I do not own these characters. I do not make any money writing this story.

Nine Lives

I didn't recognize him like I thought I would; I wasn't much into big Hollywood films when I was human. But I could smell the blood in him - that aristocratic Toreador snobby rich blood, probably worth a king's ransom, so far as Isaac goes. But he's goddamn breathtaking, I can't deny that. It's easy to get mad at Isaac when he tells you about how Ash became his Childe, but if you were in the same position, you couldn't possibly let him die. He was just too beautiful.

The club was moderately crowded, but he was still sitting by himself in the farthest booth from the crowd. As I came up the stairs I could see what were probably his regulars – bunch of whores and college girls gathered together to titter about the color of their G-strings and what they bleached their hair with. Seemed Ash was getting pretty sick of them. At first I thought to leave him alone, he looked fairly bored. But perhaps I was the stimulation he needed.

He was playing with a lighter when I approached him; flipping it open and then shutting it closed, over and over. No cigarettes in sight. No drugs, no drinks or anything. I stopped in front of the booth, but he simply ignored me. I looked him up and down, admiring his suit, and smiling just a little bit.

"Am I supposed to know you?" he asked lowly, and he had quite the lovely voice, but still he wouldn't even look at me. His damn misery ebbed from him like a sullen aura.

I shook my head, not taking my eyes off him. "No, but I know you."

He snorted. "You and the rest of Hollywood."

I cocked my head to the side softly. "My name's Iris."

Finally he raised his eyes to me, soft blues looking at me with a bored disposition. "You're LaCroix's girl. A Ventrue. Don't see many of you types in Hollywood."

Smiling, I moved to sit down in the booth next to him. "Why would that be?"

"Isaac and LaCroix aren't exactly amigos." he replied quietly, watching me as I sat down in the booth, probably ready to tell me that he hadn't asked me to sit down, but he didn't. He went back to his lighter, flipping it open, staring at the flame for a moment, and then snapping it closed.

I crossed my arms on the table, looking around the club and smiling just a little. The Asp Hole was cooler than some of the clubs I had seen since my embrace, probably a lot of very important clientele come through here. Maybe not this late at night, but definitely during the happy hours.

I looked back at Ash, still fixed on the lighter. "Something the matter, cowboy?"

He shrugged, immune to my attempts to flirt a little. "To say no would be an understatement."

"Why's that?"

"The sun's gone down."

I smirked a little more loudly than I wanted to. "Yeah, it does that a lot."

He was getting annoyed now. He rolled his eyes and pretended to ignore me. But I could tell, just in the slightest, that he was interested in me. Perhaps he was starving for attention and I was the only one with guts to come up and start talking to him.

"You don't understand," Ash said gruffly all of a sudden. "Didn't you seem them? At the front, in the back? They're all over, try to kill me if I leave."

One of my eyebrows rose. "Who?"

"Hunters."

Taken aback, I tried to think back to when I first came into the club. Had there been anyone that looked even remotely suspicious when I came in? Course there was that one guy in the long trench coat with what looked like a katana slung over his shoulder...geez, I'm LaCroix's messenger and I can't even spot a hunter?

"Maybe I can help you out." I said casually, not really sure how to do it, but I'm sure we'd come up with something.

Ash sighed angrily, and when I looked up he was looking at me with an irritated expression. "Look, did Isaac send you?"

I shook my head. "No Ash, he didn't. What makes you think I would have come if he did?"

His face fell, as though he had been told he didn't have a friend in the world. "Why the hell then would you want to help me?"

I studied his face for a moment. He really was quite lovely. White skin, so white that his lips almost looked a little blue...or maybe that was from the lights. And a great haircut, chocolate hair – and long fangs. I don't know why I like long fangs but for some reason I just do. He was mesmerizing.

Finally, without knowing what else to say really, I shrugged. "I like to help people."

Ash sighed heavily, and he looked around for a split second, as though to see if anyone were listening to our conversation. "What do you propose we do?"

I thought for a moment, and remembered a guy I had seen on the dance floor. Shit, the guy looked exactly like Ash, I almost approached him myself. He dressed like him, almost exactly the same, had the same haircut and everything. Maybe he was just there to throw off the hunters that were posted around the club.

I remember something that LaCroix had told me not long ago, that humans were just as easy to deceive as they were to kill. Suppose Ash and this guy changed clothes...and then Ash could sneak out the back while this other guy took the heat from the hunters...it was just crazy enough to work.

I smiled, and tapped the surface of the table with my fingernails. "I'll be right back."

Ash's eyes were on my back as I walked away, I could feel it, and I smiled. Sometimes it totally paid to be fairly good-looking. You always have a bit of self-consciousness when you're first embraced, that's what happened to me at least, but it doesn't take you long to discover that Kine will fall head over heels for you, especially if you're Ventrue. That damn security guard at the Ventrue Tower, Jesus Christ...

I descended the stairs down into the main room of the club. Ah yes, I could see them now. They were all over the club, including the one I had seen at the front door, watching eagerly for a simple glimpse of Ash Rivers. But they didn't look particularly clever; just as easy to deceive than to kill.

I went towards the bathroom and there was the guy, Ash's double, and I examined him quickly. Yeah, this would work out real well, I was positive. I moved up to him, and his eyes look in my appearance with a worried expression, but before he even had a chance to say anything, I gave him a demand: Go to the bathroom and take off your clothes.

He went without a word, and I watched to make sure he went right into the men's room. Perfect. I looked up towards the second floor, and there was Ash looking down at me expectantly, and I nodded and crooked a finger at him for him to come down, and he made his way towards the stairs.

I walked towards the bathroom, looking to the back door where there was most likely a hunter standing outside just waiting for Ash to try his luck. But there was no one else around; once again the club wasn't entirely crowded. Lucky for us.

Ash slipped into the bathroom without another word, and I waited outside. Sure I could have gone inside, but I didn't want the boys to feel uncomfortable. My eyes scanned the dance floor; there was a hot looking blonde standing at the bar, looking pretty lonely. I ran my tongue over my lips, wondering what her blood would taste like. I hadn't fed recently and was feeling pretty thirsty...

Suddenly the door opened and the Kine came out wearing Ash's expensive suit. I smiled, perfectly satisfied with the results. He strolled past me, as though he couldn't see me, and he went towards the dance floor as though he were the star of the show. I watched for a moment and he moved towards the bar. The bait was in place. Perfect.

I pushed open the door to the men's room

"What would happen if they did kill you?

Ash was looking in the mirror, fixing his hair. He was wearing the Kine's dirty jeans and then he started to put on his faded shirt. "It would break Isaac's heart." Ash said quietly, and then he smirked. "At least something good would come from my death."

I looked him up and down, and then I thought of something devious, and grinned. "I know of something else that would piss Isaac off...break his heart."

Ash looked at me very skeptically, with a raised eyebrow. "What would that be?"

I bit down on my lower lip. Shit, do I go through with it or do I pass it by? How often do you get Ash Rivers alone in a bathroom and half naked? This was the perfect opportunity to A: piss off Isaac Abrams, that fucking smug son-of-a-bitch and B: Find out what sex after death was like.

So hell, would you have passed it up? I wasn't about to.

I grabbed his shirt in one hand, ignoring his puzzled expression, and opening the nearest bathroom stall I went in and dragged Ash in behind me, closing and locking the door and pushing him up against it. He hissed just slightly but I didn't stop to ask if he was all right. I pulled him down to my level and kissed his lips forcefully.

It had been so long since I had had sex with anyone...tell you the truth, the first night of being Kindred when I met Jack, I was absolutely positive that the guy was gonna ask for sex in return for everything he taught me and told me. But he didn't, which shows you what kind of Kindred Jack is; one of the best. And then there was Nines Rodrigeuz...fucking gorgeous piece of Anarchy, that vampire, but my obvious devotion to LaCroix did not sit well with him.

Ash was the only one who seemed vaguely appropriate. And here we were, so I wasn't about to pass this up.

I moved my lips hungrily over his, loving the taste of him, moving my hands over his chest and pushing his shirt up to his neck, trying to get it up over his head. Ash stood rather dumbstruck for a moment as I took what I wanted; maybe he hadn't had sex in a long time either, maybe it was suddenly too new to him. You can assume that I was worried he would shove me away and get angry, but what vampire in his right mind would pass up promiscuous sex when no such disease could ever touch him again?

But then I was delighted as I felt his hands on my hips, holding them with a tight grip, and I ran my tongue over his lips, secretly asking him to open his mouth so I could stick my tongue inside, which he did. So I went to town, weaving my fingers into Ash's hair and gripping it tightly, slinking my tongue deep into his mouth. He groaned just a little in his throat, and settled back against the stall door, and I moved to fit myself comfortably against him, raising my knee and pressing it against his crotch to see if I could get a rise out of him.

Ash's hands went to my leather jacket and pushed it off my shoulders, and then he raised his arms as I shoved his shirt up over his head, running my flat palms down over his chest, nudging my knee against his crotch a little harder now. Again he groaned a little in his throat, and I took that as a pretty damn good sign. My fingers fell to his belt buckle and began to unlock it, as his fingers were at the buttons of my white collar shirt.

His borrowed trousers fell open as I unzipped them, and I moved one of my hands down into his pants, down past his boxer shorts, and I touched him gingerly. Fuck but Ash was huge, and just about fully erect. I guess he liked the whole surprise sex in the bathroom routine that we were gonna do.

Suddenly he raised me in his arms and pressed me against the stall wall, fitting his hips between my legs. I gasped in surprise and squirmed slightly, moving my legs up over his hips as Ash busied himself with pushing my skirt up to bunch at my hips. I gripped his hair again, demanding his attention, and I pressed my lips against his once again, moving my tongue into his mouth, shivering in excitement as Ash pressed his tongue against mine and they thrashed together forcefully for a good long while.

Ash moved a hand over my thigh, and I squeezed my legs against his hips, and he pressed his thumb right into my clit and I opened my lips and let out a moan, closing my eyes and letting my head tip back against the bathroom stall. Ash began to work at my chin, kissing rather softly and he slipped two of his fingers into my panties to tease me. I shivered in complete anticipation, waiting for his penetration, as he began to kiss along my throat. He rubbed me until I was goddamn near moaning right out loud and then he stuck those two fingers right into me and held me tight as I screamed.

Holy shit...the only thing that could make this moment a bit better would be for that blonde to come marching in, find us together, and want to join in. But shit, she can fuck off, I was getting finger-fucked by Ash Rivers, for fuck sake's.

Ash moved his fingers in and out for a good little while, moving his tongue and lips over my throat, listening to my low wanton moans and enduring as my legs squeezed his hips.

I was nice and creamy by the time he withdrew his fingers, and I was sighing. "Oh god Ash...fuck me."

So he brought it out with one hand, and skillfully pushed my panties away for a clear entry. I braced myself, biting down on my lip and grinning became I'm completely unable to help myself, and screeching as he pushed inside forcefully. I gripped his shoulders and pressed my forehead against his. He was moaning just lowly, like he was really enjoying himself, taking his time. I wove my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his, kissing him frantically, enjoying as he kissed my back. We went into a fierce kiss battle as he gripped my hips in his hands, pulled out and began to push back in.

I moaned deep against his lips and he did it again, pulled out and pushed into me. I braced myself for his thrust; he was a hard lover, obviously. Loved it hard. He was so hot and hard, it felt like some sort of glorious thing was invading me and touching every right spot. I moved my legs up around his waist and locked them together to ensure that once he was inside, he could not remove himself easily. This only forced him to plunge himself harder and deeper into me.

"Oh god yes..." I moaned, breathing heavily and listening to his escaped moans, which were low and eager. He moved his hips hard against me, rolling them in a clockwise manner, which made me grab his hair between my fingers and really pull.

This went on for I don't know how long, too short if you ask me. I can only imagine what kind of lover Ash was when he was human, probably the reason why he was always partying...or at least that's what Isaac said. Lots of women, doesn't really surprise me.

I don't know about him, but I was nearing completion. It didn't take too long, that's the first time that's ever really happened. I gripped Ash's hair, surprised that he hadn't said anything about messing it up, and my other arm wove around his neck, pressing his lips right against the skin of my collarbone. My moans were a little louder, my legs were shaking a little bit. I'm not afraid to admit it, I was literally goo under Ash's lovemaking. And only a few more moments, harder and harder, and up came that familiar feeling. You know that feeling.

And it exploded over my skin, and I squeezed my legs around his waist and grabbed him, and I knelt my face down into the crook of his shoulder. God I wanted to bite him but I refrained, knowing he probably wouldn't like it very much. I let out a choked noise as it ripped through me, electrifying me thoroughly, and when it was over, I was weary, but not exhausted.

Sex is great when you're a vampire.

Ash groaned low in his throat, the first real noise he had made, and he stiffened and gripped me tightly and stood like that for a good five seconds. I don't really know if male vampires ejaculate semen, but that sure was his climax.

We spent only another moment in that position. As vampires we didn't need to catch our breath; just as well, I had to get moving. Find this Gary person before LaCroix found me out and staked me for fucking Toreadors on the job. Carefully Ash let me down, after pulling out of course, and I stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles on my skirt as Ash began to button up his jeans.

A last time I gripped his shirt, and he looked at me questionably, and I crushed my lips against his in a goodbye parting, and with a saucy smile for his bewildered expression, I opened the stall and left him inside. No need to say anything, no time for conversation. A one-night stand, probably what Ash was well known for. That was all this was.

So I leave the men's room with a big stupid goofy smile on my face, and there's Ash's decoy lying dead on the floor, a whole crowd of people around him tittering, some crying.

Hope you enjoyed.