Surprise

[Lilah Wilkins]

She was thinking about quitting the band. She could still be friends with Luke, Jeremy, and Seth, right? Well, she knew she could still continue to date Seth, anyway. It had been half a year since she saw Ryder, and she was on the verge of forgetting him.

Besides, she had made another vampire friend, a punk girl named Chloe. Two days ago, Chloe had come over and given Lilah an entire new look. She had helped her find contacts, and had cleared out her wardrobe and refilled it with brand new things. Chloe had also helped her learn how to style herself. It wasn't that hard, really. They had decided that simple was best for Lilah, so simple it was.

She looked around nervously. She was going to surprise her vampire friend today with a gift. She had gotten out a pint of her blood and put it in one of those blood sacks. Lilah knew that human blood supposedly tasted better that the fake blood they got here, so she wanted to be nice and give Chloe a treat. It was the least she could do.

She had wrapped it at least three times in towels and stuffed it in a large, insulated tote bag, which was all she was carrying with her. She tapped her foot in anxiety and she sat in her chair. What if Chloe had already come here today? What if she didn't come at all? What if Chloe had gone to that cafe where they served animal blood? What if, what if, what if?

She pulled the bag into her stomach and rested her head on it, closing her eyes. No one would hurt her, it was illegal. And Chloe would recognize her by her crazy, flaming hair, anyway. She'd be fine.

[Alistair Ryder]

So much had happened since his friends had let him go: he had learned a lot of new tricks from Dimitri, among them how to stalk effectively and he had been keeping an eye with Lilah. He hadn't touched the bass since he got it back, and decided never to touch it again unless he would play with his old friends. Only problem with that was that he'd seen the guys go out to dinner and had decided to withdraw from their world all together, except to chase after pretty girls every now and then, and listen to the band from a distance. They sounded better than ever.

Ryder was thirsty now, so he was going to the Bank to quench it. Entering, he soon saw an old friend resting her head on a bag that smelled oddly of human blood. Licking his lips, he moved closer to her and inhaled her scent. cringing when he realized she didn't just smell of herself anymore.

"Lilah dear, what's that in the bag?" he asked, purring at her. He noticed she seemed to have changed her style as well, but didn't know quite what to make of it as he was busy stepping closer to her and trying to figure out exactly why her bag smelled as it did. "And what on earth are you doing here of all places?"

[Lilah Wilkins]

"Lilah dear, what's that in the bag?" A frighteningly familiar voice purred at her. She jerked her head up and stood up, clutching her tote bag close to her body. It was Ryder. "R-Ryder?" He had changed so much. He looked a lot more... sinister.

Sinister was the only word she could find that fit his new look. It scared her. And she knew from experience that that purr from him meant danger. She edged off to the side and backed away from him with every step he took closer to her.

"And what on earth are you doing here of all places?"

"Waiting for a friend. I-I... She helped me change my look and be less socially awkward, so I came to thank her." She kept edging away. They ended up walking in circles around each other, traveling around the room with her backing up and his advancing. "Her name's Chloe, she's a vampire too, do you know her?"

Take the bait... She was trying to distract him. She obviously had not wrapped the blood up well enough if he could smell it. Though that was just a guess. Damn it, Chloe, where are you?

[Alistair Ryder]

He was amused to say the least at how she reacted to him being there. They were soon walking in circles, but that was ok, as long as she didn't try to leave he didn't mind. She seemed to think he was dangerous, that he'd hurt her, and though it wasn't true, he decided he would just play along with that as well for now.

"And what on earth are you doing here of all places?"

"Waiting for a friend. I-I... She helped me change my look and be less socially awkward, so I came to thank her."

"So it was ok for her to help you on that part," he said, knowing right away that he didn't like this Chloe person she was talking about. But he wasn't sure if he didn't like her before she got to help Lilah or if it was because she had made it so that Lilah was in dangerous territory. "And why did you want to change in the first place?" He wasn't going to say now that he thought she looked good, he was too caught up with wondering if he really knew this Chloe.

"And I don't recall a Chloe," he had stopped purring a while back now and was acting completely civilized, but they both knew it wouldn't last forever.

[Lilah Wilkins]

"And why did you want to change in the first place? And I don't recall a Chloe."

She smiled and blushed at the memory. "I wanted to surprise my boyfriend, Seth." She frowned now, and grew bitter. "Remember, the one you almost shot and killed?" She sighed and stopped moving. He was being civilized now, so she lied to herself and pretended that things would stay that way.

"And what's in the bag is none of your business; it's a gift for Chloe." Why was she getting mean? Oh right, he had left her. He had just disappeared. So she had given up on him. She still hadn't forgotten those angry kisses, but she knew deep in her heart that they had meant nothing, he was just trying to distract her from Seth at the time. Now he was too late.

[Alistair Ryder]

Had he heard her correctly? Did she just say Seth was her boyfriend? He couldn't believe this. Sure he'd left, and he'd probably stayed away longer than he had wanted to, but that didn't give Seth the right to just go ahead and do something like that. He was remaining cool for time being, until she brought up the almost shot and killed part, because that made him snarl slightly at her.

"So, you and Seth..." he said, forcing himself to remain calm and stopped moving when he noticed that she had. "That would explain why the band sounds so much better," he smirked. "Bet he's happy you finally chose him for a change."

"And what's in the bag is none of your business; it's a gift for Chloe."

"Now come on, don't be like that," he pleaded, his eyes glittering as they locked on the bag for a brief moment before looking back at Lilah. "I didn't mean to leave for so long, was just gonna get a hang of things and come back, but I keep getting distracted," he took a deep breath and grinned. "You're donating blood to Chloe," he said, taking a wild guess, but it was the only thing that made sense.

[Lilah Wilkins]

"Now come on, don't be like that,"

She scowled, bitter resentment flowing through her. Something she had picked up from Chloe in the last six months.

"I didn't mean to leave for so long, was just gonna get a hang of things and come back, but I keep getting distracted,"

"Well you did leave, didn't you? You abandoned us; you abandoned me." It still hurt. "I almost forgot about you, then you have to show up out of nowhere just to hurt me again!" Yeah, she was still upset. He had been her best friend.

"You're donating blood to Chloe,"

"So what if I am? It's for her, not you. I thought she'd like a treat..." She sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for snapping, but your abandonment still hurts a little bit." Understatement of the year. "You were my best friend..."

[Alistair Ryder]

"Well you did leave, didn't you? You abandoned us; you abandoned me. I almost forgot about you, then you have to show up out of nowhere just to hurt me again!"

He scowled at her this time. "Well, I showed up here as to not go hunting for your friends tonight. So consider that before you judge more than you already are," it was with a very forced calm that he continued. "I wish you could get it through that head of yours that I left you so you would be safe. Clearly, Luke didn't want me there until I could keep things in check, he was the least accepting of them all."

"I want to come back, but if you're going to be like that, I'll leave and not even bother showing up when you're playing." He couldn't take her being like this, if she didn't ease up soon he would end up doing something extremely stupid and hurt her again.

"So what if I am? It's for her, not you. I thought she'd like a treat..." so he had been right. Interesting.

"You were my best friend..."

"I can be your best friend again, if you'll let me."

[Lilah Wilkins]

"I can be your best friend again, if you'll let me."

She opened her mouth to respond, when what he said earlier hit her with full force.

"I want to come back, but if you're going to be like that, I'll leave and not even bother showing up when you're playing."

"You've been stalking me?" She didn't know how she felt about that. Kind of afraid, to be honest. She knew he was dangerous, she knew if he wanted to, he could kill her right here. But they were friends, right? But... friends don't do the things he'd been doing. They didn't abandon their friends, and they didn't stalk people.

"I... I can't believe you've been keeping tabs on me... How... Oh my God..." She didn't know how to react, it was so creepy, so dark and sinister, so... vampire-like. He's changed far too much, what kind of freak turned him? Chloe isn't like this...

[Alistair Ryder]

"You've been stalking me? I... I can't believe you've been keeping tabs on me... How... Oh my God..."

He shook his head and sighed. "Come now, I can't have been very thorough now can I? Since I didn't know about you and Seth," he hadn't been stalking her all over, he had only dropped by when they were playing gigs, never at practices. Besides, he had still kept his old home so he might've seen her pass by there a couple of times.

"It's been more like stalking the band really," he excused himself. "I swear I haven't been lurking around when you've been alone, if I had, I would've talked to you." He was trying to convince her, but he had a feeling he was doing a bad job, even if it was the truth he was telling her.

Of course, Dimitri had taught him how to stalk very efficiently, but he had found that far too creepy and had decided not to stalk Lilah when she wasn't playing with the guys. Some would say leaving his friends had been good for him, as he had learned a lot of things, but he was sure his friends wouldn't agree with that: they would probably think he'd gotten worse at being nice.

"I've been looking for something for a while now. Something I didn't realize I'd lose when I left: true friends."

[Lilah Wilkins]

"Come now, I can't have been very thorough now can I? Since I didn't know about you and Seth,"

This was true, and relieving.

"It's been more like stalking the band really. I swear I haven't been lurking around when you've been alone, if I had, I would've talked to you."

She was really grateful he hadn't targeted her specifically, that would have been way too creepy for her to handle.

"I've been looking for something for a while now. Something I didn't realize I'd lose when I left: true friends."

Aww...

"You know you'll always have me," She started quietly, and it was true. She'd always be loyal to him, he had saved her life, so she owed him hers. She wasn't so sure she'd ever voice that, though, because if he reverted back into Dangerous Ryder, bad things would happen.

"I'm sure the guys would take you back..."

She sighed, brought off topic by the severe lack of Chloe. "Look, it's obvious Chloe isn't coming, so if you'll come back, I'll... I'll give you my blood. I mean, you've obviously never had human blood 'cause it's illegal and stuff, and I heard that it's supposed to taste better than animal blood, which is supposed to taste better than the blood here, so if you want it... You have to promise to come back first, though."

[Alistair Ryder]

"You know you'll always have me,"

He smiled, she was so nice. Why hadn't he thought about counting her in as a friend for so long? He should've known she would come around soon enough, she always did. And if anyone could make him believe the guys would still be his friends, it was her. She would have to be the only person he trusted completely.

"Look, it's obvious Chloe isn't coming, so if you'll come back, I'll... I'll give you my blood. I mean, you've obviously never had human blood 'cause it's illegal and stuff, and I heard that it's supposed to taste better than animal blood, which is supposed to taste better than the blood here, so if you want it... You have to promise to come back first, though."

He was really caught off guard by this. He had had human blood, in fact it had been the first thing he'd ever had, but he couldn't tell Lilah that. Couldn't tell her that he'd been breaking that one rule on a regular basis, encouraged by his mentor. But it was their little secret.

"You serious about this?" he asked, smiling a little. "I really shouldn't..." what Dimitri had said the first time they'd met came to mind about how her blood would be the sweetest he'd ever taste. How could he pass on such an occasion when she had willingly donated the blood? Only, what if he wanted more? It was a dangerous path to walk down, tasting Lilah's blood. But he did want his friends back, didn't he? And he did want her to stop lurking around the blood bank.

"You think you could talk to the guys first though?" he asked. "I mean, I don't think I could just turn up out of the blue, I might get shot you know," he joked slightly. "But I'll come back, if it'll make you happy." It would make him happier at least. He was even considering telling her where he lives so she could find him at home or leave a note for him if she needed something later on.

[Lilah Wilkins]

"You serious about this? I really shouldn't..."

"Only if you'll come back," She said, reaching into her back and unwrapping the blood sack. She held the warm pack in her left hand now, stuffing the towel back in the tote with her free hand.

"You think you could talk to the guys first though? I mean, I don't think I could just turn up out of the blue, I might get shot you know,"

"Of course I'll talk to them."

"But I'll come back, if it'll make you happy."

She smiled brightly, "It would make me very happy. I've kind of missed you, you big lug," She joked, handing him the pack. "Um, this might sound weird, but... will you tell me what it tastes like? I mean, I know I sound like a freak, but uh... I wanna know if I... if I..." She muttered the last part, "What I taste like. You know, to a vampire."

[Alistair Ryder]

"Only if you'll come back,"

Anything for you.

It was good to know she'd missed him too, but at least she wasn't living what had been her nightmare for a very long time, so he didn't feel too bad for her. She was still alive after all, and that was all that mattered. But when handed the pack, he started at it for a while, feeling weird of it all.

She wanted to know what she tasted like? Well, so did he. But he wasn't sure about this at all. "I don't think I can..." he started. "What if it's not enough?" he didn't want to finish that train of thought out loud, he was shuddering just from thinking it to himself. He was looking at the package in his hands again and sighed. "It would be safer for you if I didn't eat this, if I didn't get to know what you taste like." He finally said.

"But it seems such a waste of good food to not try it..." this was too hard on him, really. "Do you think we could take it home and I could tell you later what you taste like, just to be sure? I'm just afraid I'd hurt you if you were around when I..."

[Lilah Wilkins]

"I don't think I can... What if it's not enough?"

She didn't understand why it wouldn't be. That was a whole darn pint. That's a lot of blood.

"It would be safer for you if I didn't eat this, if I didn't get to know what you taste like. But it seems such a waste of good food to not try it..."

She shuddered from her blood being referred to as food. But she knew he didn't mean it, so she brushed it off. The poor boy seemed torn. She waited patiently for him to decide, positive he wouldn't hurt her.

"Do you think we could take it home and I could tell you later what you taste like, just to be sure? I'm just afraid I'd hurt you if you were around when I..."

"Of course," She took it back and re-wrapped it, sticking it back in the tote. "So um... the weather's been nice..." Really? She cleared her throat. "What I mean is, um, do you, um, did you move to this territory, or do you still live with us mortals?" She winked at the end, slowly regaining confidence with her friend enough to joke.

After his answer, she leaned over and hugged him. "You know, I really did try to forget you," She said into the embrace, "But I'm glad you found me." She pulled back and smiled.