Masquerade

Bianca sat across from me, where Lilith had sat before she left. I had one hand on each knee as I looked straight at her face, I didn't look into her eyes. I just concentrated on a single point upon her forehead. It gave the impression that I was looking at her, but not at her eyes inwhich I could get lost in. She could have moved slightlty to get her amber colored eyes into my true field of vision, but I didn't care. I was disgruntled,tired and scared shitless from what happened earlier. We had to talk, things like this couldn't be forgiven so easily. Dammit she had the master of the city over and looking at me while I slept.

"Why did you do that? what the hell were you thinking? I swear..." my voice rough with anger, I would have ranted on and on if I didn't notice the expression upon Bianca's face, it looked like she was going to cry. Dammit this wasn't fair I'm the one whos sued ted to cry, but it would be that manly now would it?.
Bianca's voice was barely above a whisper, never a good sign. It ment she was keeping her emotions under.

"I thought I was doing you a favor... it was better then having one of her 'associates' take you to meet her, and knowing you... it would have been against your will and it would have gotten violent."

At each pause her voice choked as she held back her emotions, though they were clearly still there. It wasn't fair, I have a right to do all the emotional crap. Not her, I know I was repeating myself but if I said it enough maybe I would start to believe it. Yeah.

"I didn't want to see you hurt Jacob... but apparently you don't care about my kindness."

I didn't know what to say then, I could have said something but it would have been for the wrong reasons or maybe it would just come out wrong. I don't know anymore, tonight was already messed up. I had the master of the city over who gave me one week to find a murderer and now I had my best friend who was on the b of of crying and maybe ripping me to shreds... screw it I'll say something.

"I'm sorry Bianca... its just that with everything thats happened today, I just didn't expect to see Lilith in my apartment..."

I finished that off with alittle laughter, the type of nervous laughter that you make when you've really screwed up and hoped that it would be alright in the end. Hopefully.
Bianca tilted her head to the side so I could see her eyes, I didn't avoid her gaze for her eyes were just normal. A few black strands of hair cascaded down the center of her face, which made her look quite exotic. Though comments likat wat would have to wait for later. I had to make sure she wouldn't hate me for the rest of her life, which would be a long time.

"You mean it?"

I nodded my head, "Yes I mean it."

I scratched my right knee with my dominant hand, it was nice to know that I was still alive to scratch myself and many other things after the previous encounter. Yeah I learned to never take the small things in life for granted, in this business the little things could be the only thing that could save you from an early grave. If you were thinking of anything perverted, get your mind out of the gutter. Anyway those perverted thoughts weren't small things, they took alot of talent. Yup.

Bianca smiled as she took her index finger and pushed the stray strands of hair behind her ear.

"Your still a bastard a gra grade A bitch, you know that r?"
?"

I shook my head as I laughed, "Ok ok fine, but next time please try and call before hand. Little surprises like that aren't things I want to wake up too"

She nodded as the last traces of sadness faded from her, Bianca had composed herself and it seemed she was back to her usual self. God help me.

"Ok thats a deal."

I scratched my head and sighed, tonight really was interesting. I haven't even left the house yet and I was beginning to get tired. Jeez nothing like having the master of the city over to make your day.

"Oh yeah before I forgwhy why was Lilith envying you?"

Bianca's face lit up as she smiled, it was one of those 'I know something and I'm not so sure I want to share it with you, but I guess I will' types of smiles.

"Come on tell me... I wanna know."

She shook her head and grinned at me still. "Ok, but you gotta promise not to get mad Jacob."

Uh-Oh, one of 'those' funny little secrets. I sighed yet again, ready to hear whatever she was going to say. "Ok fine"

"You didn't say the word"

"What?, ok fine fine. I promise I won't get angry or yell or do anything...yet"

Bianca glared at me, the type of stare that said 'If you don't do it correctly I'm going to hurt you' and with a vampire that would mean alot of hurt.

"Ok I promise."

"You said it two times, now you gotta keep it"

"What?!" My face contorted to that of confusion and of utter disgust, the first one didn't count. She should have discounted that one. Dammit.

"Calm down, I told her that I had claimed you as my own."

WHAT?! I should have saved my earlier rantings for this one, how the hell could she just do that? I'm not going to be claimed by no one, except by a hot dominatrix... inside joke. Really.

"Wha?, and...huh"

I was still confused, not a pretty sight but it beat screaming at the top of my lungs saying 'What the hell were you thinking?! apparently nothing at all to make a claim like that...shit' It defiantly beat saying that to her.

"Well, its like this. You know how master vampires have human servants and all."

I nodded, hoping that I wouldn't be some sub servant fool that grovelled at someones feet. I had seen alot of human servants in my line of work, it really wat a t a gratifying way to live. "Yeah I know of those."

Bianca smiled as she knew I was following along.

"Since I know the master of the city and I've proved my loyalty. She's given me a few perks then most of the vampires in San Francisco."

Ok did she just say 'loyalty' and 'perks'? I didn't want to know what she did to prove and get those. I just wanted to know why she had me related to some human servant.

"Yeah...go on" I really didn't want to hear the rest, fearing the worst. Mr Positive has got to keep his joyful view upon the world you know.

"Well Lilith let me have the right to choose people, people that were to be spared from other vampires. So you wouldn't be bitten or killed unless they were to suffer at the hands of Lilith..."

This sounded a bit to good to be true, though the pause ment something else. Something worse or maybe something really perverse. Knowing my current luck it would be both.

"Of course it basically means I own you."

Well there it is folks, I'm a walking talking sex slave. Woo, now why wasn't I over joyed to hear this? Well let me begin... but before I could rant endlessly to the empty voices in my head Bianca spoke up again.

"I did it in your best interests again Jacob..."

I sighed, I didn't over look this factor. For some reason she kept on doing this to me. Always trying to look out for me as if I couldn't save myself. I'm a big boy I can do stuff for myself, for the most part.

"Well I guess... a thank you is in order, though I'm guessing that isn't that last bit of it."

Bianca gently bit the lower part of her lip, not a good sign. It ment there was more. Great.

"Yeah... well you are mine and err... I own you..."

The pauses and what I was hearing really didn't impress me. Great I am a walking sex puppet, whats with me and sex anyway? oh yeah...guy thing. "Yeah I kind of figured that out..." I sighed before I continued "So you 'own' me quote unquote."
Doing the little bunny ear thing with both of my hands, upon reflection I felt like an idiot but didn't care. Much.

"No Jacob, I own you in the sense that you belong to me. Everything..."

Now am I supposed to say 'thank you' when you didn't even ask me? I mean argh dammit this was getting a bit to confusing for a simple minded person like myself.

"Ok so lets say I did belong to you, so what would that mean theoretically?"

"Well you basically become my boyfriend and come with me whenever I tell you to come with me... though thats in its most simple of terms."

Ok... like that helped much. "So were dating again? what else is the catch."
Tonight was one of my weirder nights. Then again chasing the undead, stratling there waists and pounding a wooded stake into there chests wasn't weird enough. It turns out I was going to date my old girlfriend... who was a vampire now, who happened to be in the good graces of the master of the city. Now Vanna tell him what he has won...

"Yeah thats basically it, so were back to the good ol days."

Bianca winked at me as she finished the last bit. I knew what that ment, there was alot of lust and sex during our relationship in college. I also knew how she thought for the most part, hey you don't become good friends without knowing a large part of another person. I knew we were good friends after we decided it would be for the best, but I thought the flame had died. I had thought of dating her again, but she was a vampire and I was a human... I usually don't date the undead oh I mean 'living impaired'. I'm a guy and I do have standards, yes amazing isn't it?
Though I guess there was still abit of the old flame in Bianca. I couldn't blame her I was one great catch, ok my egos not showing. Honest.

"Ok, but lets say by some weird fluke. Like I wanted my independance... what would happen?"

Bianca sighed. "Well you would be a target for all the other vampires in this city, you've been chosen out of the rest. You would be a prime victim. Also you being the Slayer it would bring you alot of undue attention if that were to happen. More then what you usually get."

Victim, now why did she have to use that word? "Ok so I'm basically damned if I do and damned if I don't?"

"If you want to say it like that...then yes."

I sometimes would wonder if the vampire side of her was slowly eating away at the old Bianca, this didn't seem to be her. Though I guess after so many questions a person would grow tired of answering them, I knew I would. Then again Bianca and I were pretty much the same person. We had broken up in college for personal and professional reasons, she was studying to become a psychologist and I to be a mythologist with a mino for forensic pathology, which would later lead me to being a cop. We wouldn't have time for each other anymore with studying and all the course load that our professions would give us. Of course her practice as a psychologist had given her the unfortunite encounter with a deranged vampire client. That had happened three years ago, she was still a psychologist but it would never be the same. Her clients could only see her at night and that didn't always work for most. Life really wasn't fair to her, then again life never really was. A sad but true fact of life, live and learn. Something that I lived by.

"So if we are going to umm date, does this mean I can still date others or am I like yours forever and ever until I die?" It never hurt to ask.

Bianca stared at me, in the manner of 'I can't believe you asked that you over sexed pig' type of expression. I have a way with the ladies.

"Jacob, we are exclusive. Your protected and with that you belong to me."

I sighed, we were going to talk about this more at a later date, just now I wanted to spend the rest of this night vegitating on my couch. "Ok were dating again...jeez Bianca"

"Don't sound to excited, I wouldn't want you to die from happiness." A slight grin upon her face, at least she was making jokes again.

My face contorted in the way of when someone finally sees the picture in one of those magic portraits.

"You had this planned out from the beginning didn't you?"

Bianca only smiled as she got up. She leaned over the coffee table, placing her palms against the wooden surface and kissed me on the forehead, her lips were warm and I could still feel it as she straigtened herself. She waved goodbye and like that in the manner of Lilith she was gone.

"Ugh..."

I leaned back against my couch as I stared at the ceiling, my eyes following the ceiling fan as it moved. I meet the master of the city in my apartment, I had one week to catch a murderer before she would take it into her hands, I was owned by my ex inwhich we would be 'dating' again, did I mention she was a vampire?. Hmm life was getting rather interesting. Oh and guess what, the phone rang.