Veronica stood on the bow of the ship Majesty, her red tinted eyes watching the coastline as it drew closer little by little.  They would be in Paris by nightfall.  It was the time of day that she enjoyed the most.  Though she could tolerate the sunshine thanks to the human blood that ran through her half human veins, she never felt quite as strong as she did at night when the suns rays didn’t weaken her.  It was the same when she went without blood of some kind for an extended period of time and sustained herself on a diet of human food.<br/><br/>It had been nearly 5 years since she had last been to Paris, the place of her birth and the place where she had grown up the first 13 years of her life with her mother mademoiselle Debusy.  Then in the blink of an eye her life had changed.  Her mother had been raped and murdered by thugs that had accosted her in the street.  That had been the first night she had tasted human blood.  It had been irresistible in the haze not to give into the vampire part of her.  Her mother had told her to go knowing that she wouldn't be safe to stay in paris anymore.  So Veronica had fled form her home and travelled abroad spending time in London and then going to America, Veronica shifted uncomfortably as the old painful memories of her last night in Paris threatened to resurface and was grateful when a she felt a tug on the sleeve of her violet dress.<br/><br/>“Mademoiselle, the gentlemen in the black cloak with blond hair has asked me to coney his wishes that you join him for a drink.” a man dressed in a sailors outfit.  Veronica had made it a point of not getting too familiar with anyone despite the time she had spent on this ship.  Being familiar with other was a dangerous thing especially since she didn’t know if the next person she talked to was a Templar who would be more than happy to slaughter a half vampire if they got the chance.<br/><br/>She flashed the sailor a dazzling smile.  “A drink you say,” she laughed darkly at her own humor.  It was doubtful that she and the man had the same idea when it came to drinks.  “I don’t think that would be a good idea, but tell him thanks for the offer...”<br/><br/>She was cutoff mid sentence as a man who matched the description the sailor had given her approached.  He placed a hand on the sailors back,  “Thank you, my good man,” the blond haired gentlemen said handing the man a sack that presumably was filled with a number of coins.  “I’ll take it from here, my compliments.<br/><br/>“Of course Mister Worthington, thank you kind for your generosity,” the sailor said as he tucked the bag of money into his coat and wandered down the deck toward whistling a tuneless melody as he went.<br/><br/>Neither of them paid much attention to the man as strolled away.  Veronica was studying the blonde man before her and it seemed that he was doing the same.  He was a handsome man with blue eye, an American from the sounds of his voice.  From the slight bulge beneath his coat she would say that he was armed and she immediately grew distrustful of the man.<br/><br/>He watched Veronica as though waiting for her to break the silence.  When it became clear that she wouldn’t he decided to get the ball rolling.  “You’re a tremendously difficult woman to track down Miss Luana,” Worthington said smiling a confident American grin.  “I’ve been looking for you for a long time but you always seem to be a few steps ahead of me.  “I just missed you in Boston.”<br/><br/>Veronica maintained her composure though it would have been in her nature to hiss.  She didn’t like people following her, though she knew that she was on many hit lists on both sides.  “You seem to have me at a bit of a disadvantage Mister Worthington,” Veronica said cooly, but politely.  “You know who I am, but I don’t have any idea who you are.”<br/><br/>“Ah, forgive me where are my manners?” Worthington asked himself looking genuinely apologetic.  “My name is Edmond Worthington, and I am a member of an organization that is interested in recruiting you for your unique talents”  He smiled her apparently expecting his words to flatter.<br/><br/>They had the opposite effect as Veronica’s brow knitted together and she shifted her position subtly  ready to fight if it came that.  “What the hell do you know about me?” she asked in a low voice that only he would be able to hear.  She absolutely hated being at a disadvantage like this not know if this Edmond was friend or foe.  As a pessimist she always assumed the worst of others.  “Which organization do you work for?  The Templar’s, the Illuminati?”  With a sniff of the air she verified that he was human and more than likely one of the two.<br/><br/>“All in good time my good woman,” Edmond replied as though he hadn’t noticed any change in her posture or attitude.  He was still smiling a friendly smile.  “All you need to know at the moment is that I don’t mean you any harm.”  He turned and walked to the rail and leaned our looking into the bay.  “We’ve been watching you for a very long time young one,” he said not looking at her.  “We know the kind of life you live... a part of both worlds natural and supernatural yet welcome in neither.  You put on a good show of it in the human world though, but your always careful not to get to close to anyone.  Despite your other half you resist the urge to kill humans, though you do make exception’s from time to time killing particularly vile humans who only prey on the weak powerless.  The organization that I represent could use a woman like you.  Give you a place to belong....”<br/><br/>“Not interested,” Veronica said almost immediately.  It was a habit and nothing that he had said.  She didn’t join causes, never had.<br/><br/>“I thought you might say that,” Edmund said a smile twisting at his lips.  “Though I’m sure I can convince you to change your mind.  Our intelligence gathering is one of the best in the world.”  He turned to look at the half vampire half human hybrid.  “We know you are looking for your father, we can help you with that search if you let us......”