The green-eyed blonde somehow managed to shake herself out of where she had gone to. She shook her head. Her hair, that had been volumized and curled, bounced lightly upon her shoulders as she brought her eyes to Kenneth.

The Head of House Dukart gripped his wrist. Emily could see that he was in pain as his blood still seeped from between his fingers. Nova must have gotten him really good for the wound to not have closed by now.

Kenneth gestured towards the dead woman on the floor, "I want you to take her to my room. Her coffin has been prepared. Just put her in, close the lid, and come back here."

Emily woodenly bent over and picked up the lifeless form of the woman. As she turned away and walked back to the elevator, she did start to cry. She couldn't keep the tears back any longer, her makeup be damned. She didn't utter a sound as she silently wept for Nova.

The elevator answered her call and she stepped in, careful to hide her tears from Kenneth. Nova had wanted this, on some level Emily, when she had been turned, had wanted it too, but it wasn't the same thing. Nova had a choice where she did not. But even that was bull shit. The choice was a lie. Who wouldn't choose life over death? The life promised by the bite was so much sweeter, and felt so much better than any drug ever could. Once you were bitten, you had no choice, your human body would always choose life.

The elevator door opened and Emily stepped into Kenneth's apartments. It was more like a luxury suite at a hotel. The room off the elevator had a two-stair step down into the lounge area. From that circular room, several rooms branched off from it. The master bedroom was off to her left. She walked through the lounge and past the kitchen into the bedroom. She laid Nova into the dark red stained oak coffin. The velvet lining cushioned her limp form. Emily kneeled and brushed Nova's hair away from the woman's forehead.

"Why? Why did you do it Nova?" her lips quivered as she fought against the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes again. She studied the woman in the coffin. Her rage started to build and the only thing she wanted to do was rip the coffin, and the woman inside, to pieces.

"Was I wrong about you?" she harshly whispered at her. "I thought you were better than me. I thought that if anyone could overcome the temptation of being turned it was you!" Tears dripped on to the coffin as she sneered and her lips twisted in sorrow. "I trusted you; you bitch!" Her whispers came out with less and less conviction and gave way to quiet sobs.

"How dare you try to teach me, to try to make me more than what I was, only to lower yourself to rats in the gutter. Was it the power? Were you dominated at last? Why?"

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She covered her face with her hands and sobbed quietly next to the open coffin. She didn't know why she was so sad, at least not consciously, all she knew was that a hole had been reopened inside her soul. And this time, as when she first received the wound, she was positive that it would never heal itself.

* * * * *

Kenneth softly swore under his breath. Nova was something else. Natalia had not been nearly so strong; her hunger not nearly so intense as what Nova's had been. She would have killed him, and for an instant… ok, five instants tops, he was sure that it would have been worth it.

He turned around and sat down heavily behind his desk. His wrist still hadn't healed completely. That caused his eye brows to furrow a bit. He should have healed by now.

He picked up his phone, "Brian? Yeah, can you join me in my office?"

He hung up the phone and went to his refrigerator. He took out two blood bags and threw them into the microwave. After thirty seconds he took them out and dropped one onto his desk as he ripped open the other and drank it. He could feel his strength return, the wound on his wrist finally closed and healed. He watched the skin regenerate and seal over the wound. After a few seconds he couldn't seen any evidence of the wound at all, except for the smear of blood on his arm. He sat down and wiped his arm with a wet rag and began studying his computer.

A few moments later the elevator dinged and the doors slid open allowing Brian to walk into the room. His light brown hair was swept over to the side and his green eyes were alert.

Brian smiled as he sat down in front of Kenneth's desk, "What's up, boss?"

"You remember that 'Arab' I told you about? The one that our wayward farm operator was selling our blood to?" Kenneth asked.

Brian nodded his head, "Yeah, I remember. I also remember that you thought it was complete horseshit and just some crap story that Emily made up to keep herself alive."

Kenneth smiled, "Yes, I did think that. But Emily has set up a meeting between me and him tonight. I want you to come along."

Brian arched a questioning eyebrow, "You serious? You won't have any problem dealing with somebody like this." He leaned onto Kenneth's desk, "What are you really talking about?"

Kenneth shook his head, "Brian, I want you to follow the guy after the exchange. I need to know where he's going and why he wants this blood."

"You think he's doing some kind of research? Something along the line of what Trevor did for you?" Brian asked.

Kenneth shook his head, "No, I'm not worried about that. If he really is an Arab than I assume he is doing some kind chemical, or bio-weapon experiments. Probably completely useless to me, but it wouldn't hurt to keep tabs on the guy if that's what he's doing. The U.S. government has always been very grateful if given tips about such things happening on their soil."

"And of course, having another federal agent in your pocket couldn't hurt either, right?" Brian asked with a smile.

Kenneth answered, "Brian, I knew I kept you around for a reason."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, revealing Emily standing there. She looked perfectly calm and composed. Her make up was perfect and she looked very put together, as she had been looking for the past week or so. Kenneth smiled as Emily entered into the office. Her curled blonde hair gently bouncing on her shoulders with her steps.

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