Content Warning: Adult language, Adult themes, Plot

 

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Frankie was nervous.

 

The man sitting on the park bench was Xander Goth, Cassie Goth's brother. Cassie was Frankie's idol. She was the best, coolest, most beautiful singer, musician and actress Frankie had ever seen. 

 

Xander wasn't exactly a nobody either. The Goth family basically owned Willow Creek. On top of that, Xander was some kind of tech genius with his own software company. So, rich, brilliant and, Star was right about him being cute, in a middle-aged geek kind of way. Also he was a vampire.

 

The vampire she'd fought last night. Fought and lost. He'd beaten her. Conquered her. Something low down inside her shivered at the memory. She remembered wanting to submit to him. To let him do anything. Even now, if he tried to push her down and take her right here on the bench, she felt that she'd let him. Part of her wanted him to.

 

 

Instead of ravishing her on a park bench, he just said, "Hi, I'm Xander. You're Francis, right?"

 

"Um, yeah... Frankie. Everyone calls me Frankie," Frankie replied.

 

"Nice to meet you, Frankie," Xander smiled. He had a nice smile. "Listen, I'm sorry about the other night. I should have handled that differently. I got a little over-eager when I saw you. I've been looking all over for you."

 

"You have?" Frankie said warily.

 

"Yes, the Baron Samedi asked me to find you," Xander said soothingly. "To look after you for him."

 

"Oh, that's... nice," Frankie said. "Who?"

 

"You might know him better as LaCroix," Xander smiled again. 

 

 

"You're both close to Frankie," the elegant woman, Carmilla, said in a way that wasn't really a question. "You know what she is."

 

"She's our girlfriend," Star answered a little defiantly.

 

Slim blinked. Sure, they were all together. There were feelings, but he hadn't actually said "girlfriend" yet, even to himself. Star was right. Frankie was their girlfriend. He realized he had a dopey grin on his face, but he couldn't seem to make it stop.

 

"I see," Carmilla said softly. 

 

 

"... but why is this Baron Criminel after me?" Frankie asked.

 

"I mean, I could give you all kinds of answers about Dark Court politics and traditions," Xander said. "But the truth of the matter is, it's basically just a pissing match between jealous brothers. Samedi has always been the more respected one. Dominating or destroying his vassals... the vampires he's turned, like you... is a way fror Criminel to prove he's stronger."

 

"So, are you one of Samedi's... what did you call it?" Frankie said.

 

"Vassals. No, I'm not. I'm... well, it's complicated," Xander answered. "I'm kind of a neutral party. I mean, I'm a vampire but I'm not one of either of theirs. Basically, I'm doing Samedi a favor helping you out and... well, like I said, it's complicated. What's important is I'm on your side. I want to help." 

 

 

"So, Star, how long have you been practicing?" Carmilla asked.

 

"Oh, I've been doing yoga for a couple of years now," Star answered brightly.

 

"Witchcraft," Carmilla clarified with a slight smile. "How long have you been practicing witchcraft."

 

"I haven't," Star blinked. "I don't... I mean, I'm not."

 

Carmilla just gave her a Look. Slim had seen Looks like that when he was a kid, usually on the faces of the Church school teachers when they knew he and Biggie had been sinning. Calm, amused, knowing, and unyielding as iron.

 

"My Gramma Reed used to tell me stories, about witches and elves and monsters," Star said. "She said my many-times-great-Grandmama had been an elf-wife and the Reed women had magic in their blood... but those are just stories. I mean, I have no idea how I did what I did to Mr. Goth. I just didn't want him to hurt Frankie, you know?"

 

 

"You're going to tell me I should leave them, aren't you?" Frankie said, looking over at Star and Slim sadly. "I mean, they'd be safer. I don't want Star or Slim to get hurt because of me."

 

"Actually, I wasn't going to say that," Xander replied. "They know that you're a vampire, right? They accept you for what you are. For who you are. Right?"

 

"Yeah," Frankie nodded, a little awed at the truth of it.

 

"That's a rare and special thing, Frankie. Don't give it up," Xander said a little sadly. "But you should be careful, and not just because of Criminel. You're feeding on them? Yeah. When you're taking from someone regularly, it becomes easy to take too much. Especially with Star. So, you need to be careful."

 

"I don't want to hurt them. Either of them," Frankie sighed. "What should I do?"

 

"Well, I can tell you what I do," Xander smiled gently.

 

 

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"So, you leaving us for a rich white dead guy?" Slim asked with a grin.

 

"Well, he is kind of cute," Frankie laughed. "He's offered to help me. To teach me about being a vampire and stuff. But I'm not running away with him or anything."

 

"Why not? I mean, he lives in a big expensive house in a classy neighborhood," Star teased.

 

"What's wrong with our place?" Slim said a little defensively.

 

"Have you seen our place?" Star grinned.

 

"Good point," Slim chuckled. "Maybe we all should run off with the rich white dead guy..."

 

 

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"Was I ever that young?" Xander wondered out loud. 

 

"Younger," Carmilla said with a smile. 

 

Which, Xander supposed, was fair. She'd known him since they'd been children after all. Back then the fact that Carmilla was a few years older had been a huge difference. Now, not so much. 

How long, he wondered suddenly, until it made a difference again. How long until Carmilla, and Morgan, got old while he stayed thirty-three. How long until Frankie's friends grew into adults, into elders, while she remained nineteen forever.

 

That thought led to others.

 

 

"You've known a lot of vampires, right?" Xander said. "I mean, from what you told me the other night..."

 

"Yeah, I guess. Wait, are you... Are you asking me my number? Seriously?" Carmilla laughed.

 

"No, no... I wasn't even thinking that," Xander said. I am now, he thought but tried to shake it off. "How many vampires do you know who were around my age? When they were turned I mean. It seems like most of the vampires I've met were in their late teens or early twenties when they came across."

 

"That sounds about right," Carmilla said, considering. "I've met a few who seemed older. Count Straud, certainly. Baron Bludvin, I think. Maybe Samedi. It's harder to tell with some of the elders. But, yes, I guess most of the vampires I've met were fairly young when they were turned. I never thought about it. Why?"

 

 

"I'm just thinking," Xander mused. "They say the brain isn't fully formed until you're at least in your mid-twenties. Until then, we're all basically running on buggy beta-test versions of ourselves. All wild emotions and poor impulse control."

 

"So, what? You're saying most vampires are stuck in a state of permanent late adolescence?" Carmilla blinked.   

 

"It would explain some things," Xander said.

 

"... and now Samedi has given you an angsty teen vampire of your very own to look after," Carmilla sighed.

 

"Yeah," Xander said. "We're doomed."