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WARNING: Some portions of the following work of fiction contain explicit sex. If you are under 18 (or whatever age is appropriate for your location), HIT YOUR BACK BROWSER BUTTON NOW. If you find explicit sex offensive, please don't offend yourself by reading further.

The full disclaimer for this work of Vampire Hunter D fanfiction is at the beginning of Chapter 1.

Author: Charlotte MacFarlane
Email: duckey@ns.sympatico.ca
Feedback: Please, yes, lots.
Forward to others: would be flattered if you did.
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Chapter 2 Flashing Moments


D & Kale never spoke when he'd taken her to bed. He feared she'd fall apart and not be able to pull herself together again. She needed time. So did he. All through his retelling of what happened he felt like he too would break into tears, his failures to keep her safe bearing down on him. 'Perhaps father is right,' he thought finally. 'Christmas would give us a little join in our not so happy moments. Maybe she'll come around.'

The following morning D removed his regular clothes and put on a simple cream color cardigan sweater and blue jeans, kept from decaying in vacuum storage till the night before. When he reached the main floor he heard hushed cursing from the living room. Peering in, he found Adrian sitting amongst a number of boxes of long strings. "What are you doing?"

"D! Thank god, help me will you. Father wants to start putting up lights but the last time he stored them, he didn't tie them. They're all a huge mess."

"And you right in the middle of it." D turned to see Kale heading down the stairs.

"How'd you guess?" D asked.

"Not hard. Just seems to be what happens when men try to put up the lights."

"Well is someone going to help me?"

"Find and end," she muttered and together the three of them attacked the strings of bulbs. She didn't exactly enjoy untangling the lights, but then she didn't complain about it either. D and Adrian reminisced about Christmases long past, though Adrian was the only one who laughed. Kale just sat there coiling the lights they'd released from the mess, wearing only a long housecoat, and a pant suite set of pajamas.

Linda served finger sandwiches and tea, the Dhampire's cups laced with a bit of blood to help it along. D didn't appreciate the blood in his tea, but only mentioned it in private to Linda some time later. It was when he returned that he saw Kale was gone. He turned to his brother as he stacked the last string of untangled lights with the rest. "Where is Kale?"

"She's gone to explore the house. Don't hover over her so much. When she feels like talking she'll know where to find you."

"I don't think she will. I'm the monster she trusted, who took her child away," he sat down next to the younger Dhampire, elbows on his knees, face buried in his hands. He had to admit that to someone, but still it didn't feel any better.

"You keep saying that, but have you said it to her? She may not see it that way."

"She won't even look at me. Even when she is, she's not. She just looks right through me."

Adrian gave his brother's shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. "Come on. You can help me put the lights up. Then you can kick yourself to your heart's content."



Kale had found her way to a back room overlooking the courtyard and stables. It wasn't till she opened a curtain and turned around that she realized it was a library. For a moment she just stared at the walls, covered with shelves of books, then there were smaller bookcases that lined different seating areas around the room. She curled herself into the corner of a nearby sofa, where she sat remembering her father, and his love of books. "Dad, you'd be in heaven," she said aloud. She lay back, just flipping the corners of a book on the case behind the sofa.

She remembered going shopping with her father many times, and the hours they'd spend just looking over the books on the bookshelves in the stores. He'd comment on this book, or that author, and a whole series that he was reading. Finally with several small books in hand, he'd head for the check out, happy with his new treasures.



"Dad?"

"Back here." She headed down the hall towards the bedrooms.

"What are you doing?"

"Putting up a book case behind the door. I thought I'd put those books in order."

"Great! Then I can stop tripping over them."

"You going?"

"Yeah. I've got till 11:30 tonight, though don't expect me home till a little later. With things getting worse, half the population of Sackville is shopping all at the same time."

"Yeah well, things start happening, you quit and get moving as fast as you can. If people get in your way, run them over. Just get home."

"Right. Oh, can I get some money for batteries, well need them for the radio anyway." The man handed her some money, and after giving him a quick kiss on his cheek and getting the same in return, she headed outside and drove away.

A half hour later she arrived in the town of Lower Sackville, just off the Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia. She parked her car around the side of the store. She didn't want to, but the lot was full. Most people grabbing as many canned goods as they could. It was going to be another long night. Living in the country had it's advantages. If bombs landed, they'd hit the major cities first, and she knew every shortcut home.

She had her break and managed to purchase a large package of batteries in a relative short amount of time, considering the long lines of people. She finished her shift, managing to get the last customer threw well after 11:30. she cleaned her lane, and with her till walked to the cash office with the security guard, who, because of the crisis, had been armed with not two hand guns, but a riot gun as well. Then saying goodnight, she left the store, the guard usually walked her to her car, only he had to chase looters away form the bank machine at the far end, and left her alone.

She rooted threw her purse for her keys, noticing there was a large black truck once again in the parking lot. She turned as it started to leave, dropping her keys. Only someone grabbed her, before she could pick them up.

She couldn't scream, she could barely move, and it was hard to breath. There were others in this strange place too. There was something happening outside. Screeching sounds. Tires on pavement. It was then she realized... 'I'm in the black truck!!'

She tried to pound on the truck's walls, to get someone's attention from outside, but raising her arms was like lifting 500 pounds. 'Somebody! Anybody! HELP ME!!' She tried again to move her hands, but with little success. Then the motion changed. The truck was still moving, but it sounded different. 'Someone's coming!'

The truck doors opened and someone came at her. "NO!!!"



"Good afternoon my lord," Linda greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

"As well as can be expected, Linda," answered Dracula as he took the glass of blood she offered him. Sense his last human woman left him for a human man, he had trouble sleeping. Though he was furious that she would betray his trust in her, he was grateful that she didn't know what he was. He'd learned long ago to be careful with that information with humans. "My sons?"

"Putting up your Christmas lights sir."

"And my daughter?"

"The last I saw Kale, she had gone to the library. She may still be there."

He finished his glass and dabbed his lips with a napkin. "Thank you. I think it is time I got to know my new daughter. I'll be with her if my son's come looking."

"Yes my lord."

The old vampire mad his way to the back of the house. Using his ancient powers he closed the curtains and turned to the girl on the sofa. "Poor child," he muttered, seeing her shiver slightly in her sleep. "Probably haven't slept well in a while." He took a nearby afghan, unfurled it to spread it over her.

"NO!!" She screamed, and scrambled off the sofa to hide in a nearby corner.



"The city officials have agreed to allow a small amount of snow past the force dome this year."

"Father isn't going to like that." D mused.

"Oh come on," Adrian sighed. "Father and I had snowball fights when I was a child. You must have had that?"

"Well..."

"Master D! Come quick!" With the urgency in Linda's voice, D and Adrian dropped what they were doing and ran back into the house, following the woman through the halls. "She just started screaming. You r father can't get near her!" As they entered the library, D could hear a woman crying, hysterically pleading to be left alone.

"Father!" D shouted seeing him trying to pull Kale out of the corner, earning slaps and kicks for his efforts. "What have you done!"

"She was sleeping," he explained, getting pushed away. "I tried to cover her, then she started screaming and ran for the corner."

"Get back!" he hissed, and knelt down in front of her. "Kale," he whispered, but she didn't answer. She sat shivering in the corner, her eyes unfocused, her breath shaky & quick. "She's dreaming," he said. "She's sleep walking in a way. Remember how they say you should never wake a sleepwalker? She's in that kind of state right now."

"So what do we do?" Adrian asked.

"We leave her alone. She'll come out of it on her own."



It was hours before Kale calmed down and went back to sleep, normally. Then D took her back to their room, where she slept well into the next day, though her dreams were anything but restful. She'd tossed & turned, sometimes sat up with her eyes open, only to lay back down to sleep. He was worried. He'd never seen her like this. She had nightmares yes, but nothing like this. "Kale," he whispered to her once. "What do you see?" Hoping she'd talk in her sleep, to help her through the dreams, but she never answered.

Finally nearing mid afternoon, she sat up again. Her eyes were like when he was with her in the beginning, wide and frightened, but with her hair tied back, she didn't have the vail of gold, that he now realized had drawn him to her in the first place. Those beautiful green eyes, hiding behind thin strands of gold brown hair, eyes that had not seen the world for 10,000 years. Now, four years later, those same frightened eyes peered confusingly around the room, as though the last four years never happened.

Slowly realization returned, and he could see her history fall upon her. She settled back, wiping tears from her face. "You ok?" he asked.

"Just peachy," she whimpered, the same way she had in the hotel, all those years ago. "I miss her."

"I know," he whispered, as he pulled her to him. "I miss her too. I thought you'd be angry with me."

"Why?"

"Because...I gave away your baby."

"D. No. she wasn't just my baby...She was yours too."

He held her tightly. A single tear escaped his eyes. That's what it was. "Yes," he whispered, trying to contain himself. He'd tried so hard to distance himself from what he'd done. He didn't just give up her child to the strangers, he gave up his own, and that hurt worst of all. "She was." He could not help but wipe his eyes, as more tears fell. For a time, KD was his child too, and the pain of loosing her finally struck him.

"It's ok D," she whispered. "We'll get through this. Please forgive me."

"Forgive you?" he asked, facing her, "What are you talking about?"

"I...I've been selfish, please forgive me...All I've been thinking lately is why. Why MY baby? Why did they have to take MY baby? And all this time, you were hurting too, and I didn't stop to even consider that!"

"Oh baby."

"I'm sorry D. I can't...D...I can't..."

He turned her to face him when she was so silent. She'd said this many times. He thought she meant she couldn't handle the pain, or the heartache any longer. But there was more. More she wasn't saying. "Say it," he urged softly, turning her for her eyes to meet his. Her eyes were wide and panicky, accented by the moisture of her tears.

"I can't...D...I just can't..." she couldn't' say it, not yet.

"Its ok baby. Sssshhhh, it's alright," he held her close as she succumbed to her tears. "Its ok."



Dracula once again paced across the living room. He'd done this for at least the 20th time. Adrian groaned as he could imagine a track being worn through his favorite Christmas carpet. "What is it father!" he asked frustrated.

"Something isn't right," he answered, and glanced up to see D and Kale stroll into the room, hand in hand. She looked a bit better, though she still had the air of sadness around her, and she still looked tired, she seemed to have found a little light at the end of her long tunnel. "D, Kale, Thank the blood moon you're here. Please, look at this tree and tell me if you see something wrong. I know something is, but I can't see it."

"Father, there's nothing wrong! He does this ever time doesn't he?" Adrian sighed loudly. Kale looked over the tree, remembering how she'd decorate the tree in her home.

She put 500 plus lights on her 7 1/2 foot spruce, glass balls, keepsake ornaments, and hand made ornaments from childhood, family, and new ones she'd made. But nothing felt more like Christmas at her house than the star the she'd carefully tie to the top of the tree. It was as old as she was, and over the years it had lost its support stand, so string was used to secure it to the top of the tree.

She looked over this tree. An old artificial blue spruce, about 9 feet tall. It had a lot of colored lights, bobbles, ornaments, garland, and ribbons. It reminded her of the advertisements stores used to sell the trees, and it reminded her of home. Till she looked to the top of the tree that is. There wasn't a star there. In fact there wasn't anything. She quickly went through the boxes of left over ornaments and pulled out a thin strip of silver garland, and a string of 20 lights. "Honestly, father, there's nothing wrong," Adrian pleaded.

"D, what do you think?"

"It's an over dressed dust collector. I thought it then, & I still do."

"Father, please! Put the glass ball on top and end this!"

"NO!!" They all turned to Kale, as she pulled the box away with the gaudy purple ornament inside. "Please, no. Don't do anything, don't touch anything. Not till I get back." With the items she collected and the hostage bobble, she left for the stables. Once inside, she shooed out the stable hands and had Max keep them out.

"Um, D?" Adrian began, "is it just me, or is Kale a little more up beat than yesterday?"

"Yes, D, She seems more, approachable. Did you talk to her about her dream?"

"We talked yes, but not about her dream," he answered. "We spoke about KD, and how she wasn't just her child, but my child too. I didn't want to face what I had done to my own child...She helped me with that. But there's more bothering her."

"Care to share?" asked his brother.

D just turned away. "No. We haven't reached it yet. She can't bring herself to say it yet. So she's not ready. And until she is, there will be no mention of this. Is that clear?"

"Her dreams. Do you think they're about the ta..."

"Yes, Adrian. I think they are. But something else is hurting her at the same time."

"Would someone please tell me what this is all about?" Dracula demanded.

"Father, Kale had a bad experience before she met D, and well, D helped her out of it, but she doesn't like people to know all about it. When she trusts you enough, she'll tell you."

"I have some friends here in the city..."

"Father, please..." D huffed. "For once in your existence listen to me...leave her alone."

The all fell silent as Kale returned. "D could you lift me up. I'd like to put this on the tree." Gladly, he did so. Holding her above his shoulders, she fastened the makeshift star to the top of the tree, then, after plugging it in, the four stood back. "We always had a star," she whispered to D. "I thought this looked better."

"My dear," Dracula stepped between the two lovers, his arms draped around both their shoulders. "That is perfect. Thank you. But please, where is the glass ball? It is very old, and I wish not to loose it."

"Sorry, it's on the table in the hall. I wanted you to see this first, I was afraid you wouldn't like it."

"Never be afraid my dear, never."

"Can I turn the flasher on now father?"

"Yes Adrian, you may. If I don't let him now, he'll haunt me till...well...till the next dooms day."

Kale turned back to the tree, as it's bright colored lights started flashing. It was all like home again. In her memory she could smell the spices from the turkey floating on the air, the feel of the warm fire, and the flickering...the flickering of hundreds of lights. Suddenly she found it difficult to breath, and the air seemed oddly murky. Someone shouted something, but she didn't understand. Then there was a searing pain across her stomach, one she couldn't explain. She screamed, but could not hear her own voice.

Then blackness.