History Replayed

He smiled, "It is not quite that easy. All aspects of my life are intertwined with each other, and it is better that you learn than be told, that way you learn what you can handle as you go."

"For instance, I own the nightclubs, and the liquor distribution company that supplies them."

He waved at the restaurant, "i also supply this among other fine establishments."

Placing his elbows on the table, "All of that is less than one percent of my income."

"And yet you waited for me to till you got a new sign" she smirked. She knew that Allen was well off. She didn't know how well off, nor did she actually care. But just getting a brief amount of the information was a bit overwhelming.

By this time their drinks had come, and she sipped her coke through the straw as thoughts and questions began to pour through her brain.

This was a lot of information to process. But still, and she probably had asked it before, but the still the question was there..

"Why Me?"

He considered her question a moment then said, "It is, ironically, in my nature to nurture. The more damaged the person that catches my attention the more it appeals to me."

He gave her a smile unlike any he had given her before, "And it doesn't hurt that you are among the most beautiful women in history."

So he was drawn to her because she was a complete chaotic mess, what would happen when she started to get back on track? would he just send her on her way and move on to the next person that had an issue? She was like a charity case for the rich and elite, a special little project that could be tagged and put on a shelf.

She didn't hear what he said about her being beautiful, because she never believed she could be, because she didn't feel beautiful.

Instead tears came to her eyes and she got up and started to leave.

He looked up at J as she stood, confusion etched across his normally placid face. "Wait, J. Where will you go? More importantly why are you leaving, and crying?"

She wasn't about to make a scene in the restaurant. That's just not who she was. Turning she looked at him with the tears streaming down her face as she tried to gasp for air.

He was right where was she going? Making her way back to the table she sat down without a word. She closed her eyes and tried to center herself. Her foot moved forward touching his and that calmness over came her.

"You probably didn't mean it this way, but this is how it hit me" she started opening her eyes and looking into his. "I felt as if i'd been reduced to a charity project, like a hobby. Fix the broken doll, send her out into the world and move on to the next."

Allen looked at her and nodded slowly, his head barely moving. "I can see that, though, I would never cast you out."

He held his hand out to her, palm up, "Hear me, I will protect you, help you, care for you, and help you heal."

Shrugging, "I ask nothing but honesty from you at all times and in all situations. "

Her hand went instinctively to his as he talked to her. His touch some how reaffirming everything that he was saying. "I can do that" she said softly.

"i'm sorry for getting up like that. It was an overwhelming rush of thoughts and emotions and i didn't know how to process them. My response has been to run for so long. I just.." luckily her babbling was interrupted by the waitress bringing their food.

Allen listened to J and almost scowled as the food was delivered. Pulling his hand back he nodded to the waitress and waited until she withdrew.

"Fight your desire to run unless it is to me. For all the days of your life I will be here for you."

She found herself nodding to his request. "I can try to do that" His statement was odd, she didn't really understand what he meant by it. Was he going to keep her like a pet? Was he saying that he wanted to marry her? No he couldn't mean that they had just met. But there was something between them. The way that he kissed her, she felt it. There was a connection.

"how do you know you won't die first?" she asked with a smirk trying to lighten the mood she set.

Allen smiled warmly, "I don't know that I won't die first. But I can provide for you from the final grave."

He placed each of his feet inside hers, the outside of his feet touching the inside of hers. "I do have abundant wealth and no family to whom I should bequeath it."

Being inside her perimeter was having an impact on his libido and he felt himself hardening. "If nothing else, you could look at staying around as a long term financial benefit plan
:

"Allen" she said shaking her head. "I don't want to be your ward. I didn't go out on a date with you because i saw you as dollar signs. I didn't kiss you because of the amount of cards that may or may not be in your wallet. I am with you, because when you touch me. Even as your feet are right now, it centers me, makes me feel alive and safe at the same time. It makes me believe that anything is possible."

"I know J, and that is the joy for me, knowing that the money is inconsequential to you makes this more fun."

He tugged at her hand and said, "Come sit next to me."

"Can I sit on the inside?"

She was relieved when he got up and let her in, her foot entwined with his and she couldn't help but notice the harness that was in his pants. Was that for her? Did he have that reaction by being attracted to her? Should she feel honored or scared. She remembered the way Colt shoved his down her throat as he choked her. Her entire body stiffened and she laid her head against Allen's shoulder. He was not Colt, with him she was safe.

His scent, wow it was even more intoxicating, soothing, and alluring if that was even possible.

"I will stay with you as long as you want or as long as i feel like I do with you right now."

The heat of her body once again seeped into his body, bringing him to an entirely new level of arousal. The desire to bend her over the table and take her then and there was nearly impossible to resist.

Yet resist he did.

"Excellent, " he replied.

He sipped his red wine and asked, "After this, we can go to one of my other night clubs so you can give me an appraisal of it."

Lifting her head from his shoulder she cracked the shell on the crab legs and took out the meat dipping it into the butter sauce. Slowly she sucked the meat into her mouth savoring the flavor of it.

"mm this is good" she said as a drop of butter dribbled down her chin. Taking her finger she placed it in her mouth suckling the juice off it before catching the butter on her chin and suckling that as well.

"Okay, that sounds good" she said lightly. "I don't think I've ever had a date that's ended with work before." she elbowed him lightly teasing him. "But sure i'll be glad to take a look."

Allen gave her a sheepish look and said, "Yeah, unfortunately for you, most dates with me end that way."

He pat her leg, half way between her knee and thigh, and left his hand there as he said, "Because it is a date, I left the laptop in the car."

"Aww I feel special now" she teased. She didn't tense when he laid his hand on her leg. She took another bite of her meal, and mixed up the fixings for the baked potato. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she took another bite. "this is so good."

Allen squeezed her thigh and said, "Of course it is."

He pushes his plate way with his free hand and leaned back against the booth back. He turned his head toward J then leaned over to give her a kiss behind her ear.

"Shall we leave?"

J meeped lightly as he squeezed her leg. and found herself arching her neck as he kissed her softly behind the ear. "mm um, yes." she said lightly taking another sip of her soda before following him out of the booth.

Allen dropped two $100.00 bills on the table and took J's hand as they headed toward the door. He looked around at the other patrons and nodded to one or two as they passed.

Outside, he held the door for J as she came out and led her to the car. As the door opened five people dropped onto the sidewalk from above. One, a dirty, rat looking woman sneered, "Ready to die old man? You got no reinforcement."

Faster than any seven people in the area could see, Allen put J into the back seat and slammed the door closed. He leaped outside of the ring of vampires and turned toward the rat woman and replied, "You are not the first, neither will you be the last to try to dine from me."

He spread his arms and said simply, "FLEE!"

Four of the five vampires turned and ran, so fast that human eyes could barely comprehend the movement, and had no chance to follow it.

She charged at Allen, each hand carrying a sharp knife. She sliced twice at him, both of them sliced through his clothes, though skittered off of his skin.

Pure animal instinct overcame him and his hands turned into claws, his eyes turning into a bestial aspect, much like a wolf's eyes.

The woman stopped and backed up a half step, screeching, "WHO ARE YOU!?!"

Allen leaped at her, snatching her up in one hand while the other buried itself into her stomach, ripping necrotic organs out and dropping them on the sidewalk.

The woman's scream did not stop until Allen's fangs sank into her neck. It took less than five seconds for him to drain her. He jumped into the back seat, and said, "Stay, wait, ask your questions when we are safe."

To the driver he barked, "Bring uns zum sicheren Haus"

One moment she was standing and getting ready to get in the car. Then people appeared from no where. She was in the car and the door shut before she could even comprehend it. The door was locked she tried the handle it wouldn't budge. She watched and couldn't understand what she was seeing. Nails, eyes, entrails biting. Nothing was making sense.

The next moment the door was unlocked Allen was in the car and the doors were locked and he was speaking.. german?

Was that blood on him? Did what she see actually happen? She was in too much shock to speak, she sat blankly on her side of the car as close to the door as she could. Nothing made sense about the last two minutes. Questions he had said ...what? where would she start? could she even speak?

Allen sat quietly as the car drove toward the safe house. He struggled with the high that comes from devouring the essence of another vampire. He knew that for the next few years his aura would be streaked with the black marks of diablerie. The act itself akin to cannibalism, whereas, ironically enough, humans were not.

Eventually they arrived at an old stone building just outside downtown. When they arrived, Allen murmured, "This used to be so much farther from the city."

He took J's hand and led her inside. Once there they descended a staircase that led to a vault door. Dialing the combination, inserting the key, and solving the puzzle, the door swung open noiselessly to a vast underground complex.

"Welcome to my true home, J."

As they entered the first room, he explained, "I own all of the houses withing a half mile of here, and rent them out to my employees of the various companies. That allows me to have this complex and keep it secure, for obvious reasons we deny all requests to expand basements, and storm shelters."

The entire room they were in looked as if it came from an ancient German palace, which in large measure it had. He led her to a couch and let her sit down. Pouring her a snifter of brandy he handed it to J and said, "Are you okay?"

J's mind was still reeling as she tried to make sense of everything she just saw. She was still in shock when he led her to his 'true home'. The place was amazing but she couldn't even process that right now, or appreciate it.

She took the brandy blankly like a stunned robot and drank it down in one gulp coughing over it's strength and handed him back the glass for more.

Was she okay, is that what he asked her. "secrets" she kind of mumbled out. "What the fuck was that? What the fuck are you? What the fuck? Who the fuck are you?"

J rarely had ever sworn before, but this was one of those extreme circumstances that had her forgetting her past ever existed while she tried to wrap her head around what had just happened.

He poured them handed her another snifter of brandy. He momentarily wished that he had something stronger for J to drink, but he never had visitors here before. Thus he only carried what he liked.

He sat across from her, allowing J to have all the room she needed. "Let's start with what."

He held her eyes steadily as he said, "I am, and have been for a very long time, a vampire."

He continued, "I have been alive, or not dead, for a very long time, longer than this country has existed as a country or colony."