I politely ask for HELPFUL critisism. Please help. I'm used to writing in my head not on paper (or in this case computer). Except for Danu, and the bad guys, these characters aren't mine, I will not get any financial gain out of this, I promise to return them when I'm done. Note Danu and company IS copywrited so please ask before using them. Hunting 1/? *********** By Stephni Warner Sunday, January 16, 2000 She ran. If she ran far enough and fast enough she could get away. Everything around her was strange, too loud, too bright, smells too strong. Something came at her, hit her hard. She could feel herself rolling over it, away from it. Intense pain came. Good pain, this pain said she was still alive, not like the bad pain, which always called to her,caused the hunger, made her want to do bad things. They wanted her to do bad things, but she had refused. Now she ran. The good pain stopped her. Fear no longer keeping her going, fighting the pain. She found a hidy- hole. Curling up into a small ball, she tried to make the pain go away. A man was there, reaching for her, touching her. NO! She would not go back! She had fought her way out and she would fight to keep from returning. She growled, a low throaty sound. The man backed away, fear in his eyes. Good he hadn't thought she would fight. Stupid she had always fought them, HIM. Did they think she would not fight now? She attacked. Biting, clawing. Hating. The enemy was still. His breathing, labored. His blood pooling. The smell reaching her, calling to her, calling to the hunger. She leaned in, a low moan escaping. Yes this would stop the bad pain, stop the hunger. She got closer. She could hear HIS voice telling her to finish it, take what was hers, to finish it. She stopped. Fear etched on her face. NOOO!!!!! She had almost done the bad thing. If she had there would have been no going back, she would be HIS forever. She pulled away from the man and stood painfully. Screamed her rage...hurt...confusion, to the world and turned, running again. Ingnoring the good pain as she tried to get as far away from the man as possible. to fight the bad pain. She needed someplace safe where she could heal...think. She ran on. End scene 1: Hunting Chapter 1 scene 2: Tracy drove them to the loft. Nick was staring morosly out the window. There were alot of questions running arond in her mind but somhow she didn't think now was the time to ask. Nick had been completely wound up ever since Nat's disappearance a little over two month's ago,and tonight he had lost it and almost killed an informant and allowing Tracy to see his vampiric side for the first time. She knew it shouldn't have come as as much a shock to find out that he was like Vachon, that he probably knew Vachon, but it was. Nick had been so good at hiding it. Until tonight. They had gone to question yet one more person on the kidnapping/killings that had probably taken Natalie. The informant had called them and told them to meet him in an alley only to hedge his answers when they got there, hinting that he knew something, but not coming out and actually saying anything. As the conversation continued, she could sense Nick's growing anger and was about to call it quits when Nick promptly vamped out. Grabbing the informant by the neck, he lifted the man up and slammed him against the wall. Speaking in a low tone, she watched, stunned, as he whammied the man into talking. The information turned into yet another dead end. It had been all she could do to keep Nick from killing the man. The fact that he allowed her to drive his precious car only emphasized his mental state. When they reached the loft, Tracy had to virtually drag Nick out of the car and into the elevator. End Chapter 2 /scene 1 Hunting scene 2; 1/? Here, here was safe. Had always been safe. THEY would not come here. How she came here was clear, she remembered the bad place...she shuddered...she remembered running, pain. She felt the pain now, both good and bad. She felt tired. It had been so long since she had truly rested. The last time had been before....no don't think about that. Think now. Now is always better. Now can't hurt you...or at least for long. Now made the pain bearable. No memory of how long the pain had been there. No thought of how long it might last. Yes, now was safe. Safe was good. She was safe here. She looked around. Finding a corner, she moved everything out of the way, shaping them so that she was safe in her new hidy-hole. She curled up and went to sleep. Noise. She sat up. Yes someone coming. She looked around. This was not her cell, where was she? She looked again. Bits of memory coming back. Yes here. Here was safe. But there was noise, closer now. Maybe not safe. She looked at her hidy-hole and found a piece of wood. A weapon. She would not go back. There, again. Talking. The metal doors opened. Two people walked out and stopped, looking at her. The man smiled and came towards her. NO! Here was safe . He would not take her. She growled and raised her weapon preparing to protect herself. The man stopped. He was talking quitely now, trying to inch closer. She growled louder, warning him, preparing for battle, this time she would not go alive. He stopped....knelt down to get a better look at her , then began to softly talk to the female with him. The female came forward slowly, speaking softly, hands away from her body. She looked at the man and then the female and growled softly now. She knew she could take the female, she did not smell of danger like the man did. She allowed the female to approch, giving warning whenever the female had blocked the view of the man. He didn't move. The female slowly knelt down and continued to speak, softly, calmly. The female placed a hand on her shoulder. She warned again, and the female removed the hand. The man began to move. She tensed up, only to relax as he moved away from her, back to the metal doors. He reached into his pocket. She tensed again ...it is not a weapon. He placed it to his head and began to talk. She could feel his anger. It filled the whole building, awakening the pain again. The female was so close.....no she was not a threat, though she too felt of anger, and sadness. The female continued to talk and again put her hand on the shoulder. She allowed the touch, something in the calm, soothing tones began to pentetrate the safeness of NOW. Began to bring back times of before. She began to shake. No, Now is better, safer. The female slowly began to rub the arm and shoulder. The anger from the man was still strong, but now there was also compasion, sadness...pain? The anger from the female was slowly replaced with comfort. The rubbing continued along with the soothing noises. The female never touched the weapon, somehow knowing that it is needed. Her hand moved to the side, still rubbing. Moved towards the back, touching her back where it met the wall and stopped. The female moved her hand away and looked at it. There was blood on it. The female looked again at her, the anger returning. She tried to move closer into the wall, seeking protection from the anger around her, the pain. The female placed her hands back and started rubbing again. The anger slowly turning to comfort. Her words slowly forming, becoming recognizable. She looked at the female again. The face was familiar. From the time before. The memories did not bring pain, only a sense of ....safety. Yes she was safe here. Tears began to come. She looked around as if seeing everthing for the first time, recognition came. She was safe here. These were friends. They would not allow anything to happen. She slowly brought her weapon down, allowing the female...Tracy ...to take it. then she allowed Tracy to hold her, comfort her as she wept. end scene 2 Chapter 1 ===== Stephni Danu40k @ Rocketmail.com The Cowardly Realist The Not-So-Evil-One One who likes her fiction DARK: Dark Knightie; Dark Nat; Dark N/NPacker; Dark Perk; Unnamed Faction; Closet Cousin; Closet Vaq.; FoD __________________________________________________