In Need of Saving

[Demeter]

Sorin very nearly purred when he saw the shudder ripple through Kiyo's body. He loved the man's reactions to him. He leaned forward, elbows balanced on the edge of the table. "Have you ever thought about having another man in your bed? Have you ever been curious about how it would feel to have another man's body against yours?"

Sorin popped the top of his beer bottle and idly toyed with the cap. "I certianly enjoy it; more so then any of my...relationships with women. Then again, when one has lived as long as I have, one finds the time to try many things."

Sorin glanced at his dining companion. Kiyo sat stock still and staring. He reached across the small table and prodded the feline's arm with a finger. "Kiyo, dude, wake up and eat your dinner. I promise I'll stop talking about man-on-man love."

[Maira]

At first he tried to ignore the vampire's teasing, because he knew that's what it was, but the more that the older man talked the more Kiyo just stared at him. Why on Earth was Sorin choosing him to harass?

At Sorin's prompting to "wake up" Kiyo made himself focus on the not-so-hot slice of pizza in his hand. He was a bachelor and he could eat pizza at any temperature unlike his pickier sisters. Even as he polished off his first piece and grabbed a second out of the box, he wouldn't look at Sorin.

He had to admit the man frightened him just a bit and he really wasn't sure how to handle being around him when he talked about certain subjects. When Sorin talked cars, Kiyo could forget that the man was inexplicabley attracted to him. It was during those times that he actually thought he could be friends with the man. The moment that Sorin brought up the subject of them being in a relationship (and all that implied) Kiyo just wanted to run the other way as fast as he could manage.

Finally, after finishing his second piece of pizza, Kiyo met the other man's eyes and told him, "Look Sorin, I like you. Not the way you like me apparently, but I think we could be friends if you would just lay off the other stuff okay? If you can't, then much as I hate to say it, maybe you should find yourself another mechanic." He figured being straight-forward about the whole thing would be better than sitting on it and brooding about it for days on end.

[Demeter]

Sorin just grinned at Kiyo...

Save for the occasional desperate need to shake off over eager suitors, Sorin stopped molesting Kiyo. That didn't mean he stopped flaunting male lovers around him. That was, after all, his nature.

Kiyo, the darling man, took to bringing a friend around whenever he came to work on the shelby. This didn't always work to his advantage. When Kiyo introduced Sorin to Sanura, the two became the best of friends. They'd sit around on his porch and speculate on Kiyo's ability to preform in the bedroom.

And somehow, the two became friends, so long as Sorin kept his hands to himself. And then she came around. Noreen or, as Sorin liked to call her behind Kiyo's back, Screeching Banshee Bitch. He really didn't understand what Kiyo saw in Noreen. Previous to her apperance in their lives, Kiyo had been muttering about marriage and babies because his father, some vampire named Katsu, wanted to know why his heir had no heirs. Kiyo was, after all, only feline.

Sorin had told him to get serious with Sanura if he really wanted wife and kids but then Noreen showed up and snared Kiyo. "I just don't get it. She's rude, conniving, twisted and, most importantly, a bitch," he told Sanura as they sat on his porch. Their weekly Saturday get-together was short one Kiyo because he was paying homage to Screeching Banshee Bitch. "He is an idiot. She is a bitch. Maybe it's a match made in heaven."

Sorin tossed himself down into a deck chair and scowled. Kiyo could do much better then Noreen. She had him dancing attendence ever since their meeting when she killed her car. Sorin suspected she killed the car on purpose. Something was just off about that woman. Sorin didn't like the way she smelled.

[Maira]

Sanura sipped a glass of wine as she watched Sorin rant and rave about Noreen and Kiyo. She too disliked the woman, didn't trust her at all either, but she had always told Kiyo that she would support him in any relationship so long as he was happy. Still, just thinking that that woman had her grubby paws all over Kiyo made her skin crawl. Like Sorin, Sanura didn't like the way Noreen smelled.

Once the golden liquid in her glass was nearly gone and she was feeling pleasantly warm, Sanura got a crazy idea. A wicked little grin turned up the corners of her mouth as she caught sight of Sorin's hot tub out of the corner of her eye.

Setting her glass down delicately on the table, she got up from her chair and gave a very feline stretch. As she did so, she snagged the hem of her shirt and pulled it up over her head and off as her arms arched up into the air. Sorin wasn't looking at her, or at least not seeing her since he seemed to be lost in thought, and she just had to take advantage of it. With a quick flick of her fingers she unbuttoned her jeans and then shimmied them down over her hips so they could drop to the ground. As she had already been barefoot she was able to just step out of her jeans without having to worry about fidgetting with shoes.

When she'd shed all but her undergarments, Sanura padded silently across the deck until she was right in front of Sorin where he was still brooding away in his chair. Not willing to let him ruin a perfectly good evening, even if the third part of their friendly trio was missing, Sanura reached down and yanked him out of his chair by his belt.

At the look of surprise on his face, likely from being brought out of his brooding, Sanura couldn't help but laugh. She couldn't help but wonder just how long it'd take him to notice she was in nothing but her white lacey bra and panties.

[Demeter]

When Sorin was yanked out of his chair, he was shocked silent. Sanura didn't normally do such things. Then he noticed her state of dress and Sorin became his usual self. "Does the kitty want to play?" he asked while undoing his belt. He removed his clothing as Sanura dragged him across the yard to hottub tucked into a corner garden. This was one of those times he was enjoying the six foot tall, stone privacy fence and the fact that he was out in the booneys, so to speak. There'd be no neighbors peeking in.

Sorin flipped off the hot tub's cover and, after shucking off the last article of clothing, climbed in. He held out a hand for Sanura. "Why don't we just forget about our idiot friend for a while?"

Later, once the sun had set and Sanura was cuddled against his side, Sorin stared up at the stars. He didn't even react when he heard a car door slam at the front of the house. When Kiyo strode around the side of the house, tossing his keys up and down, Sorin just smirked and pulled Sanura closer to him. He wondered how long it would take Kiyo to notice

[Maira]

The reaction she got from Sorin suited Sanura's mood perfectly and when he asked if the kitty wanted to play, she just purred. As she dragged him across his yard to the corner garden that surrounded the hot-tub, she couldn't help but laugh at how fast he pulled off his clothes. For as much as he was attracted to Kiyo, she was quite flattered that he'd be so willing to be distracted by her.

While the vampire flipped off the lid of the hot tub, shucked his boxers and climbed into the hot tub Sanura was slipping out of her bra and panties. When Sorin reached out his hand to her and suggested they just forget about Kiyo, Sanura purred even louder and answered, "My thoughts exactly." Then she took his hand and climbed into the hot tub gracefully before sliding into Sorin's embrace.

*****

She too heard the car door slam from the front of the house and she looked up at Sorin just about the time he pulled her in closer. "Between my pile of clothes on the deck, and your trail of clothes strewn all across the yard, I don't think it'll take him long to guess where we are and what we were doing."

*****

When he'd seen Sanura's car still in Sorin's driveway, he'd smiled. He loved their Saturday night get togethers. His twin sister had started calling them the Three Musketeers, which made him laugh and cringe all at once. It made him cringe because his sister was of the opinion that Noreen was nothing compared to either Sanura or Sorin. It would please Riko to no end to see him dump Noreen and wind up with either (or both) Sanura and Sorin.

So, happy at the thought of getting to have some pizza and beer with his two best friends, he wasn't really paying attention to the lack of people on the back deck until he reached it and saw Sanura's clothes in a pile by one of the chairs. His head tilted curiously before he turned to look around the deck for more hint of where the naked cheetah had gone to. Until he saw the trail of Sorin's clothes leading to the hot tub he'd just assumed that the woman had decided to go for a romp in cheetah form as she liked to do sometimes while visiting.

From where he stood on the deck he could mostly make out the shapes of his two friends soaking and snuggling in the hot tub. At that sight he laughed, but it wasn't his normal laugh. Even he could hear the strain in it. Why was he jealous? He and Sanura had never had a set arrangement between them. They'd both seen and slept with other people in between their own times together.

He decided right then that he wasn't going to let it bother him and instead of walking over and snapping at both of them like his possesive feline half was telling him to do, he walked over, and asked with a genuine smile on his face, "Got room for a third? Or have you two totally tainted the water?"

[Demeter]

Sorin, 'Nura tucked up against his side, grinned at Kiyo. "There's alwasy room for a third and we didn't totally taint the water. At least, not yet. You caught us during a lull," he grinned when Kiyo squeaked. It was good to know he could freak the man out when he talked about activities with women as well as men.

Once Kiyo was in the hot tub, well on the otherside then the recent lovers, Sorin smiled. "Did you enjoy your afternoon with whats-her-face? We weren't enjoying our afternoon until just a little while ago."

Sorin nuzzled 'Nura's shoulder. He was being overly affectionate with the cheetah, hoping to show Kiyo just what he was missing by following that Screeching Banshee Bitch around like a trained puppy. When 'Nura purred, Sorin grinned. 'Nura would make anyone an excellent wife, if she ever wanted to settle down, and she'd make an awesome mother. To Sorin, Noreen seemed like she'd be a piss-poor mother and worth nothing as a wife.

Somehow that woman had gotten her hooks into Kiyo.

[Maira]

While he may have squeaked at the suggestion of Sorin and Sanura continuing their intimacy later, Kiyo was fairly oblivious to Sorin's overly affectionate attitude toward the cheetah. Instead, he answered Sorin's thinkly veiled insult about Noreen. "Yes Sorin, I had a very nice afternoon with her. We had lunch and then I took her shopping. Why that woman needs more clothes and shoes I'll never know but she sure does enjoy them. I guess its like you and new cars Sorin."

Sanura couldn't help but give a silent snarl when Kiyo started talking about taking Noreen shopping. The woman was just mooching off of him for his family money. Kiyo lived a modest life, worked hard at his own business, but honestly had no need to do so. His father's parents had left quite a legacy behind for their only son and his children. If it weren't for the way his younger sisters lived, Noreen probably never would have found out about the family's money. As it was, Hannah and Abigail didn't live nearly as frugally as their three older siblings. They loved clothes and always had the newest cell phones. They weren't nearly as bad as Noreen when it came to their spending habits but they had never hid that their family was well off.

When Noreen had come to Sanura to ask a few questions before she had started pursuing Kiyo, the feline had tried not to get her hackles up. She wasn't herself willing to settle down with anybody, including Kiyo, so she hadn't felt she had the right to object to the possibility of Noreen making Kiyo happy. Now that Noreen had gotten a hold of Kiyo it was obvious she planned to take the mooching all the way to marriage in hopes of getting herself a piece of the family money. Sanura was constantly kicking herself for letting the woman near Kiyo...

[Demeter]

Sorin smirked at Kiyo. "Her clothes habit may be like my car habit but my cars will last longer then her clothes. She need new ones when the new fashion trends roll around. My cars will always be in fashion," He grinned, fangs flashing in the setting sun. "Also, my cars are an investment. She'd have to do something special for her clothes to be worth something. By spending money I could be making money, should I ever sell. Which I wouldn't do. Parting with one of those cars would be like breaking up a friendship. The money would be new and shiney at first but it couldn't replace that friendship."

***

Lysander kicked the dented and rusted rim of the Porsche. Atleast, he'd been assured that it was a Porsche. It could have been anything below that layer of rust and years of bad paint jobs. Honestly, who used house paint on a car?

He stood outside Kiyo's garage, waiting for the tow truck driver to free the so-called Porsche form the truck's bed. He wanted Kiyo to go over the car to see if it could be repaired before he unleashed Dominic and Lani on the car. He'd talked with Dominic about the idea. Lani may have only been about five years old (though she looked and acted like she was eight) but they'd decided that she'd have to contribute to the fix-the-car fund.

Once the Porsche was on the cement, sitting on its rims, Lysander wandered into the garage to drag Kiyo out. He saw the woman and narrowed his eyes. She looked out of place in the garage. She looked too perfect. Saiyuri had never said anything about Kiyo having a woman and, judging by the way the female was wrapped around the leopard, the woman defiantly had Kiyo.

Lysander made a note to tell Saiyuri about the woman before going up to Kiyo and telling him and Lani's car. He shook himself free of the female and wandered out to go stick his head into the car. Lysander introduced himself and didn't like the way the woman looked at him. He quickly mentioned the fact that his lover was male and they were quite attached to each other. That didn't seem to dissaude the woman, Noreen, and she pressed herself up against Lysander's side. He swallowed a growl and shook her off, more forcefully then Kiyo had.

"I don't like you." he said. "You should watch your back."

Once Lysander had gotten the car back to the house, he called up Saiyuri. "Hey," he said after greeting her, "Did you know that Kiyo's got a girl? I don't like her. She reminds me of your younger sisters. You know the ones, always rushing out to buy a new cell phone or something like that"

[Maira]

Saiyuri had been relaxing. The kids were all visiting with her mother Dion and step-father Tobin for the night and she and Thiery had a night to themselves. Considering it was there anniversary she really wasn't expecting any phone calls. When the phone rang, Saiyuri nearly fell off the couch. She'd been reading with her head in her husband's lap while he watched the news or something (she wasn't really paying attention) until they had to start getting ready for their dinner date. Thiery didn't laugh, but Saiyuri thought she heard him snicker as she righted herself and then got up to get the phone.

She was glaring a bit at her husband still when she answered. She'd seen the number on the caller ID so she knew it was her exhusband's new lover, Lysander so she just said, "Hi L, what's going on?" Unless Lani was with L and Dominic, L rarely called unless he had a question for her.

After listening to him for a moment, Saiyuri's head was tilted to the side and the look on her face was very confused. "How long has he been seeing her, do you know? He hasn't said anything to me and neither has Riko and he tells Riko darn near everything."

Then the rest of what he'd said sunk in and she had to defend Hannah and Abigail, "Hey, they're good girls L. Just because they spend their money on frivolous stuff rather than priceless art or expensive cars doesn't mean their bad people. Its not like they lie or do drugs or anything else bad. They just don't think about how they're spending their money. Some day they'll learn."

At a look from Thiery, who kept looking between her and the clock on the wall, Saiyuri realized it was time to start getting ready for their dinner out. It had been sooo long since just the two of them had gone out that she really didn't want to miss it. Not even for gossip with L about her little brother and the apparent new girlfriend. "Hey L, I'm sorry I gotta get going. You can tell me more about Kiyo's new girl tomorrow when I drop the kiddo off okay? Bye!" Then she hit the 'end' button and hung the phone back up on the charger before scampering off to her bedroom to get dressed in something sexy. She had this gorgeous red dress that she had bought especially for this night and she couldn't -wait- to see Thiery's reaction.

[Demeter]

Sorin wasn't sure what Kiyo hoped to accomplish by this. He sat in Kiyo's kitchen because he wouldn't allow that woman onto his property. She was already making her mark on Kiyo's bacholar kitchen. There were frilly towels hanging from the oven handles. Sorin tapped his fingers against the table and stared across at Noreen. There was a diamond ring on her left hand. Sorin was not pleased. He leaned across the table. "I don't like you."

Noreen flicked her hair. "It doesn't matter if you like more or not. Kiyo is the only one who matters."

"Kiyo has been dazzled by you. You don't dazzle me."

Noreen shrugged. "I didn't want to dazzle you. Vampires as nasty creatures."

Sorin snarled, flashing his fangs and causing the air to super-heat. "At least I don't have to descend to trickery to get what I want."

Noreen smirked and wiggled the hand with her shiney, new diamond ring. "Thats because I go what you want."

Sorin hissed and stalked from the kitchen. He stormed past Kiyo, snarling when the leopard joked about the talk not going well. "Keep that vile woman away from me," Sorin growled out before slamming out of Kiyo's house. He climbed into the Vanquish and gunned the engine out of the driveway, leaving behind a long streak of rubber on the pavement.

He went to 'Nura's apartment. He stormed and raged around the place until she asked what was wrong. "Whats wrong? That bitch is wearing a diamond ring on a very important finger. She called me a nasty creature and was, quite plainly, smug about having snagged Kiyo for herself and he's quite deaf, dumb, and blind to everything."

Sorin threw himself down into a chair and snarled. Barely aware that he was only just holding onto the few slippery threads left in his control. Never, in all of his years of life, had Sorin wanted to roast anyone into a pile of ashes, bone chips and teeth.

[Maira]

Kiyo was indeed oblivious to Noreen's wiles. All he knew was that she was beautiful, she said she loved him, and she wanted marriage and a family. He hadn't planned on marriage or a family anytime in the near future but when she came into his life suddenly his priorities realigned. He spent less and less time with his family and friends, less time working at the shop, and more time with Noreen.

After much begging and pleading, Sorin had finally agreed to come over for dinner and Kiyo was working on getting food ready to grill when the vampire went storming out of the kitchen. As Sorin passed Kiyo, the leopard felt a surge of heat and the look on Sorin's face totally baffled him. What Sorin said as he stormed out of the house left Kiyo speechless and angry. Noreen was not vile damnit! Why on earth would be have asked the woman to marry him if she was? If Sorin hated her that much, then maybe Kiyo would just have to stop spending time with Sorin. He didn't like that idea, but he also couldn't tolerate anybody speaking badly of his fiance.

*****

Feeling lazy, Sanura had poured herself a bowl of cereal for dinner and was curled up with it and a good book in her favorite oversized chair. It looked out one of the windows of her third floor apartment toward the water and was very soothing when she was stressed. And boy was she stressed. Watching Kiyo slip farther and farther under Noreen's influence hurt her heart. Sanura would never settle into a serious relationship again but she was still quite fond of the leopard and to see him being used like Noreen was using him, to see Sorin so upset over the situation, really got to her too.

She had finished her bowl of cereal and was staring out the window when somebody burst into her apartment. In an instant she leapt out of her chair, her book and cereal bowl sent flying onto the floor, and a long wicked knife was being brandished by her when she realized just what fool had burst into a Hunter's apartment.

She'd been about to yell at Sorin and call him all sorts of choice names but he was already growling. It took her only an instant to realize -who- Sorin was going off about but it took a little longer to realize exactly -why- he was going off about her. Once Sanura figured out that Sorin was ranting about Noreen having an engagement ring, Nura dropped her knife and her jaw dropped open in shock. What the hell?! Since when did Kiyo want to get married and have babies this early?!

When Sorin finally flung himself into her other oversized chair, still snarling, Sanura watched him for a moment trying to figure out what to do. The vampire looked downright pissed and she didn't want to accidentally wind up on the receiving end of his temper. At a loss of what else to do, Sanura wandered into her fridge, grabbed a couple of beers and went back to the living room. First she tossed one beer at Sorin, when he caught it he seemed to snap out of his anger just a bit and she smiled at him sadly before walking the last few steps to him and crawling into his lap with her own beer.

"I don't like it either Sorin. I'm sorry the bitch called you what she did but she obviously knows nothing. Lets get drunk, bash her, and then move on. Kiyo is obviously lost to both of us right now and until he realizes what she is we're not going to get him back." As a Hunter, Sanura had a few connections in town and rumor had it that Noreen was a magic user and not a good one. Nura didn't know all the details yet but somebody had said something about Noreen using and abusing some other man in her past and it looked like history was about to repeat itself. Until she actually had more to go on than one person's drunk ramblings she wasn't going to say anything to Sorin though, he'd likely over-react.

[Demeter]

Though the loss of Kiyo friendship hurt, it had let to one very great thing. That thing was sitting in the front seat of a recently rescured classic truck, turning the steering wheel and making race car noises. She wasn't going anywhere because the car was up on blocks and the key was safely in his pocket. Not that the engine would start anyway. His little race car driver was Amirah. She'd been conceived on the night of Kiyo's wedding in a haze of drunken comfort between him and 'Nura. They'd gone to the wedding because Kiyo was their friend but, before they'd found out about Amirah, the friendship had crumbled. "Hey, Grease Monkey, time for your bath. You know how your mom is when you miss bathtime."

And then Amirah turned her secret weapon on him. The puppy dog pout. Which was, Sorin mused, how he ended up with a puppy digging up 'Nura's garden. He cleaned up the garage while Amirah skipped towards the house. When she came running back into the garage, saying that there was a strange man on the front porch, Sorin frowned. He scooped up his three year old daughter and walked out to his front porch. He found Kiyo sitting on the front steps, hands fisted in his hair.

Amirah still balanced on his hip. "Well, I never thought I'd see you again. Especially sitting on my front porch. He set Amirah down on the porch and set her off to fetch her mother. He sat down next to Kiyo. It looked as if the years between wedding and now hadn't been kind the Leopard. "Can I ask why you are here?"

[Maira]

He had a fever, his eyes were likely bloodshot, and he just needed to let the leopard prowling inside of him out but he couldn't. Not that he wouldn't, he wished he could, but physically he just -couldn't-. The Shift wouldn't come. Guardian was trapped inside of Kiyo and if he couldn't find a way to let him out soon, Kiyo was scared of what would happen.

So, when Noreen had gone out of town to visit her parents on the east coast Riko had come over to Kiyo's house she had ransacked Noreen's things. She'd had an inkling since before the wedding that Noreen was a magic user up to no good and once the woman had left town she'd jumped at the chance to look for proof. When she'd found it she'd shown it to Kiyo and that was how he'd wound up in his current state. His wife had been using magic on him since the first day they'd met and she'd kept record of it. Not only had she been using magic on him, but also on their children.

Riko had the twins, Noreen was out of town, and Kiyo just had to talk to somebody. Had to beg forgiveness and hope to the gods that the man would know something about how to "fix" him, or at least have connections with somebody that would. He could have asked the Pard Alphas but honestly he was too embarrassed, Noreen had kept him from Pard gatherings for the whole time they were married as they took away from "family time".

This was why Kiyo was sitting on Sorin's front porch. He had nowhere else to go. When the vampire spoke to him, Kiyo's shoulders slumped. He heard little feet run past him into the house and just as he lifted his head to see who the footsteps belonged to he saw a dark haired little girl run into the house through the front door. If he hadn't been in such a state he may have asked who's she was but honestly Kiyo's mind was in turmoil and somebody else's child didn't figure into his worries when his own two were already involved.

Finally, totally defeated, Kiyo looked up at Sorin and begged, "Please just hear what I have to say before you kick me off your porch and send me on my way. I know you probably hate me, -she- said you were jealous but I'm finding it harder to believe anything she ever said to me, and I can't say I blame you if you do."

A shudder ripped through Kiyo as Guardian once again tried to force his way out and Kiyo couldn't help but groan with pain. "Damn it," he muttered as he once again buried his hands in his hair, trying desperately to keep his skull from exploding. When he was able to focus again, he took a deep breath and hurried to tell of Riko's suspicions and discoveries. He told of the charms found inside his pillows and those of the twins, he told of the journal she kept of her "research" on how to keep the vile creatures inside her husband and children dormant.

He had barely finished what he needed to say when Guardian once again asserted his will on Kiyo's body and the scream that ripped from Kiyo's mouth made it very clear that Guardian was -not- going to be caged any longer. Luckily the man lost consciousness just as the leopard finally broke free because the Shift was absolutely vicious and if somebody didn't know what was happening it would have appeared that his body was ripping itself apart.

Sanura, Amirah in her arms, came out of the house just in time to see Guardian free himself from Kiyo's body. Having run with that particular leopard on the hunt many times, Sanura knew exactly who their visitor was and she just looked at Sorin with hurt and confusion warring in her eyes.

[Demeter]

Sorin didn't bat an eye when the cat ripped through Kiyo. He'd seen stranger things in his life. He stood, took Amirah from Sanura. "Guardian hasn't been out for three years, Sanura. Go run with him. I'll give Amirah her bath and get her settled for the night. Then I'll see what I can do about barring that woman from Kiyo and those kids of his. I don't know all the details yet but Noreen apparently thinks that Weres are just as vile as vampires and has been repressing Guardian and those two children."

Once the two cats were tearing through the woods around the house, Sorin hoisted Amirah higher onto his hip and carried her to the bathroom. Bathtime involved lots of bubbles, one lost rubber ducky, and an bit of a mess because the puppy jumped into the bathtub. She then dripped water all over the hallway carpet. After tucking Amirah into bed, and wrangling the wet puppy into her crate for the night, Sorin made a few calls.

He pulled on a few old connections, tugged on a few strings, and had half a dozen people feeding him information about Noreen. Including the information that she was quite cozy with a couple of hunters who hunted to wipe out Dark Ones.

When the felines returned, Sanura dragging Kiyo into the house, Sorin went down and hauled the Leopard into one of the guest rooms. Like Amirah, he tucked Kiyo into bed. Unlike Amirah, he sat in the rooms window seat and waited for Kiyo to come around.

[Maira]

Sanura nodded at Sorin's direction and handed over their daughter to the vampire. "I wanna go Mama," Amirah begged, but Sanura just leaned in and kissed her daughter on the forehead and answered, "When you're big enough I'll take you running my love. For now be good for your Daddy and help him take care of Daisy." Why Amirah had chosen to call a chocolate lab Daisy, Sanura would never know...

Once Sorin, Amirah and Daisy were inside the house Sanura slipped out of her clothes and let Nemesis surge to the foreground. Unlike poor Guardian, Nemesis got to come out and run on a regular basis but even still she was eager for the freedom. *Come mate,* Nemesis called to her human's one-time lover the way that were-creatures could and then she shot off into the fading light.

*****

By the time the felines returned to the house both Sanura and Kiyo were exhausted, Nemesis and Guardian had run them to their limits. Both of them naked and trembling, Sanura hauled Kiyo inside and called for Sorin. The vampire would be much better able to man-handle Kiyo into a guest room than she could. Plus she desperately needed a shower, or better yet a nice long bath.

Once Sorin had relieved her of Kiyo, Sanura slipped upstairs to her bedroom (the second master bedroom of the house) and grabbed her cell phone as she walked in and started the bath running. Flipping through her contact list, Sanura cursed when she couldn't find Kiyo's house phone number. She supposed she'd deleted it ages ago, but as that was likely where Riko was watching the kids she wanted to call Kiyo's twin and inform her of what was going on. Luckily Sanura still had Riko's cell phone number. Even though Kiyo had distanced himself from Sorin and Sanura, Riko had stayed friendly. She was actually more in their camp regarding Noreen than she had been in Kiyo's.

Selecting Riko's number, Sanura poured in a good amount of scented bubbles and watched them foam up as the phone rang. When Riko finally answered, a bit out of breath, Sanura giggled and asked, "Catch you at a bad time?" Riko laughed and went on to describe how one of the twins had managed to steal her purse and then had hidden the contents of it all over the house. Apparently her cell phone had been in the garbage disposal...

After Riko's little story, Sanura explained that Sorin wanted to keep Kiyo with them for the night, that Guardian had finally been able to break free of the wicked charm, and that she was to bring herself and the twins over as soon as possible. This last bit was determined by Sanura rather on a whim because as a Hunter, she knew that pissing off another Hunter would be very bad business for Riko and dangerous for Kiyo's twins even if they were biologically half of the Hunter. Riko instantly agreed and promised to go grab the twins, get them in the car, and head right over then she hung up and did just that.

Knowing that the trio would be arriving probably within half an hour, Sanura sighed and eyed her bath. She'd wanted to relax after all of the information she'd gotten in the past couple hours via Guardian, and after all of the running, but now she was going to have to settle in three new housemates. Reaching into the tub she pulled the plug and watched all the steamy water and her bubbles drain out.

Instead of the nice bath she had wanted, Sanura flipped the knob for the shower and hopped in and out in a record three minutes. She slipped into some black yoga pants and an oversized tshirt (one she swiped from Sorin because it "wasn't his color") then slipped past Amirah's door toward the other guest bedrooms on this floor. When she found the one she was looking for, a nice roomy one with two double beds, she went about pulling back the blankets on one of the beds to get it ready for the twins. The other would be for Riko until they could get her settled into her own room the next day. She found a spare nightlight in one of the drawers in Amirah's bathroom and put it in the room. Then, to help clear out the stale air from the room she opened a window to let the spring breeze in.

Before she knew it she heard a car door slam in the driveway and Sanura was bounding down the stairs as fast as she could so she could help Riko carry one of the children in. It didn't take long to get the twins settled into their joint bed as they'd slept the entire ride over and then Sanura beckoned for Riko to come with her. "I don't know about you, but all of this chaos leaves me wanting a good cup of hot chocolate." Riko nodded and smiled before following Sanura downstairs to the kitchen.

*****

Kiyo wasn't sure where he was or how he'd gotten there, but in his heart he knew he was safe. Guardian was finally sleeping again, and not a forced sleep this time, but a true sleep of a worn out leopard. A small smile lit his face as Kiyo realized that his other half was finally free. It had hurt like hell but at least Guardian had freed himself and had managed not to go feral doing so. That had been Kiyo's biggest fear. Going feral and then having Sanura hunt him down and kill him as she did with all feral were-creatures in their local area. She was one of many that helped protect the city they lived in and even if it had been Kiyo, he knew she would have done her duty.

Even though he was laying in a pitch black room and Guardian was sound asleep, Kiyo could tell that he wasn't alone in the room. There were only two people that would be in a room with him after that hours long run and Sanura had a very distinct, yet gentle, female scent. Since that scent wasn't present Kiyo could guess that it was Sorin sitting watch over him. He wasn't sure if he was happy or ashamed to have the vampire sitting with him. Was Sorin there because he was worried about Kiyo? Or worried that Kiyo would shift again and not stay sane this time and put Sanura and the little girl at risk?

Finally, not sure what else to do and totally unable to fall asleep, Kiyo said softly into the darkness, "I'm awake Sorin." Then he lay silently, waiting, hoping for the best.

[Demeter]

Sorin pushed away from the window seat and sat on the edge of the bed. He placed a gentle hand on Kiyo's shoulder. "You need sleep, Kiyo. You've had a very long, very hard fight. Your children and sister are safe. Sanura had them come over. Sleep, Kiyo. Don't make me take you under."

He would, if need be, force the Leopard to sleep but he doubted that he'd enjoy a second experience of a magic user exerting his will. Once Kiyo dozed off, Sorin resumed his vigil at the window. There was no way of knowing, yet, if Noreen had people watching Kiyo.

In the morning, when the sky was turning, Sorin left the guest room and climbed up a spiral staircase to his workshop. He'd been made into a vampire but born a magic user. Since it wasn't an advertisted fact, Sorin doubted that Noreen knew of his talent.

And, he thought as he gathered his tools, with great age came great power. His tools carefully packed into a canvas sack, Sorin descended the staircase. Before he left the house, he checked on family and guests. All slept peacefully. He paused by Daisy's crate and shushed the puppy. There would be time enough to play later.

Though there were protections and wards layered over house and property, he'd add a few more. She would not touch what was his. And Kiyo was, quite pointedly, his.

He walked through the woods on his property until he reached the small clearing he perfered to work in. He set out his tools and went to work protecting what he claimed as his. he'd know the moment she stepped a toe over his property line. And, as he saw the shadowed forms of felines slipping throught the trees and the rustle of great wings skimming over the tops of the tall pines, he'd know when her assoicates showed up.

He grinned when he thought of Cezar. No one knew what he was but he was older then Sorin. Cezar was very good at what he did. Cezar hunted the hunters. He was already on the trail of Noreen's buddies.

In the quiet dark of his woods, Sorin grinned. Noreen would rue the day she crossed him. When the last of the winged folks settled into perchs, when the last of the felines picked sentry points, Sorin spoke a single word of power. His wards flared a bright shining silver that ringed his property. When the light died down, Sorin felt the thrum of the strengthened wards at the back of his skull. Satisfied, Sorin cleaned up.

He gathered his tools, broke his circle and headed for his home. Once there he would make breakfast, connect to the net of magic users and vampires across town and figured out who to keep three three-year-olds and puppy entertained. He'd find a way to heal Kiyo.

But he would not sleep. No sleep for the wicked, he thought, means no sleep for the good who fought the wicked.

[Maira]

He heard Sorin get up from the window seat and walk over to him, felt his weight shift the bed down ever so slightly on one side, and just about purred at Sorin's touch on his shoulder. It had been so long since he had been near his friend that suddenly having him once again in his life was a balm to his tired spirit.

He hadn't realized that all those years of Noreen telling him he was a good man and didn't need to change weren't referring to his character but to his form. Her words had been reinforcing her spell over him and his desire, will, and ability to change form. Knowing that Sorin would never force him to be anything other than himself meant worlds to the broken man. Also, knowing that Riko had brought Kayli and Nolan to Sorin's house was a huge comfort. They had been his only other worry and knowing that they were safe was enough to let him drift back off to sleep.

*****

Sanura, as normal, was woken by a very snuggly three year old crawling into her bed. She let Amirah snuggle until she fell back asleep and then Sanura climbed out of the bed and wandered down the hallway to the guest room she'd put Riko and the twins in the night before. She could hear little people snoring and heard light cursing as Riko probably stubbed her toe on something. Scratching at the door, Sanura waited until Riko came and answered it. "Want some breakfast? I smell Sorin's cooking. Then we can find you some clothes, I think I've got a few things you could wear."

Riko nodded but looked at where the twins were snuggled and asked, "Do you think they'll be alright? What if they wake up when I'm not here I don't want them to get scared." Sanura eyed the sleeping children for a moment then answered, "Just leave the door open, they'll find their way downstairs I'm sure. If they're anything like Amirah they'll follow where their little noses tell their stomachs there is food. Riko had to try not to laugh too loud at that, and nodded before walking out of the room still dressed in the pj's she'd mooched from Sanura the night before.

The two women quickly made their way to the kitchen and sat down on the stools at the island bar and watched as Sorin made breakfast. Sanura, smelling the forest on her roommate and lover asked him, "Out doing a little work this morning?" She knew that Sorin didn't tell many people about his magical abilities but when Amirah had started walking Sanura had demanded to know if there was anything anywhere in the house that the girl would even run a remote chance of getting into that she shouldn't. Sorin hadn't gone into details but he'd explained that the room at the top of the spiral staircase was off limits because it held some tools that were very sensitive to the user and if somebody else touched them the essence of them would be changed and their power would be different. Sanura knew enough to know that that meant Sorin was at least in some way a magic user. As fas as she knew he didn't practice his craft on a regular basis, but if he had tools then he must at least have decent skill.

*****

Kiyo, in the spare room on the ground floor of the house, tossed and turned in the nightmares that were now hunting him. His children were in danger and the only way he could save them was to shift, but he couldn't. Something was keeping him from letting Guardian out and the children's lives were at stake. He couldn't see what was after Kayli and Nolan but he could sense that it was bad, that it wanted to cut part of them away. He needed to save him but he wasn't able to and that was in turn killing Kiyo. When Kayli screamed, Guardian finally broke free and screamed out a challenge to whatever it was that was hurting his daughter. Nobody would -ever- hurt his children!

*****

The little girl had been sleeping soundly, dreaming of big spotted cats running through the forest. When the cats returned to the big blue house, she was sitting on the porch and she petted them and cuddled them. The ran their big rough tongues gently on her face and arms, showing her that they loved her just as much as she loved them.

Then suddenly the cats were gone and the house was gone. She and Nolan were standing in a feild, the forest and their father behind them. Something scary was coming toward them and as much as she wanted to run to her daddy she couldn't move. She and Nolan were stuck. As the scary thing go closer she got even more scared and she started to cry, finally when it grabbed her she screamed!

*****

Nolan woke up to his sister crying, Kayli cried sometimes when she dreamed and it scared him. They were in a strange bed in a strange room, and since the door was open he could tell it was a strange house too. When Kayli started to cry more he grabbed her shoulders and shook her to wake her up, then she screamed which scared Nolan even more and he too began to cry.

*****

He woke knowing that something was wrong with the children, it wasn't just the nightmare that told him, but something was just -wrong-. He bolted out of bed, ignored the diziness that nearly toppled him and silently thanked whoever had put him in a pair of Sorin's boxers the night before as he ran from his room toward where his heart, and now his ears, told him his children were.

When he finally reached them Kayli was crying unconsolably and Nolan was close behind her in hysterics. He ran into the room and swept them into his arms, pulling them close and kissing their heads over and over again. "Kayli, shhh sweety, everything is okay. Daddy is here and I won't let anybody or anything hurt you." The little girl clinged to her father but immediately started to calm and when she did, Nolan did too.

Still, to help comfort Nolan, Kiyo nuzzled his head and told him softly, "You took care of her Nolan, Kayli is safe." This calmed Nolan the rest of the way down with only the occaisional sniffle here and there. He was his sister's protector at all times, always had been. When she got a scrape on her knee he'd run and get a bandaid. If she was sick he'd stay with her until she got better. No matter what, Nolan was always looking out for Kayli.

He was still holding and rocking the twins when he heard footsteps behind him. He didn't say anything because he knew that Kayli still needed time to come down from her scare and if he distracted her now she might have another scary dream at nap time. She was the only child he knew that a bad dream could carry from one sleep period to another if she didn't totally recover immediately upon waking.

[Demeter]

Sorin flipped pancakes and cooked bacon. Breakfast was the one mean he could handle. Everything else usually ended up as charred lumps that his newphew made faces at. When Sanura asked if he'd been working, Sorin cast a wary glance at Riko. That family had been burned by a magic user. "I was out, checking to make sure no vermin could get into the house.

When Riko walked out of the kitchen, cell phone pressed to her ear, Sorin leaned towards Sanura. "I called the Pard last night. Said that one of theirs has gotten into a tangle and I expected retalliation. The Alpha sent over a small group and Kiyo's older sister brought some friends along. I didn't name anyone or give out any details. Where's Amirah? I don't want her wandering past the property line." he asked as Riko returned to the kitchen.

When the screaming started, everyone, Daisy included, jumped. Sorin's eyes went blurry as he checked the line of wards. He shook his head. "No one is on the property," he said while switching off the burners.

***

Noreen was pissed off. One of the hunters had called last night to say that something was going on. She'd immediently flown home. Kiyo and the children were not there. When questioned, the hunters said they'd followed Kiyo to the big blue house on the edge of town. The one where the male vampire and female cheetah subjects lived.

Noreen cursed. She cursed even more when she learned that one of Kiyo's sisters had ransacked her house and taken two of the charms. She found the remains of the one tied to Kiyo on the bed in the master bedroom. Biting her thumbnail, Noreen could only assume that Kiyo had gone to Sorin. And Sorin held the potential to be very dangerous. Vampires were nasty creatures who resorted to tricky and lies to get their way.

Gathering her tools, Noreen prepared to go across town and reclaim Kiyo. She wasn't done with him yet.

***

Faith leaned against a tree. She yawned and kept her gaze focused on the man across the street. He had a telephoto lens on his camera. She didn't like him. She'd already relaid the messege to the group leader. He'd tell the vampire about Camera Man.

***

Sorin looked at the little girl clinging to Kiyo. He couched down and leaned close. He glanced to the left and to the right. "I've got a puppy and pancakes in the kitchen. If you don't move fast enough, I bet that your Aunt Riko will eat all of them. She looks like a pancake eater. And, if she eats all those pancakes, only the puppy will remain."

Both children eyed him for a moment before they bolted from the room, yelling for Aunt Riko to leave the pancakes alone. Sorin stood and looked Kiyo over. He offered his hand. "Lets get you dressed and put a decent meal in you."

He took Kiyo's hand and led him to the second floor. "Your children are safe here, Kiyo. Noreen can't get onto the grounds without my knowledge. I called the Pard Alpha last night. The story is still yours to tell but there is a small group of Leopards, and some winged friends, around the yard," he handed Kiyo some clothing before sitting on the edge of the bed. "And there is something else you should know before the fireworks start. I'm also a magic user."

While he waited for an response, Sorin fidgeted. When the Leopard didn't say anything, Sorin sighed. "I was born a magic user. Hell, I was born before Christianty was a wide spread religion. I'm over two millenia old, Kiyo. I don't advertise the fact and I'm nothing like Noreen. I would never use my loved ones as experiments."

***
Noreen parked her car. She'd once told that vile creature, that vampire, that Kiyo was hers. She intented to keep him. She'd destroy that slobbering beast inside of him and keep the man.

She stalked towards the blue, three story victorian. She hated the house. That tower off the side made the house look to...fantastical. As she crossed the pavement, her assoicates falling in behind her. The male Leopard and the brats were their best chance at eradicating the breed.

Noreen crossed the street, scowling at the cheerful pansies lining the vampire's walk. When she her foot landed on the bricked path, she shrieked as a wave of fire rolled through her body.

She quickly jumped backwards, bumping into the hunters. None of them saw the shadow slithering past to crouch behind an Azeala bush.

***

In his room, Sorin grinned. "She's here," he said in a sing-song voice.

[Maira]

Once again Sorin was the one that was with him. When the man knelt down beside him and waited for Kayli and Nolan to look at him before talking, Kiyo had to fight back a smile. Pancakes and puppies were serious business after all. Once the kids smiled at Sorin and then took off for the kitchen Kiyo gave in and laughed. "Riko prefers waffles honestly."

When Sorin stood up and then offered him a hand up as well, Kiyo almost didn't take it but then he remembered the dizzy spell from earlier and he took Sorin's hand. As Sorin led him to his room, still holding Kiyo's hand, Kiyo walked along quietly only half listening to the vampire as he spoke. His head was spinning from the scare that Kayli and his own nightmare had given him. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd been dreamwalking again and had trespassed into his nightmare. He really needed to find somebody to help train her because, despite her age, Kayli was very strong in her gift and it could get scary for her sometimes.

******

When the screaming started and Sorin ran off, Sanura and Riko stayed in the kitchen. Riko because she heard Kiyo go thundering up the stairs and wasn't worried, and Sanura because Daisy was eyeing the bacon on the stove. It was no time at all it seemed before two black-haired little monsters came flying down the stairs and into the kitchen, the boy yelling, "Don't eat all the pancakes Aunty Riko!" Riko laughed and then answered somewhat insulted, "I only hog waffles, not pancakes." Kayli giggled at the thought of Riko hogging waffles.

******

After Sorin had shoved clothes at him he'd pulled them on over his borrowed boxers. He was about to turn and head back downstairs to get that meal Sorin had said he needed. Only Sorin was sitting on his bed looking at him kinda funny. He was about to ask what was wrong when words came from Sorin that he really didn't want to hear right at that moment. He nearly turned and walked out but Sorin kept talking and by the time he finally stopped Kiyo was gawking. "You're two thousand years old? Holy shit."

Kiyo decided that he wouldn't dwell on the fact that Sorin was a magic user just now. He needed time to process what had happened to him and the twins before he even thought about what, if anything, Sorin's admission would mean for all of them.

He was still trying to process the bomb Sorin had dropped on him about how old he was when the vampire said in a funny tone, "She's here." Kiyo didn't have to even ask who Sorin meant and in an instant the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He left Sorin standing in his bedroom as he once again bolted for his children. Even if Sorin thought they'd be safe, Kiyo needed to at least see for himself.

*****

Amirah had the wonderful ability to sleep like a log and somehow or other she'd managed to sleep through Kayli's screaming. Once Sorin and Kiyo had gone to Sorin's bedroom and the twins had gone downstairs though she woke up and when she didn't see her mama, she knew exactly where to find her and she too headed downstairs.

Much to Amirah's surprise there were two more children in the kitchen, eating at the breakfast nook, and feeding scraps to Daisy who was begging like she always did. Never really a shy child, Amirah walked right up to the twins and took an empty seat at the table and started chattering away at them.

Riko, who had rifled through Sorin and Sanura's kitchen for a waffle iron and was now making her own breakfast, eyed the dark haired trio at the table and looked at Sanura who was doing the same thing. Under her breath she told her friend, "They look like they could be yours you know." Then with a sad sigh she added, "And they would have been so much better off if they'd had you for their mother."

Sanura sighed sadly too and then she went over to dish up breakfast for her daughter. The simliarities between Kayli and Amirah were striking despite their totally different parentage. Nolan just looked like a mini Kiyo but even he and Amirah resembled each other a bit. Nothing like he and Kayli, but enough to make people who didn't know any better possibly think they were related by blood.

*****

Just before he reached the kitchen, Kiyo slowed his paced and walked into the room that held his family and friend. The twins were happily munching away on breakfast with a third child, Sanura's judging by the dark hair, and there was a giant puppy at their feet begging for a little bit of breakfast too. The children seemed oblivious to Sorin's observation of Noreen's arrival and Kiyo was glad for that. Sanura and Riko however were watching him curiously and Sanura seemed just as twitchy as he was.

Since the children weren't phased at all by what was going on somewhere outside the house, Kiyo looked meaningfully at his sister and she nodded in understanding. Without saying anything else, Kiyo turned and walked back out of the kitchen. Riko would guard the twins with her life, he had no doubt about that. She was his twin and he had perfect faith in her.

Just as he reached the front door, right before he slipped out of his clothes and let his other half free to go maul the evil bitch who'd trapped him, Sanura came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "What do you think you can do to her Kiyo? Can't you sense that she's not alone? Just let Sorin take care of this alright? He knows what he's doing and if he needs me or you he will tell us at that time." She wasn't sure just where Sorin was, she'd rather expected him to be making his way outside as well.

"I need to have a part in this Sanura, please don't try and stop me," was all Kiyo said before his clothes slipped from his body and landed in a pile on the floor. Guardian rushed to take his freedom and paced by the front door waiting for Sanura to let him out. "I'll open it, but wait for me to shift as well, I want to come with you." The big male leopard eyed her for a moment then made a familiar almost grunt that she took to be understanding. She opened the door wide enough to fit a paw through and then followed Kiyo's actions with her own. In a matter of moments two spotted felines were slinking through what few shadows there were to the front of the property where they could both smell Noreen.