother and her uncle's death. Just hours before she had pointed a gun at her mother's head and pulled the trigger. She had been so wrong, and caused so much destruction. She didn't deserve to be rewarded. She didn't deserve pleasure.
And yet Chase was there, touching her, and it was pleasurable. Her brain demanded punishment and solitude so that she could torture herself by reliving what she had done and the horrible consequences of it, but her body had other ideas.
She had fought her body for so long. She had tried to deny what she was and she had gotten so used to lying to herself about what she was that she had deluded herself into thinking that she could force the lie upon her mother. But she was tired of fighting, she was tired of denial, and maybe if she had just accepted things earlier, if she hadn't been so arrogant and self-righteous she never would have thought she could trick nature twice.
Maybe it would be better for her, better for everyone if she just … let go. She was a leopard and maybe it was time for her to admit that she had spots.
And Chase … Chase could make anyone want to have spots.
"Celebrate life," Chase responded shifting closer to Krista on the mattress, feeling the brunette relax as she closed the distance between them.
And then she leaned forward her lips brushing against the brunette's as Krista leaned into the embrace.
Krista bared her fangs and growled as Chase shoved her down onto the mattress, bucking underneath Chase excitedly as the blonde straddled her, skirt bunched naughtily at her waist, and bared her fangs in a triumphant, sexy smile.
Chase pressed down with her hips against Krista, forcefully but slowly, grinding against her for a few delicious moments before leaning down to capture the brunette's lips once more, kissing her vigorously for a few moments before biting down on Krista's bottom lip puncturing the soft, fleshy tissue and sucking it into her mouth as Krista moaned and bucked up into her body.
Chase smiled against her lips, and shifted her body slightly slipping her thigh between Krista's and pushing up, growling and nipping at Krista's lip again as her thigh met the soft heat of Krista's sex.
Krista hadn't put on any underwear when she changed. She liked that.
Chase pressed her thigh firmly against Krista, kissing her bloody mouth as the brunette began to move her hips slowly, fucking her thigh.
Chase ran her teeth along Krista's jaw-line as her hands moved to the brunette's chest cupping her breast through the thin material of her nightdress. Krista's nipples were already hard and Chase ran her thumbs over them a few times enjoying the sensation before grasping them between her fingers as best she could with the material in the way and pulling and twisting hard enough to make Krista scream and swear before she moaned for Chase to do it again.
Chase didn't need any encouragement however, and as she returned her lips to Krista's kissing her ravenously and messily as she continued to tease and torture the brunette's nipples until she could feel Krista's wetness slick against her thigh.
Feeling Krista tugging at her sleeveless blouse, Chase backed away from the brunette enough to allow Krista to yank the shirt off of her, taking another second to unhook her bra before leaning down again intending to capture Krista's lips once more.
The brunette had other ideas however, and Chase soon felt a warm mouth covering one of her nipples and growled, hissing at Krista before pressing down against her, her hand moving to the brunette's breasts again grasping at them through the material of her nightdress before she got frustrated and ripped the material exposing Krista's full breasts.
Keeping one hand on Krista's breast, manipulating it as Krista sucked on her tits alternating between the two of them, Chase lifted her other hand to her chest and pressed her nail against the smooth pale skin there, puncturing it and drawing her nail down leaving a small trail of blood in her wake.
Krista's nostrils flared and her mouth stopped sucking as her eyes drifted up to look at Chase who smiled down at her knowingly, taking the nail she had used to cut herself and holding it under Krista's nose for a second before touching her lip with it, Krista turning immediately to nip at the digit before sucking it into her mouth hungrily.
Chase's head fell back as Krista's tongue bathed the cut on her chest, licking and biting at her, growling occasionally as her nails scrapped her back, hard enough to draw blood and make Chase moan.
Feeling her excitement rising and not wanting to lose control, Chase placed her hands on Krista's shoulder and firmly shoved her back, away from her chest and then back down onto the mattress, smiling when Krista hissed at her in frustration.
Ignoring the brunette's complaint Chase ran her hands down Krista's torso before shifting her body down so that she was resting in between the brunette's legs. Patience was not one of her virtues and she wanted to taste Krista in everyway imaginable.
Chase placed her hands on Krista's thighs and pushed them firmly apart, growling in satisfaction as Krista then pulled them even further apart exposing herself fully to Chase's hungry gaze.
Chase would have liked to enjoy the view but she knew that there was plenty of time for that later. At the moment she just wanted to …
Krista howled as she felt Chase's fangs sink into her inner thigh, moisture pooling between her legs as she felt the blonde begin to drink from her, the feel of Chase's mouth sucking her making her pussy throb painfully. She reached down, tangling her hand in Chase's hair and tugging trying to draw the blonde towards where she wanted her but Chase refused to be moved and bit down hard on her thigh once more as punishment before that wound too became a source of pleasure.
Chase felt Krista's hand tangle in her hair once more as she finally moved away from the brunette's bloody thigh and moved her mouth to Krista's very wet sex, Krista's hand bunching her hair as she licked the length of slit slowly and thoroughly, her hands on Krista's thighs once more holding them apart, her nails digging into the brunette's flesh as she explored Krista with her mouth.
Krista's eyes went ultraviolet as she stared up at the ceiling, her hips undulating as her orgasm approached. Chase's fingers pumped in and out of her forcefully, the movements dancing finely on the edge of pleasure and pain which excited her more than she thought possible. The blonde's mouth alternated between chewing lightly on her folds and sucking enthusiastically at her clit. She was … delirious with pleasure. Everything felt so good, so vivid, it made her think and feel insane things like that she couldn't call what they were doing having sex because she'd had sex before and it never felt like this.
Chase pushed down on Krista's thighs as the brunette cried out and flooded her lips with moisture, holding them down as best she could so that she could continue to work Krista until she had drawn every last drop of juice out of her.
Krista sagged against the mattress her eyes returning to normal as her body went limp, a toothy smile spreading across her lips as she felt Chase begin to slide up her body.
Krista traced her finger down Chase's nude body causing the blonde to mumble and shift slightly under her touch though she didn't wake up. She leaned down and pressed the tip of her tongue against an angry red scratch on Chase's stomach, moving her tongue up tracing the wound that had already begun to heal and wouldn't be there in another couple hours.
"You're the one that wanted to go to sleep," Chase murmured, Krista's last molesting of her sleeping body causing her to wake up.
"I can't sleep," Krista responded avoiding Chase's gaze. Her body was still strumming. She'd always been in great shape, but her stamina was just off the charts. She should have been tired, but she wasn't. She was just hungry for Chase.
Chase smiled.
"Is your mind filled with dark, terrible images of dirty things you want to do to me?"
Krista looked up at her at that and smirked because that about summed it up.
"That about sums it up," she replied watching as Chase bit her lip and then reached down, covering the hand Krista had resting on her stomach and drawing it up to a pale breast with a hardening nipple that was covered in tiny teeth marks.
"I don't think I'll be going back to sleep either," Chase said softly looking over at Krista, who smirked for a moment before leaning in and bringing their lips together once more.
Krista turned her head into Chase's body as the door to her room was flung open letting in the light from the hallway.
"Doesn't anybody knock in this place?" she mumbled irritably against Chase's chest.
"What is it Sabine?" Chase asked ignoring Krista for the moment her voice serious knowing that Sabine would not have entered Krista's room like that without a reason. She had done it to annoy the brunette, and Marcus had done it because he was Marcus and everything there was his, but Sabine was different.
"Marcus wants to see her. Immediately," Sabine responded meeting Chase's gaze. "Charlotte's with him."
Chase felt Krista tense against her and looked down at her for a moment before looking back over at Sabine.
"She'll be there in ten minutes," the blonde said finally.
Sabine nodded and exited the room.
"What did you do?" Chase asked when Sabine was gone. If Marcus had wanted to talk to Krista he would have come to her room like he had done in the past. If he was having Sabine officially summon her it must have been at Charlotte's request, and as far as she knew – and she knew quite a lot – Charlotte had never met Krista and should not have had any business with her. Then again, Krista had been gone for two days, and even in the life of a vampire that was plenty of time to get in trouble.
Krista was silent for a moment as she thought about what to tell Chase. She knew that the vampire woman that was following her had to have been Chthon, and had at one point entertained the thought that Chase might have been the one to send her. But the night they shared convinced her she was wrong on that count.
She had formulated a plausible story, and sighing deeply decided to lay it out for Chase. She could gage the blonde's reaction and then tweak the story if necessary for her meeting with Marcus and Charlotte.
"I was being followed," Krista said pulling away from Chase and sitting up. "She attacked me."
"Who?" Chase asked watching as Krista got off of the bed and ran an agitated hand through her hair.
"A brunette. About 5'7, dark hair, business suit," Krista responded finally.
Chase sighed deeply and closed her eyes. "Glynis," she stated frowning. "You ashed her?"
Krista nodded.
Chase sighed again and rolled her head around tensely before looking back over at Krista wondering what the brunette had done to interest Charlotte enough that she'd send Glynis to follow her.
"Tell me what happened as you get dressed and then do exactly as I say," the blonde said finally standing up herself, Frederick flashing through her mind momentarily as she wondered how she had gotten herself involved with another pretty brunette that was probably going to be more trouble than they were worth.
The End