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.
Suddenly Strange
By Janine
Krista paused outside the door to Chase's room uncertain. She hadn't intended to go to the blonde's room; she had just been walking trying to clear her head when she found herself standing outside … just as she had found herself staring across the room into Chase's protective plastic enclosure without meaning to during her stay in medical.
Chase had been released from the infirmary two days before after spending three days under close watch. She had seen the blonde when she had first been unzipped after returning from Berlin and almost couldn't look at her. It wasn't so much the appearance of her body that horrified her - she'd seen people in similar states after bombings when she had been overseas - but that Chase was still alive and in pain while the others had all been dead. Hearing the soft strangled sounds Chase was making as she barely held on to life affected her deeply. She couldn't even contemplate how much pain the blonde had to have been in as barely there lips were just able to breath out Blade's name.
When she had gotten back from Berlin herself she was surprised by how relieved she was when Sabine had told her that Chase was no longer in critical condition, and she found herself smiling at the blonde when she had entered medical to get her own arm and eye looked at. Chase wasn't back to her usual impeccable good looks, but she looked far better than she had when Krista left. She looked like herself again. They exchanged pleasantries after she was treated, ("You look like shit" "I don't think you're going to be winning any beauty pageants either") but Chase was still in a lot of pain and had been unconscious for most of her overnight stay.
Taking a deep breath Krista rapped on the door. She wasn't sure how to characterize her relationship with the other woman, but whatever they were to each other she had come to care about the blonde's well-being, and she was certain that Chase cared about hers as well though neither of them would ever say it.
A harshly growled "leave now," was what came from inside the room in response.
"It's Krista," Krista said a moment after hearing Chase's reply frowning a second later as she wondered if that was likely to get Chase to open the door.
"Leave. Now."
Krista sighed and turned ready to leave when she heard a coughing sound followed by a wheezing emerge from within the room.
There was that pang of worry again.
Krista reached into her pocket for the small plastic card that operated the elevators and turned towards the door once more. Slipping the card between the frame and the door she wiggled it for a few seconds before hearing a satisfying click.
"Are you alright?" Krista called out walking into the room and closing the door behind her. It was completely devoid of light inside other than the small bar of light that shone in from under the door. "Chase," Krista called out again when she got no response. "Are you okay? Do you need a doctor? Can I …"
"What part of 'leave now' did you find confusing?" Chase asked weakly but irritably.
Krista turned at the sound of the blonde's voice. It was coming from the back corner of the room. She could make out Chase's form sitting in a chair next to a table. She had a hood pulled over her head and was wearing a loose fitting dark robe.
"I understood it perfectly," Krista replied fighting to keep any irritation out of her voice. She was just trying to be nice. "I was just worried."
There was no response for a moment as Chase continued to stare off to the side, away from Krista. "How sweet," the blonde finally responded. "I'm fine," she continued sighing slightly, "just having a bad hair day."
Krista smiled weakly at the joke having seen the pixie-ish way Chase's hair was growing in days before but the weariness and exhaustion with which the line had been delivered didn't escape her. Chase might have been cracking jokes but she sounded far from fine.
"There's nothing you can do," Chase said softly when Krista didn't respond. She'd had more blood transfusions than she could count in the days before, and she had been given so much blood to drink that the thought of feeding again left her slightly nauseous. It had been sound medical advice and she was healing quite nicely, but there was really nothing besides continuing the regimen the doctors set out that would make a difference.
"I could keep you company," Krista replied shifting slightly as she gazed over at Chase. She had never really liked being alone when she was sick, and she knew that Chase had not had any visitors besides Marcus and the doctor since returning to her room.
"Why would you want to do that?" Chase asked turning so that she was facing Krista for the first time since the brunette entered the room. She still had her head bowed however so Krista couldn't make out her features.
"Because you've been locked away in here for two days, and were locked away in the infirmary before that for three before that and you're a … social person," Krista responded trying to find a nice way to say that Chase was an overly talkative busy body. "I'll leave you alone if want, I just thought you might want to talk … or whatever."
Chase was silent following Krista's words. The truth was that she was beginning to go a little stir crazy, but she was too vain to leave her room. Marcus had come as often as he could to spend time with her, but the situation with Charlotte and the Armayan's called him away often. The pain of regenerating had also left her in a very irritable mood, more so than usual, and she had managed to scare away anyone who had come by to check on her. Except for Krista of course, the brunette was infuriating that way. However even as she thought about how obnoxious Krista was she couldn't help but smile slightly at the thought.
"I'm not really fit for a chat at the moment," Chase responded though there was none of the vitriol that Krista half expected her question to earn. Chase was turning her down but she didn't seem particularly insulted by the offer.
"We don't have to talk," Krista replied not willing to let it drop quite yet. "I could just … stay a while," she continued watching as Chase's head turned towards her once more. "I could … read to you?" she went on her voice rising questioningly not sure how Chase would feel about that suggestion.
Chase observed the brunette. She didn't find Krista nearly as irritating as she made it seem. In fact she rather liked the brunette, and found her interesting which was something rare after the amount of time she had spent on the planet. She was both attracted to Krista because of it and repelled by it because Krista was a very serious threat to her position within The House of Chthon. And the fact that Krista had just succeeded where she had so spectacularly failed drove that point home painfully. She should have left Krista to die in that ash warehouse weeks ago, she should have been plotting another way to dispose of the brunette before she could climb any higher on the totem pole, and yet … she had carried Krista to safety from that warehouse herself, but she'd be damned if she was going to let the woman read to her like a five year old with the flu.
Still …
"I'd rather chat," Chase finally said lifting her arm to push the hood off of her face. She was almost completely healed at this point and Krista had seen in her far worse condition so there was really not reason to be modest.
Krista nodded as Chase stood up and moved towards the door presumably to turn on some lights. She looked much, much better than the last time she had seen her. There were now only a few scares on her face and her hair was almost as long and luxurious as it had been before. The regeneration really was quite remarkable. Her own arm was healing much more slowly, though she knew exactly why that was but wasn't willing to do what was necessary to speed up the process.
"You're looking much better," Krista said as Chase flipped on a few lights pleased that she remembered to close of her UV vision as the lights flickered on. "When I first saw you I … I couldn't believe that anyone could come back from that. I'm glad you're going to be okay."
"Are you?" Chase asked an unfamiliar – and probably unwanted – not of genuine surprise belaying the familiar unaffected look Krista saw on Chase's face when she turned to look at her.
"Yes," Krista replied simply before turning to look for a place to sit, seriously wondering if volunteering to spend time with Chase was the smartest thing she had ever done. Talking with Chase could be trying and uncomfortable at the best of times, and completely exhausting and violating at the worst. Still she felt a pull towards her that she couldn't explain that was completely maddening and strangely exhilarating.
"You're not afraid to sit on the bed are you?" Chase asked smirking slightly as Krista continued to glance around the room. "I promise I won't bite," she continued moving towards the bed herself.
"I'm not afraid," Krista responded however as she moved over to the table where Chase had been seated before and dragged the chair forward a couple meters before sitting down. She actually was kind of uneasy about being in a bed with Chase, and she suspected that Chase might just try to bite her after promising not to just to fuck with her.
"How's your arm?" Chase asked, Krista's actions drawing her attention to the brunette's gloved right arm.
"Itchy," Krista replied glancing down at the newly forming appendage in question.
"Let me see it," Chase said shifting on the bed up onto her hands and knees before crawling to the foot of the bed so that she was only a few meters away from Krista.
"Morbid much, Chase?" Krista asked looking over at the blonde. The delight Chase showed in the face of death, mutilation, and pain left her feeling rather uneasy. Not because she expected better of the blonde, she didn't, she knew what Chase was, what she was, what they all were. It was more the fact that she found Chase particularly attractive and charming when she was in one of the dark lusts disturbed her.
"You saw mine," Chase responded watching closely as Krista shifted slightly in discomfort. Krista often was disquieted around her. She liked it.
"I'm not going to play a game of 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours' with you," Krista replied though as Chase settled herself on the end of the bed showing an expanse of completely regenerated thigh as she crossed her legs she wondered if that was really true.
"I've already seen yours," Chase replied drawing her eyes slowly up Krista's body as she spoke before biting her bottom lip and smiling. "You've seen mine too. I think we'd have to do more than show to keep things interesting."
"You weren't exactly at your best then," Krista replied an image of Chase's burned body flashing in her mind. "I don't think that should count."
"So we're back to my original inquiry then it would seem," Chase replied staring at Krista intently. She was beginning to feel more herself than she had in almost a week. Playing with Krista always seemed to energize her and she needed and welcomed the boost at the moment.
"If I show you my arm, you'll take off your clothes?" Krista asked dubiously looking over at Chase, her expression clearly unconvinced.
"I'm mostly a woman of my word," Chase responded smirking at Krista's questioning look at her use of the word 'mostly'. "But if it will assuage your worries," she continued standing up slowly, her movements deliberate and sensuous, "I'll go first."
Krista eyed Chase for a moment and then shrugged deciding to go with the flow for the moment. Leaning back in her chair she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Chase expectantly. Whatever the outcome she would be the winner of the situation by either successfully calling Chase's bluff, or by seeing Chase naked while Chase only got to take a look at her mangled arm.
In fact as Chase reached for the belt tying her robe together Krista actually smiled.
Untying the knot that held the heavy material of her robe together Chase pushed down any lingering doubts she had. She hadn't quite healed completely yet, there were still a few scars on her back, left arm and stomach that she would have rather not revealed to Krista but she had made the challenge and there was absolutely no way that she was going to back down.
Allowing the robe to drop to the ground, Chase then took a moment to run her hands over her torso and the tops of her thighs before placing one hand on her hip and posing for Krista.
As she stood still as a statue she could see Krista's eyes drop to the ground before slowly moving up apparently studying her body with great interest for the amount of the time she was focused on her. However, the brunette's expression was rather inscrutable and Chase couldn't tell exactly what she was thinking except for the fact that whatever Krista saw was enough to hold her attention.
"Your turn," Chase announced finally boring of preening for the moment.
Krista quirked an eyebrow at her and smirked briefly before uncrossing her arms. "Right," she drawled as her fingers touched the top of the dark glove she was wearing and began to pull it down. "Here it is."
Krista watched as Chase approached her, her eyes locked on her arm. She had expected the blonde to pick up her robe, but now that she had revealed herself Chase seemed perfectly at home in her nudity as she strode over to Krista's chair stopping in front of it.
Krista bit down on her lip to stop her fangs from showing as she got a good look at Chase's natural blonde hair, which was quite a bit darker than the shade the blonde had going on top. Knowing that concentrating on that area of the blonde's body would get her in trouble, Krista lifted her eyes above Chase's waist which was level with her head though the flat pale skin of Chase's stomach was almost as appealing. There was some slight scarring on the left side of her abdomen but it didn't detract from her beauty at all. In fact Krista found it to be quite sexy which surprised her. She'd never really been a fan of scars, especially ones that were obviously from a bad injury. She'd found the idea kind of morbid, but now, like so many things she knew she shouldn't, she found herself drawn to it.
Dragging her eyes away from Chase's body she looked back over at her hand which the blonde was now holding onto gently.
"You're not drinking enough," Chase commented looking over at Krista her tone not the least bit surprised. Krista's arm should have been nearly better if she had been drinking as much blood as Chase was sure the doctors recommended, but the arm only looked about half finished.
"I know. I've heard the speech. Twice," Krista replied pulling her arm back slightly, relieved when Chase simply let it go so that she wouldn't have to fight the other woman to get it back.
"You know, there are no faces attached to the blood bags in the kitchen," Chase commented taking a few steps back but making no move to pick up her clothes as Krista pulled the glove back up her arm.
"I'm on a diet," Krista replied her jaw clenching as she looked over at the elder vampire. No one had tried to force feed her like this since her mother that time she had made it home for Christmas during her first tour of duty. It was less cute with the vampires.
Chase held Krista's gaze for a moment looking at her appraisingly before turning her back to her and walking back over to the bed, bending down briefly to pick up her fallen robe which she then put on but didn't tie up.
"What? No smart-ass remark or condescendingly sage advice?" Krista asked as Chase lowered herself onto the bed and arranged herself prettily.
Chase shrugged as she glanced over at Krista. "You'll get over your hang-ups eventually. We all do," she said simply. She didn't much like thinking about being a newborn. For the first little while after she had been turned she had still felt so human, weak, concerned with things that were inconsequential to her new existence. When she thought back on it she felt like she was viewing the memories of another person. She had changed so much, she had become so much more but as much as she tried not to think about it she did understand what Krista was going through.
"Did you have trouble with it?" Krista asked relaxing slightly as Chase seemed to be in a rare helpful mood.
"Of course I did. Change is never easy," Chase responded her eyes wandering around her room as she spoke sweeping over familiar surfaces. "Not everyone is cut out for this life. Eventually being able to accept the change is what separates the weak from the strong." And despite how careful they were there were so many weak ones, so many whose minds were just not strong enough to accept the reality of what they were. Despite her initial comments to Marcus about Krista however, she didn't think that brunette was going to go that way, despite her current reluctance to drink. Krista was a fighter, she was a survivor; she was strong. She had once been comforted by the thought that Krista would waste away, but she was certain now that the brunette would adapt and she didn't choke on the thought as she once might have. Despite herself she had become used to Krista's presence and had learned to tolerate it. "No one without the desire to live should be given eternity."
"What happens to the weak?" Krista asked not as confidant about herself as Chase was.
"They go for a walk and see the sunrise," Chase responded turning her attention fully to Krista once more. She really was quite lovely. She could understand why Marcus had picked her. Strong and yet feminine, stubborn, tenacious, determined - sometimes destructively so – inquisitive and she had a certain mystique about her that left one curious about what she wasn't saying, leaving one … wanting more.
Chase stood once more watching Krista for a second longer before moving over to her chair once again and holding out her hand to the brunette. "I can help you."
"How?" Krista asked surprised by the offer and slightly weary of how Chase might try to get her to overcome her blood issues.
"Take my hand," Chase said looking towards her palm which was still open and facing Krista waiting to be grasped. Krista looked at her somewhat dubiously but took her hand and Chase pulled her up into a standing position so that they were almost eye to eye. Krista, maddeningly, was slightly taller than her.
Ignoring the tension in the brunette's body, Chase brushed the backs of her fingers lightly over Krista's face before trailing them down over her neck and then around to the back of her neck allowing her fingers to toy with the brunette's hair lightly.
"What are you …" Krista started.
"Sshh," Chase cooed though she soon cupped her hand around Krista's neck and nudged her face forward, pushing lightly until Krista stopped resisting and allowed her to draw her face into and against Chase's neck.
Krista sagged into the touch as Chase began to play with her hair again while holding her face against her neck. This was the most and longest contact she had had with another person for a very long time. She wasn't used to lots of casual touching and hugging and whatnot while in the service, but now that Chase was touching her she felt the absence of contact much more strongly than she ever had then. Maybe it was because she had felt a part of something in the military that she had been around people that she trusted and respected, that believed in what she believed in that had made it seem less lonely.
However, as much as she craved the current contact she also felt uneasy about it. She was uncomfortably aware of it, and began to try to pull back.
"Stay," Chase said, the strength of the grip that held Krista in place as forceful as her voice was soft.
Krista growled slightly in frustration but relaxed slightly trying to think of a way that she could break Chase's hold without provoking the other woman. She got the impression that Chase was actually trying to be nice to her in a domineering sort of way and she didn't want to shit on that, but she really didn't want to be pressed against the blonde anymore. She was becoming uncomfortably aware of the sound of Chase's blood rushing through her veins, and she could feel the throb of them against her nose and cheek. She could feel the soft, fine pale hairs on Chase's neck teasing her lips and the blonde's scent seemed to be surrounding her.
The embrace had gone from comforting to intoxicating and she really needed to move away … or maybe stay right where she was. She didn't know anymore. She could feel Chase's breasts pressed against her own. Their thighs were touching.
Her lips moved against Chase's neck and she could feel her fangs lowering, slowly almost as if in anticipation of what awaited them.
Krista began to struggle once more, in earnest this time, fighting against Chase's grip. She was better trained than Chase, but Chase had still been well trained and was much stronger than her. Whether that was from age, or feeding Krista didn't know, but whatever it was it was confounding her at every turn.
"Chase, please," she said finally. "Let me go." She wanted to, Chase smelled so good, she felt so, she wanted to, her heart was pounding, her mouth was dry, she swayed forward, her vision seemed to blur, her body thrummed, she couldn't think, she felt, her mind pulsed red, she wanted to …
"Why?" Chase asked already knowing the answer to her question but wanting to hear Krista say it.
"I want to feed," Krista growled, anger, frustration, and desire warring for dominance inside of her as she began to struggle again.
"Then do it," Chase responded tightening her grip on the back of Krista's neck until she knew it was painful, until her nails drew tiny drops of blood from the brunette's neck. "Do it!" she hissed scratching her nails down Krista's back, a delighted smile covering her face a moment later when Krista surged forward and sank her teeth into her neck.
Krista sighed into Chase's flesh and clutched at her, wrapping her arms around her waist holding her in a lover's embrace.
Chase moaned and tilted her head to the side exposing more of her neck to Krista, smiling and running her tongue over her teeth as Krista roughly jerked her body closer to her own. She was so forceful, fierce, and hungry. She loved it. Sometimes it really was as good to give as it was to receive.
"Good girl," Chase muttered burying her fingers in Krista's lovely hair once more. "Very good girl," she repeated softly. Krista was doing so well she almost didn't want to disturb her, but she was rather low on blood herself at the moment and couldn't afford to loose much more no matter how delightful it felt.
Krista blinked as she felt herself stumble backwards, confused and slightly off-balance but focused on the wound on Chase's neck.
Chase didn't even bother to try talking to Krista knowing that the woman was too far gone to hear her and simply moved her hands to her shoulders before giving the brunette a decisive push.
"More," Krista said taking a step towards Chase.
"No," Chase said firmly a hint of warning in her voice. Newborn bloodlust frustrated her to no end, but she had opened this particular door.
Krista continued to move towards her.
"Stand down!" Chase said trying to use her words one last time before moving on to literally slapping the sense back into Krista. It was a long shot appealing to the brunette's military background and she didn't really think it would work, in fact she had begun to anticipate wrestling with Krista, but after she spoke Krista stopped where she was and looked at her.
She had blood and a delightfully puzzled expression on her face that was quite cute.
Chase moved towards her and pushing up on her tiptoes slightly licked the corner of Krista's mouth cleaning up a trail of blood.
"There now," she said settling down again. "That wasn't so bad was it?" Chase asked reaching up with her hand to wipe away some more blood with Krista's mouth with her thumb. "Perfectly natural," Chase continued still cleaning Krista up. "Beautiful," she went leaning up once again licking Krista's chin to clean up the last of the blood that had escaped her mouth.
Krista reach out, her hand cupping Chase's face. It wasn't bad at all, it was exhilarating and intimate and exciting. She felt so close to the blonde, she could taste Chase's life, feel it throbbing around her.
She leaned forward pressing her lips against Chase's forcefully, demanding the blonde respond and give back and forced her tongue into Chase's mouth clutching at her once more. She no longer felt possessed by the desire to feed but other appetites and desires were rising up within her and she still needed Chase.
Krista pulled back suddenly, stumbling back a few steps putting some distance between her and Chase. She stared at the blonde, breathing heavily. She had never wanted someone so much in her life as she wanted Chase. The force of her desire was actually so alarming that it snapped her out of the aroused fog she had slipped into while feeding from Chase.
Chase's lips were swollen and slightly stained with red. Her robe hung lose and open where Krista's hands had pushed it apart while grasping at her and her hair hung tussled and wild around her beautiful place. She looked primal, radiant, untamed, her appearance at that moment was the embodiment of everything Krista had ever thought about Chase but hadn't known how to put into words.
She wanted Chase.
She needed serum.
"I have to go," Krista muttered finally looking dazed still but her voice firming with resolve with every word she spoke.
"You don't have to," Chase replied softly, taking a measured step towards Krista, careful to move slowly so as not to spook the other woman. "You could stay," she continued stopping just in front of Krista. "Stay," she offered reaching up and placing the nail of her right index finger just over her breast before pressing down slight and drawing her nail over her pale skin leaving a streak of red in its wake.
Krista growled softly in the back of her throat and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. It didn't help. She could still smell Chase's blood.
"I can't," Krista finally said in a hurried voice opening her eyes and moving around Chase quickly heading for the door. So suddenly everything had become so strange. She was thinking clearly, she needed to take the serum. She couldn't afford to have her mind compromised in the position she was in at the House of Chthon. It was stupid to even entertain the idea of getting involved with Chase. Chase was a black hat. She was supposed to be sabotaging her not seducing her. It was her hunger that was making her want to stay, not her, it wasn't really her. She just needed to get her serum and get right with herself. She just needed to stay in control long enough to make it to the door.
"Krista," Chase said as the brunette hurried towards the door, frustration and confusion audible in her tone.
"I just I can't. Right now," Krista said stopping by the door and turning to face Chase. "Change is never easy," she continued quietly watching as Chase stared at her keenly for a moment, her lips curving up in a slight smile a few seconds later upon hearing Krista repeat her own words.
"Well, goodnight then," Chase murmured holding Krista's gaze for a moment longer before then turning her back on the brunette as she reached for the ties of her robe and drew the material around her body and secured it in place.
Krista stayed by the door for a moment watching as Chase then ran a hand through her hair before finally opening the door and stepping out of the room.
She swore to herself that she wouldn't look back.
She was a liar.
The End