by Unknown
"You chase mortality," Thaddeus said. "We all chase it."
"I chase it because I want to live." Robb let Thaddeus go, shoving him back toward the lab table. The old man caught the edge of the table and Liz heard something inside of his body crack grotesquely.
"Live, live!” He laughed again, weakly. “That's all we do is live!"
"Thirteen years!" Robb cried. His hands balled into fists at his side. "I had thirteen years, Thad! I was only a boy!"
"You used to be grateful—"
"Leave. I don't ever want to see you near London," Robb said.
“How can I—“
“Take the elevator down to my private parking. There’s a door that opens out to the apartment parking. I trust you can avoid being seen by anyone for the twenty feet or so you’ll have to carry the body.”
"Robb—"
"I won't say it again."
"Then goodbye." Thaddeus said. He cast a look at Liz. "I hope the human girl is worth it."
Robb was silent. He stood still as a stone statue as Thaddeus picked up the dead body.
Liz was surprised to see that he handled the corpse easily. He was, she supposed, still a vampire, but it was strange to watch the old man leave with his burden slung over one shoulder. Robb opened the door and waited as the man climbed into the elevator and pressed the button.
"It's over," Robb said, turning back to Liz. Liz stood tensely, watching the silver doors slide shut. She didn't believe that he would ever be gone, and she would never turn her back to such a creature. Especially now.
For just before the elevator doors closed their mirrored walls over his face, Liz saw the old vampire wink.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
After Vasin and Gerry left the apartment, Robb found himself alone with Liz in the blood-stained lab. He raised his eyes wearily to hers. All of the adrenaline from the fight had been exhausted in his body, and he was ready for a break.
"Then...it's true," she said. "You're a..." Her voice trailed off into nothing.
"I'm a monster. Say it."
"A vampire. They exist?"
"We exist." He ached to take her in his arms. "Liz? Will you come over to my apartment to talk? I want to change out of all this." He motioned down to his clothes, the white shirt soaked through with blood so that it looked as though it had been dyed a dark crimson.
“This...all this...” Her voice trailed off and she looked around the lab. Bloodstained glass covered the floor. It was a scene out of a horror movie.
“I will explain everything if you let me,” Robb said. “I promise. No more secrets, Liz. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. I’ll tell you about how I became a vampire.”
"A vampire," she repeated. "That's impossible. There's no such thing." Her words were automatic, as though she'd been rehearsing.
"Please, Liz." She lifted her eyes to him, and they were filled with pity.
Pity. Not love. If he had a heart, it would have broken. As it was, the numbness in his body deepened into his bones and the last dregs of energy he had remaining evaporated. He bent against the door in pain.
"Are you okay?" Liz took a step forward, but Robb held a hand up to stop her.
"Don't," he said. "I'm covered in his blood."
She stopped short of him, and he longed to reach out to touch her.
"I have his blood on me, too," she said. "From...from when he had me..."
Robb looked down to her shirt. There was one handprint on her neck, the blood dried dark against her pale skin. Fire pulsed through his veins in anger as he remembered the old man darting past him. He wanted to kill Thad. He should never have trusted him, the old bastard.
"He's a vampire too," she said dully.
"Yes. Thad. Thaddeus. He's older than I am."
"Your friend?"
"No. Yes. He—I owed him a favor."
Liz swallowed.
"A favor."
"Yeah," Robb said. "A big favor."
"What now?"
"The debt's been paid. He won't come back again," Robb said. He'd better not.
"Robb?"
"Yes?"
Liz clasped her hands in front of her primly.
"I'll come over. To clean up. And to hear about everything. About you."
"The blood didn't get on your clothes." He averted his senses from her neck. Her quick pulse aroused him even in his tense state. "We should be able to wipe it up no problem."
"Can you...would you give me the card key first?" she said. "So I have it. Just to feel safe."
"The key? Oh. Of course," Robb said. He handed her the key from his pocket and let her lead the way to his apartment. She paused before the door.
"Promise me something else," she said.
"Anything," he said. He would crack the earth in half for her.
Robb waited as Liz put together her words, her lips pink and slow and oh-so attractive, even under her grave demeanor.
"If you ever owe me a favor, please...." she said, "...just buy me a beer."
The smile that ran along her face was the greatest relief he had ever known.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Liz stood in Robb's kitchen. She'd wiped off most of the blood on her neck with a paper towel, but she was glad when only a minute or two later, Robb emerged from the shower clean and newly-dressed in a crisp shirt and pants. He looked for all the world like a successful businessman, and only the blood on the crumpled paper towel in front of her told the truth about him.
Vampire's blood. She shivered.
Blood had never creeped her out. It couldn't, not really, not in her field of study. A hematologist squeamish at the sight of blood would be laughed out the profession. But the sheer amount of blood spilled over the white tile made her shudder at the memory.
"Did I get it all off?" she asked. She tilted her head back.
"Ah—I...ah, yes. I mean no. There's still a little." Robb blinked hard.
"What?" she said.
Robb laughed softly and reached across the counter for a washcloth.
"You don't understand how tempting you are," he said. He twisted the washcloth under a stream of hot water.
Liz flushed once she realized what he meant.
"Sorry," she mumbled. "I don't...I can..."
"It's okay," Robb said. His voice was gentle, and he touched her chin lightly, his fingertips turning her head. She swallowed.
"Is it too late to make you promise not to drink my blood?" she said. A nervous cough of laughter burst from her.
Robb paused, the washcloth pressed against the base of her neck.
"Liz, I would never do that if you didn't want me to," Robb said. "I can control myself."
His voice choked up with contrition and Liz wanted to take back her words. At the same time, she was relieved to have spoken aloud her fear. She got some measure of comfort from the fact that he was ashamed at her thinking it was a possibility.
"It's alright," she said.
"Last time was...I misunderstood. I thought you knew. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay."
"It's not!" Robb cried out, his voice strained. Then, more quietly: "It's not." His eyes shone, and Liz was shocked to see tears bead and trickle down his cheeks. "I hurt you."
"I forgive you."
Liz went to wipe his tears away with her hand. His cheek smeared red, and he breathed in sharply, his nostrils flaring. She looked down at her hand. There was a cut on her inside of her knuckle.
"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry," she said, taking the washcloth from him and swiping it quickly along his cheek to clean it off.
"Just a little blood," Robb said. He caught her hand with his.
"Here," he said. "Let me fix this for you."
His strong fingers intertwined with hers. With his other hand, he raised a finger to his lips. He met her gaze with a calm, gentle intent. His dark hair fell over one eye.
"Is that okay?" he asked.
Liz's mouth went dry at the thought. She nodded dumbly, too scared to s
ay a word lest it come out as no.
Robb opened his mouth slightly, baring his gums. The points of his fangs emerged above his canines at the gumline. Liz stood transfixed as he pierced the tip of his index finger with one fang. A bead of blood rose on his skin.
Quickly he brought his finger down to hers and touched the cut. Liz focused her attention on her finger and was astonished at the sensations she beheld. It was itchy, sort of, the itch of bone knitting. Except this was skin and blood, the cells growing so quickly that she felt the tissue stretch tight across her wound and then thicken in place. After only a second, the new layer of skin was complete. She touched it in awe. She bent her fingers. The skin was pink and new, but entirely healed.
"Now let me get that spot on your neck," Robb said, running the washcloth under the sink faucet again. The hot water steamed up from the sink as he wrung out the white cloth.
Liz leaned her head back. The washcloth pressed against her skin, and the wet heat of it was wonderful. Just a little blood. And now it was gone. Robb still caressed her skin with the washcloth, cradling her neck in his strong hands. She was sorry when his touch left her. He tossed the cloth into the sink.
They were standing mere inches from each other, and neither of them moved.
"Why did you come back?" he asked, his voice soft.
"I...I forgot my lab notebook," she said.
Robb burst out into laughter. The relief on his face and his hearty laugh were so contagious that Liz was laughing along with him before she knew it. She breathed more easily now. It was alright. The danger was over.
"Of all the times to come back into my apartment!" he said, shaking his head.
"I think you might need to give your butler a raise," Liz said.
"He does deserve it, doesn't he?" Robb said, laughing. “I need to tell you about everything he’s done for me. And how I got here. And why there was a dead body in my lab.”
“You didn’t kill him, did you?” Liz said. A flash of fear struck through her suddenly, but when Robb spoke next she knew that she could trust him.
“No,” Robb said. “Let me tell you the story.”
“I would like that,” Liz said.
It took the better part of an hour. Robb sat on the couch and explained his history to her. About Eliza, and the vampires, and how he had been Robert Chatham for over a hundred years. Liz stopped him only a few times to ask him questions, and it seemed that he knew as little as she did about how to stop his disease. When he was finally done, she had tears in her eyes. To have lived for so long, and never to have loved...
“Liz.”
Liz looked up into a face stricken with grief and love. Robb caught Liz by the hand and knelt in front of her.
"Liz," he said. "I have to ask you something."
Liz jerked back against the kitchen counter.
"I—we can't— No! I can't marry you!" she cried out, standing up. Robb's face turned to confusion and he frowned in sudden realization.
"What? Oh! Damned social customs! They change so fast!" Robb said, standing up and taking both her hands in his. "Sorry, Liz, that wasn't what I meant at all. I shouldn't have knelt. I'm sorry."
"Oh," Liz said. As relieved as she was, there was a part of her that found herself oddly disappointed that he hadn't meant to propose.
"I'm sorry," he repeated. The pressure of his hands over hers comforted her disappointment. Somewhat, at least. Her body responded automatically to his touch, and she let herself indulge in the sensation.
"Then what were you going to ask?" Liz said, shaking herself back to her senses.
"I want you to stay."
The room seemed to spin a little bit. Liz was glad that she had the couch behind her. If her only balancing point was Robb's hand, she would have fallen over. Swooned, even. Then she remembered what she'd come here to do.
"Robb—"
"Stay here. Stay with me."
It was hard to protest. Harder still with Robb's dark eyes searching her face. The sharp dark line of his jaw, his lips, oh god, his lips—
"I can't," she said. She remembered her note. What was she thinking? She should have left a long time ago.
"Please," Robb said.
"Don't ask me to do this," Liz said softly.
Robb leaned forward and kissed her forehead. She let him, God save her. The hot press of his lips made her faint with desire. Robb let out a sigh.
"I've lived four hundred years as a vampire," he said, "and I've never fallen in love once until you came along."
Liz's eyes flashed up to Robb's.
"Are you surprised that I'm four hundred years old?" His dark, intelligent eyes crinkled a bit in amusement.
"You love me?" she said. She couldn't speak very well. Her tongue seemed too heavy for her mouth.
"That? That's what surprises you? Liz, come now."
Robb bent down and kissed her, and she did not protest as his lips caught hers in a fierce embrace. The warmth that spread through her instantly as her body met his shocked her with its intensity. He deepened the kiss, and she kissed him back, losing any sense of balance as he took her in his arms wholly and completely. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the darkness of the universe that was only shared between the two of them.
When he finally pulled away, she gasped with how much she wanted him to continue. Her heart raced, her pulse beating through her entire body.
"Robb..." She could not finish the sentence.
"All I have is my work. It's not enough. Not anymore. Not after you."
Liz couldn't speak. All of the reasons she had for leaving had vanished, and the desire to throw caution to the wind scared her more than anything else she'd ever known.
"Tell me you don't feel the connection between us," Robb said.
"I did!" Liz cried, before she could stop herself. "I...I thought I did. I don't know."
"Because of this?" Robb brushed a thumb against his gum and the points of his fangs slid out, then back. She looked on in fascination.
"Your blood..." Liz frowned, thinking back to her initial line of inquiry. "Your blood looked cancerous. Is that always how it is?"
"It heals my body more quickly," Robb said in agreement. "Cancerous in its growth to a certain point. And then it stops."
"Do you know why it stops?" Liz said, her heart pounding. "The mechanism behind it?"
"When I figure that out, I'll have cured cancer." Robb said. "And I won't be a monster anymore."
Liz cringed at the word, and Robb mistook her expression for distaste. He pressed his lips together.
"Tell me that you want to leave and I'll let you go," he said. "But I would die completely inside if I didn't at least try to stop you."
"I'll stay." Liz didn't know what tempted her more—the man in front of her, or the mystery behind his disease. She only had a second to think about it before Robb had lifted her up in another hug, kissing her so hard that it took her breath away. He held her in front of him, beaming. She laughed.
"What's so funny?" Robb asked.
"You look like you're so proud to have caught me," Liz said, laughing happily. "And here you're the most handsome, wealthy man in London. And you can live forever."
Robb smiled, but there was a hint of bitterness behind it.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I can't promise you much, Liz," Robb said. "I don't have a family. I don't know if we would ever be able to have a family. Lord, I don't even have friends—"
"It's okay," Liz said, laughing again. His worries were misplaced.
"I don't want to have caught you. You're always free to go, Liz. Always. I mean, I don't want you to go—"
"Hush." Liz touched his lips with her finger and his words melted away into silence. "I'm not caught. I'm...curious."
She smiled, and he smiled back.
"Curiosity killed the cat," Robb said.
"But satisfaction brought her back," Liz said.
"I'll get right on that," Robb said, clapping his hands togethe
r once before sweeping her into his arms. Liz squealed as he carried her easily towards the bedroom. He paused at the doorway to the bathroom. "Want to take a hot shower before?"
"Before, during, and after," Liz said, flinging her arms around his neck and hugging herself close to his chest. "Robb?"
"Yes?" Robb put her down on her feet in the bathroom and turned on the shower before turning back to her.
"You're not a monster," Liz said. "Not one bit."
"I'm trying not to be," Robb said, a crooked smile on his face. "You tell me if I growl too much, okay?"
"Okay," Liz said. Her heart swelled at his grin, and warmth flooded her body as his fingers moved to undress her.
“Gentle,” she said. “Not too fast. I don’t know if I can...tonight....”
“We don’t need to do anything tonight,” Robb said. “Only let me kiss you and hold you. Let me know that you’ll stay.”
“I’ll stay.”
A tightness in her chest unclenched. He wouldn’t rush her. He would wait. Her nervousness evaporated as he kissed her softly once, then again.
"We'll figure this out," Robb said, kissing her down the line of her cheek. "Together."
Liz trembled as his lips touched her neck. He put his arms around her, and she leaned into his body.
"Yes," she whispered. To her surprise, she felt safe, safer than she’d felt around any other guy before. She still had questions for him, but they could wait. She took Robb’s hand. He stepped backwards into the shower and, a smile on his face, led her into the billowing white clouds of steam.
The water flowed over them both, and she could not help but look at his hard, muscular body as he took up the soap. Rather than washing himself, though, he reached out and turned her around so that she was facing the showerhead. He began to caress her body with the bar of soap, sliding his fingers over her skin. She gasped at the first touch, but then she closed her eyes and lost herself in darkness.
His hands moved over her back, kneading, caressing. Every muscle in her melted under the pressure and the stream of the hot water. God, it felt so good.