Disclaimer: all right, all right! I know they aren't mine, but I wish they were. However much I dislike it, they happen to belong to someone else. If people show up on my doorstep in black suits, I'm not me! I don't exist! Please don't call the Blood hunt on me.... Otherwise, I will have to hide out in the Nosferatu tunnels and live on rats... *Ugh!* Nasty! Here it goes... my daily time consuming hobby.... For absolutely no Profit!!!!!!
Cameron pinned Sonny to the wall of the Haven. The city Kindred were the only inhabitants of the club this night. Since Julian's death, everything had started to spiral into what seemed a bottomless abyss. Sonny had refused to get out of the Brujah Primogen's way.
"Who the hell do you think you are, scum?!?" He snarled.
"You don't control this city, Brujah! Julian..."
"Julian is dead! How long will it take for everyone to accept that?" Cameron interrupted.
"He may be dead, Cameron," Sonny spat, "But you still aren't Prince!"
Cameron fumed. He wouldn't take this idiot getting in his way any longer. *When I become Prince, I will make sure to rid this city of all its Blue-Bloods!* He thought to himself in rage as he pulled out his phosphorus pistol and held it to Sonny's head.
"Cameron!" came the thunderous roar.
The room went silent and all attention turned to the robed figure now standing right behind the Brujah.
"Who are you?" He demanded, dropping Sonny and turning to face the intruder.
"Who do you think?" said.... Julian!
Cameron stared as the robe fell to the floor. There, before him, stood the Prince himself. He wasn't stupid. He knew that somehow his plan had failed. But he had seen him! The wound *was* fatal! How in Hell could he be standing here?!? No, this was no dream, this was real. Julian was alive and he was a dead man unless the Prince died again. Cameron knew he couldn't win in a fight here. Julian looked weak, but looks are deceiving... and too many here supported the murderer. But he had to know...
"How did you do it?" he asked slowly. "Your wound was fatal."
"I admit," he replied in a soft voice. "I know of no one who had successfully recovered from the grip of a torpor. If it had not been for Daedalus, I would not be here now. My luck has held when it comes to life. Yours, however, I'm not so sure about. Rest assured, Cameron. I will never forget you. I will bare the wound you gave me for the rest of my existence."
Cameron ran. Then came the sickening rush of wind and the roar of beasts as dark shapes closed swiftly in on him. He didn't have to look to know what it was.
"Death will get you one day, Luna!" He said before the hands of his pursuers grabbed him and pulled him back.
The scream echoed through the club as the Nosferatu tore the Brujah to pieces.
Silence returned to the Haven once more. Julian nodded to Daedalus and then slowly made his way to the steps. He limped slightly, but aside from that, he looked the same... yet somehow older. As he disappeared around the corner, the whispering began. The Brujah would choose yet another Primogen. Providing of course that Julian even allowed them to stay. But one thing was certain. Julian was still Prince of the City.
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Cash trotted up the stairs soon after Julian had left the main room of the Haven. He quickly caught up with the Prince he had been so loyal too. Julian stopped, knowing Cash had followed him. He did not, however, turn around. Cash swallowed hard.
"You're alive." he almost whispered, not hardly believing that the body he had carried still had had some semblance of life.
"I've noticed." came the all too familiar voice of his Prince.
"Sorry, its just that I couldn't believe it. You looked..." his voice trailed off.
Julian turned to face his young bodyguard. "Dead? Yes, I suppose I would. At least in humans, you can tell by the pulse. Don't blame yourself. Daedalus said by the time he got to me, it was virtually impossible to tell the difference."
Cash still didn't feel that good about it. It was his responsibility to make sure nothing happened to him... and he had allowed that to happen!
"Well, I want to resign as your bodyguard."
"Why?"
Cash looked up at the ceiling. He hadn't expected that question. He took it as a given that Julian would know why.
"Because I let Cameron get to you and you almost died."
Julian regarded him carefully before answering. "Accidents happen." He replied almost carelessly before turning away and proceeding towards Lillie's private room.
Cash stared, dumbfounded. *How can he take it so lightly?!?* Finally his mind caught up with his body and he hurried to catch up.
"It was my fault! It wasn't an accident! If I had been careful, you never would have been hurt."
"Cash... Cash! Look at me." Julian waited patiently as his bodyguard obeyed. "No one can know what is going on every minute of every day. Not you, not me, not anyone."
"But still, you could have died..."
"Cash, for a very long time, I have known that my death will be violent. It is the only way I am going to die. It will come eventually whether I like it or not. The only thing that matters now is that I'm alive to see another day. Cameron can't ever pull that stunt again. We all live to see another day. You can't kill yourself over it. I did that with Archon and it didn't work very well. Don't put yourself down over something that didn't workout for someone else."
"But..."
"But nothing. Every bodyguard has to deal with a few assassination attempts if they're in the business long enough."
"I suppose you would know..." Cash began sarcastically.
"Yes, I would. It was my job for around a hundred and twenty five years."
With that, Julian left Cash standing in the hallway while Julian went into Lillie's private room and locked the door. He obviously didn't want to hear any more on the subject.
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Lillie looked up with expectation as the door knob turned. There he was. Julian... She smiled brightly and rushed over to hug him.
After the initial assault, Julian eventually pried her off of him.
"It's ok, Lillie... but I would rather be wounded than crushed any day..."
Lillie backed off and then slapped him. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" Then she smiled again. "Not bad for a corpse..."
"I suppose you're right."
"Damn right I am..." she muttered. "I think we need to catch up on a few things..."
Julian's eyebrows raised in surprise... "Oh, and what business would that be?"
"Well, you did lock the door..." Lillie replied mischievously.
