Dangerously Illogical

Dangerously Illogical
Chapter Three: Introductions

By Selenity Jade (Jadesama@aol.com)


"Vicki."

I looked up from the chart in my hand and blinked at the tall, homely doctor in front of me. "Yes, Dr. Huggins?" It was the worst last name I could have imagined, but it never seemed to bother the calm, detached man.

"Have you the chart on the patient in 306?" he asked, stepping into the small room that served as a records room for the third floor.

As luck would have it, I didn't have to search for a file. It was the very chart I was looking over now. "Right here," I said, flipping the top pages back, shutting the manila envelop, and then passed it over to him.

"Thank you," he said absently, opening the chart. "Have you read the memo?"

I blinked at the doctor, my mind going blank. "What memo?"

He glanced up at me, still leafing through the rather extensive chart. "There have been some odd admittances to this floor. Dr. Geoff has issued a warning to all the staff not to go out at night. It seems many of our most recent inpatients have been found, nearly catatonic in shock, and no one has figured out what is wrong with them. Well, that's the rumor anyway. What we know for sure is that Dr. Geoff thinks that something might be happening to them, and wished to advise the entire staff to caution." He paused. "I know you walk home, that's why I thought I'd mention it."

I frowned, I had yet to hear *that* rumor, but that wasn't unusual. I was a sort of outsider, despite my six years of nursing on this floor. I surmised that my quiet and distant manner might have something to do that. "I understand."

"If you would like, I can give you a ride home," the kindly doctor ventured.

I shook my head forcefully. "No, thank you, doctor. I have a phobia of cars, and I can't ride in them. Thank you for the offer though."

He frowned, watching her a long moment. "Fear or not, it might be better than coming across something..."

I ventured a strained smile, remembering that night over a month ago when I had met that strangely beautiful man, just after a mad dash down the street. I nearly shivered. I knew all too well there were bad men out there, but I wouldn't brave a car. Not even on threat of death. I would take my chances with the street. "Thank you, but I wouldn't be able to get in a car, no matter how dangerous walking would be."

He sighed, nodding, and closed the chart. "Alright, but perhaps someone to walk you home...? It is about time for your shift to end, and I'm certain someone here walks just as you do."

I resisted the urge to get annoyed. I was scared, especially after that night, but not for *anything* would I brave getting in a car. "No, I would rather not inconvenience anyone. I will be okay. Thank you for your concern," I said, effectively ending the conversation, which thankfully, the doctor got.

"If you're sure," he said, sighing, and walking out of the little office.

If I were a different person, I might have been flattered that anyone cared enough about me to go out of their way to look out for me, but I was who I was, and all I could feel was a slight annoyance. I would *not* depend on anyone, not even to keep myself safe.

I sighed, pushing down the irritation and glanced at the gold watch on my left wrist. A quarter after ten. That would mean this was perhaps one of the rare times I had gotten off work late. I worked on the psychiatric floor, and I couldn't remember more than a handful of times there had been some sort of emergency in which I had to stay late.

Shrugging off those thoughts, I stepped out of the small office and quickly made my way down the hall to the nurse's station. I then grabbed my coat and purse from the small locked closet in the back, and pulled both on. I smiled shyly at the nurse in attendance, an older woman who just recently started on this floor, and then walked down the hall to the elevator.

I made it down to the first floor and out the ER entrance swiftly, suddenly feeling very tired. It had been a very long day, and I'd like nothing more than to go home and soak for hours in a nice, hot bath. I burrowed into my black coat, glancing up at the black sky, and the quarter moon barely visible through the clouds. The weatherman had said there was a chance of snow tonight, although I didn't see any signs of it. But that didn't mean anything.

I swiftly walked through the nearly deserted parking lot, and out towards the street. Once again, I decided not to follow my usual pattern home, which was now more common than not, especially after that night.

I honestly hoped I would never see that man again, the one who had walked me home. No matter how attractive he was, and how much I found herself wondering how exactly a *man* got to be so beautiful, I knew he was more dangerous than he looked.

He had spoken softly to me, but that didn't fool me. idn'idn't know why I felt so terrified of the man who had quite possibly been my savior, but I did, and I wasn't about to reason it away.

More often than not, my feelings turned out correct.

I made it to my street quickly and without any mishaps, right up until I walked up to the front of my building.

I froze.

There was a shadow curled up on the cement stairs of my apartment building, and from the size and shape of it, I would guess it was a man, and a large man at that. He didn't appear to be aware of me, but that hardly meant anything. I shivered, backing away until I stepped off the curb, and then glanced around the dark, deserted street.

Why was it that when I was afraid, I also felt so very lonely?


~~~

I didn't waste any time, I simply rushed towards her home, in a hope that I might be ato gto get a glimpse of her. A very real, needed glimpse of her. Odd feelings welled within me, but I didn't bother to examine them. All I knew was that I couldn't follow her home, which infuriated me to no end, but I could possibly *beat* her home.

I paused on top of the building next to hers just as she backed away from her apartment. I frowned. What was she doing?

I probed her mind gently, with far more care than I normally take, though I wasn't sure why, and scowled when I felt her fear. I silently and as insubstantial as a shadow dropped from the three story building, and landed in a crouch on the lawn. I quickly, gracefully stood and walked, staying to the shadows, no need making her more frightened than she was, and I didn't exactly want to give her an excuse to believe I was following her.

Even if it was true.

I stayed to the shadows as I made my way around her building, eyes narrowing as I spied the huddled form on the steps in front of her building. Homeless?

I probed the mind, and nearly started when I met a shield.

That was new. Humans, or most humans, did not have the concept to build shields around their thoughts. The only mortals I have found that do so are the ones who religions called for it, pagans usually. I made a quick decision, and moved quickly up behind my girl, stopping a hand's width behind her, enough to feel her warm radiating from her.

Before she could do more than feel my presence behind her, I put a hand over her mouth, and leaned down to her ear, pulling her flush against me. "Quiet," I murmured, carefully using my will to keep any sound from reaching the huddled form on the steps. I hoped she remembered my voice, and wouldn't struggle, no need calling attention to us right now.

She had stiffened when she was grabbed, and probably very nearly let loose a nice scream, but she didn't struggle after I spoke, simply held herself as stiff as a board, trembling faintly with abject terror.

I wasn't afraid of the being on her steps, shield or no. I could easily get rid of it if I wanted to, without even exerting myself. But I was not about to use my powers anywhere near my girl. She was scared of me enough; I wasn't about to let her know that I was more than human.

I carefully, silently shrouded her in the shadows of my being, gently pulling her back across the street, and within the darker, more secure shadows of the large oak tree I often perch in to watch her. I didn't release her mouth, and I could feel her soft, warm, wonderful breath on my cool hand, and her heart beating in her rib cage. I could hear the blood flowing in her veins intoxicatingly. I tightened my right arm around her waist, keeping her back pressed to me as I hid us, and hid what I was doing from her.

It was only then that I spoke again. "Be silent," I said, again silencing my voice to all but her. "Do you understand?"

She gave a short, terrified nod, trembling in my arms.

I carefully removed the hand from her mouth, but did not remove the arm from her waist. I couldn't be sure why exactly, only that I liked it there. I was not inclined to separate just yet. I wasn't sure what she was thinking, although I was certain she recognized me, or rather, my voice.

"This is what we are going to do," I began, still murmuring softly, my lips barely brushing her ear as I kept my eyes fixed on the unmoving form across the street. "It is not safe here, obviously. That man," I figured using mundane terms would be simplest, "is most probably dangerous. I do not think it is wise, nor realistic, for you to go home. Do you not agree?"

She paused a long moment, most likely trying to figure out some way she can get to the safety of her apartment, but with only one door, and hers was not a ground apartment, she quickly reached the same conclusion I did. She reluctantly nodded.

"Good. Do you have somewhere else you can or would rather stay for tonight?" I asked, knowing it was not wise to have her in my home. By the time morning came, I would be very dead, and that was the time she would be leaving. But oh, how I wished...

She shook her head, trembling. I wasn't sure if it was because she truly didn't have another safe haven, or whether she couldn't think of one, and I was reluctant to take her to my home... Although I did have another residence that I used the few times that I played human.

"Alright. I am going to take you to an apartment I own," I began only to feel her stiffen in alarm. "Relax, I will not be there with you. You have nothing to fear from me," I stated softly, and was surprised to realize that I actually meant it. I didn't *want* her to be afraid of me, and I didn't think I could bring myself to hurt her even if I – for some reason – wanted to.

She nodded reluctantly, although I knew she didn't believe me. I was as fearful to be around as the huddled form on her steps.

"Good," I said, glancing down the street, judging how long it would take to get to my other residence with a human with me, one I did not want to scare with my powers. I glanced back at the form, suddenly very aware of a feeling of being watched.

*That* alarmed me. No one, especially not a mortal, should have been able to pick me out of the shadows, not even with a human with me. I knew that it was coming from the dark form on the steps, although it had not moved in the entire time we had been standing outside.

I knew that if I walked away, it would follow. If it could see me here, or sense me, than it could follow me. Then leaving her alone would be disastrous.

I cursed softly in Gaelic. She stiffened, and I could feel her confusion. She probably wouldn't have recognized the language. "Change of plans," I murmured. "I cannot get you out of here without that seeing it. I apologize for this." Then I gently willed her to sleep.

She went limp in my arms, and I carefully – too carefully for my peace of mind, she wasn't made of glass! – scooped her up into my embrace, and stepped out of the shadows, to face the being across the street from me. I smiled coldly at it, certain that it was paying attention even though it didn't even twitch, and bowed my head just slightly, mockingly.

I could have sworn I felt a brief flash of anger.

Then I deftly jumped into the tree, and from there to the roof of the house beside it, completely silent as only I could be. From there, it was easy to reach my other residence, as it was only a matter of rooftop hopping, and since my precious burden was safely sleeping, I didn't need to worry about scaring her.

I dropped in front of the nearly abandoned apartment building – the only residents being those very few I leased apartments to; I did after all, own the building – and I pushed gently with his mind to unlock and open the door, so that I wouldn't have to relinquish any part of my hold on my girl. I quickly traversed the empty, silent hall of the building, and nearly flowed up the stairs to the top floor, and my rather large, expensive apartment. I pulled the same trick on my apartment door, which didn't use a key in any case. It was safer to use magic to lock a door than a key.

I stepped inside silently, letting the door swing shut quietly behind me. I heard the soft whisper of wards reasserting along the door as I gently walked towards the back spacious bedroom.

I walked into it, thankful for the small spell I had used to keep this residence free of dust and the like, it had been a long while since I have used this place after all, and made my way to the bed. I hesitated minutely, and cursed myself for it.

I found I didn't want to let her go.

It was ridiculous and foolish. Why should I feel the need to hold an unconscious woman instead of setting her down? Even with the obsession I had with watching her…

It was so alien to me.

Was this how mortals felt when they went about their little courtship rituals?

I wasn't certain, but I had always believed it was impossible for a Vampire to feel anything sexual for any other being, mortal or otherwise. We did not procreate. We only desired the thick, warm blood of the mortal humans, nothing more. Why was I feeling so incredibly odd?

I mentally shook myself out of my reverie, and reluctantly sat down the mortal female on the soft bed. I watched her a moment before I sat beside her and gently placed my cool, pale hand against her forehead, willing her to wake.

She murmured softly and blinked open her soft blue eyes, confusion written on her features. He supposed she wasn't gorgeous according to human standards, and maybe not even pretty. But to me...

She was breathtaking in that moment of half-awareness.

Her eyes widened and she sat up, scooting away from me so fast that she hit her back on the rather hard headboard of the bed. She gasped in pain – that must have hurt – and watched me frightened.

I was getting awfully tired of her fear, although it was irrational of me. She was a human, a simple, mortal woman with no way to protect herself.

Yet, I haven't done anything to her, so one would think that I wasn't planning to hurt her after all this. But maybe that was too much common sense to apply when one is completely terrified.

"Calm," I said softly, sitting exactly where I was, not making a move towards her. She was just like a frightened doe.

"Where-?"

"The apartment I told you of earlier," I reminded gently, watching her for every sign she gave me. It was addicting, actually. Watching her lower lip tremble slightly as she watched me with wide, rabbit eyes. Her breasts moved with each terrified harsh breath.

Fascinating.

She watched me for a long moment, and through her fear, she finally ventured, "Who are you?"

I smiled slightly, more of a twitch of my lips than anything else. I was strangely flattered that she wanted to know. It was ridiculous.

"My name is Vincente," I told her. "Your turn." The moment I have been waiting for these past eight months.

"My name isn't as flamboyant as yours," she murmured, sighing and pulling her legs to her chest in an oddly defensive posture. "It's Vicki."

I let my smile widen. "It's perfect." Then I stood up, and looked down at her. "Sleep," I ordered softly, not taking my eyes off her. "You are welcome here anytime, and I suggest you use this place instead of your own for at least a few days. I will take myself out of here, and let you relax."

"But…"

I shook my head. "I live elsewhere, but keep this residence. I will not intrude. I will explain more after you have slept. Tomorrow night, I'll come back. Stay here until then."

She nodded numbly, probably too shocked and frightened to do much else. I let my impassive mask fall over place and watched her for a few moments before nodding at her, and turning, leaving the room, and then the apartment.

I only hoped she would listen to me.


~~~


AN: ANOTHER new chapter. ^_^

Lovies!