The Council of Shadows (complete)

[Katarina Gordislava]

The Archbishop of Moscow was nervous. The Prince of London had agreed to a meeting, on his turf, under her terms. She was bringing the kine, and he had promised not to butcher her on sight. Katarina had Miss Martin with her, under the watchful gaze of Sergei, and a Tzimisce named Samuel. He was a huge hulking brute of a Cainite, and had been quite upset when she hadn't allowed him to bring along a fleshsculpted ghoul or two. Or ten.

As they approached the building the meeting was to be held in, she wished she'd let Samuel bring anything he'd wanted. A Ventrue was at the door, and she locked eyes uncomfortably with him as they entered. He was to have only two other Kindred with him as well, and Katarina wondered who the other one would be. Another Toreador? Or perhaps a Brujah - that Sherriff of his no doubt.

She had, of course, several Lasombra skulking about outside in the shadows, as Gabriel no doubt had a small army of Nosferatu or others guarding their position. If not from treachery from the Sabbat, then from the Baa'li.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

Inside, all was silent, save for the ticking of an old grandfather clock. I frowned in irritation at the noise, but did not move, too tightly bound in anticipation of the Archbishop's arrival. Katarina had outlined that only three Kindred should be present, to represent the Camarilla – and I had honored her request. At my right hand sat the Scourge. One of the finest warriors London had to offer, he cut an imposing, wild figure and was a stark contrast to the Ventrue waiting at the door. Should the Archbishop try to circumvent the terms agreed upon for our meeting, he would strike her down without pause.

Informed of my 'guest's arrival, I grew more tense and stood from the table at which I had been sat, barely resisting the urge to pace back and forth. Not only would the meeting dictate the relations between the Camarilla and Sabbat for the foreseeable future, but it would also have a profound effect upon how my own relations with Sansa continued... Cut off mid thought by the sound of footsteps on the creaking floorboards, I looked ahead to the open doorway.

[Sansa]

Sansa wanted to fight and scream as the one called Sergei propelled her forward, his hand on the back of her neck. He had assured her earlier that if things went badly wherever it was they were going, he would snap her spine like a dry twig. She believed him.

The Archbishop approached a doorway, cutting a handsome figure in a long black formfitting jacket over a black blouse and slacks. Her hair was slicked back into a smooth ponytail. Everything about her was in direct contrast with the monster that was stumping along beside Sansa and Sergei. She was glad that she was not being forced to look at it.

She shuddered, feeling Gabriel's presence in the other room and being unable to do anything about it. The Archbishop entered, and then the monster, and then Sergei pushed her through the doorway into the next room.

[Sergei Vishnyakov]

The Ventrue on the door to Rodermark's haven looked at Sergei as if he had just single-handedly shattered the Masquerade. Behind his narrow spectacles, there was a genuine hatred, that could barely be consumed buy the Kindred's cool exterior. Sergei paid him little mind, concentrating his attention on making sure that the kine woman got to where she was supposed to be.

Escorted by the Ventrue to the room in which Rodermark was waiting, he finally relinquished his hold on the girl, pushing her forwards. His focus was arrested by the Prince himself, and by the large rugged figure standing just behind him. As Samuel sloped by, his footsteps unsettled dust from the floorboards. Sergei said nothing.

[Katarina Gordislava]

"Rodermark," Katarina barely inclined her head in greeting, regarding the Prince with a cool expression. "Your prize, as promised. I can continue to hold her Dominated until our business is concluded here." She took a step to the side, and Sansa walked forward until she was standing beside the Archbishop.

"But perhaps you would like to take care of her." Katarina compelled the kine to stay where she was.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

It was a clever move, on the part of the Archbishop, to use Sansa as such. Already she had the upper hand in the discussion. I have no doubts that I must have appeared far less 'together' than I would have liked, the image of the collected Prince fractured somewhat.

“Sir, should I take the girl into the next room... get her something to eat, perhaps?”

I looked away from Sansa's pleading eyes and realized that I had not replied to Katarina. I didn't want her to leave, naively thinking that she might be snatched away again, but it was for the best. There was so much that needed to be said between us, but it would have to wait.

“Yes, please, Victor.”

The Ventrue nodded. “Miss Martin, if you could just come with me for a moment...”

He was a fairly kind looking sort of man, though I doubted that would be reassuring, not after what the Sabbat fiends had put her thought. I felt my fists clenching at my sides, nails threatening to draw blood from my palms. I wanted to lash out, to have the Scourge wipe the smirks off their faces – but instead only sat down, motioning that Sabbat leader should do the same.

[Katarina Gordislava]

Sergei pulled out the chair for her, and Katarina sat down opposite Rodermark. Samuel stood a few steps behind and glowered openly at the Gangrel in the room. The Ventrue would no doubt keep the kine quiet in another part of the house, and the Archbishop withdrew her hold on the girl after compelling her to begin following the Kindred out of the room.

She thought about making a comment about Gabriel's good taste in kine, but decided not to. "I trust you already know about the Baa'li intrusion into London."

[Gabriel Rodermark]

My eyes followed Sansa until she was out of sight, then reluctantly returned to the Archbishop.

“Of course. We have already begun working to put an end to it. London will not be overcome.”

[Sansa]

Sansa followed the man with the glasses down the hallway, and as soon as the door closed on Gabriel she felt.... terrified. She stopped in her tracks and turned back towards the room where he was, but remembered that she was in there too.

She was shaking, and felt too weak to stand. The man Gabe had called Victor came back up to her side, supporting her with a cool hand. Sansa shrank from his touch, tears welling up in her eyes.

[Sergei Vishnyakov]

London will not be overcome, the Prince had said, in the tone of voice that suggested he was not speaking exclusively of the Baa'li. It seemed to Sergei that the city was already[i] overcome and over-run with a plethora of nasty things that the Camarilla dreaded. If – [i]if – the Baa'li were removed, it would leave London in a severely weakened state. The knife would be in Rodermark's back before he could say 'masquerade'.

[Katarina Gordislava]

Katarina spread her hands, "Please, do not assume you have anyone fooled, Rodermark. I have recieved word since last night informing me that the Baa'li have begun popping up all over Great Britain. No doubt more Tremere treachery. Even if London is not overcome, it cannot stand long with the Baa'li creating strongholds all over the island."

She folded her hands in her lap again, adding, "It is in the best interest of all involved if the Baa'li are put down as soon as possible. By working together, we may be able to do so."

[Gabriel Rodermark]

Working together? I sat in silence for a moment, merely returning the Archbishop's gaze with a narrow frown. Was she serious? That the Camarilla and Sabbat should work together... I could almost swear that I heard the Scourge's teeth grinding, his fingertips itching at the hilt of his sword.

It was a case of picking the lesser of two evils, yet neither evil being greater than the other. While the Baa'li may have posed an immediate threat to the safety of London, the Sabbat were a long-term menace. Their goals were not entirely dissimilar. They differed only in their methods and the fictional deities that they worshiped. The infernalists bowed before the Devil, while the Sabbat claimed to be the righteous sword of Caine.

Ordinarily I would have consulted with the others, presented with such a dilemma. I would have spoken at length to Roland and doubtlessly quarreled with Marcus on the pros and cons of cutting the head off 'that shadowy bitch' for even suggesting such an alliance. In this instance, however, I decided to exert the rights which I have been given with my title. I would make the decision of my own accord, there was no time for discussions and bickering.

“On what terms would you have us work together?”

[Katarina Gordislava]

Inside, Katarina smiled. "We will share information between us in regards to the Baa'li threat. We will coordinate our efforts and share what resources we have." She paused, "After the Baa'li are sent back to hell, all bets would be off."

The Archbishop leaned forward slightly, "Would that be satisfactory?"

[Gabriel Rodermark]

It was clean cut, as I had expected. Though neither of us was willing to admit it, the Baa'li had both of us pinned against the wall. The moment we could part ways, we would. The battle with the hellions would end and our swords would be sheathed but a moment before they were drawn in anger once again. There was no other way, not with the Tremere crippled. While the other clans had strength and many numbers, even an army of Brujah would find combating the arcane trickery of the Baa'li challenging.

“Satisfactory is not the word I would choose, but it will have to do. How many do you number in London, now?”

[Katarina Gordislava]

She raised an eyebrow as though that was one thing she did not wish to divuldge, and then said, "The Sabbat are very few. Less than forty of us exist in London, and the same could probably be said in other British cities, if there are any at all."

Katarina looked at Samuel, who grunted, and then turned her attention back to Gabriel. "The Cardinal of Russia has authorized me to use whatever resources I can find in England, and I plan on doing so. Right now I am the highest ranking Sabbat on the island, and he will be sending me reinforcements.

"For all our differences, Gabriel, the destruction of the world will serve neither of us."

[Gabriel Rodermark]

I smirked, without restraint. The end of the known world was precisely what the Sabbat wanted. The whole sect was nothing more than a monumental Gehenna cult, tasked with preparing the world for it's end, when Caine would rise and lay the whole lot of them to waste. Or so they said.

“I would rather have a small, well organized group than an army scattered across the entire country. Bring only those who you trust explicitly, and can count on to obey orders... I have support arriving from the mainland and America. We will be adequately equipped to deal with the Baa'li, with those additions alone.”

[Katarina Gordislava]

"Very good," she conceded, and added, "I can also keep opportunistic Bishops from striking at the back of the Camarilla while the front is busy with the Baa'li. In fact," Katarina looked at her watch, "I have a conference call with Edinburgh and York in two hours to do exactly that."

She leaned slightly forward, "I have two groups out on the streets gathering information about the Baa'li's movements. As far as I know they have not gained numbers yet, but that will not be the case for long. The demons will begin reproducing soon, and when that happens we will have to stop them quickly."

[Gabriel Rodermark]

Edinburgh and York... I remember I made a mental note then to speak with the Princes of both cities soon. It was surprising just how easily the Sabbat could hide themselves amongst us. A thought leapt into the forefront of my mind, then, as I imagined legions of Tzimisce ghouls suddenly emerging from their hiding places.

“Make sure that you let your followers know that the traditions of the city still apply, Baa'li or no.”

I sat back and glanced to the Scourge, who give a faint nod in approval, before turning my focus to Katarina.

“How should I go about contacting you?”

[Katarina Gordislava]

The Archbishop reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and pulled out a slim business card holder. Snapping it open, she withdrew a plain white card with her name and a phone number on it. "My mobile," she explained as she set it on the table in front of the Prince, pushing it towards him without being so bold as to try to hand it to him.

"You may call me whenever you like." Katarina replaced the metallic card holder into her jacket pocket. "There is one final request I have. If there comes a time when we must fight the Baa'li side by side, we will not work beside any Tremere... if there are any Tremere that have not betrayed you, of course."

[Gabriel Rodermark]

“Some remain... though I can't imagine that they would be keen to work with you either.”

My eyes drifted accusingly towards the sallow looking man who stood behind Katarina. It occurred to me that many would loathe to work alongside either the Lasombra or the Tzimisce, but it was something that would simply have to be tolerated. Many would avoid such encounters, though it was reassuring to know that if the two groups did collide, they would at least remain neutral.

“Is there anything else?” I asked, picking up the business card on the table, restlessly turning it over in my hands.

[Katarina Gordislava]

"Only that if we are attacked by any Camarilla during this crisis we will defend ourselves with the utmost of force." She smiled blandly, "I do not intend to serve us up on a platter for you to take advantage of."

[Gabriel Rodermark]

My lips twisted with a hint of a sneer. “I'd be more concerned about your brood breaking neutrality, if I were you. My men and women will not attack if unprovoked. As long as you keep your Tzimisce war-dogs on a tight leash, we won't have any problems.”

[Katarina Gordislava]

Samuel shifted slightly at Rodermark's comment, and the Gangrel beside the Prince suddenly seemed more alert. Katarina kept her face smooth as she slid to her feet. "It is amusing, your choice of words. We actually do have Tzimisce war-dogs, though I hear that Samuel prefers to call them hellhounds. Its more poetic."

She nodded to Sergei, who had stood silently through the entire exchange, and he moved towards the door. "I shall be in touch, Rodermark."

[Gabriel Rodermark]

I nodded in reply, speaking quietly. “Good-bye, Katarina... Dylan, escort our guests out, please.”

The Scourge stood, with the distinct clink of metal. His face was a mask of quiet aggression. His heavy boots shook the wood beneath them as he walked to the door and waited for the Sabbat to exit ahead of him.

[Katarina Gordislava]

Katarina resisted the urge to snarl at the beast that escorted them to the front door. His entire demeanor was threatening, and lacking respect. However, the Sabbat went quietly, and quickly disappeared into the still waxing night.

There was much work to be done, starting with the conference call at midnight. Katarina smirked as she thought about what Gabriel was most likely doing now - running to his little ghoul. She hoped he didn't like what he found.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

Dylan reappeared – they were gone. He returned to the seat he had previously occupied and sat down, managing to make even a slouch look menacing. I had my back to him, and was still idly fiddling with the business card the Lasombra had given me. Realising what I was doing, I quickly pushed it into a pocket and wrung my hands together, as though trying to brush away any trace of the Sabbat.

I did not move for a time, until I heard low wordless voices coming from elsewhere in the house: Sansa and Victor. I rubbed my eyes, knowing how very difficult the approaching conversation was going to be. Leaving Dylan to his brooding, I walked to the hallway and called for Victor. He came quickly and seemed to understand what was to happen now, so joined the Scourge without a word.

I carried on through the room that he had come from, a small study, and hesitated in the doorway, guilt weighing heavily on my shoulders. She was sitting there alone, trembling.

“Are you hurt?” I asked, the first question that came to mind.

[Sansa]

The study that Victor had brought her to, after trying in vain to get her to eat something, was complete with a dark brown leather couch to go with the leather bound books that lined one of the walls. Sansa sat there, looking slightly disheveled, and refused to look at the vampire in the room with her. That's what he was. That's what they all were.

Victor got up and left after what seemed like an eternity of silence, and then shortly afterwards He came in.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, and Sansa wanted to scream at him. She couldn't, however, and instead merely shook her head mutely. He was so close, yet she resisted running to his side, instead folding her hands in her lap and looking at the floor.

The funny part of it was, she still loved him. She wanted to be near him, and as he came further into the room her body reacted to his presence with a surge of pleasant sensations.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

Her reaction was not unexpected. I stood awkwardly over her for a moment, a few feet away, uncertain of what to say. I looked at the floor, at the bookshelf, anywhere but right ahead. I ruffled my hair in that way people do when anxious, desperate for some distraction.

“I'm sorry. I never wanted you to become part of all of this.”

[Sansa]

Her shoulders shook as she started to cry, burying her face in her hands. She didn't know what to say, or how to react. After a moment, Sansa got to her feet and threw herself at him, crying into his chest. For all that the Archbishop had told about him, she still could not think that Gabriel was a monster.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

I simply held her, then, not knowing what else could be done. For the time being, there was little that could be said – and certainly nothing that would console her. She was a wreck, ravaged by her experiences, by the sudden and brutal exposure to the darkness of the world. I felt her pain and remembered experiencing the horror as my own, yet suspected that my introduction to the world of the Kindred had been much more gradual. Feeling her body shake against mine, I wondered what she had been subjected to, and found myself pulling her closer, wanting to protect her... against the evil which I had invited into her life.

[Sansa]

She clung to him, and felt his arms tighten around her, surrounding her with his comforting presence. Even though he was there with her, Sansa still felt like there was something missing, deep down in the pit of her stomach.

She sniffled, finally releasing him to try to dry her eyes with a sleeve of her sweater. She didn't step away from him, however, content to remain in the circle of his arms for the time being.

Sansa looked up with wet eyes at Gabriel, and whispered, "Is it true? Are you... a..." Her chin quivered, and she fell silent, looking up at him with a mixture of trust and distrust.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

There was no pleasant way of saying it.

“A vampire?” I offered, confirming her suspicions with a slow nod.

“But I'm not like them... not like the people who took you.”

[Sansa]

Sansa looked down, her head against his chest. When she spoke it was slightly muffled. "I... I know you're not. Like them, I mean."

Her arms came up and she clung to him again, "They... they murdered Emilie." The tears came anew, wetting Gabriel's shirt.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

I recalled vividly the image of Emilie displayed, naked and mutilated, on her own kitchen table. Even given all that I had seen, it was still difficult to think back on. The Tzimisce had a way of creating gore and horror like no others.

“They'll get the justice they deserve... I won't let them hurt you anymore.”

[Sansa]

She sniffed, and nodded. She believed him. "Where will I go now? Home?" Sansa shuddered involuntarily at the thought of being alone, and her voice was small and afraid. "What happens to me now?"

[Gabriel Rodermark]

Although I was sure that Roland and the others would have done a good job of cleaning up the mess the Sabbat had left behind, it felt wrong that she should go home so soon. Being alone would do her no good.

“You can come and stay with me, if you'd like, for as long as you need. It's the least I can do. I can have someone contact the Browns and pick up your things from home... Right now, I think resting would be the best idea.”

[Sansa]

Rest. It sounded wonderful. At his words Sansa felt all the exhaustion creep back into her bones, and she leaned on him. But if she tried to sleep, would she have the nightmares?

"I kept thinking about you, Gabriel. While ...they had me. The worst part about it was not being able to see you." She offered him a tremulous smile, "Thank you for letting me stay with you. I'd... I'd be afraid to stay with anyone else."

If vampires existed there was no telling what she might run into while alone. And Gabriel loved her and would protect her. She felt sure of it.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

I smiled a little in return and set a kiss on her forehead.

“Sir...” The sound of Victor clearing his throat then caught my attention.

“Dylan is rather eager to leave, and I've just had a call from Roland asking...”

I held up a stalling hand and nodded. “Yes. We had better be going too,” I replied, slipping a guiding arm around Sansa's shoulders.

We walked slowly out into the hall. “Please tell the others I won't be taking any calls for the rest of the evening. Let them know how everything went.”

Everything. The meeting with the Archbishop, the bargain with the Sabbat. Everything had become so complex.

[Sansa]

Sansa huddled against Gabriel's side, wary of the others who were in the house with them. If they were friends of his, then they must be all right, but she was still afraid. Gabriel guided her down the hallway, and after a few moments they got into a car with tinted windows.

She sat in the back seat with Gabriel, eyes watching the streetlights as the driver took them towards their destination.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

We drove in silence. I decided to opt for the Knightsbridge haven, as it was already familiar to Sansa. The doorman greeted us both with a cheerful nod, in spite of Sansa's obvious distress. Even once we were inside, I didn't let her go, keeping one hand on her at all times. The apartment was dark and a little cold. I could see the light flashing on the answering machine, an unwanted reminder of the world outside. I sat her down on one of the couches, holding both of her hands.

“Is there anything I can get you? Anything I can do?” I looked her over, worried, and suddenly remembered the Polaroids in my pocket. “Anything at all.”

[Sansa]

She shivered, but felt comforted by her surroundings. And Gabriel was being as sweet as could be. It almost made her forget that he...

Sansa squeezed her eyes shut against the memories of the Archbishop feeding from her, suddenly trembling noticeably. She withdrew her hands from Gabriel's, and hugged herself. "You don't have any clothes I can change into, can you?" The ones she was wearing only reminded her of Emilie and of the Archbishop.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

“Of course.”

I got to my feet, wringing my hands together as I thought over what clothes I could offer. I flicked the lounge light on as I passed through into the main bedroom. As I rifled through one of the closets, I thought of the way that she had pulled away from me, as though repulsed. I pulled out a shirt and some casual trousers, folded them over one arm and returned to the living room.

“Sorry I don't have anything smaller... I can warm up the shower, if you want? Get you a drink or something to eat, while you're getting changed.”

[Sansa]

She looked at him gratefully, "A shower would be wonderful." Sansa started to get to her feet, but he made her sit while he went into the restroom and started the water running. He was being so nice, it made her love him even more.

But he'd used her! He had fed from her. Did he want to do it again? Sansa touched her neck with one hand, wondering at the lack of scars. Did she want him to do it again?

After a moment of waiting she got to her feet, finding him in the bathroom laying out a towel beside the clothes he'd rummaged up for her. He looked up, and she smiled a little in the doorway, before stepping in and closing the door behind her.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

I lent back at against the towel rack, just about wanting to grin at the sight of her smiling. I felt like having a weight lifted from my shoulders, at least for the time being.

“The water's just about ready.”

[Sansa]

She stepped closer to him, unbuttoning her blouse. "I... I trust you, Gabriel."

Sansa looked at the shower, and added, "I don't want to be alone."

[Gabriel Rodermark]

Stepping forwards, I smiled a little and carefully worked another of her buttons open. She did not recoil from me this time, though that may well have been the work of the blood bond. The thought that this was what had caused her to think of me, that she had been craving vitae, distracted me for a moment, though the feeling of her hands running up my chest brought me quickly back into the present.

[Sansa]

Sansa ran her hands up Gabriel's chest, over the top of his shirt. She put her hands around his neck, and pulled his head down gently for a kiss. It was just as sweet as she'd remembered, and after a second or two she was working at his shirt, trying to get it off of him.

Gabriel kept kissing her, soft, gentle kisses that demanded little. Her shirt slid off, and the scabs from the whip on her arm, and the bite on her chest, were visible. Marks of her week or torment. Sansa trembled again, but kept working at his buttons, hoping he would not find her ugly.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

The sight of the scars she now carried, the evidence of Sabbat abuse, filled me with such anger. I remember that condescending smile that the Archbishop had worn, no doubt for the fact that she knew just what she had done and that there was nothing – as of yet – that I could do about it. I made no sign or gesture that betrayed my feelings, however, and if anything became more affectionate, spurred on by what I saw. I drew her closer with one hand, the other undoing the last of my shirts buttons.

[Sansa]

She kissed his chest as he helped her out of the rest of her clothes, and in a few minutes she stepped into the shower, pulling him in with her. It was gloriously warm, not too hot, not too cold, and the pounding water started to unkink knots in her muscles.

After the shower, Gabriel helped her dry off, wrapping her wet hair in one towel and drying her with another. With her neck free from her long hair, Sansa looked up at him a little nervously, but whispered, "I do trust you, Gabriel. Even though..." She trailed off, running her hand over his bare chest.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

I tied a towel at my waist and ruffled my damp hair, briefly catching sight of my reflection in the steamed mirror. I frowned slightly and looked back to Sansa. The shower had done us both good, loosened us up, but the lingering anxiety, fear and confusion were still lurking in the back of her mind. I wrapped a large towel around her body, and gave the corners a light tug, to nudge her closer.

“You can trust me, I promise. From now on, no secrets.”

[Sansa]

She half smiled, peeking up at him through her lashes. "No secrets." Sansa kissed his cheek, and her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.

She clutched at it in surprise and giggled in spite of herself. "Guess I'm hungry." The thought crossed her mind that he might be hungry too, but she pushed it away.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

With a chuckle at the sudden growl, I gave her an playful kiss on the nose.

“What would you like to eat? ...Just let me get dressed and I'll have it ready before you know it.”

[Sansa]

She wrinkled up her nose, and then gave his question a little thought before answering. "Just a sandwich. Something light..."

Sansa studied her murky reflection in the mirror, pulling the towel out of her hair and letting it fall in damp waves over her shoulders. She eased out of the towel he'd wrapped around her, and pulled on the pants he'd laid out for her. They were amusingly big, but did their job well enough. Gabriel kissed her shoulder, and then left the bathroom to get dressed himself.

She wiped at the fog on the mirror, then pulled the t-shirt he'd provided over her head. Adjusting her long hair, Sansa gave herself a good looking over. The clothes looked humorous, but they were comfortable. After a minute or two she hung the towels on the rack and let herself out of the bathroom.

Walking barefoot to the couch, she curled up on it, hugging her knees to her chest.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

I emerged from the kitchen, sandwich in one hand, a glass of water in the other. I had spent the time, while Sansa was getting ready, wondering when she would begin to question me and my intentions for her but upon returning to the lounge cast such thoughts aside.

“They suit you,” I remarked, with a nod to the clothes she wore. It looked as if she might get lost in them. “The heating's on now, so it should warm up in here soon,” I added, setting the plate on the couch, beside her.

[Sansa]

She smiled shyly at the compliment, and uncurled to set the plate on her lap. Sandwich in hand she took a large bite, and chewed carefully. After a moment Sansa gulped at the water, draining nearly half of it in one go. She couldn't remember anything tasting quite as good.

Gabriel was watching her, as though he was afraid she might suddenly break. She looked back at him, and abruptly asked him, "So... why me?" Sansa took another bite of the sandwich, chewing slowly so as not to allow him to turn the question around on her.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

I mulled the question over in my mind for a moment or so, whilst idly turning the watch on my wrist so that the face looked upwards.

“At first, it was simply a matter of protecting you, ensuring that you were oblivious to what had really happened that night at the Barbican,” I paused and looked up with guilty eyes. “But I found soon that I was drawn to you, that I was consciously longing for our next meeting.”

[Sansa]

Again with the Barbican! What had happened? Sansa swallowed, and said, "So... you do love me?" She looked smaller than usual because of the oversized clothes she was wearing, and she looked up at Gabriel with hopeful eyes.

Somehow it seemed that if he truly cared for her, then it didn't matter what he was, or what he had done.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

Turning, I looked Sansa right in the eye.

“I haven't lied to you about that, I promise.”

I spoke in earnest, hopeful that she would hear the sincerity in my voice, though my eyes lowered at my next words.

“Though I would understand entirely if you did not feel the same.”

[Sansa]

She hesitated, but moved her plate to the coffee table and scooted a bit closer to him. His body seemed to have an magnetic field around it - when she got closer she felt almost pulled to him. It was probably a vampire thing that she didn't understand.

"But... I do." Sansa looked up at him, and added, "I don't understand everything, but I know you're not bad. I know what evil is now, and you're just not." She paused, tucking her damp hair behind her ears. "I can't bear the thought of being without you, Gabriel."

Her voice got a little husky, and she added, "I... I want you to... to... bite me. I need to know the difference." It seemed bizarre to ask him to do feed from her, but on the other hand it also seemed to be the ultimate message of trust - to give herself to him and know that she was doing it. And to know the difference between a loving act and a selfish one, as it had been when the Archbishop had taken from her.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

After brief hesitation, searching her eyes, I gave a slight nod and moved closer. It was not a request I had anticipated. I had expected that, once she had calmed some, a flurry of questions would come. Perhaps, in a way, it was a question in itself, in that my feeding from her might give her some kind of clarity or understanding.

I took her face in both hands and, having kissed her softly, turned her chin upwards. One hand followed the curve to the back of her neck, fingers running through wet hair. I did not look to see if she was watching, but found myself frozen for a moment, lingering over her exposed neck. I could hear her pulse, almost feel it straining against her skin.

I was tender as I could be, given the nature of the act. I bit down slowly and pressed my lips in a kiss around the bite as I drank.

[Sansa]

She was tense as he bent over her, his hands running across her skin and raising little goosepimples. Not sure whether to expect the fury of the Archbishop or the mindless pleasure of what she could remember of him in the past, her breath caught in her throat as his fangs penetrated her skin.

There was a brief moment of pain that brought tears to her eyes, and then her blood seemed to surge upward to meet his lips in a wave of pleasure. She gasped, her body shuddering from the sensation, and clutched at Gabriels' shirt with her hands. After a moment, he released her, and her hand went to her neck automatically, remembering the wound on her chest.

There was no mark, or any trace of one. She wiped at her eyes, removing the bit of moisture that had gathered under her eyelids at the initial bite. For a moment she didn't say anything.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

There was a flush of color in my cheeks, brought on by the blood, her blood. I sat just as still as she did, uncertain of what to say. Many Kindred may find it difficult to believe, but I had not yet taken a childe of my own and had managed to remain indifferent to those I drank from – until this point. I did not know how best to handle such a delicate situation and felt a bizarre mixture of emotions; relief, anxiety, guilt. Suddenly filled with anger, at myself, I turned away.

[Sansa]

He turned away, a flash of guilt in his eyes. Sansa's heart melted, and she put her hand out, catching him by the sleeve. "Don't - I'm ..." She hesitated, and then plunged on. "It was different than with Her. I ... I know you."

Her body was still flushed with the sensation of it, lingering even after he had withdrawn. Sansa slipped off the couch and knelt beside him with her hand on his knee, looking up at him trying to make eye contact. "I can't pretend to understand everything - no, anything - but I can tell you care. You are no monster, Gabriel."

[Gabriel Rodermark]

“Thank you... for trusting me.”

Would she have said the same had she known that she had also drunk of my blood, that her trust in me was not entirely her own? Perhaps - love is, after all, forgiving. You may call me craven, for not confessing all of my sins to her then, but I felt as if she had endured enoughs truths for one day. When time had passed, and the shock had faded, I would divulge more – but at that moment it was all too fresh. I held it all back, in the name of compassion not cowardice, and met her eyes with a small smile. I gave the space on the couch, right beside me, a pat.

[Sansa]

She quickly rose and sat beside him, one leg pulled up and her foot underneath her as she turned to face him. "I want you to tell me everything."

Sansa yawned, and covered her mouth with one of her hands. "But not tonight...." She didn't know what time it was, but morning couldn't have been far off.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

With the night drawing to a close, I felt the telltale weariness that always preceded the rising of the sun. There was no telling what would happen in the daylight hours, what chaos the Baa'li would spew out onto the streets, but there was nothing that I or any Kindred could do about it – save for sending ghouls out hunting. That thought alone, of what would have to be done in the coming days and weeks, was enough to tire me out. I sat forwards on the touch and took Sansa's hand, giving it a light squeeze. “Shall we get some sleep?”

[Sansa]

She nodded sleepily, her hand comfortably held in his. Gabriel got to his feet, helping her up, and Sansa let him lead her to the bedroom. She wearily undid the borrowed pants, letting them fall to the ground beside the bed, and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him as he went about his nightly... no, morning... preparations for sleep.

She felt reluctant to take her eyes off him, as though he might disappear.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

As I disrobed I smiled to myself and wondered if she now thought that I might slip away into some previously concealed coffin for the duration of the day. Though some of my more melodramatic cousins might have opted to slumber in such a morbid fashion, I see no need for such self-flagellation. I pulled back the covers and laid down, bringing Sansa down with me, so that she lay beside me, held close. There was something reassuring about the sound of her heartbeat.

[Sansa]

She snuggled in next to him, pulling the covers back over them so that they were quite cozy. Well, she was, at least. Sansa closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

"How did it feel, to make love to a corpse?"

She jerked awake, and found herself gasping for air. Gabriel was still asleep, or whatever it was that he did during the day. Sansa looked around, and found the bedside clock. It was two forty-eight in the afternoon. Badly shaken from her dream, the girl crawled out of the bed, careful not to disturb Gabriel, and padded barefoot out of the bedroom and then into his study.

He didn't have a television set, so Sansa located his computer and sat herself in front of it. Her parents didn't have email, or she would have tried to get in touch with them. As it was, she settled for checking the local news. There were some reports of house fires, and vicious animals in Hyde Park. She shuddered, wondering what otherworldly creatures were responsible. It was impossible to take things at face value now, knowing what she knew.

Sansa rested her arms on the desk, and then put her head down. Everything was different now. It frightened her, and yet... she felt safe with Gabriel. It was a paradox that she couldn't understand. She got up, and curled up on the couch in the living room. There was not even a drop of sunlight in his rooms to indicate what time it was, and she soon fell asleep again.