Spoilers: Queen of the Damned

Warnings: Adult situations, slash

Daniel stood reluctantly outside the mansion, wondering if he should knock or if he should just forget about it and walk away. If he should let his pride get in the way again, and let his heart stay shattered, or find Armand and apologize, and hope he would take him back. He looked around himself. He had no suitcase, no wallet, no possessions of any kind. Just unrequited love.

He sighed and turned around. Armand wouldn't want him back. Armand had called him an idiot and told him to leave. Daniel sniffled and stepped away from the door, but he didn't walk away. He didn't want to, and he couldn't make himself go. He looked down the side of the mansion and decided to walk around the house a bit. Maybe he could tear himself away after another look.

Strange that he didn't feel the presence of other vampires nearby. He knew Louis and Lestat were here on business, and Pandora was here somewhere, too, unless she'd already taken off again. He was pretty sure Santino was on the island, and he was certain the two runts were here, too. Daniel shook his head and kept walking. No desire to see any of them right now, especially the brats. He wondered how so many vampires could go undetected in one place. You'd think the humans would notice the population drop.

He slowly strolled down the walk way, heading for the large garden Armand had built. The closed-up violets and other purple flowers, all planted in his honor, only wounded him even more. He wanted to come back, he really did, but he knew Armand didn't want him. He walked by the wire fence, overgrown with vines and bushes, and sighed.

"But why, Padrone, why? Why won't he at least call me?"

Daniel froze. Was that Armand? He looked through the fence, peering through all the leaves, and he spotted his maker laying in Marius' arms, crying with his hands over his face.

"I do not know, Amadeo. I know he loves you, and he would do nothing to hurt you deliberately. But your last argument was so cruel and vindictive, perhaps he is afraid to return." Marius stroked Armand's hair, trying to calm him down. "Daniel is not as strong as you are, he could be scared you might hurt him."

Daniel put his hands on the fence and tried to get a better look. Was he making Armand cry by not coming home? Was it his fault? Probably, it always was his fault. He hung his head down sorrowfully. I can't do anything right, can I?

There was a rumble of thunder in the overcast sky, and a light sprinkle started up. Marius sighed and shook his head.

"Come on, we'd best go inside. No use getting rained on." He stood and guided a still weeping Armand back into the mansion.

Daniel wanted to cry out, yell at them to stop and come back, but he couldn't make his voice work. He sighed and rest his forehead against the fence. Would Armand really take him back? Or would he just throw him back out, screaming even more insults at him?

"Yeah, bad dog, Danny," he laughed humorlessly. Armand wouldn't want him. It was hopeless to even think that he would. He closed his eyes and turned away--

--and something rock hard slammed into his face. He cried out in pain as he toppled to the ground, and he tried to cover his head with his arms. There was another blow to his head, and then another...he heard vicious laughter, and he felt someone kicking him with all their might, snapping his ribs and breaking his legs. He tried to call for help, but all he managed was a strangled mew as his jaw was cracked. Something rammed through his body, leaving a gaping rent. His head was hit again, and this time he was able to let out a loud scream of pain.

"Shut up, you piece of--"

"Come on, come on! Let's go!"

One more hit to his head, and he blacked out.

Marius and Armand raced outside, alerted by the scream, and searched the garden. At first they didn't notice anything odd, but then Marius noticed a steady stream of red liquid pouring in beneath the fence. They both jumped over and found Daniel mangled almost beyond recognition.

"No, no," Armand cried, kneeling down by his head. "No, Padrone, he can't be...is he?"

Marius leaned down and lay his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "He is alive, but only barely." He pulled Daniel's arms away, revealing the splatterings of blood on his face and head and the vicious tear in his side. The damage was nauseating, and Armand had to look away. Was this really his beautiful fledgling? He started to sob.

"Stop it! Your tears won't help him, he needs blood!" Marius scolded him.

Armand didn't stop crying, but he did nod in understanding. He slashed his own wrist and held it to Daniel's lips, afraid to move him. Daniel's body instinctively drank, but Marius still didn't hear any thoughts in his mind.

Armand fell back and trembled in fear. He'd given his fledgling as much as he could, leaving him with too little, and it wasn't enough. Feeling disconnected from the situation, he watched as Marius cut himself and offered his own blood up. Even that wasn't enough. The wounds were healing, but not fast enough. The rain was growing worse, and the cold air wasn't doing Daniel any good. Armand looked up at the house and concentrated.

There was no response, and for a moment he thought no one would come. Then a hand fell on his shoulder, and he looked up. Santino. Armand wanted to ask how he'd gotten there so fast, but that could wait.

The Italian vampire knelt beside Daniel and gave his blood, but as fast as it went in it was bled out. The gashes and rents in his body were too large. Any healing was so slow that it was trivial. Louis appeared, but his blood was too weak, and only bought Daniel a little time.

"Where are the others?" Armand cried desperately, looking around.

"I don't know," Louis whispered. "I know Pandora is out, but the others..."

"It's all right, I'm here," came another voice. They all looked left and saw Lestat coming closer. "I was across the island when I heard you." He calmly gathered Daniel into his arms, ignoring the fountain of blood that spilled out. Armand choked and buried his face in Santino's embrace, hardly feeling anything except the cold chills wracking his body. He didn't see the glare Marius gave the Italian. All he could see was the blood pooling in the rain puddles.

Lestat made a tear in his throat and put Daniel's lips to it. They both stiffened as Daniel began to draw out huge amounts from Lestat's body, and the powerful blood seemed to seal up the gaping wounds like beeswax. Long moments passed. As they watched, Lestat's eyes fluttered weakly and he started to fall over. Marius caught them and separated them, handing Lestat to Louis while he examined Daniel again.

"He still needs more, but not as badly," he said. He looked back at the other vampires, all breathing heavily. They'd all given so much. "Thank you..."

Louis smiled and nodded. "You're welcome. Right now I think we'd better go feed before we begin to attack each other."

Armand pulled away from Santino and looked at Daniel, who's face had mended almost entirely, leaving only a mass of blood over his eyes. He wiped his tears away and stood up. "I'm going to catch a few mortals and bring them back," he said curtly, and disappeared into the storm. Marius sighed and cradled Daniel, lifting him up so he could carry him back in.

When Armand returned with three bodies in his grip, he found Daniel in bed with Marius bandaging up the worst of the injuries and cleaning the blood off. Painstakingly, he held the mortals up and fed his lover's unconscious body, making sure every drop was taken.

"Here, I'll dispose of those," Marius said, rounding up the corpses and putting them in the dumpster they used for such purposes. While he was out, Armand sat beside his patient and carefully stroked his hair, smiling as he watched the cuts heal. He didn't look so bad now. He would definitely survive.

Daniel moaned suddenly, shaking his head back and forth. He put his bruised arms up over his face and started to scream, shattering the windows and vases nearby. He curled his body into a fetal position and shook with terror, crying violently.

Armand put his arms around him, trying to hold him, and Daniel thrashed as if his life depended on it. He tried to slice Armand apart, not knowing who he was, but his claws were too weak. He flailed uselessly, his eyes still shut tight.

"Daniel!" Armand cried. He wished he could shake him, but that would only hurt him more. "Daniel, look at me! You're safe, you're safe now, it's all right! Daniel, it's me, Armand!"

Daniel suddenly stopped and opened his eyes, staring stupidly at Armand. Then he flung his arms around Armand, whimpering and clutching at him. He shoved his face next to his maker's throat, trying to hide in his short hair.

"Danny, you're all right now, there's nothing to be afraid of," Armand whispered. "Look at me. Come on, look at me." He pushed him away with some force, and Daniel started to cry again. Armand narrowed his eyes in fear. There was no comprehension in Daniel's face, only blind emotion. He held his fledgling's head in his hands. "Daniel, say something to me. Please, anything, talk to me! Daniel!"

Daniel only cocked his head in curiosity, like a puzzled puppy. Armand shut his eyes in fear and shook his head. "No, no, no, Danny, not like this, please don't be like this!"

Daniel started whimper again, believing he'd done something wrong. Before Armand could say anything else, Marius entered the room. Daniel looked up like a deer caught in the headlights and tried to run away, but his body was far too weak. He fell off of the couch and landed hard on the floor, crying in pain. When Armand tried to stop him, his fledgling screamed and scrambled clumsily into the corner, huddling into a tiny ball.

"His thoughts," Marius whispered in shock, "they aren't they same."

"What? What do you mean?"

"They are disorganized, as if...as if he were an animal."

Armand looked back at his fledgling, who was shaking like a leaf. "Danny..." he started carefully, slowly inching towards him. "Danny, it's all right...I'm not going to hurt you...Danny?"

Daniel glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Armand stretched out his hand and came a bit closer until he could stroke Daniel's hair. The youngster's shuddering lessened with the gentle treatment, and finally Armand could put his arms around his fledgling. Danny put his face up against his throat again, trying to hide as his maker kept whispering soothing words in his ear.

"That's it...that's my baby...now stay calm, you need to stay calm," Armand kept murmuring, and he gestured for Marius to come towards them.

The elder vampire slowly approached, and Daniel watched from the corner of his eye. Armand seemed to trust him, but he was still wary. When Marius was only a foot away, Daniel whined and looked in fear at Armand, but his maker just ran his fingers through his hair, doing his best to relax him. Marius put his hand out, about to lay it on the youngster's shoulder, but Daniel leaned forward an inch and sniffed at the outstretched hand. Suddenly he smiled broadly and put his arms around Marius, hugging him and whimpering happily.

"I think he trusts you," Armand whispered.

Marius cradled the fledgling in his arms and pet his hair, making Daniel rumble in pleasure. "I...I believe he remembers I helped him...if he does not remember how to speak, he probably does not recall much else...but he knows who gave him blood by their scent."

"I wish I knew who did that to him," Armand said, his tone growing ominously dark. "It had to be a vampire, no mortal could have caused that kind of damage to one of our coven."

Marius stared into his fledgling's eyes. "Do you know what you are saying, Amadeo?"

Armand nodded. "There are no rogues on this island, Padrone. It was one of ours that did this." He looked up angrily and snarled. "Whoever did this will pay, I don't care who it is! I will tear their bodies apart and light them on fire--!"

Daniel heard the enraged tone in his maker's voice and tried to shrink up in Marius' arms, to keep Armand from noticing him, but he couldn't stop his low wail from escaping. Armand cut his words off when he heard that, and he looked at his lover. Daniel was trembling again.

"Don't get angry around him," Marius murmured, hugging his 'grandchild.' "He is afraid of being hurt again."

"Oh, Danny, no, no," Armand touched his shoulder, his voice softening. He scooted over so he could hold Daniel as well. "I would never harm you, never."

Marius looked up sharply, but neither of them noticed and he just lowered his eyes again. Maybe Armand would keep that promise, this time. Daniel started to shiver, and he cuddled closer to his warm body.

"He's getting cold," Armand said. "We can take him to his old room and put him to bed there."

Marius rose, hefting his charge up, and carried him up to the second floor where the most sumptuous rooms were. Armand opened one of the seemingly identical doors and led his maker into a purple room. Everything was colored in varying shades of violet, from velvet sofas and curtains to silk sheets and feather blankets. The lavender rug was an inch thick and felt like a cloud as they walked over it.

Daniel gave a tiny mew as they set him down and stripped his bloody clothes away, but he smiled and sighed as they covered him up. Armand sat on the edge and brushed the blonde hair from his eyes, caressing his fledgling's cheeks with his fingertips. Marius quietly disappeared back outside and went to feed again. Meanwhile, Armand got up and went around the room, closing the thick blinds and the heavy curtains until not one spec of light could get in. He bent back over Daniel and kissed him, then headed for the door.

There was a deep whine from the bed. Armand sighed and looked back. Daniel was sitting up, clutching the blankets in his hands, pleading silently for him to stay. The fledgling looked meaningfully at the bed, then back up.

"No, Daniel. You might attack me in bed without realizing it. And then I might retaliate and..."

Another whine, this one slightly higher in pitch.
"No, it's too dangerous. I could hurt you."

Daniel lowered his head as if he had been chastised and whimpered again, and this time a single tear slipped down his cheek. Armand's shoulders drooped in defeat and he walked back and kissed away the tear.

"Danny...can you even understand what I'm saying?"

Daniel just cocked his head curiously again. Armand wanted to cry, but that would make Daniel think he'd done something wrong and only make things worse. He groaned, locked the door from the inside, and removed his clothes.

"Very well," he conceded, pulling the blankets back. Daniel grinned and edged over to make room. Once Armand had settled down, his fledgling eased up against him and lay his head on the small chest. "You're exhausted, aren't you?" Armand whispered, mostly to himself. "I don't doubt it. We've both had a rather awful night."

The next twilight, Armand woke up, expecting to find his fledgling beside him. He only felt empty space around him. He sat up in fear, terrified that Daniel had run off. Instead, he found his lover huddling on the corner of the bed, curled up like...

Like some house pet, Armand thought. He sat up and stared at his former lover. Daniel was shivering, and when Armand put his hand on Daniel's shoulder, he grimaced. Daniel's skin was freezing. Armand lay the blankets over him and stroked his hair again, waiting for him to wake up. There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Armand called.

"Just me," Marius replied. "May I come in?"

Armand got up and opened the door, inviting him in. Marius hugged him, then held still. Daniel was beginning to stir. His violet eyes opened and recognized his surroundings, but when he turned and spotted Marius, he cowered back into the blankets like a child.

"I believe he has forgotten who I am," Marius whispered.

"But he let you get close last night," Armand argued.

"Yes, but now he's forgotten. I was not asleep next to him all day, he does not remember my scent so strongly."

Marius slowly stepped toward him, his hand out peacefully. Daniel looked up, and since Armand was letting this stranger come close, he swallowed his fear and put his hand in Marius'. He pulled the pale skin up to his face where he could sniff at it, and then he grinned.

"You know me, don't you?" Marius whispered.

Daniel looked at him oddly. Marius sat down beside him and looked into his eyes.

"Do you remember who you are?" he continued. "Do you know your name?"

Daniel just whimpered.

"Can he even form the words now?" Armand asked in a tiny voice.

"I'm sure he can," Marius insisted. He put his hand on his chest. "Marius. That is my name. Marius." He put his hand on Daniel's chest. "Daniel. That is your name. Can you say that? Daniel?"

Daniel looked in worry at his maker, then back at Marius. He peered up at his mouth, and the elder said the name again. He just whined and shook his head. Armand stepped closer and sat down next to them.

“Daniel, you must be able to do it. Please, I know you can say it.”

Daniel glanced at both of them, then stared hard at the blanket. “D-d-d...da...”

“Yes, that’s it,” Armand nodded, “keep going.”

“Da...” After a few seconds, though, Daniel shook his head furiously and started to sob.

Armand sighed and put his arms around his fledgling, holding him close and rocking him back and forth. “Shhh...it’s all right, you don’t have to do it at once. I love you." He sighed and looked up quietly. "Do you have any idea who did this yet?"

Marius shook his head grimly, leaning against the door. "Well, it was not Louis, nor Lestat. And I doubt Santino would have done this, though I don't know how he managed to get here so fast. Or it could have been rogues we simply haven't discovered yet. There is always that possibility."

Armand was about to say more when he suddenly cried in surprise and quickly pulled away from Daniel. A small wound was obvious on his throat.

"He bit you?" Marius gasped.

"Yes, and hard, too." Armand's eyes darkened with the pain.

Daniel knew he had done something wrong, but he didn't know what. He saw the glare in Armand's face and started to cry again, hiding behind the blankets. He loved the one with the auburn hair, and now he'd made him mad. The one who'd slept next to him was going to punish him, he was sure of it.

"You'd better take him out to feed," Marius said softly. "He's only acting on instinct, he doesn't remember anything else."

"He remembered he loved me," Armand replied, standing. He held out his arms to Daniel. "Come on, you need to eat. You're hungry."

Daniel turned his head curiously, wiping a tear away. He wasn't going to be punished?

Armand understood the look in his eyes and shook his head. "It's all right, Danny. You just need to learn all over again. Take my hand, and let's go hunt."

Daniel put his hands in Armand's, allowing him to sit him up and dress him in clean, black clothes, and then they went off. They moved slowly as Armand let Daniel walk the entire distance. He didn't want to put his fledgling through any harsh physical exertion after the beating he'd received. Of course, Danny didn't seem too interested in going anywhere fast. He clung to Armand's hand, following almost behind him as they left the mansion and headed into the unknown.

"It's all right, Danny," Armand said soothingly, patting Daniel's hand. "I won't let anything hurt you."

Daniel gave a tiny whimper, obviously only understanding Armand's reassuring tone and not his exact words. Armand sighed to himself and took him to a relatively uninhabited part of the island, a place he usually went to hunt. Every building was dark, and a few of the street lights were broken, with shattered glass beneath them.

"Now just stay right here," Armand said, putting Daniel up against one of the dark lamps. "I will bring blood for you, all right? Stay here. Do you understand?"

Daniel just tilted his head curiously.

Armand glanced aside and started to walk away, but Daniel refused to let go of his hand. Armand had no idea that his fledgling could grip so tightly. He gently pried the tense fingers off and pushed him against the lamp again.

"Just wait here for me," he said again, kissing his lover's cheek. "I promise I'll be back soon."

Daniel whimpered and tears started to fall from his eyes. His legs started to wobble and he sank to the sidewalk, holding onto the lamppost as if he would fall through the ground without it.

Armand groaned and knelt beside him. "Danny, you're working yourself up. I'll be back soon. I'm not leaving you. I love you, I wouldn't hurt you like that." He gave him another kiss and hugged him close. "You'll be fine. I'll only be gone a few minutes, tops. Just settle down, all right?" With that he stood up and walked a few feet away. Daniel whimpered again, but Armand only turned around and held one finger to his lips, shushing him. When he got a little further away, Daniel's whine was softer, and Armand only held his hand out, motioning for him to stay put, and then he vanished around a street corner.

Daniel watched him disappear, then wiped his tears away with his sleeve. The position he was in wasn't at all comfortable, so he readjusted himself, sitting back against the lamppost and hugging his knees against his chest. A harsh breeze blew against him, chilling his skin, and he huddled into an even tighter ball.

"You get lost, pretty boy?"

Danny looked up when he heard the strange voice, catching a glimpse of a dark face and a long, blurry object before his head was struck. He yelped in pain and tried to back away, only getting a few inches before the next hit. There was a faint buzzing in his head, but he couldn't tell that it was the other man's voice. He started to feel sick. Where was his pretty friend, why wasn't he back yet? Back with something to eat? Eat...yes, he was still very hungry...he could smell something, something good to eat nearby, very close now.

He looked directly at his attacker, arm raised to bring that heavy object back on his head again, and Daniel stared right at his throat. It was there, his instincts were certain about that. That pulsing part of the skin...

Daniel snarled in hunger, baring his fangs as he did so, and the man suddenly backed up, dropping his pipe in shock. Daniel gave the mortal no time to turn and run, instead leaping up and pouncing on him, knocking him to the ground. He held the man's shoulders down with his hands and tore his fangs into his throat, getting a good bite in and then ripping the flesh out in a huge chunk. There was a loud scream beneath him, but he didn't hear it in his blood rush. He didn't drink, but instead he started to lap up the flowing blood. He didn't know that the man had died and that the blood would soon stop pouring onto his tongue.

Armand returned a few seconds later to find his fledgling still on top of his dead victim, whining like a happy puppy as he continued to feed. With a muttered curse Armand ran forward and grasped Daniel's shoulders, trying to pull him away and terrified that Danny was drinking the man's death.

Daniel hissed when he felt someone grab him, but when he turned and saw his maker, he grinned and gave him a sloppy kiss. Armand winced when he saw the vicious tear in the mortal's throat, had Danny actually done that? While he watched Daniel bent down again and kept licking the blood up, and Armand sighed in relief. Daniel hadn't been drinking, so he wouldn't have been pulled in as the man died.

"Daniel..." he whispered, tugging on him a little harder, "Daniel, stop. Come on, stop drinking."

He pulled Daniel away from the corpse, and Daniel gave him a look that obviously meant why are you stopping me? I'm still hungry!

"Because he's dead," Armand answered the silent question. "You must not drink if they're dead, even if you aren't drinking. It's ghoulish, and we are not ghouls." When Daniel furrowed his brow in confusion, Armand pointed to the body. "Dead. Bad. Not food." He spotted another mortal walking a block away and pointed at him. "Alive. Good."

He stood up and helped Daniel to his feet. "Here, I will show you." Leaving the body behind, he led his fledgling up behind the passing mortal and swiftly caught him in his arms. He bit down into the neck and drank a little bit, making sure Daniel could see. The human swooned and held absolutely still, unable to fight. Armand withdrew and went to one knee, bringing the mortal down with him, and motioned for Daniel to bite.

Daniel opened his mouth and prepared to bite, but Armand put one hand on the back of his throat, guiding him slowly to the right place and forcing him to bite gently. Instinct took over then, and he withdrew just enough to start drinking. The volume made his previous meal seem like a trickle, and he would have kept going if Armand hadn't taken the body away from him.

Daniel whimpered loudly, begging his maker to give it back, but Armand shook his head and let Daniel watch the light slowly leave the person's eyes. "Dead," he whispered simply. "Not good. We can only drink while they're alive."

Daniel watched the body slump over itself, then watched as Armand picked it up and carried it back to the other corpse, where he slit the throat and set them both next to a gutter.

"They'll think the blood ran into the sewers," Armand told Daniel, knowing he couldn't understand the words, but he was sure his fledgling could grasp that this was a lesson. The kills needed to be hidden. "They won't know it was us."

There was a loud gunshot a few blocks away, and Daniel immediately grasped Armand's hand again. Armand just smiled and put his arm around Daniel's waist. "It's all right, Danny. It's only the sound of a gun. We aren't the only killers on the street tonight. That's all."

As Armand walked Daniel home, the fledgling quickly lost his fear and started tugging Armand this way and that as he saw things he wanted to explore. At first Armand just wanted to take him straight back to the mansion, but he soon discovered that he could deny his fledgling nothing. Armand was forced to escort his lover to various shops, and he was unable to explain the difference between open stores and closed stores, especially when Daniel learned about light switches. A "closed" store just meant the lights weren't on yet.

Daniel wasn't interested in most of the store windows, only in windows that showcased pretty, sparkly things or other curious items. He spent an hour in a knick-knack store, handling the tiny cheap boxes as if they were miniature treasures and treating every trinket like a prized possession. When Armand gently tilted a water globe over to let Daniel watch the glitter swirl around a small angel, Daniel gasped and watched intently until the last piece had finished falling.

Once he lost interest in those things, he made Armand open up a locked building so he could see all the dolls inside. Armand nearly didn't do it, but Daniel wordlessly pleaded so hard that at last he gave in. He strayed a bit behind his fledgling as he slipped around the shelves. He folded his arms and tried not to look around. All of these plastic dolls with their soulless eyes made him nervous for some reason.

Armand glanced up once as something caught his eye, and he actually smiled. He reached up and brought down two dolls, one dark haired and the other blonde. "Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt," he chuckled, unimpressed. "Looks nothing like them." He tossed them aside and kept going.

Suddenly there was the sound of porcelain shattering on concrete, and for an instant he had the terrible feeling that the dolls had come to life and were attacking his lover. He rushed forward around two shelves and came upon Daniel, who was standing over the remains of what had once been a small doll. Judging from the clothes and string hair, Armand could tell it was similar to the other dolls on the shelf. Dolls of tall blonde girls.

Daniel spotted Armand and ran over to him, holding him close. Armand could feel his fledgling trembling, and he just took his hand and led him back out. Daniel seemed so distraught by the doll, which he had probably accidentally knocked off the shelf. The sound of its shattering was surely what had frightened him.

"Look, Danny, here's something to take your mind off of that," he whispered, pointing to a jewelry store. He unlocked the door and turned off the alarm, then firmly coaxed Daniel inside and made him sit down on one of the padded chairs. Daniel was initially dazzled by the pretty diamond necklaces, but Armand brought him a single earring of sterling silver and amethyst. After showing him what it was, he brought a mirror over and allowed Daniel to see where he intended to set it. Daniel eyed the tiny shaft of metal warily, but he held still when Armand assured him he would be all right.

With a little push and a small gasp of surprise, the earring was put on. Daniel turned slightly to admire it in the mirror, watching the tiny jewels dangle in the silver chain. When he looked back at Armand, he noticed that his maker was staring intently at him, and he blushed shyly.

"You are so beautiful," Armand whispered, stroking his cheek.

Daniel smiled, then abruptly yawned. Armand laughed and pulled him back to his feet, guiding him out before he reset the alarm on the shop. He didn't bother with the locks. Daniel seemed to have forgotten all about the doll and the mortal victims. Now he was struggling just to keep his eyes open.

It was almost early morning when they finally returned. The mansion was eerily silent. Most of the lights were off, and Armand had to entice Daniel inside the dark house. He closed the door behind them and took him upstairs, leading him back to his violet room.

"Amadeo?"

Armand startled at the voice, but he still reacted better than Daniel, who cried out and ducked behind him. "Yes, Padrone?"

"How is he now?" Marius asked, leaning against the wall.

"A little better, I think," Armand sighed, patting Daniel's head as he cowered behind him. "I showed him how to feed properly. He's still frightened of every bump in the night, but at least he isn't screaming blindly in terror."

Marius nodded. "I thought I'd let you know that Benji and Sybelle have left for a week or two."

Armand blinked in surprise. "What? Why?"

"They said they wanted to see DisneyWorld, and they would go by themselves if they had to." Marius practically glared at his fledgling.

Armand groaned. "Damn it, I forgot I'd promised them...ah, well, I'm paying for their trip. That'll have to do. In any case, I have to take care of Danny."

"Yes, you do," Marius nodded, and Armand couldn't tell if Marius was upset or not. He decided to let it slide and bid his maker a quick 'goodnight' before heading inside the bedroom.

Daniel flopped onto the unmade bed, sighing in relief as his head hit the pillows, but within seconds he was pulled up again by Armand.

"Not yet, Daniel. We need to shower first."

Armand opened the bathroom door and beckoned Daniel forward, showing him the sink and the mirror. He turned on the shower, warming the water up until it was nice and hot, then turned and began to undress Daniel. Once he was also nude, he took Daniel's earring out and set it on the sink, then opened the shower curtain.

Daniel shrunk away from the steam, huddling against the door, but Armand seized his hands and determinedly pulled him forward. He put his hand in, letting him see it wouldn't hurt him, then made Daniel put his own hand in. Then Armand stepped into the shower and drew his lover along with him. Daniel winced when the water hit his skin, but after he had a chance to get used to this new feeling, he grinned and allowed Armand to lather his body with the sweet smelling soaps. Armand forced several kisses from his fledgling, who eagerly returned them, but a half an hour later Armand had to help towel Daniel dry and take him to bed before he keeled over in the shower. Danny dropped in exhaustion on the mattress, not moving as Armand joined him and pulled the blankets up over their bodies. Armand rest his head against Daniel's chest, smiling slightly when his fledgling put his arm around him.

"I love you, Daniel," he whispered. "I'll keep you safe, I promise."

Armand sat up in bed the next night, glancing down at his lover. Daniel didn't seem like he was having any nightmares. He looked relatively peaceful, all snuggled up in the warm blankets.

At least he isn't sleeping on the corner again, he told himself.

A few moments later, Daniel woke up, sitting up drowsily. He glanced at Armand and smiled, leaning over so he could rest his head on his maker's shoulder. He made a happy little whimper which quickly turned sad as Armand pulled away.

"No, Danny, not right now. We have to feed first, and then I'm going to try to teach you a few words." He stood up and started dressing, then stopped and fished out something for Daniel to wear first. He gave him a pair of black jeans and a black shirt similar to what he'd worn the night before, then ordered him to watch as Armand dressed.

Daniel narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out what his maker wanted him to do, then looked back at the clothing. He picked up the shirt and watched Armand pull his own on. It only took a couple tries for him to dress himself. The hardest part was the shoes. He simply couldn't tell left from right without help, and he very nearly walked out with his sneakers as gloves.

"Now I'm going to show you what humans you can drink from," Armand said later on, when they were finally walking down the same dark alley as the night before. "Some humans are drunk or drugged, and you must not have any, otherwise you won't be able stand straight. And some humans have blood we simply can't drink, they have bad blood. If you drink that, you could die."

Daniel struggled to understand what Armand was saying, but it only sounded like random noises to him. He lowered his head, but he perked up the instant he spotted a human walking down the street.

"No, Danny."

Daniel looked down at Armand. He knew what "no" meant, if he couldn't say it. He whined angrily.

"No, Daniel. Look. He's drunk. You can't drink from him." Armand pointed at another mortal further up the street. "You can have him. Can you tell the difference?"

Daniel glanced at both of them, staring first at the human that was staggering and stumbling wildly down the street. Then he looked at the other one that was walking in a straight line. He pointed at the sober one.

"Yes, exactly," Armand nodded, and Daniel grinned, ecstatic that he'd gotten it right the first time. Armand pushed him forward, urging him after the sober one. At first Daniel just crept up behind the human, and once he was a few feet away he prepared to pounce. Suddenly the man turned, whipping a .45 around and aiming it in Daniel's general direction. Armand started to run to protect his fledgling, but then Daniel did something that surprised all of them.

Daniel instantly knew the gun was a threat, although he wasn't sure how he knew, and he leaped up and to the left, landing on the wall of the building across the street. The human fired several times as Daniel flew through the air, but none of his shots connected. Daniel pushed against the wall as soon as he landed, catapulting himself over the man's head and alighted behind him, in perfect range to sink his fangs in. He grabbed his prey's shoulders and gently bit down just like Armand had shown him, and fifteen seconds later he dropped the body to the sidewalk, watching curiously as the face lost all expression and the muscles utterly relaxed.

Armand slowly approached his lover, shocked at how well he had moved and how quickly it had all been. As soon as the human was dead, Daniel started to rifle through his pockets, tossing the useless gun aside in favor of the shiny coins in the man's wallet. He especially liked the silver chain around his neck, and he carefully took it from the body and put it around his own neck.

"All right..." Armand murmured, still awed at the way he'd killed. "Let's go back home and--"

Daniel grabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet, giving him a kiss before he started pulling him back down the street.

"Danny, Danny, where are you going?" he cried, struggling to keep up with his fledgling's longer gait.

Daniel pointed at the drunk human, who had conveniently collapsed on the corner.

"Danny, I told you--" he stopped as Daniel gave him a strange look. "You want to try him anyway?"

Daniel looked between Armand and the human, and tugged his maker forward a bit more.

"Fine, if you must," Armand sighed. He escorted Daniel to the mortal meal and knelt down, making a point of showing his fledgling the bottle in the human hand. "See, that is what makes them like this. It's not good to drink from them. They'll make you disoriented and...and look who I'm talking to. A former alcoholic."

Ignoring the unintelligible noise, Daniel bent and started to sip from the warm flesh, making a little startled noise of delight as the taste hit him. The good feeling drifted in after that. After a moment, though, a sick feeling washed over him and he started to feel nauseous. He pushed the body away and leaned against Armand, moaning as his head started to pound.

"He must be very drunk for you to get a hang-over so fast," Armand whispered, caressing his hair. "He's probably going to die from the alcohol alone."

Daniel shook his head, he didn't care at all about the prey anymore. Armand sighed and stood, helping his lover up.

"We'd better get you home before you fall over," he said softly, not wanting to exacerbate Daniel's headache. "You can take a nice nap before you learn a few words."

Daniel woke up in the garden stretched out on the grass, his head in Armand's lap. He blinked a few times, trying to focus on the gigantic white blur in the sky that turned out to be the moon.

"Are you awake now?" Armand asked, looking down from the book he was reading.

Daniel sat up slowly, yawning as he turned around to stare at Armand. He gathered his legs under himself so he could sit cross-legged.

"Feel better?"

Daniel just tilted his head.

Armand put the book down and faced his fledgling. "Now, you need to start learning a few words so we can communicate a bit better."

A butterfly drifted across the garden and glided in between them, hovering a moment and landing on Daniel's outstretched hand. Daniel's eyes lit up and he brought it closer to his eyes, his fledgling vision still fascinated by the dazzling colors.

Armand sighed in impatience, then pointed at the insect. "That's called a butterfly. Daniel, can you say that? Butterfly?"

Daniel looked at him, then back at the butterfly. He stared close at Armand's mouth as he said the word again. "B...beddafly?"

Armand's eyes opened wide in surprise. Daniel had actually come close to getting it right. "Close enough," he conceded, nodding. "Daniel. You must be able to say that." He put his hand on Daniel's chest. "Daniel."

His fledgling shook his head at first, but Armand wouldn't let him get out of it. After several minutes of insistence and cajoling, Daniel finally tried, stuttering at first, but at the end managing something close to his name. "D...Den...Den-yel..."

"It sounds like you've got a thick accent," Armand remarked softly to himself. "Doesn't matter much. Now try to say my name. Armand."

"Ahrrrr...Ahrrr..." Daniel was obviously having a hard time putting the two syllables together. "Arr..man..."

"Try again."

"Ahr...man..."

"Again."

"Ahrman."

Armand smiled a little. "I suppose I'll have to be happy with that." He raised his finger to his fang and sliced it down the middle, letting a trickle of blood flow down his skin. "Blood."

Instead of trying to repeat that, however, Daniel leaned forward and licked the blood away before sucking on the open wound. When it healed up, he looked pleadingly at Armand for more.

"When you can say it, you can have it," Armand said sternly. "Blood."

Daniel didn't cooperate, tightly hanging onto his hand and whining fiercely. When Armand shook his head, Daniel bent down to bite into his hand. Just before Daniel's teeth met his target, Armand reached back and slapped his fledgling hard enough to send him onto the ground. Daniel looked up in hurt surprise, his hand covering the red spot where Armand had struck him.

Armand got up and headed for the fence, furious at Daniel for his disobedience and furious at himself for having slapped him so hard. The latch on the gate was rusty and he had a hard time opening it, finally just using brute force to slide it back. As he flung open the gate though, another hand slipped into his, tugging him back. He glanced down and found Daniel kneeling beside him, holding him as tight as he could, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Daniel, let me go," he said harshly.

Daniel didn't understand what he had said, but he understood the tone. With a muted whimper, he released Armand and watched him storm off into the darkness. He knew it was his fault the auburn haired vampire was so angry. Still crying, he got up and made his way back into the mansion. Daniel wandered aimlessly for awhile, glad that he was alone, and within a few minutes of looking around, he found the stairs to the basement. He descended down into the hot darkness, not knowing there was a light switch a few feet away. After a few more minutes, he discovered another staircase in the corner and followed it down. He could hear water dripping somewhere, as if he was in a cave, and the air was cooler down here. This room was much smaller, and he closed the door behind himself. Settling in a far corner, he brought his knees up to his chest and leaned back against a wall and a long metal box. Water from somewhere started to drip down onto him. It wasn't too long before he had cried himself to sleep.

Part 2