Note: The first chapter was redone. Nothing too big, but it sounded too much like a one shot, so I added a little more and took out some of Louis' hopeless babbling. I've done my research for this story before I would continue. Oh, and, as far as this story is concerned, Lestat is a rock star but Akasha was never awakened as in Queen of the Damned, and he's not having a concert for a few years. Yes, I've decided to add Lestat in. -grimace- As much as I hate to admit, he's a significant asset to include. -crosses arms defeated-

-+-Chapter Two-+-

.Louis.

With every day since I had seen that poster for "Interview with the Vampire" pasted on that concrete theater wall, I wanted to find the actress who portrayed my Claudia, desperate to know if Kirsten Dunce was some sort of incarnation of my daughter. There was one problem with my hidden goal.

I knew nothing of the child Kirsten Dunst, save that she was an actress who'd starred in "Interview with the Vampire." I had no idea where she lived now, what films she was working on next, any way I could get into contact with her... I was forced to pay attention to mortal conversation and news, gossip, latest films releasing with her starring a role, the mortal media releasing some exclusive interview with the girl...

And even if I did somehow find out where this girl resided, I didn't know how to approach her without revealing myself or startling her if she did not know who I was. I would come to that problem when I reached that point, if I reached that point.

Winter grew colder in San Fransisco and eventually the icy air stung mortals more than my hands did. Finally a movie was released into theaters with Kirsten called "Little Women" around Christmas time. Several Tv interviews followed, along with a few articles in newspapers. I watched and read them all, and I slowly began to learn things about this mortal girl.

Her full name was Kirsten Caroline Dunst, born under Klause and Inez Dunst on April 30th in 1982. She resided in Point Pleasure, with her parents and her younger brother, Christian. Rumors of divorce between the girl's parents came a year later in the winter of 1995, when a new film called "Jumanji" was released with Kirsten next to a talented man named Robin Williams. In that same year I'd picked up a magazine that named the girl one of the "50 Most Beautiful People," and I found myself unable to disagree. After 1995, the broken family moved to California, since Kirsten was there for sets half of the time anyway, around in the Los Angeles part of the state. From there, the years gave way to more movies with more mature roles as the young girl grew into a young woman.

One might question why I would acquire all of this information about a child, Kirsten. From outside eyes, my infatuation, if you wished to call it that, could be labeled as a small obsession. Whatever one might call it, I was engrossed and I had no one to console for these actions, therefore they showed no signs of release. And I had my own doubts during this time. I told myself over and over I was insane for thinking she was some form of Claudia, insane for becoming wrapped up in all news about her and wanting to soak in every detail, insane for willing myself into her life to prove myself wrong, or perhaps right.

I traveled down to Sherman Oaks, California since that was where the press had released Kirsten was attending school at and lived with her mother and younger brother. Her father lived more north within the state and Kirsten visited him every other weekend, but that detail hardly concerned me. Somewhere in this city, she resided.

It was a warm spring night of 1997. Kirsten was ready to turn the year of fifteen.

The press wouldn't reveal the actual address of the golden-haired girl I so desperately wanted to find, so each night prior to this warm spring night I had glanced into the window of every house in the Sherman Oaks area. Finally, I caught a sight of the golden hair of beauty I had both wanted and feared. I glanced into the larger window of the home and there she stood, at the table in her home's kitchen with a pen and paper in her hand. She was thinking of something and then writing it down on the paper. Poetry, perhaps? Or maybe homework from her education. Her delicate, milky hand gripped the pen and scribbled neatly; her sky blue eyes concentrated on the letters she created. When she finished her thought, her calm eyes followed the line and read it over. She seemed pleased and the smallest smile came to the young girl's face underneath the golden hair. Each strand on her head seemed a different shade of liquid sunlight, every shade beautiful and glistening under the light in the home. Her hair seemed to hair dance as she bent over the paper and then stood straight.

Her body had entered through the maturing process that transitions a human from child to adult; her cheeks were still rosy but not as doll like as they appeared under the make up for her earlier movies, and her form was aging, something Claudia wanted dearly.

I was kneeling behind the bushes that rested in front of the large window to the kitchen, letting the darkness shelter me from both neighbors and occupants of the home.

"Kirsten, would you please shut those blinds?" Her mother asked from another room. Kirsten complied, moved away from her writing at the kitchen table and came to the window. She glanced out into the night I rested within for a moment before flipping the blinds closed. I was afraid she'd seen me, since she had looked right in my direction, but I found it was just my paranoia and I eased myself up from my hiding place. I made a note of the address I'd found her at and stepped back into the street, leaving the way I'd come.

I had found her, at last. But the internal war within me now was if I should approach her or not. If I should speak to her and tell her my name. If I should reveal my possible relation to her. There was no way to prove or disprove that was was Claudia's incarnation, was there? I so wanted her to be, but why? So I could destroy her life a second time? No, if she indeed was Claudia, I could have her again, this time older, so that her immortal child body would not be her down fall.

I wanted to slap myself for thinking such a selfish thought. How could I think about taking this girl from her mortal family for my own greedy self? Even if Claudia did exist in her, she was a mortal now. She had mortal attributes that were attached to her. Who was I to rip her away from this life to damn her into exile with me?

In the darkness as I walked, I thought of Lestat and my memory of him changing the girl, who would become my entire life, into a vampire.

Thinking of such a thought freely, I traveled back to the hotel room where I was staying in the area. As I thought of Lestat and however more hopeless it was to find him compared to the girl I had just saw, who should be in my room when I return other than the yellow-haired Prince, as named by Marius. He was sitting on the bed with one of the magazines in his hand I had bought recently with Kirsten on the cover and a useful interview on the inside. He looked the same as he always had; though now he had a smirk and a certain laughter in his eye that was directed at me.

I knew he had found what my current obsession was. And he was laughing at me for it.

"It's been a long time, Louis. And yet you still think of her. You're as hopeless as ever." The Prince greeted. Such a warm greeting, too. He stood and abandoned the magazine to come forward and embrace me.

"Lestat." I replied, my arms encircling around his shoulders. We parted a moment later. "How did you find me, or should I ask, why are you here? Other than to mock me." I told him.

His blue eyes sparkled in mistaking my question for interest. "I heard you, thinking of me while I was out for a midnight stroll. The vampires who are looking for me don't come around here."

"Where have you been hiding? I've searched for you." I admitted. If I could blush, I would have. Before I had seen the movie portraying Claudia, I had searched for Lestat after reading his book. After I'd discovered Claudia's possible incarnation, however, I abandoned Lestat easier than I felt moral. "I figured you'd be hiding yourself well enough not to be found by the vampires who wish to kill you."

"I've been around. I keep me and my band safe from them. The trick is to keep on the move, and move during the day."

"Your band." I laughed somewhat at this. I glanced over Lestat's attire and recalled his current profession. He was wearing tight leather pants and a black shirt that held the rock-star look that those mortals had designed for the musical performers. He looked absolutely ridiculous!

"Me, ridiculous? You hardly have room to talk, Louis." Lestat cut back, his white smile and fangs breaking through his lips. He picked up the magazine again and looked at Kirsten's face on the cover. "You are stalking a little girl who played the role of a fictional character, according to the mortals. Have you really deluded yourself with the concept that she is some sort of form of Claudia?"

My laugh was lost. I no longer held a pleasant look to my face. "It's just as possible as not." I replied. Although even myself was not convinced of either possibility. I really didn't know what I believed. Was she the incarnation of Claudia or wasn't she? The mortal soul of me that was lost when she died wanted Kirsten to be Claudia's incarnation, but a more logical side told me it was my heart getting in the way of my head.

"I'd rather prove myself wrong that ignore what could be." I finally told Lestat. He chuckled and smiled again.

"I would do the same, Louis. If I had a lonely of a life as you, anyway. Right now, I have adoring fans that would do anything for me, and I have several enemies who want me even more than the fans do." He explained. I raised my head a bit to get a different look at the vampire before me. I knew that what he described was what he always wanted, to be adored as an immortal, to live in the open.

I was indifferent about living as he did. And if I had a choice, I'd rather not. The different between Lestat and I was that, but the similarity was the publishing of our books and not caring for the consequences that came with it.

"I don't blame you, for never telling me the things that you told the world in your book." I told him solemnly. He nodded his head and looked grateful for my forgiveness.

"There are still things that you do not realize about yourself, though, Louis." He replied, glancing over my features. "We will keep in touch, my old friend. Don't seek me, I will seek you. I never know when there will be time when I can manage to meet you in safety." Lestat told me. He dropped the magazine and grabbed a black coat that was abandoned on the chair near the door.

"When will you know when I wish to speak with you?" I asked him, though not particularly interested in his answer.

"Who said anything about me arriving when you wish to speak with me?" We exchanged a friendly chuckle and he left the room. His presence did not linger as I wanted it, probably because I glanced at the magazine again and momentarily forgot about all things except for her.

"Claudia." I prayed under my breath.