Chan was once more in his hearse driving down the city streets at night. He had tried to put Garland to bed. But her fever had been up and she'd had a seizure. So she hadn't been sleeping well. Just when he thought she was finally out like a light she was back up again. Hed had actually been heading out for a walk when she'd insisted on going with him. But as sleepy as she was and not feeling well he knew she didn't need to be walking and he sure as hell hadn't felt like carrying her. He'd just assumed they had stayed home. But she insisted. As much as he tried to tell himself otherwise the little human girl had the vampire wrapped around her little finger. So it was back in the hearse for a drive around town.<br/><br/>He drove with one hand, his other out the open window of the driver's side with a cigarette in it. He brought the cigarette to his lips and took a puff. Garland crinkled her nose. She was sleepily sitting in the middle, leaning up against him as he drove.<br/><br/>He snorted.<span style="color: #FDF5E6">"Don't even <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">think</span></span> of telling me these things'll kill me."</span><br/><br/>Garland crinkled her nose again as he took another puff.<span style="color: #7DF9FF">"Those things'll kill <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">me</span></span>."</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #FDF5E6">"You're going to die anyway."</span>He said it as nonchalantly as possible. She gave him a look, but she could hear the hurt in his voice. Why didn't he just change her she wondered. He could do it. But he never did. She'd asked him to several times over but he'd always refused her. He'd never told her why. If he cared so much why not just give her eternal life and make her better? Why keep her sick and watch her die slowly?<br/><br/>She weaseled her arm under his driving arm. Her little fingers toyed with the charm hanging from his choker. She wondered what being a vampire was like. Could he change into a bat like in the movies? He said he couldn't, but she wasn't so sure. Maybe he just said that so she wouldn't be so scared. She clutched a plush vampire doll to her chest with her other arm.<br/><br/>She gasped and squealed as Chan suddenly slammed on the breaks in the middle of the street. Luckily nobody was behind him. She glared at him angrily, now fully awake. She punched him in the arm.<span style="color: #7DF9FF">"What the hell did you do that for?"</span>She crossed her arms over her chest, doll in hand, as she waited for an answer.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FDF5E6">"Sh."</span>He silenced her quickly as he put his hand up. She looked at him curiously. But something was wrong, very wrong. The scent of freshly spilled vampire blood came through his open window. But that wasn't all. He could also smell the blood of an innocent, a human child. Something was very wrong & he didn't like it. He should leave this alone. He shouldn't get involved with any more humans.<span style="font-style: italic">But what if it had been Garland</span>, his mind screamed at him. Damn it. Spending too much time with humans had given him somewhat of a conscience he didn't want.<br/><br/>He backed the hearse up, did an illegal u-turn, and pulled it off the road between two buildings. He kept it running but put it in park and got out. He leaned in through the window.<span style="color: #FDF5E6">"Ten minutes. Then go."</span><br/><br/>Garland wanted to say something. She wanted to ask him what was going on. She could tell something was wrong. Her heart caught in her chest at his words. She wanted to get out and cling to him, to tell him no to go and to just stay with her. But she knew that if he was leaving her then there was something wrong.<br/><br/>As he walked away she crawled into the driver's seat and rolled up the window and locked the doors. Both her tiny hands gripped the steering wheel. She couldn't even reach the pedals. But she knew what to do. If Chan wasn't back to the hearse in ten minutes then he was probably dead. She'd have to gun it and mow down whatever stood in her way until she felt safe. She'd driven before, but only sitting on his lap. She hoped she wouldn't have to do it for real.<br/><br/>Chan could hear the window go up and the doors lock as he walked away. He brought the cigarette up to his lips and took his last draw off of it. Then he pulled out a pack with a lighter in it and lit another one. He let it dangle from his lips as he put the pack away and followed the scent. It didn't take him long to find it. Coming out of an alleyway was a girl and a young child. From the scents alone he could tell the child was human and injured. The girl was half-breed. Lovely. The scent of a dead vampire came from the alley behind them.<br/><br/>He stopped. He should let the girl kill the child. He already had one human child to deal with. He didn't want to take on another. But he could almost hear Garland's voice inside his head pleading for him to help the boy. Damn girl. He stood in the half-breed's path.<span style="color: #FDF5E6">"Looks like you're not going anywhere else."</span>He spoke with the cigarette still dangling from his lips. He took a long draw and let the smoke escape from his nose like a dragon as he held the cigarette at his side between his pointer and middle fingers of his right hand.<span style="color: #FDF5E6">"Hand over the boy and no one gets hurt."</span>He knew she should be able to tell he wasn't human. But with his tainted blood could she be able to tell he was pure-blood or even a vampire for that matter? He was sure he would soon find out.