Companions of the Night © Vivian Vande Velde

A/N: Hm. For those of you Kerry and Michel shippers… man, I think you'll like this chapter. More later! Enjoy! (Pardon the mistakes!)

Chapter Six: Choice

"What do you mean?" Michel asked quietly, Kerry was wide-eyed and she looked wildly around the room. "Kerry," he called for her attention.

She groaned and put a hand to her head. "They're sending a message." Kerry repeated, slowly this time , holding his gaze.

"What is it?" Ian asked as James handed her a glad of water. Kerry took a gulp and she coughed as she choked on it.

"I am alive for a reason." She said plainly, and it sent nervous jolts to everyone in the room. "Those people at the warehouse…"

"Jane Burke's people." Michel said, more question than statement.

Kerry shook her head, "Someone else… I don't know who, but there were two of them." She massaged her temples in a circular motion, as if it would dislodge a repressed memory. "A female and someone named Nathaniel."

Michel realized that this was bigger than he though. This vampire hunter ring was not just a collection of the paranoid but a full blown organization. He's never encountered something so bent on destroying his kind. He looked at James, "call Anna. Tell her about this."

James nodded and left the room. Michel turns back to Kerry and touches her cheek gently. "I'm sorry they did this to you. We'll get them, for your safety"—Kerry was shaking her head— "but it's going to get worse before it gets better."

"No." Ian suddenly said. "Don't drag her back into this." His tone had bite.

"I'm not telling her to confront them head on. But she'll be safer with us than out there—where they can attack at any time." Michel reasoned.

Ian gave a huff of disbelief. "The only connection between vampires and Kerry is you. This was a personal attack." He ran a hand through his hair. "If only you controlled yourself and didn't kill—"

"Ian!" Kerry scolded, reaching out for her brother's hand. "It's a complicated situation. You have to understand. And if not, at least you have to trust me on this."

"I trust you Kerry, just not him." Ian said, giving his sister an icy glare. "He almost gets you killed and you side with him?"

Kerry didn't say anything, so Ian continued. "What about dad? Or me? Are you going to just run around and potentially get yourself killed?" His voice rose into an angry roar. "Do you know how hard it is to not lose hope?! To think you were dead and that you were never coming back? God. And when dad couldn't cope, he left. He fucking thinks you're dead."

Michel knew Ian was going to say something terrible, "Ian…" Michel warned, but it was too late.

"You're no better than mom." Ian said as he walked out.

Michel looked at Kerry, "are you okay?"

Kerry sighed and shrugged. "Difficult decisions, aren't they?"

He put an arm around her shoulder. "Yeah," he agreed. For a split second he contemplated kissing her but decided against it.

"Michel," she said, leaning into him. "There is something else."

"We'll talk about it later." Michel said.

"No." She pressed. "It's important."

"Okay…" Michel said, suddenly conscious of her body heat and her slow beating heart.

"One of those people… the woman. I don't know Michel, but she was a vampire."

The food wasn't sitting well with Kerry, but she was hungry and didn't really care if she was going to eat herself into a coma. It has been a good few hours since being screamed at by her brother. So she was relieved that he came to her, a sullen look in his face. But at least she knew that they were going to talk about it.

Ian sat next to her just staring. She didn't know what he was feeling. Relief maybe, it was her best guess. "Don't give me that look." Kerry said, smiling at her brother.

Ian sifted in his seat, uncomfortable. "What look?"

"That!" Kerry exclaimed pointing out a furrowed brow and pursed lips.

"Just happy you're alive, Ker." He sighed, burying his face in his hands. "We should call dad."

Kerry froze at that. By no means did she forget about her father, but she had—guiltily—pushed him out of her mind. Just in case. "I think I should stay missing for now…"

It was a hard decision, she felt like she was betraying her family. Or as Ian had said, she was becoming like her mother.

"This is different," Ian interrupted her thoughts. "I know you Kerry, you're not like mom. I get it. I get why you have to do this."

She gave her brother a mirthless smile, "thank you for that." Kerry squeezed his hand.

Ian knew what she had meant. Their father had made peace with the fact that she was most likely dead. If she came back now, only to disappear again would take a toll on their father. Knowing Kerry, that was worse than her dying. It made him realize how great his sister was. He saw her sacrifice and how her choices always were for the better of those around her. He noticed all of this—and he was sure Michel did too. So Ian decided to trust Kerry's choice in Michel. Besides, the vampire, Ian believed, have fallen for his sister. And whether or not Ian approved of that, it was that possibility that made Ian sure Michel was going to do his best for Kerry.

Having a vampire playing for the other team changed a lot of things. It made the situation far more dangerous that anything Michel has ever faced. And damn everything because Kerry was forced into the situation, and she wasn't she'd find a way to worm her way into the middle of it. But he knew that she didn't have a choice, he left had left her with none. One of the worst things he could have done to her.

He had to talk to Ian. The kid was at a hard place right now, and it was just going to get harder.

Ian was sitting at a table just outside the room, near the bar. He had a drink in his hand, strong liquor from the looks of it. "You're too young for that." Michel said, taking away the bottle.

"So?" Ian downed the drink he had, an act of defiance, Michel decided.

"I get why you don't want your sister back out there. I don't either, but if she's not behind us, she is as good as dead." Michel sighed. "Kerry is most likely doing this for you and your dad. I'm sure if the situation was reversed—"

"I'd do the same thing." Ian finished. "I know that. I also knew that Kerry was going to do that. It's always been her decisions and I know I can't change her mind."

"Look," Michel said. "I care about her. I'll make sure that she'll come back. She will be with you guys and things will be okay before you know it."

Ian chuckled. "Hm. Ultimately it's her decision, I have a feeling her choices are going to put us in terrible moods."

It made Michel think. Choices. It's always been choices for Kerry. Whatever she decided on, she followed through. She was quite amazing—the amazing Kerry Nowicki. And yes, he admitted it. He found that he did, after all this years, truthfully, honestly, loved her.

A/N: Haha! I thought some development with their relationship was needed. Also, I made Ian inquisitive. I think that it's a fitting personality trait considering Kerry can be quite terrible at reading emotions. And the way she deals with that seems to be just ignore it for now until she understands it. Eh. I don't really know. Anyway, hope you liked that chapter!