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Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

Cosima stepped out into the fresh brisk air, inhaling the new and unfamiliar scents. The sounds of cars and people filled her ears, while she walked down the street. She took her suitcase out of the back of the cab, paid, and turned around to face the busy sidewalk. The smell of cigarettes filled her nostrils as she manoeuvred between the people, her suitcase following close behind. A multitude of people walked by, everyone with a different story. Cosima had always found the differences in people fascinating. To think that no one is alike, yet people seem so similar. At least she knew most people didn’t have her story…or DNA.

Cosima moved up the few steps to her temporary stay, one of many hotels, and pushed through the doors. The harmonious sounds of the outside world subsided after the doors closed behind her, leaving Cosima suddenly feeling alone and small. The tall ceilings of the marble lobby are looming over her. A large antique lamp hanging from the ceiling, which would surely kill some people if it ever came down unannounced. Gold and white was vibrating off the walls. A very clean space with not much décor, only the occasional plant or trash can. One could think that it would make guests feel unwanted if it wasn’t for the woman standing behind the desk with a warm smile. She had brown, straight her and looked to be in her forties.

The receptionist regards Cosima with a practiced welcoming smile. “Bonjour!” the woman behind the large desk greets her. Cosima walks a bit closer and gives a weak smile. “Bonjour, I am… je m’appelle Cosima,” the brunette is trying to find the words, but she can’t help it. French never really stuck with her throughout high school. Luckily the woman smiles warmly and answers with a French accent. “Ahh, welcome Cosima, you got a room booked?” Cosima nods and the two women finish up the required information before the key is handed over to Cosima.

Climbing up the last flight of stairs, Cosima exhales a large sigh. When she opens the door to her room, she gazes upon her sights. It is a large room with its own bathroom and a twin sized bed to the left. There are two paintings on the walls, one giving a view of the streets of Paris, and the other that of a fruit basket. On the right side is a huge window with a little desk under it and a few papers are neatly placed on top of it.

She lunges for the bed, finally giving in to her tired limbs. She dozes off for a while, dreaming about sweet nothingness. When she wakes up again, drooling slightly and glasses askew, she fishes for her phone to inspect the time. She is happy, she is alone, she feels independent.

After her hunt for a Ph.D ended, Cosima was dying of the need to find rest. She found a flight to a faraway destination and ended up right where she was right now. Her busy life of trying to require a Ph.D, surviving while being hunted and feeding on time, left her tired and broken at home. Coming to Paris was an escape from her life, nothing more, nothing less. It was not an heroic act of self-discovery or adventure-thirst. She was just tired and wanted to go somewhere to get drunk, experience new things and find out the hype about Paris. Soon enough she would have to go back to her old life and study her ass off again for a whole new year. Oh and survive her life as a vampire, while dodging bullets and spears.
While Cosima unpacked her bags, she consistently ignored the texts she was getting from her sisters. She was in no mood for their vampire crap and boyfriend trouble while she was away. Her sisters she loved dearly, but sometimes they did not understand that Cosima needed some alone time. A time to focus on herself.

--

The sun had gone down when Cosima stepped out again from the majestic lobby. She inhaled the cigarette scent again, but wasn’t bothered by it. How could she be if she was prone to the narcotics herself. She walked around for an unknown time, before she heared some music nearby and went to check it out. It came from a little bar in some forgotten street. However, it seemed busy with people of all kinds of places. Cosima drew closer and observed the smokers outside. They were decent, but their ties were fashionably loose and they wore sneakers. They all seemed familiar to Cosima, they reminded her of the boys at her university. Obeying to the rules of clothing wear, but not entirely. Cosima was so close by now that she smelled the mixture of sweat and male perfume. A strong scent that filled her nostrils instantly and made her scrunch up her nose a bit.

A chuckle came from the side and Cosima swivelled her head around. A tall woman was leaning against the wall. Cigarette in between her lips, golden curls casading down her face. She took the cigarette away with her slender fingers after a long drag, threw it on the ground and stepped on it. The light from the streets illuminated her beautifully and it was like the angels themselves were shining a light on this mysterious woman. She had looked away from Cosima after their eyes had met, Cosima had noticed the hazel eyes and freckles instantly. The mysterious blonde pushed off and walked inside.

Cosima was intrigued and had totally forgotten about the boys. She had stalked closer to the entrance without even realising it. The woman she just saw was alluring, the face unforgettable with those hazel eyes.

The door was closed and Cosima pushed it open. The soft music she heard before, intensified to a vibrating base. It was an electronic type of music with a deep base, no lyrics. Cosima hung her jacket away and walked further into the dense crowd. She was too sober for this kind of intimacy with strangers and went straight for the bar. It was a struggle, but she finally made it. She waited patiently at first, but after a few minutes she grew aggravated. Again, she was way too sober and sane for this type of clubbing. Most of the time she just got high with her friend Scott and his buddies. Safely in one of their dorm rooms, occasionally playing one of many sci-fi games. She was missing that right now, but she was not going to let that envelop her whatsoever.

She stood a bit taller and finally was able to flag down a bartender when a wave of gold and a scent of deep sweetness engulfed her senses. Before she knew it the bartender forgot about Cosima and was busy serving the new person standing right before Cosima. Exasperated, Cosima wanted to call it a night, but she hadn’t moved yet and a drink was pushed into her hands. “Bonjour, je m’appelle Delphine.” Cosima had not even registered the drink, let alone the blonde smoker from outside.

Cosima opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to dig deep for her French. However, she couldn’t come up with anything and answered with only her name in an American accent. The blonde smiled warmly and changed her pace. Her next question being in English. “Bonjour Cosima, what are you doing in Paris?” Cosima almost didn’t register the question, being too distracted by the sensual accent of the French girl. Finally being close enough to observe the face she had seen earlier. Beautiful hazel doe eyes with a fatalistic smokey eye make-up. Her nose a perfect shape and her lips… god her lips were full and were coming up in a smirk… a smirk?!

She snapped out of her drooling and tried to answer accordingly. “Hey, hi, uhh I’m just here on holiday, I had a brutal year which I barely survived and I’m secretly trying to escape my hometown,” Cosima was content with her answer and sipped from her drink. She didn't lie about barely surviving it, she had been cut, stabbed and injured all year long. However, she gave away too little for any specific questions, but still kept the conversation open enough for the blonde.

“Ahh, a visitor, welcome I just got back from my escape trip. I’m studying Immunology you see, in America actually. The year is over and I had no excuses left to stay away from my home so here I am.” She gives a weak smile with a hint of sadness. Cosima is intrigued and wishes she would elaborate on why the girl was so adamant of staying away from a place like Paris. However, the blond fully turned to Cosima and took out her hand for Cosima to grab. Without second thought, Cosima accepted it and she was very aware of the burning sensation. She wondered if the blonde felt it too.

Probably not.

They went into easy banter about their home towns and the thumping music subsided in Cosima’s ears, her only focus being the tall blonde right in front of her.
But the delightful night came to an abrupt ending, at least for Cosima. She felt in her stomach a deep craving. Due to the flight and jetlag she had totally forgotten about herself, the reason why she had run away from home. Cosima’s mind went miles ahead of her and she couldn’t focus on anything the blonde was saying. She only started to have eyes for that beautiful milky skin. At that note, Cosima knew she had to get out of there.

Usually she is in control of her emotions and cravings, but that is when she is safely in her home, with a shit load of precautionary blood. Yes, blood, the velvet red substance that within its substance holds the elixir of life for every breathing organism. The bittersweet that is strong and vital when protected, but when it flows freely it will surely cause death.

And thus, Cosima had sworn to never really kill a person unless that person had done dreadful deeds. The blonde didn’t seem like a bad person. However, Cosima couldn’t ignore the thumping of the woman’s blood. At first it seemed to come from the music, but Cosima soon learned that her yearnings were getting the best of her.

Her sisters had warned her for this, every vampire that finds itself far away from the home base has an increased need for blood. It has something to do with the family bond or something, Cosima thought.

While Cosima contemplated all of these thoughts, Delphine started to notice the brunette being miles away from their current conversation. Delphine nudged the brunette and asked if she was okay. But the nudging only meant for Cosima to jump away. The blood of Delphine being too close to her spidey… well… vampire senses, which would surely be dangerous for the other woman.

Delphine looked a bit dumbfounded at Cosima. “Hey, I’m sorry, but I have to go home. It is getting late and I’m still having a jetlagged sleep schedule. It was really nice meeting you and who knows, maybe I’ll see you again.” Cosima tried to pay for the drinks, but found that they had already been accounted for.
Delphine put her hand on Cosima’s, resulting in Cosima heating up right on the spot. “The drinks are on me, see it as a gift,” Delphine spoke. Cosima had to forcefully put her mind at ease as to not attack the blonde right at the spot.

A quick thank you and Cosima was pushing herself through the people again. The thumping of the music just barely louder than the thumping of people’s pulses. The iron smell mixed with sweat filling her nostrils. She feels her two teeth becoming more prominent and sharp, luckily she is almost at the door.

But then a hand grasps her arm and she is yanked away from the door forcefully. It’s a 6 and a half foot man holding her by the arm, speaking in French with a slur. He is clearly drunk and unhappy, but Cosima can’t figure out why due to the linguistic bridge.

She tries to get out of the grasp of the tall guy, but his hand is like a spiderweb. The more she fights it, the more she gets tangled up in his strong hands. She really doesn’t want to use her supernatural strength on the guy, she likes to reserve that and keep it out of sight. The man steps closer and his beer-like smell makes Cosima’s eyes water. The racing heartbeat of the man doesn’t make it easy for Cosima to not just pin him down and savour him. However, she is a trained pro and can reign herself in. Instead she uses a bit of her strength to free herself and turns on her heels to walk away.

She doesn’t come far though, she gets an enormous force right on her back and she is send to the floor. Her hands feel the sticky ground and a piece of glass is sunk into her hand, her blood slowly drippling out. She feels her eyes burn with anger, a different burn than crying. A burn that she knows makes her eyes go searing red. She knows that if she were to face the man right now, he will probably die…mercilessly. She scrambles up and turns around, only to be faced with a sight she did not expect.

Delphine is holding the man with his arm twisted at his back, pushing his face down on a table and whispering things in his ear. The man tries to break free, but the hold Delphine has is as solid as gold. Cosima can’t lie, the sight of the perfectly shaped blonde holding down a man like that is quite magnificent. Delphine whispers one last thing and the man stops his petty shenanigans. She lets him go, and the man wipes away at his mouth, briskly walking away.

Cosima is still enchanted by the tall woman and doesn’t process what Delphine is saying.

“Are you okay? Let me look at your hand,” She coos. And without hesitation she grasps the vampire’s wounded hand. Cosima lets her for a second, before realising that she should definitely not let this beautiful woman see her healing capabilities. “Oh, it’s nothing, just a small cut, I have seen worse,” god why did she say that. The blonde looks at her puzzled and seems to contemplate if she should ask more, but Cosima is already backing up to the door. “Hey, but, thank you, that was really heroic of you. I have never seen a man crumble down like that,” Cosima says. Delphine chuckles and mutters something undecipherable under her breath.

Delphine looks at the ground and back at Cosima, intently digging for something, but Cosima is unsure of what exactly. De blonde’s face seems to be crafted by the best of gods, a perfect balance between delicate and refined. Her hazel eyes boring into Cosima’s in search for answers to upspoken questions.

“It is nothing Cosima, don’t worry about it,” Delphine follows Cosima out the door and they are met with a beautiful full moon. Even though it is summer, the night is breezy and brisk. “Well, really I want to thank you again,” Cosima suddenly feels awkward, unsure of what her next move is going to be. She really would like to stay, but she knows she needs to feed.

“Well, maybe we will meet again at some point, Delphine,” Cosima starts, “I had a fun time with you and thanks that I could get to know you. You’re a really interesting person and I would love to stay in touch. Could we maybe swap numbers?” It was not the best pick up line Cosima ever used, but who cares. Delphine smiles coyly and takes out her phone for Cosima to fill out her number. The blonde takes it back and types something on it.

Ding comes from Cosima’s phone and she checks it to see it is Delphine. “Now you have my number, too.” A sly grin forms on Delphine’s face but she quickly regains her posture. She gives a wave and then moves towards Cosima, giving her a kiss on each side of her cheek. This act catches Cosima off guard, and she feels a blush forming. An awkward laugh resonates out and Cosima can’t help but feel her tortured teeth poking through. She closes her mouth quickly, but Delphine didn’t seem to notice.

“Well, bye for now,” Cosima gives a wave and slowly backs up. Delphine smiles and retorts, “Bye Cosima, and maybe we will meet again,”

Cosima turns on her heels and walks away, hands deep in her pockets and her mind racing. She couldn’t focus and she had to feed. A lonely person on the street with blankets covered around him seems like a perfect match to her hunger, but she won’t allow herself. Instead she finds herself at a lonely dumpster, feeding on the lifeless body of a dog. ‘A dog which seemed sick and death already’, this thought makes it easier for Cosima to devour him. Unfortunately, it won’t be enough for long, but at least long enough to last her another day.

--

Delphine’s POV
With her back against the wall of a club she had never been in before, Delphine lights her third cigarette. She was given orders to go to her hometown. She hadn’t yet received her case, but she knew it was going to be an interesting one. The DYAD institute for Vampire Hunting do not quickly send their newbies out on a faraway hunt. Even though, Delphine was top of her class for practically every part of the Academy, she had not envisioned herself to go hunting this quickly. The order of business is mostly along the lines of Student-Researcher-Prodigy-Hunter. Right now, she had only just finished her courses and was the prodigy of Aldous Leekie. One of the most well-known hunters. He was the one who put her up with this task. Of course, she didn’t need a lot of persuasion, as a prodigy, one jumps at every possible task, accepting it with both hands.

Right now she arrived a day earlier than Leekie in Paris, her hometown. As a treat to herself she went to an old bar she used to go to when she was younger. Standing there, next to another group of smokers, brings back memories to her.

--

When she was 16 she used to sneak out of her old parent’s house and come to this little club with her friends. They would get drunk, enjoy and possibly get high. She had never expected to come back after she got the message.

One day she was doing her homework, when her mother called for her from downstairs. Finishing up her sentence, she let go of her pen and descended down the stairs. Her mother stood in the living room area, where an aging man was sitting on their sofa. She went to sit opposite to him and introduced herself.

The man gave a broad smile, “Hello Delphine, I am Aldous Leekie and I want to give you the offer of a lifetime,” he beamed. Delphine was puzzled and looked at her mom for approval or comfort, she wasn’t really sure. “I’m employed at DYAD and we are looking for fresh recruits. I came upon you while seeking people and I think you would make a perfect fit for the DYAD Academy. It is a pretentious school with great possibilities, but you will have to move to San Francisco with me and a bunch of other teenagers like yourself.” He took a sip from a cup Delphine’s mother probably prepared and continued. “I’m offering you a spot at this academy for you to train yourself in becoming the best version of yourself.” Delphine and her mother both silently watched, while the man continued his story about how well the academy would look on her resume, and that she would have a guaranteed job after she finished her school. He himself would make sure of that he promised.

“So Delphine what is it going to be?” He asked her. She had looked from the man to her mom and back again and answered that she would be honoured to be able to follow his program. She had barely finished and the man had gotten up. He gave her a folder with basic information and was out the door.

Her departure would be the next day.

--
That memory was from almost 8 years ago, when she still thought this club to be the highlight of her week. She had learned pretty quickly that the Academy was not just for regular academic skills, it also trained your mental and physical state to its maximum capacity. She had become a trained killer after she graduated top of her class and she knew she loved what she did. Killing the abominations of nature by hand gave her a fulfilling feeling, like she was making the world a better and safer place.

She was happy that she was finally deported into the field and couldn’t wait for the entire file to be handed over to her. At that thought she felt her phone vibrating and took it out. A file had been send to her by Dr. Leekie and she knew the moment was finally there. She clicked on it and the file opened.

She examined the pages, learning she was assigned to a certain target named ‘Cosima Niehaus’. A girl in her mid-twenties, who usually resides in San Francisco, but left in a haste for Paris. Delphine is assigned to keep tabs on her, not kill her. Delphine scrolled a bit further down and came across the pictures of the woman. A cheeky smile plastered on a pretty face. Large, black glasses that perfectly fit her face. Another picture showed the girl walking down the street, it was a pixeled picture, but Delphine could make out the girl. She was small and had a load of dreadlocks. The dreads perfectly adorned her face and Delphine was surprised to see someone pulling it off. She scrolled to the last picture, a photo of when she was a teenager. A large smile on her face, her arms stretched out showing two tattoos. It must have been taken by the tattoo shop self, due to all the equipment that adorned the picture. The girl looked happy in the picture.

She was still standing with her back against the building, cigarette in hand, when her eyes caught a shadow lurking in the dark. A small person was closing in and Delphine was temporarily frozen. The girl she just had been studying on her phone, stood a few meters away from her. She couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. The coincidence. She averted her gaze and threw away her cigarette.

Hoping that the brunette would follow, Delphine went inside. Sure enough, a moment later an ocean of dreads came through the door. Delphine had hidden somewhere to the side of the club. She observed the girl pushing through people heading straight for the bar. When she finally made it, she tried to flag down a bartender, but with her petite form it was a challenging task. Delphine snickered and walked over.

She flagged down the bartender and ordered two beers. She turned around and pushed one in the girls hands, who only looked dumbfounded at the blonde. Delphine gave a shy smile and she noticed that Cosima was eying her.

They introduced each other and fell into easy conversation about their lives. Sharing petty stories and made-up scenarios, at least Delphine was lying. And she knew the brunette was keeping a part of her life hidden as well.

However, all of a sudden the demeanour of Cosima changed. Delphine was trained to look for small details and she noticed the eyes of the vampire changing a bit of colour, becoming a more intense shade of brown. She also noticed the girl before her starting to fidget and her eyes darted to all parts of the club except to Delphine’s eyes. The hunter knew she was in a more dangerous position right now, because the petite vampire before her was getting hungry.

“Hey, I’m sorry, but I have to go home. It is getting late and I’m still having a jetlagged sleep schedule. It was really nice meeting you and who knows, maybe I’ll see you again,” Cosima starts and she fishes for her wallet. Before Delphine realises, she puts her hand on the other woman’s hand and explains to her that she already paid. She feels a tingling sensation coming from her hand and quickly retracts it.

The brunette was up and gone in a hurry and Delphine had to search for a minute before she could find the dreads again. She seemed to be in a quarrel with a large man who looked heated. Delphine slowly got up and started to walk to the event. More people had noticed the shouting man and confused girl standing near the entrance and slowly there was forming a circle around the two. Cosima didn’t seem to notice the commotion she was causing, she was staring intently at the man. Delphine noticed the set jaw of Cosima and knew that if the man continued this could end ugly. Cosima escaped from the arms and turned towards the door, which caused the man to angrily push her to the floor. At this point Delphine flew in to deal with the man, twisting his arm and pushing him down.

“I swear on the life of your grandma that I will destroy you in a millisecond if you continue to go after that girl again,” she whispered in French. “Do you feel that thing pushing in your back? That is a six inch Arkansas toothpick, a heavy dagger that has just been sharpened. Right now I’m pointing it at your right lung in between your ribs, if I slice through your flesh you will die either from blood loss or a punctured lung.” Delphine twisted his arm a little more and he winced in pain. “I’m giving you the choice to walk away right now and you won’t get hurt,” Delphine waited patiently and the man stopped struggling. She noted this to be his defeat and she let him go. He walked away sternly.

Delphine walked over to inspect the cut on Cosima’s hand, not to be tentative, but to make sure Cosima was truly a vampire. A person would not notice the fast healing Cosima was already showing, mutated white blood cells quickly trying to heal the wound. However, Delphine was trained in noticing the small details and she knew the healing was not that of a normal person. Cosima pulled her hand back and tried to reassure Delphine that it was nothing. She even hinted she had had worse and Delphine was sure the vampire demon had had worse, especially if she hadn’t been killed yet. DYAD and possibly other organisations have a big fat target on her back. The fact that Cosima is needed alive is still puzzling to Delphine, she makes a mental note for herself to ask Dr. Leekie about it.

“Wow, thanks dude, what did you say to him to calm him down?” Cosima asks Delphine. Delphine tries to wave it off, “Oh, nothing, just that he had to walk away.” Cosima doesn’t push any further, it seems like she just realised something and she is trying to run away from Delphine again. “Hey, but, thank you, that was really heroic of you. I have never seen a man crumble down like that,” Cosima tells Delphine. “Hopefully you will too,” Delphine let out the thought aloud, luckily Cosima didn’t seem to have heard it. Cosima licked her lips and this action caught Delphine’s eye, unknowingly she licked her own lips too.

Delphine and Cosima exchange numbers and Delphine knows that this act of seemingly friendliness can play out well for her. It is easier for Delphine to keep tabs on Cosima when she can track her phone. She can’t help but smile a sly grin, but she catches herself.

“Well, bye for now,” Cosima gives a wave and slowly backs up. Delphine smiles and retorts, “Bye Cosima, and maybe we will meet again,”
Delphine knows they will meet again, but maybe one of them won’t see the other. She had found out that Cosima was going to stay for another six days, engulfing herself into the beauties of Paris, before she had to go back to San Francisco. Delphine didn’t know how this story was going to unfold, but she knew that the vampire was special to DYAD.

Chapter Text

Delphine’s POV

Delphine had been wide awake since 6 a.m. scanning through the few pages of Cosima’s file. She tried to memorize as much as possible to understand the mind of Cosima. By now she had learned Cosima was born and raised in San Francisco. She had multiple sisters and a step brother, but the family seemed to keep to their selves. There wasn’t much information on her family dynamic. Cosima had a Ph.D in Evolutionary Development and loved experimental biology. She is 5 foot 4 and had a need for Eskimo Pies… Delphine had learned that after scanning 4 other pictures in which she was devouring them like a psychopath.

She had an appointment later that day with Dr. Leekie to go over the specifics of the case. She was intrigued by the girl and she really wanted this to succeed. For now it seemed not a hard task to just “keep tabs” on the girl.

Delphine took a cigarette out and walked over to her balcony. She was looking out over the river the Seine and in the distance she could see the silhouette of the Eiffel tower. She took a long drag of her cigarette and replayed the night before, to study Cosima objectively she told herself. The woman had seemed relaxed and tender, almost constantly smiling warmly and laughing at the appropriate times. It didn’t seem like Cosima was feigning interest and Delphine thought that to be a good thing. Maybe she could get close to her in order to keep closer tabs and deliver more detailed information. The idea of becoming friends with the brunette made her smile, which she quickly wiped away after she noticed.

She would have to wait until the meeting with Dr. Leekie though, he will probably instruct her further and provide richer information than the 6 pages she’d just read.

She put her cigarette out, flicking it off her balcony and went inside again, grabbing her coat on the way. She was heading out, going for a coffee and then meeting up with Leekie.

--

Delphine was sitting in Dr. Leekie’s temporary office, waiting patiently for her Master. The office was placed in a divine building, granting a beautiful view of the Arc de Triomphe. The statue standing tall in all its glory, Delphine had never seen it from this point of view and was intrigued. The room seemed shallow and hollow, which is characteristic for a temporary stay. Just some bookcases and a desk in the middle of the room. She couldn’t help but notice the little plants on the desks though. They seemed fresh and alive (something Delphine never was able to do).

The door behind her opened and Dr. Leekie entered the room. He looked polished in his black suit and golden watch, tie neatly tied around his neck. He gave her a broad smile and went to sit opposite of her, behind his desk.

“Welcome Delphine, did you have a pleasant flight?” He said, breaking the silence. She nodded. “Oui, very pleasant. I studied Cosima’s file yesterday and you won’t believe what happened …” she began, but was interrupted by Aldous. “Ah, right back to work I see, you are an aspiring one. Well please, enlighten me on your story,” He clasped his hands on his desk and waited for Delphine to continue.

She hesitated. “Well, I was outside a club reading about Cosima in the file you send me, when she showed up right before me. I went inside the club, hoping she would follow and she did. I knew I had to keep tabs on her so I went over to her and started a conversation about why she was in Paris. We talked for the majority of the night, she was sharing tenderly about her life, when suddenly her attitude changed and she bolted out,” Delphine paused for a second to catch her breath. “Next thing I know, I find her in an argument with a large man and I knew it was going to be a dangerous event if I didn’t step in, her eyes were starting to become intense. I calmed the man down, so to say, and he left. Afterwards she thanked me and we exchanged numbers, I think I can hack it. Which means I can track her phone. She will stay for another six days before she is heading back to San Francisco.” Delphine finished her story and waited in anticipation for Aldous’ response.

“You have talked to the target?” The question catches Delphine off-guard and she tries to form a coherent response. However, she herself doesn’t really know why she went over to talk to the vampire, it was an instinct. Maybe it was fascination, for she had never truly seen a vampire in the wild. It was interesting to see how they behaved among people. She had found Cosima to be an animated talker and it was adorable to see that she adorned every one of her stories with flailing hands. She seemed pretty human, but Delphine knew better.

“Yes, sir. I have had a conversation with her in order to understand more about her and find out how her mind works. I have learned a lot about her behaviour by observing it at a close proximity,” content with her answer, Delphine relaxes a bit more in her seat. Dr. Leekie looks at her with a glint in his eyes like he just had some crazy epiphany.

His smiles widens a bit before he speaks. “That’s great thinking of you Delphine. I need you to keep it up and become … acquainted with her,” he leans back in his chair looking pleased. “Try to run into her again and find out as much as you can about her. I want a report after every encounter and try to pry about her family life.
As you might have noticed, we don’t have a lot of information about that,” he finished. Delphine nodded and took out her phone to use the special gadgets for hacking phones.

It took her no more than 3 minutes, while continuing to inform Aldous more about her encounter, to hack Cosima’s phone.
It was near 2 P.M. and the dot on Delphine’s phone was moving up the stairs towards the Sacré-Coeur, indicating Cosima was sight-seeing right at this instant.

--

Delphine was wearing sunglasses and navigating between people to walk up the stairs towards the Sacré-Coeur. The beeping dot indicated the whereabouts of Cosima Niehaus and Delphine checked every other second where it was. It had stalled for about 3 minutes now inside the Sacré-Coeur. Delphine excused herself, while continuing on her war path to get to the top. Once she finally made it, she let out a big sigh. What was her next move going to be?

The first time ever she went to the Sacré-Coeur, was when she was 7 years old. Her father had held her hand all the while they walked up the stairs. He never let go, not even when they went inside of the basilica. Delphine had looked in awe when she first set foot inside and her father had looked content at that. He picked her up, while walking towards the middle, giving her a view of the high ceiling and painting of Jesus Christ. He twirled her around for a bit before continuing to walk closer to the stained glasses. It portrayed numerous stories of the bible and Delphine remembers she was watching it like a movie. Every picture holding a different story, but they all flow in each other. They walked for hours Delphine thought, but she didn’t get bored at all. There was just so much to see.

Eventually they made it to the candles and they lit one for all the forgotten people that deserved to be honoured.

Delphine shook away the memory and stepped inside, without a plan. It didn’t take her long to find the girl with the dreadlocks sitting on one of the benches, looking up at the painting of Jesus. Delphine took in the smell of cold stone and mustered some confidence to continue walking. She closed in, 6 foot… 4 foot… 2 foot… and she was standing in the middle aisle just a foot removed from the brunette. Delphine felt nervous all of a sudden and the thought of bailing crossed her mind, but she pushed it out and tapped the girl on her shoulder.

Big brown eyes meet her hazel ones and a big smile starts to adorn the face of the brunette. “Hey!” she exclaims, which causes a few people to turn their heads and Delphine has to hold in a giggle. “Oh, hey, what a coincidence,” Cosima whispers. She scoots over for Delphine to sit down, too. Delphine happily sits down beside the girl and she notices the cat-like make-up. It is very pretty on her and Delphine studies the girl a bit more. She is wearing a thick red coat, her dreads tied up and many rings on her fingers, it suits her.

“How are you finding le Sarcé-Coeur?” Delphine tries to start conversation after a while. Cosima looks around for a bit before she answers that question. “The walk up just showed me the most magnificent view of Paris and I really needed to take a breath up there to take it all in. When I stepped foot inside here it just was immense.

Inside it is so much bigger and taller than I could ever imagine and I’m just amazed by all the art. It really gives me a certain feeling I can’t describe. I guess I feel like I’m experiencing a full history with all the stained glass works and I wasn’t even present back then,” she snickered a bit at that. “I’m just a bit overwhelmed I guess, but how about you? This must be pretty amazing to have in your home town,” she looked at Delphine expectantly.

Delphine looked away from her towards the large ceiling and thought for a minute. “I think I will never get used to the tallness of this building,” and Cosima snorted at that. Again a few heads turned their way and they both looked apologetically. “Can I take you away to Place du Tetre? We can talk more there and enjoy a bit of fresh air. Plus, it is really close,” Delphine started to stand up and Cosima followed suit.

--

They had been silently watching all the artists around and Delphine could sense Cosima was shocked at all the great artists. There was one man drawing a realistic portrait of a little girl, holding her teddy bear. Another man was using dot-technique to create the illusion of a realistic painting of an elderly woman. A man to the right of them was drawing funny caricatures and he was really good in his job. Delphine heard occasional giggles coming from that side, suggesting that the drawings were hilarious. She never really liked them though.

The blonde took out a cigarette and offered one to Cosima, who politely declined. They sat in comfortable silence a bit, before Cosima broke it. “So, what do you think of Paris?” and she took a sip from her tea. Delphine contemplated this question a bit, having to choose between the truth or a lie. She ended up telling the truth.

“I think it is the most magnificent city I’ve ever been in. Though, I am a bit biased of course,” Delphine took a sip from her coffee. “I just believe the wonders really do come true, people mostly depart with a sinking feeling in their stomach. I know I always miss to be here, but I also never want to stay for long. I have lived here for a long time and it was time for me to explore the world. How about you Cosima, how are you finding Paris this far,” she finishes.

Cosima had been looking intently at her, occasionally sipping her drink. She opened her mouth to say, “Well, I am pretty in awe of everything. I don’t think I could ever get used to the marvels of this city. For example, right now we are sitting in a seemingly casual square, nothing special. However, the people from Paris make it special by going out and making a living off the streets. I mean I think I counted 13 artists standing out here right this moment. And the fact they are standing here, makes me believe they all earn a pretty good living off of it,” she waved around with her hands. An animated speaker is definitely an understatement for this cheeky girl.

“And last night, I went home and I saw the Eiffeltower suddenly flashing. I think I got transported to another universe right on the spot,” Delphine had to laugh at Cosima’s admiration. Delphine had gotten used to the marvels of Paris and had long forgotten about the feeling they used to give her. The girl in front of her made her remember it all again, even if it was just for a moment. She let the girl continue her exciting stories about Paris, while she studied Cosima. Trying to find a hint of vampire inside the girl, but she was really humanly. She must have come from a strong family to pull this off. Delphine started to notice that the girl in front of her had never really seen a lot of people. Her stories revolved a lot around all types of persons she had encountered while going on her trip.

“I’m sorry, I’m talking too much,” Cosima suddenly interrupted Delphine’s thinking. “Non, non, I really enjoy listening to you appreciating my city, it transports me back to when I first experienced it all,” Delphine tries to reassure the brunette. She still gives an apologetic smile.

“Well, how did it feel for you the first time you experienced Paris?” the cheeky girl asks. Again, Delphine is torn between telling the truth or a lie. A pull in her stomach says she can’t do any harm in confiding in this girl, but she knows she has to stay reasonable here.

“Ah, that’s such a long time ago. I think I felt quite the same things that you are feeling right now. Everything is big and enormous, but you still feel like the city knows that you are present and it wants to take care of you,” Delphine settles on telling the truth again. “Like, I remember when I was young I got lost around the city for a bit, I was quite young and ignorant still. I walked around, but I never felt unsafe or truly lost, I just knew I was going to get home safe and because of that knowledge I got to explore some unknown parts of Paris,” Delphine takes another sip from her cup, the brew getting mildly cold. “Maybe I can show you some parts, if you want, in the following days?” Delphine is trying to push her luck and it pays off.

The cheeky girl beams at Delphine. “I would love that!” she exclaims.

--

It had been hours, but the two hadn’t moved from their spot in the middle of the square. It was nearing 6 P.M. and Delphine noticed again the girl’s attention getting shorter and weaker. It was time for the vampire to feed again.

Cosima’s POV

Cosima cracked open her eyes, sun rays creeping in through the curtains. She groaned and turned around for another snooze when she heard her phone blaring. Hoping to see Delphine’s name on the screen she bolted for her phone and picked up.

“Oi, geek, why haven’t you picked up your phone?!” the screaming from the other side of the phone hurt Cosima’s ears. She knew she had to speak to her bolder sibling eventually.

“We have been worried meatloaf, what if one of Castor’s vampires had taken you out… or worse, one of the DYAD hunters!” the screaming of the hot-tempered girl only intensifies. Cosima is sure she would have her head on a stake if she could touch Cosima right now.

“Mrs. S has been planning and organising things for us to be safe, and you decide to just bail and run away?” Finally the woman rails herself in a bit in order for Cosima to answer. “Where are you right now?”

Cosima looked around at her hotel room, taking in all her sights once again. The paintings on the wall that the more Cosima looked at them, the more gloomy they’d become.

“I’m in a hotel room, Sarah, don’t worry about me. Nobody knows I’m here and surely I will keep safe and watch my back,” she answered exasperated.

“I do not care you watch your back, you need someone to watch your front too! Now, tell me where you are, which city, which desert, explain, Kira is worried about her auntie Cosima,” Sarah said, conveniently playing in on the auntie-feelings of Cosima. Cosima sighed.

“I am in Paris…”

“You are in Paris?! Meathead, why are you miles away? You know we can’t protect you,” Sarah interjected, causing Cosima to let out a deep sigh again. Sarah didn’t see that the protecting-part was the reason for Cosima’s departure. The pressure of always feeling unsafe and watched really had taken a toll on Cosima and she just had to get out one night. Not for a day, but for longer. However, she knew that she couldn’t stay away forever, so she just booked a trip for a week to Paris. She hoped she could find some rest or calmness, she would be ready for the upcoming year if she found it.

“Yes Sarah, I’m in Paris, but just for another few days and I will be back soon. How’s Alison? And Fee?” Cosima tried to stir the conversation to another direction. The brunette on the other line sensed this and went along. “Alison is fine, well, as fine as she can be given the circumstances, and Felix knew you wouldn’t be doing something stupid,”

Alison had always been the most uptight of the three, she used to be a soccer mom with a stick up her ass. Now she is a fighter, but with a conscious, which can get in the way.

“She has been worried about you Cos, just like Mrs. S. and Kira. Are you okay?” The question came from an honest person, who was truly concerned. Cosima hesitated for a bit before she answered her sister. “Honestly? I don’t know. I just really had to get out of our home for a bit. Quite literally the walls were closing in on me. And not to forget, all the vampire killing and training. I had become anxious, nothing new, I just needed a change of pace. Right now I’m trying to find some rest, but I’ll be home soon,” Cosima says.

“Alright geek, but I want you to check in with me every night. Bye and keep safe, watch your back,” Sarah says. “Bye Sarah, tell Kira I will be home soon,” and Cosima hangs up the phone.

A weight settles in Cosima’s stomach after hearing her sister’s voice. She misses them, but she knows she needs to keep her emotions at bay for a bit.

--

Cosima had been sitting on the wooden bench of the Sacré-Coeur for nearly 10 minutes now, deeply in thought about her hometown, when a soft tap on the shoulders snapped her out of it. She looked up at the person standing beside her and a smile crept unbeknownst on her face. It was the mysterious blonde from the night before, the one who saved her from that guy (or well actually she saved him from Cosima). Her blonde curls were naturally falling besides her face and she smiled warmly at Cosima, causing Cosima’s stomach to flutter.

“Hey!” Cosima exclaims a little too loud and she earns a few angry looks from tourists. She looks at them apologetically and scoots over for Delphine to sit down. They silently sit together before the silence is broken by Delphine, who asks how she finds le Sacré-Coeur. Cosima enlightens Delphine on her views of the gorgeous building and the feeling she got when she first walked in. She left out every part of her contemplative thoughts that had captured her the second she went to sit down on the wooden bench, though. Delphine didn’t need to know everything about her, right now they were just acquainted strangers to one another.

--

Delphine had had the great idea to introduce Cosima to Place du Tetre. The second she set foot on the square, she had been in love. There were many creative people with easels neatly placed next to each other, all of them displaying pretty and diverse drawings.

Cosima and Delphine had found a spot in the middle of the square to sit and quickly they were served by a French waiter. Delphine spoke eloquently in French with the man and ordered for both of them. The sights around Cosima had captured her and for a second she forgot about her true life and just let Paris wash over her.

The two women had fallen into easy chatter and Cosima was actually enjoying watching the girl talk about her hometown. It was interesting to see that Delphine seemed so accustomed to all the highlights. Cosima could see a hint of melancholy ever when Delphine talked about her first experiences in meeting Paris.

“Do you live with your family in America?” Delphine asked. Cosima fidgeted in her seat, not knowing if she should talk to Delphine about her biological family or supernatural family.

“Yes, I live in quite a mansion if I’m being honest. Mrs. S., my guardian angle so to speak, takes care of me and my siblings,” Cosima said. It was her supernatural family she was talking about. It felt comfortable to talk about in the presence of the blonde.

“Have you got a close bond with any of them?” Delphine asked. Again, Cosima shuffled a bit in her seat, not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to get tangled up in her stories.

“Well, we shared a lot together so we kind of became inseparable by default. We love each other to death though, and Mrs. S. takes great care of us. Sometimes though…” Cosima hesitated if she should confide in the blonde woman, truly knowing her only for a day. However, the look the blonde is giving her, urges Cosima to go on.

Cosima looked intently into Delphine’s hazel eyes, the woman not faltering for a second, before she continued. “Sometimes it feels like they don’t understand we are not conjoined like Siamese twins. They expect me to just go along with their lives, but I really want to build a life on my own, too,” Cosima left it at that. She didn’t want to indulge Delphine any more on the subject.

“How is your family?” Cosima responded and she almost regretted asking when she saw the change in Delphine’s demeanour.

“My father died when I was younger, with him I experienced Paris for the first time. He showed me places and views of Paris I would never have found myself. However, when he died my mom spiralled into a depression. She and I don’t speak anymore right now, but I used to take care of her while I was a little girl,” Delphine hadn’t looked into the eyes of Cosima while she elaborated on her home situation. Cosima felt a ping of heart ache for the girl, she couldn’t imagine living without a steady environment, an environment you could be yourself in. Even though she needed the occasional holiday away from them, she loved them and was happy to call them her family. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for Delphine.

“Don’t worry, I’m truly fine with it. I have gained a lot of life experiences and it really put my life in perspective,” Delphine answered the apologetic eyes of Cosima.
The next conversations Cosima and Delphine had were of a lighter nature.

The time passed quick and with every hour Cosima noticed her hunger intensifying. God she was definitely not used to being this needy all the time. Right now she wanted to solely focus on the beautiful woman in front of her, talking about Paris or their histories, but she had to put an end to it.

Her watch read 7:17 P.M. and Cosima was becoming more intense aware of her surroundings.

To their left was sitting a young couple, supposedly new acquaintances of each other. She could hear the gentle pulse of the man and the more rapid beating heart of the woman. She was clearly into the man and the smell of her perfume couldn’t hide the anxious perspiration. Her red dress was contouring her body nicely and left that gorgeous neck on display, where Cosima could swear she could see her vein pumping. Only 3 feet it would take for the vampire to cross their distance and enjoy the sweet taste of blood. Cosima had to mentally force herself to stop looking at the woman.

But when she looked back to the sight in front of her it didn’t help. It was like she saw Delphine all over again, her pretty face and beautiful form, those lips.

Cosima unknowingly wet her lips in anticipation and she knew her pupils were wide. Delphine leaned a bit to the side, exposing her neck for Cosima to gaze upon. A dangerous situation for Cosima, she had to go to her hotel room.

She waited for Delphine to finish her story before she interjected.

“Hey, I’m sorry again, but I have to go back to my hotel. I promised my family I would get in touch with them tonight,” Cosima said.

The two had a temporary squabble before Delphine agreed to Cosima that she would pay for their drinks this time. The two stood up and Cosima was caught off-guard again when Delphine leaned in to her.

Her soft lips grazes Cosima’s left cheek first and then moves to her right one, where Delphine lingers a bit longer. Cosima is nailed to the ground and can only lean in to the kisses.

“Text me when you are in need of a guide, I can show you the places my Papa showed me,” Delphine said, smiling warmly. Cosima nodded and smiled back, but they continued to stare at each other for a bit before Cosima was rudely interrupted by her thirst.

She waved and started to walk away, but there were still so many people around and she had to fight the urge to bite down in someone. Instead, she kept her head down, making sure no one could see her reddish eyes and pointy teeth. She bumped in a few people while almost running down the streets.

-- ( TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE, VIOLENCE)

She found herself close to her hotel room when she heard a soft whimper in an alley. She couldn’t see what was happening due to the dark and stalked closer. There were two shadows scurrying around and there seemed to be a bit of a quarrel.

“Let me go!” a sudden shriek made Cosima retreat in the darkness. She had gotten close enough to see a man holding down a woman, a girl barely twenty Cosima presumed. The man, large and close to his fifties, was pushing down a girl towards his crotch. His pants was already hanging on his ankles, one of his hands pulling forcefully on the girl’s hair. She was trying to fight him off, but her petite form would not do much harm to the man. Her flailing arms only seemed to hype him up more.

Cosima couldn’t watch anymore and spoke up. “Let her go dude, then we can all just leave like nothing happened and this girl doesn’t need a trauma,” Cosima tried to argue reasonably.

The man swivelled his head around, keeping the girl firmly in place. He spoke in French, probably urging her to move along.

Cosima stepped closer, leaving barely 4 feet between them, and spoke again. “Seriously man, this girl doesn’t deserve this and you don’t need to be a monster. Just let her go, I will bring her home and you can move along,”

The man roughly threw the girl away, pulled up his pants and walked over to Cosima, probably not intending to have a civil conversation about this. The girl hurried away not looking back once. At least, Cosima thought, she’d helped the girl.

“You American can suck my cock,” the man spoke in broken English. He wanted to throw a punch, but Cosima ducked just in time. His fist went flying into the brick wall behind Cosima and a few profanities left his mouth. With fuelled anger he went after Cosima again, missing her when she moved to the side. “Seriously, I don’t want to fight you, it won’t end well,” she tried to reach him, but he was blinded by anger.

Cosima was hit by him on her left cheek and the man looked triumphant, until he saw the cut he just made starting to instantly heal. He looked from her cheek to her eyes which were a pulsating red. He was temporarily frozen at the sight.

But Cosima had other plans. She hooked the guy in his face, causing him to stumble backwards. With her strength it was easy to throw the large man on the ground and so she did. She send him flailing down and with a large thud he made contact with the dirty ground. She pushed her heel in his sternum.

“Please?! Please. Non, non, let me go, I’m sorry,” he cried out, but Cosima wasn’t having it. Her vampire nature had taken over her sanity. She had dealt with too many people like him. He would not change for the life of him and Cosima couldn’t bear the thought of him attacking more girls. She pushed her foot further down into his chest, feeling the bone cracking slowly. The man cried out in pain, but Cosima didn’t stop there, she gave a final push and the snapping sound made her believe he was no threat anymore. She squatted besides the man, arms crossed, looking into his eyes. He was barely hanging on his life and she watched it slowly leave his body. She had been taught to look into her prey’s eyes, it made sure the animal could safely cross whatever bridge to the afterlife. It may be superstition, but she always did it, wanting nothing more for the man to be safe on the other side.

She leaned in to his neck and bit him, sucking in the fresh blood.

When she finished drinking him up, making sure she was all set for another few days until she had to go home, she stood up and pushed the body into a dumpster. Surely, someone would find him at some point, but they would never catch his killer. After she finished dumping the body she turned around to go home.

A familiar smell entered Cosima’s senses, but she couldn’t place it. Maybe she smelled some of the man’s blood still on her lips. Whatever it was, she didn’t give it much thought.

Chapter Text

Delphine’s POV

8 year old Delphine

Delphine’s mother put a cold hand on her shoulder, trying to give her some kind of reassurance. It did no good, it only caused for Delphine to feel belittled. Being a child at a funeral had to be the most controversial concept to be existent. Delphine was looking down at the man she once thought to be invincible. His usual smile wiped away leaving a stern looking man. He looked to be asleep, but even eight-year old Delphine knew better.

She hadn’t cried over him, she didn’t fully grasp the concept of death yet. The finality of death seemed unreal, Delpine didn’t believe it. He would just wake up in a bit, if she only stared at him long enough. She used all her will-power to send him a part of herself, an energy he could breath in again. He would only need to accept it and everything would turn back to normal. He would say “Surprise, je suis vivant!” and would climb out of the casket to hug away all her pain and sorrow. He would take Delphine’s hand and guide her to one of his many special places in Paris. They would share happiness together again. No such thing happened.

Delphine gazed at her father, it was like she saw him for the first time. His once toned skin looked pale and ill, the make-up not even remotely covering up his death. He wore a suit, black with a black tie, and his arms were crossed across his body. His hair was combed over to one side, but it didn’t suit him. Delphine wanted to see it as she saw it every morning; wild and untamed with hairs peaking out at every side. Now, he seemed like a business man, stern and tough. It didn’t portray his true nature at all, Delphine thought. She looked up at her Maman, who was trying to stay strong. However, she couldn’t keep her tears at bay and they were rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably. Her mother, who once was lively and full of happiness, looked crushed and defeated. She wore the same pale skin her father was wearing in his casket and it scared Delphine.

He had died. Died of a stupid decease Delphine didn’t even knew the name of. It seemed unreal. How could something undetectable, indescribable, take away one of her loved ones. It just didn’t seem fair at all.

She went to touch his hand, but quickly retracted when she felt they were cold as ice. Another indication that his blood wasn’t flowing anymore.

Death, an everlasting darkness, who lurked in the night, waiting for his prey to let their guard down. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to send the innocent victim into the permanent void. Without consent they fall and disappear, from reality to a falsified image. Delphine was scared that the forever lasting coma was a place of coldness and loneliness.

A tear rolled down her face, not only because she was missing her father, but because of the fear of him feeling alone. He was a family man, a social man, someone who thrives in a social environment. Delphine couldn’t bear the thought of him being somewhere in the dark, without anyone to talk to, without seeing a person to confide in. He must be scared, he just left his family so he must be scared for them, Delphine thought.

Her mom embraced her, successfully tearing her away from her thoughts.

“He is in a better place Delphine, we must believe he is in a better place,” her Maman cried softly. Delphine could only nod, but she didn’t believe it. What place would he be in that is better than being with his family. The only thing she knew was that it was unfair that he had been taken away from them.

The only things he left them were memories, bittersweet remnants of his life in their minds.

--

12 year old Delphine

Delphine stepped inside her home after a long day of school. She threw her bag to the floor, worrying about her homework was for a later time. She walked down the hall to the kitchen.

Had she paid attention she would have seen the empty pill bottles on the kitchen table. But she didn’t. Instead, she continued walking to the fridge, searching for something to snack before dinner. Her gaze landed on an apple and she retrieved it.

She turned around and walked to the living room, passing by the kitchen table again. She sat down on the couch and switched on the TV, zapping through the channels before landing on a Discovery channel. Silently she ate her apple, lazily following what was being told by the TV.

Her attention was pulled away from the TV when she heard a loud thud coming from the bathroom. Delphine had thought she was all alone in their home, but apparently not. She took out a knife from the kitchen, not thrusting what was happening in her bathroom, also not intending to stab anyone but she felt safer with the blade in her hands.

She cracked the door open just enough for her to look inside. The sight she met was nothing she had expected. All of a sudden she wished it had been a burglar, someone else entirely laying their on her bathroom floor. However, it was something a twelve-year old shouldn’t have to face ever.

Delphine didn’t register the knife hitting the floor, nor did she register her own screams. All she could see was the lifeless body of her Maman on the floor. Foam was coming out of her mouth and her eyes were lulled back into their sockets. Delphine crashed to the floor, loosing all her grip on reality. She crawled closer to her mother, putting her head in her lap and cradling it, while tears streamed down her face. Delphine couldn’t stop her heaving. She sat there, lost in the moment, for what felt like eternity.

She realised she had to do something, something to maybe save her last parent. She barged out the door and headed for the phone dialling the alarm number. The operator tried to calm her down, but it was no use for a child her age. The ambulance was send her way as soon as possible.

Everything after that happened in a blur and Delphine could only remember parts of that evening.

The ambulance had arrived within 10 minutes, but those were the longest 10 minutes of Delphine’s life. She had walked back to her mother, while still on the phone with the operator. She had stopped listening though, she only had eyes for her mother.

The woman with blonde hair lay on the floor, some pills scattered around. Her body was limp and there didn’t seem to be a pulse. Delphine had crouched down and taken her mothers hand in hers. It felt as cold as when she had touched her father’s hand. Delphine’s view had gone blurry, tears obscuring her vision. She sat there, silently wishing upon gods she didn’t believe in to not take another loved one away. Solitude already was an accustomed feeling to Delphine, but she didn’t want to become lonely too. Didn’t want to be left alone in this unfair world.

The nurses barged in and one had to forcefully pull Delphine away from her mother. Delphine could only remember the crying after that.

The doctors in the hospital had to empty her mothers stomach, provide her with fluids and monitor her all throughout the night. Delphine spend the night and morning in the waiting room of the hospital. A few nurses occasionally checked up on her, but besides that she was alone. She had never felt the feeling of abandonment until that moment, alone in the waiting room, no one to call.

Finally, a doctor gave her the conclusive answer. Her mother had survived her suicide attempt and Delphine was given the free pass to see her mother. However, when Delphine stepped in the brightly lit room, she didn’t see her mother laying there. She could only see someone who resembled the once strong woman known to be Delphine’s mother. The person she saw laying there, weak and grim, had taken over her mother’s soul, not leaving any part of her whole.

Delphine could never look at her mother the same again and their once-so-strong bond had been torn apart by pills.

--

19 year old Delphine

A loud scoff was heard from nearby, but it didn’t distract Delphine at all. However, it did distract her opponent who glanced away for a millisecond. Delphine saw it as an opportunity and she dived forward, lunging her wooden knife into her opponent. He tried a miserable defence, but missed and Delphine hit him harshly in the chest. He sputtered and fell to his knees, gasping for air.

“Mr. Wright, can you tell me what just happened?” their instructor bellowed from the side. Jonathan Wright scrambled to his feet. “I.. I let my guard down, sir!” he screamed, providing Dr. Mendez with an answer. “And why did you let your guard down?” he asked Jonathan. “I…uh...got distracted,” Jonathan said more softly. “I know girls are distracting Jonathan, but next time try to hide it better. If that were to have been a real knife, Delphine would have had your limp body at her feet right now, do you understand!” Dr. Mendez shouted. “Yes, sir!” Jonathan answered begrudgingly.

A few giggles from around them erupted and Delphine knew right away who it belonged to. Shay Davydov and her pussy gang. She heard them softly whispering about how they would have finished Jonathan off, pushing the knife in his stomach instead of his chest, or slicing at his neck. It were show off comments, trying to shake Delphine, but she had gotten used to the torments for a long time. Shay didn’t like her from the start and she was very adamant in letting Delphine know this. Using petty moves on her, like making her trip down the stairs or when the instructor wasn’t looking Shay would “accidentally” swing her flail in Delphine’s side.

Luckily, Delphine could defend herself pretty well by now and Shay never really physically hurt her anymore. She just wasn’t able to.

Instead, Shay would attack her mentally and emotionally. Sometimes Delphine wishes she would go back to physical pain, because Shay apparently knew a lot of weak spots of Delphine. She probably slept with one of the teachers to retrieve Delphine’s file or something, or broke into Head Master’s office, anyhow, she had a lot of dirt on Delphine. For example, about her father (“Oh, daddy issues, because he left you when you were just a little child?” Shay had said once) or about the suicide attempt of her mother (“How does it feel to not be wanted Delphine, your mom was ready to end it all because she was so done with you,” She had said another time).

Delphine stretched out her hand for Jonathan to grab, he congratulated her with her win and she patted his back. She liked to spar with Jonathan, he was one of the only guys who accepted their defeat as a man. Also, he was one of the few friends Delphine had at the DYAD Academy.

“Delphine, can I talk to you for a bit?” their instructor asked, waving her over. Delphine took out her protective braces and walked over to the stern looking man. “Dr. Leekie wants to see you in his office. It was urgent so I advise you to hurry yourself to his chambers,” he instructed Delphine and with a nod she left.

She hurried down the training field, passing by recruits and trainers, while she tried to hold on to her gear. She set foot inside the enormous castle, also known as the DYAD Academy, and walked down the corridor. The harsh scent of wet stone entered her nose and she heard her footsteps echoing off the walls. She passed by a group of professors in long black coats while turning the corner. She walked up the three flights of stairs and the hall to end up at Dr. Leekie’s office door. She knocked and waited until she heard the approval from the other side.

Softly she pushed down on the handle and pushed the door open just enough for her to slip through. She was met with Dr. Leekie sitting behind his desk in his office. A cosy but tough space with plants everywhere, they were the only things that offered some colour in the otherwise white space. He grew potions from them, or so he believed. Most of them hadn’t been proven to work yet. However, Leekie was headstrong and was sure he would find useful potions eventually.

“Welcome Delphine! Please, sit, sit,” the man urged. His smile not even remotely settling Delphine’s nerves. “I have invited you in today to have a chat about your grades and level,” he started, leaning back in his chair.

“I have looked at your reports and I must say I am impressed,” he paused for a second. “Merci, I’m trying my best, sir,” Delphine answered and he looked content. “I’ve seen you on the grounds, you’re fighting off guys that are twice your weight. I must say I am impressed with your abilities. I am happy to see that one of my recruits is doing this well,” Delphine smiled at him, her nerves wracking through her brain.

She knew she was one of the better recruits, but she didn’t want to become over-confident.

“I spoke to Dr. Mendez about you, and he convinced me you were one of the best fighters in his year. He wasn’t the only one who is impressed by your skills and I think you will be very pleased with what I am about to say,” He paused again, sitting more upright. Delphine fidgeted in her chair, not sure what approach she should have at the moment.

“Delphine Cormier, I want you to become my apprentice! You will learn from me and I will train you every week. If you continue to increase your abilities, like you’re doing so well already, you might become my personal Prodigy and be deployed in the field,”

Delphine couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was the best offer a recruit could get and it would mean a more promising future for her. This offer meant that when Leekie retires, she would be one of the first persons to be contacted to follow in his footsteps. She would become a highly respected Master, having a prestigious title before the age of 30 if everything went accordingly.

“Ah, monsieur, merci beaucoup! I would be honoured to be your apprentice, yes, yes of course I accept your offer,” she hurriedly said.

“Well, I believe you are aware of the extra work it will take? Your regular classes will be continued and next to that you would have to train with me three times a week? You do understand that social shenanigans and party events will be happening close to zero times?” He asked.

Delphine’s social life had been close to zero anyway, this loss would mean nothing to her and she rather put some extra effort in her future, than hang out with the airheads that roamed this school.

“Of course, Dr. Leekie, I completely understand and it won’t be a problem,” she tried to reassure him.

He stood from his chair and walked over to sit on his desk, across from Delphine. “I didn’t expect it to be a problem, I am happy you’re willing,” and he stood up again walking over to stand behind Delphine who was still sitting on her chair.

All of a sudden his hand moved up her back and shivers ran down her spine. A light panic was washing over her.

He pushed away her hair from her shoulder and she sensed that he was bending down, his breath hot on her exposed neck. She wanted to scream, she wanted to push him away and run. But she did no such thing, instead she stayed put, letting him continue.

His lips made contact with her skin behind her ear and Delphine’s mind zoned out. Zoned out all the way back to her life in Paris. Her mind would not be present for what was going to happen to her body right at the instant.

--

“You are freaking kidding me?! You are an apprentice already? It takes most of recruits years to become an apprentice!” Jonathan screamed, while they walked from their Weapons class to the training camp. Delphine nodded absentmindedly.

“That’s unfair, we both know I’m better in the Defence Arts than you are,” he jokingly says. He notices Delphine’s mind being elsewhere and he nudges her side. “Hey, are you okay, you don’t seem all that happy,” he says. Delphine nods and gives him a weak smile. “Oui, Jonathan, I am fine, thanks. I guess I haven’t registered it yet,” they continue walking down the hall. There is a moment of silence before Jonathan opens his mouth again, but Delphine cuts him to it and excuses herself to the lavatory.

It was a mistake. Shay was fixing her make up in the mirror, when Delphine entered. Delphine only gave her a side glance, trying not to become a target. It was no use, everything she did aggravated Shay.

“Well, well, if it isn’t pretty blondie barging in like she owns the place,” Shay finished her eyeliner and turned around to face Delphine.

“Tell me, how did you do it Delphine?” Shay asked. “I don’t know what you mean,” the blonde answered, trying to walk passed Shay, but she successfully cut her off. Shay had trapped Delphine in between the sink and the back wall, Delphine would only be able to escape by force. Which wasn’t allowed in the school and Delphine was sure her freshly obtained title would be taken away from her if she showed any kind of misbehaviour.

“Oh, I think you are very aware of what I mean, I am simply asking you: How did you become the apprentice of Dr. Aldous Leekie?” Shay spoke every word slowly, as if talking to an illiterate child.

“I earned it with effort Shay, you might want to try that out sometime too,” Delphine answered earning a scowl from Shay. Delphine’s nemesis leaned her hip against the sink and crossed her arms.

“You want to tell me, that Dr. Leekie actually knows about your skills? I think I have the better answer for you Delphine. I think I am quite sure that he just wanted you for your looks and damsel-in-distress façade. You were an easy target blondie,” Shay remarks.

“I don’t know what you are talking about Shay, but I have to get to training,” and Delphine tried to pass Shay, but once again was robbed from her freedom by her nemesis.

“What. Did. You. Do. Delphine?” Shay spat. This time, Delphine more forcefully pushed beside Shay to escape the torture. “Did you suck his dick Delphine? Or did you fuck him? I think you fucked him… and you even enjoyed it, you’re disgusting,” Delphine had broken free and was running out of the toilets, while Shay continued to scream at her.

Tears were streaming down her face and she knew she had to pick herself up before she got to the training field. She wiped away at her tears and tried to even out her breathing.

Shay just tries to get under her skin, Delphine tells herself. She is just jealous of you and your skills. She wishes she were the one to become an apprentice instead of Delphine.

However, Delphine couldn’t shake the thought of Shay being partly right too. Did Aldous truly only pick her so he could have sex with her? Did he even know her grades and had he actually spoken with Dr. Mendez? What if this wasn’t the only time he expected to have her, what if he wanted to bed her after every training? Was she mentally strong enough to bear the horrendous task? Just so she could become an apprentice?

The thoughts were flying through her mind during her training which resulted in the training being a full blown shit-show. Afterwards, Jonathan tried to ask her what was going on, but she only gave a short “I’m fine” and basically told him to fuck off. She barged towards the castle ready to sleep the day away.

Delphine had made a decision during her training, one she hoped she could deal with. She had decided that Shay could be right, but she wouldn’t be in control over Delphine. Delphine chose to indeed continue with her affairs with Leekie for her prestigious title. Sex is just a part of herself she has to give up. That is all it is. Just sex, so she can have the future she wants.

Delphine walked back to her dorm, and went to lay on the bed. Sleep deprived she lulled into a light slumber, dreaming of walking down the streets of Paris with her father’s hand in hers.

Chapter Text

Delphine’s POV

Delphine had been watching the horrific exchange between the man and Cosima from a safe distance. There seemed not to be a sliver of mercy in the heart of Cosima, granted the man was being an evildoer. Cosima had beaten and battered the guy without hesitation and with clear intention. She had slapped him across the face and made the man stumble to the ground. His belt was undone and his jeans were covered in dirt, his shirt looking just as weary. He whimpered while Cosima pushed her heel in his sternum, not faltering for even a second. Her dreads had flown around her face, while she gracefully fed on the man. It was nauseating to watch and Delphine more than once had to swallow a large lump in her throat.

Delphine was standing a few feet away from the couple, watching from around the corner, hidden in the dark. The cheeky, sweet girl she had gotten to know in the short expanse of their meetings had completely vanished. The once warm brown eyes were exchanged for bright red ones, indicating she was hungry when she plunged her teeth into the neck of the man. Delphine’s body ran cold and it hurt her to see the man being torn apart. She didn’t intervene though, had clear orders of “just keeping tabs on the vampire”. If she were to rub her Master the wrong way she would be taken off the case and most likely lose her Prodigy title to another recruit. She wouldn’t let that happen just to save the petty life of a poor rapist. Instead she occasionally turned away her gaze when it became too gruesome, even for her.

She had disappeared after the vampire finished, needing to see the aftermath to know it actually happened. Like she was being chased, she hurried down the streets to her temporary apartment. The cigarette in between her fingers supposedly for comfort, but granting none. The city lights illuminate her path, people leisurely strolling along, while Delphine manoeuvres between them. She had taken a detour, not wanting to be home just yet. Surely, her mind would not let her fall into an easy slumber, instead keeping her awake with the memory of Cosima devouring the man on repeat. From afar she gazes upon the Eiffel tower. It brings back a forgotten memory of her father.

The first time she had seen the Eiffel tower at night had made her gasp in excitement. Her father had not informed her of what was going to happen, instead they’d patiently waited on Palais de Chaillot. Her hands were loosely hanging over the railing, while Delphine had squinted her eyes in the dark. Beneath she could see the busy streets of Paris, numerous lights illuminating the city elegantly. The lit silhouette of the Eiffel tower in a far away distance. She looked up at her father, who only had eyes for the tall building in the distance. She’d fixed her gaze in front of her again, when suddenly the huge tower started to flash and blink uncontrollably. The pattern seemed random and Delphine’s mouth fell agape. Her heart swelt with pride, she didn’t know why. She felt like the Eiffel tower was directly blinking its lights for her and only her. It had solidified a bond with her father from the moment she had looked up at him with a wide smile on her face, excited about what she was seeing and she wanted to make sure her dad was equally as excited.

The memory brings with it a feeling of a wistful melancholy, which she pushes down harshly.

She is panting heavily by the time she fishes for her keys and opens her apartment door, running inside and discarding her bag somewhere on the floor. She crashes with her back to the door, her head softly thrown backwards to rest against it. With closed eyes she tries to will her tears and emotions at bay, trying to even out her shallowed breaths.

“C’mon Delphine, you have been trained for this kind of shit,” she whispers to no one. She bangs her fist against the door behind and it rattles in its hinges. It was nothing she wasn’t used to, she had seen far more gruesome videos of vampires devouring their prey back at the Academy. Their professors would take out certain videos for educational purposes, making their recruits watch the vampires with crimson red chins covered in the blood of people they had taken a hold of. However, to see Cosima lose all control and give in to her savage nature, had shaken Delphine to the core. The vampire had seemed in control at most of the times and even though she saw the girl watching her neck from time to time, she hadn’t felt unsafe. Maybe that has been a mistake on Delphine’s end. Thinking the petite girl would not attack, because they were sharing tender conversations. Stupid feeling of false security, a rooky mistake. However, Delphine could not shake the feeling that Cosima was different from the monsters she had seen in the videos of the Academy. Cosima, even though taken over by primitive tendencies, had not be unreasonable. She had killed the man in a swift motion, crushing his sternum. She had not sucked his blood while he was still alive, like most vampires did when the blood was still rushing. No, Cosima had looked the man in the eyes while his soul left his earthly body. Right after that, the girl hovered gently over the man and sank her teeth in his neck. Instead though, she sucked him dry gently, almost tenderly.

Delphine contemplates their meeting from the afternoon, she had truly enjoyed the light chatter with Cosima, talking about Paris and so on. The girl had an interesting look on life and Delphine felt herself immersed in every story the brunette told.

The blonde thought about the hands of the brunette, flying around wildly while she spoke. It caused a small smile to enter Delphine’s features without warning. The girl had a way of talking hurriedly, but passionately. Letting Delphine in on the various insights of her mind and life, not much however. Delphine still was pretty much clueless about Cosima’s family and what drove her to fly all the way to Paris.

“Merdé,” Delphine exhales. She walks over to her fridge and not-so-gracefully pours herself a glass of red wine. When she looks at it she is painfully confronted with the memory of blood on Cosima’s lips, and a dreading feeling settles in her heart. Delphine worries her bottom lip in between her teeth, but decides to enjoy the wine and push away the memory as far as possible. She didn’t want to think about the vampire being a cold-hearted killer. If she wanted to finish this assignment, she would have to push down any emotions and play her part. She was used to pushing down her emotions, since losing her father, since finding her mother with pills scattered around and even since Aldous Leekie first laid hands on her, she was used to supressing the feelings that came with them. Leaving behind a stoic woman with a rational brain.

With the glass in her hand, she moves to sit on the little coach by the TV. She props her feet up and zaps through a few channels before choosing a local news station to watch absentmindedly. Before she can even take her first sip her phone dings, letting her know she has received a new message. She unlocks the screen to find Cosima’s name illuminated. A small smile is her first reaction, before remnants of the vampire attack come flooding back.

“Hey, thank you for today, I’ve enjoyed a lot. Would you maybe want to accompany me tomorrow? Show me some of those special places :)” it read and Delphine could practically hear the sweet timbre of the brunette’s voice.

Delphine can’t help the small flutters in her stomach, she writes it off as disgust for what she had seen the vampire do. However, she can’t deny she was happy to receive a message from the cheeky girl. With a smile on Delphine’s lips, still worrying her bottom lip, she types a reply.

“Bonjour Cosima, oui I would love to show you around, meet me at Le George V at 2 P.M.” she send, along with the address of the restaurant. She would take Cosima on a trip after she first let the girl experience some exquisite cuisine, then she would walk her down the beauties of Paris to end at the Eiffel tower in the night where it would show off its lights.

She sat down at her computer to write the report on her encounter with Cosima for Dr. Leekie, she hesitates about including the drama, unsure if she had handled it well, but at last decides to include the murder.

When she finished, her glass empty too, she decided it was time for bed. Not wanting to have memories and dreadlocked girls plague her mind for any longer, she changes into pyjamas and crawls underneath the cool sheets. A quiet sleep was an unattainability and memories were replaced by vivid dreams.

--

Cosima’s POV

A stream of profanities and angry words came from the other side of the line. Cosima had to remove the phone from her ear or she would surely suffer temporary deafness.

“How could you be so stupid, Cos? You don’t even know the girl!” the British accent heavy. Granted, Cosima did indeed not know that much of Delphine, but she felt drawn to the blonde and wanted to explore Paris in the best way possible. Why not combine those two?

“Really Sarah, I’m watching my back and she won’t find out or anything. Besides…” Cosima hesitated if she should tell her sister that she had consoled her needs.
Cosima’s hesitation sparked the curiosity of the girl on the other side of the world. “Besides what?... Cos?” the voice had grown quieter, but still deliberate. Cosima was rolling her ring around her left index finger when she answered, “I’ve saturated my hunger, Sarah, but don’t worry no one will tie his death to me in any way. I made sure of that,” the silence on the other end of the line was not sitting right with Cosima at all. She had expected Sarah to throw a fit, get angry at her stupidity, or be annoyed with the fact that Cosima hadn’t been able to not succumb to her needs. Instead, Cosima stayed still, for a very long time, a time in which the memory of the few hours before came racking through her brain. She had been in perfect control, killing the man swiftly. It was not hard for the brunette to do this, she has done it much more often at home. However, she felt a bit guilty for this one.

All of a sudden Sarah’s hoarse voice pulls her from her thoughts. “Alright Cosima, I hope you know what you are doing. Mrs. S. seems to have confidence in you and she understands your need to bloody vanish,” a deep sigh sounded from the girl. “Please, just stay home or something Cos, why did you have to leave us?” The raven-haired woman on the other side sounded small and deflated. A guilt got stuck into Cosima’s heart and she met the deflated state of her sister with equal intensity.

“I’m sorry,” was the only response Cosima could give. It was a weak apology, Cosima was well aware, but she couldn’t deliver more. Sarah seemed satisfied with the answer, telling her a quick goodbye and hanging up the phone.

Cosima exhaled a deep sigh, trying to reduce the tension. Her hotel room was silent and the only sounds came from outside, the city life still buzzing. While going through her routine and changing in her pyjamas, Cosima relived her day. The blonde had startled her in the Sacré-Coeur, unannounced she had pulled Cosima out her thoughts and brightened her mood significantly.

Cosima took out her phone to check Delphine’s number, she stared at it long, tracing the letters of her name, repeating it in her mind on and on. It had a sweet sound to it, but that resembled the woman perfectly. Every time Cosima had spoken or told another story, the blonde had hung on every word, absorbing every syllable that rolled off the dreadlocked girl’s tongue.

Cosima might be wrong, but she had sworn the blonde had looked at her lips a few times, igniting a fire Cosima hadn’t felt in a long time. When Delphine kissed Cosima’s cheeks, she could’ve sworn the blonde lingered a little longer. It was not as swift like the first time, after the club, this one was softer and more intimate.
Almost as if Delphine didn’t want to let go, didn’t want to leave the brunette. The only thing that had ruined the entire moment was the deep hunger inside Cosima’s core, but she still took the kisses as a victory. She believed something could come from this, maybe even a friendship.

Again, Cosima focused on the screen again, tapping on Delphine’s name to write a message. It took her four rewrites, and numerous exasperated sighs, before Cosima had written the perfect text. With a swift movement of the thumb she send it, and right away she threw her phone on the bed. In stead of anxiously awaiting the blonde’s response, Cosima decided to take a shower. She hadn’t had the time yet, since she called Sarah back right the instant she had arrived home.

Walking in the bathroom, she observed herself in the mirror. There were faint traces of blood still on her lips, which any passer-by could easily mistake for smudged lipstick or a failed attempt at makeup. Her dreadlocks were tightly bound into a bun on top of her head. Cosima stripped down of her clothes and stepped into the shower, welcoming the warmth.

Once she had thoroughly soaped and cleaned her body, Cosima stepped out of the comfortable warmth. She dried herself slowly and put her pyjamas on. Only when she had crawled under the covers, cosy and warm, she dared to look at her phone.

Her heart fluttered when she saw she had received a message not two minutes after she had send hers.

“Bonjour Cosima, oui I would love to show you around, meet me at Le George V at 2 P.M.” It was short and demanding, but not in a negative way at all. Cosima couldn’t help the smile that was growing on her face.

Yeah, maybe a friendship would blossom between the two… maybe Cosima could even believe, in the safe space of her own mind, they shared something stronger. A bond of some sorts and maybe, just maybe, Cosima could believe they would stay in contact when she had to go back to America.

--

The warm, summer breeze blew through Cosima’s hair, making her dreadlocks dangle in the wind. She had arrived early at George V and she probably had to wait another fifteen minutes minimum before Delphine would arrive. To use her time to her benefit, she had sat down and ordered a black coffee. The waiter had been swift and without blinking twice Cosima had received her drink. With a small smile she thanked the waiter and he went along.

Delphine had chosen a pretty restaurant. It was the middle of the day, but the restaurant was already filled with people, tourists, regular guests and waiters adorned the place, walking around and chatting about. Sweet smells entered Cosima’s nose and she let out an involuntary groan of jealousy. Even though she had to feed on blood, it didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy the taste of other types of food. She wouldn’t be able to get nutrition from it, and if she ate too much she would get nauseous, but sometimes it was worth the inconvenience. Today seemed like a day where she would welcome the unfortunate consequence in favour for human food.

She was eying the restaurant’s cuisine from her seat, sitting on the far left of the restaurant in order to be able to ogle at all the delicious dishes. From where she was sitting, she had a beautiful view of the Eiffel tower, standing in all it’s glory, illuminated from behind by the sun. The sky, although overcast in the morning, looks completely vacant of clouds at this moment, letting the sun envelop Paris in its rays. Cosima felt small in the tower’s presence, surprised a building could make her heart swell with adoration, but also make her feel futile. The sounds of people filled Cosima’s ears and for a second, the urge made its presence known, from deep within her it crawled at her insides. Stating the man from the night before only served as an appetizer. Cosima’s lips twisted in disgust, because that was what she felt. She was repulsed by her own nature, deemed herself unworthy.

“Bonjour Cosima,” a graceful voice came from behind the brunette and Cosima almost instantly melted into a puddle at the sound of her name. All her worries of vampire crap momentarily forgotten.

Cosima turned around in her seat and was met with the beautiful hazel eyes of the blonde. The sun creating the illusion of her eyes being ablaze, golden specks of light flickering brightly. The corners of her lips were turned upwards in a warm smile. “Hey Delphine! How are you?” and Cosima points for Delphine to have a seat next to her, who follows her lead.

The blonde’s knee grazes against Cosima when she sits down, a waiter quickly coming over from nowhere to take her order for drinks. Once he leaves she turns to Cosima, leaning back into her seat comfortably. “I haven’t slept well, to be honest. Unruly dreams have kept me up all night,” Delphine confessed and Cosima noticed the dark circles under her eyes. It didn’t take away any part of her beauty, if even, it gave Delphine a more delicate, natural look.

--

The night had fallen, the moon high in the sky shedding light on the pavement where Cosima and Delphine walked shoulder-to-shoulder. Delphine had shown Cosima around all day, strolling along abandoned streets, pointing at lesser-known buildings and elaborating on the history of the city. With every word Delphine spoke, Cosima had listened carefully, not wanting to miss anything of significance. They had shared laughs and it happened more than once that Cosima caught herself staring at the blonde, taking in her beauty. It also happened more than once that Delphine caught her staring and with a little blush she would smile at Cosima’s investigative eyes.

“Where exactly are we going?” Cosima asked after they had been walking for a decent amount of time, the darkness of the night all around them. Delphine chuckled lightly, “You really are impatient, aren’t you?” she countered back at Cosima, who could only give a cheeky grin at the question.

“Yeah, I’m infamous for my impatience, which is funny, because I’m also notoriously late,” Cosima stated, trying to keep up with the blonde’s pace. Her short legs barely keeping up with the blonde’s slender ones. “Really? Because you were quite early for our meeting today,” Delphine commented, not really inquiring anything, just stating a fact. However, Cosima’s cheeks turned a crimson red and she was happy Delphine’s gaze was in front of her and not on the cheeky girl.

Delphine didn’t know Cosima had left half an hour early, in fear of getting lost. Even though she had her GPS system, Cosima had the tendency to go in the exact opposite of what the gadget was telling her. She could even manage to end up on the west side of her hometown, when she was certain she was moving in the eastern direction.

“You still haven’t answered my question, where are we going?” Cosima tried again with a whiny voice. Delphine snickered and pointed ahead, Cosima following her finger. From afar Cosima could see the illuminated Eiffel tower standing in all its glory. Cosima gasped at the view, truly being enchanted by the static building. This caused a little smile to occur on Delphine’s lips at the sight of the brunette’s awe. “You haven’t even seen the best part yet Cosima, contain a bit of your excitement,” and Delphine stifled a laugh. The brunette looked from Delphine to the Eiffel tower and back again, not believing how the sight of the lit tower could become any better.

“Oh don’t worry, I never run out of excitement,” Cosima spoke not really thinking about the possible second layer that that statement could hold. Delphine was oblivious to the connotation and the pair continued their journey. They were walking to Palais de Chaillot, where one of Delphine’s oldest memories of her father originates from.

They finally made it to the end and were stopped by barriers. Cosima looked over the railing down at the busy street. Even for the late hour, the people were not asleep, all of them on journeys Cosima could only guess about. Dark clouds enveloped the sky and if it wasn’t for the summer night, it would have been cold, a mild breeze blowing. The skeleton of the Eiffel tower had countless lights that made the statue shine and look almost vibrant in the dark. the lights being a stark contrast from the dark behind it. The traffic underneath the tower looked hectic, but compared to the 300 meter art piece it was insignificant, the car lights the only indication of life below the Eiffel.

Numerous people were standing around Cosima and Delphine, all eyes directed at the Eiffel tower and Cosima couldn’t blame them, the tower was alluring, silently taking control over your senses. Almost everything ceased to exist, but Delphine had her hand dangerously close to Cosima’s and that was all Cosima could think about. Her proximity igniting a heat in Cosima, who was wondering why this specific girl could evoke such strong physical reactions already. With her heightened senses she smelled the French perfume of Delphine, a sweet mix between earthy scents and strawberries.

Then it happened, all sounds around Cosima ceased to exist, the thick smell of Delphine’s perfume only partly present. The lights on the Eiffel tower started to twinkle and the brunette couldn’t believe the sight. Some gasps were heared from around Cosima, tourists who just like her, were impressed by the scene. She’d never known the statue did this and she was happy to experience it. The twinkle held on for a good amount of time, causing a grin to slowly spread along Cosima’s features. The lights seemed to travel from the top to the bottom and up again, creating a vage haze to reflect on the darkened clouds above.

“Impressed?” Delphine asked knowingly. When the lights started to shimmer Delphine had not been looking at it, rather she observed the brunette’s reaction, who seemed fully enchanted by the scene. Cosima could only nod, her mouth agape in undeniable awe.

They continued watching in silence, savouring the experience, and were feeling content when the lights stopped flickering, returning to just shining.
Delphine hadn’t taken her eyes off of the brunette, and when Cosima met her eyes too she could feel her heart fluttering.

“Wow, Delphine…I mean, it’s not often that it happens, but I’m truly at a loss of words,” Cosima declared, which caused Delphine’s smile to grow bigger.
Delphine turned around and took Cosima’s hand to guide her away from the railing. Dropping it as soon as Cosima fell into pace next to her. Cosima, still feeling light-headed due to the shimmering Eiffel tower, let herself be escorted across the square.

All of a sudden Delphine stopped in her tracks and it was only then Cosima looked up, assessing where the blonde had guided her. It was a cute shop that was selling delicious snacks.

Cosima looked up at Delphine expectantly. “Care to tell me what we are doing here?” knowing full well the answer to that question, but Cosima felt too excited.
“You’re a smart girl you can figure it out,” and with that Delphine stepped into the line of people waiting to order. Cosima beamed at her and followed suit, waiting impatiently.

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

Laughing and tripping, Cosima and Delphine entered the brunette’s hotel room. After they had eaten their crêpe, she and the blonde had sat down at a little café, ordering quite the amount of red wine. Both of them were feeling dizzy, Cosima slightly more than the blonde, and the walk home had been bumpy and rough, but they’d made it. Cosima, still giggling, tried to shed her coat, but with her wiggling she only got herself stuck in it. Delphine looked at the brunette’s vain attempt, her arm stuck and the coat partly pulled over her head, and doubled over laughing.

“Cosima, let me help you,” and Delphine moved behind Cosima to help her drop her coat. It took a few moments, but eventually the brunette was freed. Their laughs slowly dissipate and eventually die down, leaving small genuine smiles on their lips.

“Yeah, I may have had a bit too much to drink,” Cosima admitted and Delphine nodded, freeing herself of her own coat effortlessly. “You think? I think you tripped like 4 times on the stairs alone,” Delphine retorted, receiving a playful glare from Cosima. They walked further inside and Delphine sat down at the small table against the wall. Cosima walked to the mini bar and retrieved a bottle of wine.

“You sure you can handle your booze?” the voice from behind the brunette asked mockingly. Cosima brings the bottle, along with two glasses to the table and sits down with a sigh. “Of course I can, I am stronger than you think,” and Cosima knew the blonde actually couldn’t know the true strength of Cosima.

“Do you not have to call your family tonight?” Delphine asked, taking a sip from her wine. “Crap…” Cosima breathed out, “Yeah I probably should, but I’ll do it later tonight or tomorrow morning, I’ll shoot them a quick text to let them know I’m okay,” Cosima leaned back in her chair, glass of wine in her hand. She knew it was a terrible idea not to check in, they would worry, but she could send them a quick text. Cosima took out her phone and started typing away. The blonde’s gaze was firmly set on the brunette, observing her.

“Are they strict on you?” Delphine asked casually, shifting a bit in her seat.

“Well, I’m usually with them at all times, so with me being away they tend to worry constantly,” Cosima put her phone down to give the blonde her full attention again. She folded her hands beneath her chin to rest upon. “But truly, when I’m home they worry hardcore as well. It is quite tiresome. That, among other reasons, is why I left,” Cosima stated, earning a puzzled look from Delphine. “I mean wouldn’t you be annoyed by your family if they worried about you constantly?” Cosima noticed her mistake when she saw the sadness take over Delphine's features, a deep sorrow in her brown eyes. God damn, she definitely had not been thinking when she said it.

Delphine took a generous sip from her drink and didn’t meet Cosima’s eyes. “To be honest, I wish to have a parent who would watch over me, I have lost my dad and with my mom I don’t have the best relationship anymore,” Delphine seemed to look for her words, but didn't elaborate.

“Shit Delphine, I… I am so sorry to hear that, I didn’t know otherwise I wouldn’t have asked such a stupid question… damn it… it’s the buzz, I am not thinking straight anymore,” words tumbled out of Cosima’s mouth, trying to excuse herself for her slip-up. Delphine let her talk for a bit, feeling quite amused at the brunette’s attempt to lighten her mood.

“Cosima…Cosima,” she tried to make the hot-tongued girl stop, “Cosima! Please, it is fine, I have given it a place. I’m a grown adult now, I have dealt with it,” Delphine stifled a laugh, the girl sitting in front wearing a red blush on her cheeks.

“Would you tell me about them?” Cosima asked carefully and she was met with a warm-hearted smile. “Maybe some other time, when I am not feeling hazy of the wine,” Delphine winked at Cosima and took another voluminous sip. The glass was nearly empty and Cosima took the bottle in an attempt to fill up the blonde’s glass once again. However, the French put her hand on top of her glass, successfully blocking the entrance for the wine. Cosima gave her a pointed look.

“Non I really have to go home, I still have to do some work and you already have made me successfully foggy,” Delphine’s lips curled upwards. “But I can’t say I was opposed to it,” Cosima could swear the blonde winked at her, or maybe it was just wishful thinking.

Delphine collected herself for a bit, rubbing her hands over her cheeks and started to get up from her chair. This caused Cosima to follow suit, the swift movement causing her head to spin momentarily. Once she steadied herself she trailed behind the blonde, who was putting on her coat at the door.

When Cosima reached Delphine she had to wait awkwardly next to her for the woman to fix her coat. “I had a great day Delphine, I want to thank you for showing me all your secret spots,” Cosima admitted, looking intensely into the golden eyes of the blonde. There wasn’t a hint of fogginess in Cosima’s mind when she so easily got lost in those brown eyes. A hint of amusement took over Delphine’s features and she cleared her throat, which caused Cosima to advert her gaze. She surely was caught gawking openly, frankly she didn’t really care if the blonde saw her looking.

Delphine probably got it a lot, the gawking and ogling of people around her. It was her own doing really, whenever she walks into a room there is like a certain gravity that she exhales. No one can deny themselves catching a quick glance of the gracious French when she walks by.

Cosima allowed herself to look at Delphine’s eyes again, which really was a mistake, because the French was looking intently at her. A sudden burst of bravery, or idiotic courage, took over Cosima and she lunged forward, catching Delphine’s lips.

The moment Cosima made contact with the blonde’s sweet lips, a flame was set ablaze inside her stomach. It started slowly, deeply, but soon spread throughout her body, leaving her hot and sizzling. Cosima moved her lips softly and at first the blonde was hesitant in reciprocating, but soon the blonde’s lips started to move in sync with Cosima. They worked well together and Cosima was growing bolder with the delicate lips moving against hers. The positive response made Cosima deepen the kiss, her tongue sweeping over the bottom lip of Delphine, the taste of wine and cigarettes evident on her tongue.

A silent moan was heard and Cosima wasn’t sure if it was her own sound or Delphine’s. The brunette’s right hand moved up the slender neck of Delphine, feeling her pulse pounding erratically. She moved it higher to fist the blonde curls, softly caressing at the base of the girl’s neck. Cosima dared to softly graze Delphine’s bottom lip with her teeth, effectively causing Delphine to let out a whimper and Cosima took this as a hint to open her mouth more and let her tongue enter Delphine’s mouth. A heat was radiating from Cosima with every sweep of the tongue, fully igniting her whole body on fire. Delphine’s hands moved to Cosima’s shoulders and instinctively Cosima tugged Delphine’s face closer with her right hand. This time Delphine pushed a little harder against Cosima and she relented, pushing away from the beautiful blonde.

When she opened her eyes her heart sank. The eyes she was staring at resembled the eyes of straight girls who just did something they didn’t want, like kissing a fellow girl. Cosima had seen the eyes too often not to recognise them and she felt terrible that she had misread the whole situation. Although the blonde had reciprocated the kiss, it could also have been because of the wine, or surprise.

“Mon dieu…” the voice came out frightened and faint. The blonde’s eyes looked shocked as if only now realising what had just happened. Delphine stepped back and took the doorknob, probably wanting to leave as soon as possible. Cosima was nailed to the ground, unable to move or speak, and before she had registered it properly, the blonde was out the door. When the door closed softly she was awoken from her haze, promptly trying to go after Delphine.

“Wait! Delphine, please I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” but it was no use, the Frenchwoman had already dashed, leaving a confused Cosima behind.

Cosima closed the door and went to lean her back against it, forcefully hitting her head on the door a few times. “Shit, shit, shit, what a shitshow,” she exhaled.
She walked back inside, cleaning up the wine and glasses. She felt terrible for misinterpreting the other woman’s signals, she had felt sure she was reading it all correctly. Apparently not. It was 10 P.M. but she really didn’t feel like calling Sarah, plus she had already sent them a text stating she was doing great. Instead she took out her phone to scroll to her contact list. Delphine’s name came into view and she contemplated sending the blonde an apology, or an explanation. However she decided against it, it probably was best to let the girl cool down for a bit, maybe await a text from her. They hadn’t known each other that long and Cosima deemed it out of proportion to take care of the blonde, even though it truly was her first instinct.

A loud grumble inside her stomach made her angry beyond comparison. Now was not the time to go hunting, Cosima only wanted to sleep the day away. It was true that being away from home caused her to have more intense needs. It also didn’t help that just moments ago she had felt a vibrant pulse and smelled the bittersweet red liquid of a living being.

The grumbling didn’t subside throughout the evening and after debating for an hour, Cosima decided to go out in search for something to ease her needs. Maybe it was a better decision to go back home earlier, for she had seen the best parts of Paris already. The need was getting out of control and Cosima really didn’t want to leave a trail of bodies. No, tonight was going to be the last night of hunting and tomorrow she would find a last minute flight back to San Francisco.
With that thought she stepped outside into the brisk air and let her feet guide her to an easy target somewhere in a back alley.

--

Delphine’s POV

“Merdé, merdé, merdé,” was the only mantra Delphine could repeat, her mind spinning. She had all but stormed out of Cosima’s room the moment their lips had lost contact. A fleeting moment had arisen in her head to take things further, but when she realised the notion a fear had gripped her heart, successfully making her break away.

The taxi drive home was silent and all possible effects of the wine had been stripped away, but her head wasn’t clear it all. Actually, she felt like she was more drunk than she had ever been after the moment the kiss ended. Hear head spinning and whirling.

Delphine stormed through her apartment door, all but throwing her bag to the other side of the room. Finally her mind could start to comprehend what’d just happened. It was replaying the kiss on and on, but it didn’t deliver any answer, it only complicated the situation more.

Delphine’s index and forefinger brushed over her slightly sore lips, the burning sensation of the kiss still vividly present.

If she told herself that she didn’t enjoy the locking of their lips it would have been a lie, the memory of the small woman’s taste still present on her tongue, a sweet flavor of red wine. Delphine was inhaling shallow breaths and her eyes couldn’t seem to focus, fear trying to claw its way to the surface, but Delphine tried hard not to surrender to it.

What had happened? How was she not informed about the brunette’s… preferences? Did Leekie know about this? Why didn’t he tell her if he did?

Bending down, Delphine took the bag from the floor to grab her phone. There was no text from the brunette and oddly enough this made her stomach drop ever so slightly. However, she would not dwell on her emotional responses for too long, she couldn’t trust them anyway. Emotion was a weakness, logic was wealth. This she had learned at the Academy, it almost was their slogan.

A quick message was send in a short expanse of time and now she could only wait for a reply from her boss, hoping he could give her some clarity on the matter.

With an exasperated sigh she dropped herself on the bed, pulling her shoes off. Throwing herself along the matrass, she started to loose sanity. Her shallow breathing wasn’t subsiding, if anything, it was becoming more rapid. She never had wanted something like this to happen, for Cosima to get the wrong idea about their… relationship?, it would thoroughly complicate her situation, her assignment, which was already build on lies and deceit. Even though most of the stories she had told Cosima were true, she withheld a prime peace of information from the cheeky girl.

The moment she had laid eyes on the girl with the askew glasses and brown dreadlocks, something had instantly clicked inside her. She linked it to be interest or fascination, for it was the first time she had met a vampire in the wild. Surely she hadn’t mixed it up with actual feelings, she was a professional. That she would let never happen, her career was the most important thing to her, she wouldn’t let a girl…a vampire even, intervene with her journey to success. Being a hunter, protecting mankind, was an honourable act and she was happy she was one of the chosen ones.

On the contrary, why had she been bluntly honest about her past with the girl, why had she told familial stories and shown her the parts of Paris that held meaning, true meaning, to Delphine? How could she let herself be blinded by the reliable smile of Cosima, which truly was just a mask, a fatigue to keep her guard up. To show people around her that she fit in, even though, she probably would rather bite their heads off.

Although, Cosima seemed different. She seemed genuinely interested in the world around her. And not in a ‘I want to eat everything and destroy humankind’-kind of way. No, more in a gentle, passive way, a manner of attitude which conveyed tenderness and a ‘I would love to meet everyone’-kind of interest. It seemed that she wasn’t happy with herself. It looked as if she did accept her fate, but wasn’t pleased with it.

However, Delphine shouldn’t forget about the scene she had witnessed with Cosima playing the lead. Her swift movements turning a strong man into a withering body, not able to comprehend what was happening to him. It was ironic that even moments before Cosima had arrived, he was throwing himself on some random girl, creeping up behind her and making her forcefully succumb to his wishes. If only he had known that a savage, hungry supernatural being was roaming the streets. Maybe he would have cut his losses and his life would have been spared. Alas, he was caught in the act by a girl with justice in her heart. Really, she did try to warn him, but with his monkey brain he hadn’t listened, dared her even to do something about it. Which she did, forcefully and methodologically, she let the man meet the end of his life.

Cosima had been trained, and only now Delphine realised the possible dangers of the vampire.

The reason DYAD was interested in the girl might have not been because of the girl, but because of her family and most importantly; their leader. It was no mystery that the girl had been trained well, not giving in to her needs instantly, being able to use her powers at her will, she even had a lot of control on her eye colour. That must have come from a thriving environment, with someone who knows how to rule and control as their leader.

Damn, the girl must have a strong soul, to be a vampire with that kind of control is admirable, nonetheless the girl was still a vampire. Still a thread to humankind, as she had shown when she fed on the man in the alley.

Big, brown eyes flooded into Delphine’s mind and a warm feeling settled inside her stomach. The searing kiss had stirred something inside Delphine that she had never felt before. A kind of hunger or lust that was completely new to her. Since Leekie’s encounters, Delphine had never really intervened with people on a romantic level anymore. She had never felt the urge to be close to someone, to put in effort for the other to be happy. She had not felt the attraction to people either, it had long been lost along the way of her life.

So when the longing to a certain dreadlocked girl appeared, she hadn’t been able to read it clearly. Or maybe she had, maybe she even send hints to Cosima, unconscious signals for the vampire senses to pick up on. However, she never intended for this fiasco to happen. Truly, she just wanted to keep tabs, get close, maybe even get friendly so they would stay in touch after she left Paris.

Delphine pulled herself up from her bed and walked over to the bathroom. Maybe a nice hot shower would wash away the burning inside her body. A feeling that has settled inside her since the kiss, maybe even before, and was very adamant in staying. The constant pressure was infuriating and she wanted it to leave her body as soon as possible. Maybe it would help her with trying to see things clearly.

Right when she wanted to step inside the shower, she heard her phone, indicating she received a new message.

“Very well Delphine, we will soon have a conversation and I will fill you in on the details. For now, try to keep Cosima on your good side. We will speak in the morning.” Aldous' formal response only aggravates Delphine more and she throws her phone on the bed, stepping inside the shower.

When she walked out again, her hair in a towel and one wrapped around her body, she grabs her phone again to answer Leekie.

With her phone still in her hand, she contemplates sending Cosima a quick text, telling her she is okay and that they will talk about it. After some time she decides against it. She will wait for Dr. Leekie’s adequate response, before she takes matters into her own hands.

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

Cosima stood in line, waiting to board her luggage. She had managed to redirect her old ticket three days prior to her actual departure, now she is leaving in the early morning. Last night, it had taken her a few calls, but in the end the phone receptionist had helped her with not too much questioning. After she had made the arrangements she had gone out, the rejection of Delphine still fresh and her need insatiable. At first the vampire had walked around aimlessly, not really registering her surroundings until a soft screech had caught her attention. It was a kitten, beaten and battered, calling for his mum who supposedly had left it behind to die. It wasn’t much, but Cosima just needed something to get her through the flight and with that thought she had sucked the kitten’s blood.

Here she was now, sitting in the fourth row of a very busy airplane, trying to distract her mind.

The night before was still fresh in Cosima’s mind and she couldn’t believe that she had been so stupid to just go for it. Even though, Cosima was known for her boldness, she tried not to put anyone in a uncomfortable position. Cosima was a brave person, she knew that, but she could sometimes be too blunt and upfront. Right now it caused her to lose a possible pretty friendship, just because she couldn’t control her impulses.

God damn it, but she was so sure that the blonde was reciprocating her interests. It had seemed Delphine was also emitting signals for Cosima to pick up on, and Cosima did. However, maybe it had been imaginary signals, signs that only Cosima picked up on, because they truly weren’t there. The blonde had made it clear after the kiss that she didn’t expect it to happen. With her mind railing she had went for the sweet lips of the French, effectively catching her off-guard. It was very clear that the blonde didn’t expect Cosima’s lips on hers. Her whole demeanour was stoic and rigid at first. However, Cosima could’ve sworn that after some time the blonde was going along with the kiss. Even moving in sync with her to the sweet movements of their lips colliding. Her motions became softer and the blonde’s lips moved tenderly against Cosima’s, which caused the brunette to become more eager.

The memory of Delphine shot a pang through Cosima’s heart and she was puzzled at how this woman could already have this kind of effect on her. With her beautiful blonde curls cascading down. Those hazel eyes that seemed to look into your soul, always wondering. The enormous maze that was the blonde’s mind didn’t help Cosima either. She couldn’t read the blonde, hadn’t been able to from the start. Whenever she thought she knew Delphine’s next move the blonde had moved in another direction. It fascinated Cosima beyond compare and she knew that she liked the chase, the chase of pursuing the French.

They had seen the Eiffel tower and Cosima had taken that as a hint of romance, but nothing happened at that moment. Delphine and Cosima both being too captivated by the statue. Then at her apartment she truly believed Delphine was stalling her departure, lingering by the door and looking intently into her eyes. However, apparently not, apparently she really was just misinterpreting her eyes and demeanour, the subtle cues were no cues at all.

Cosima threw her head back against the seat, not wanting to think about the blonde anymore. She hadn’t heard anything from Delphine since the night before and she was seriously doubting if she would ever speak to her again. The though alone makes Cosima’s stomach drop.

The light above Cosima’s head signalled for the seatbelts to be fastened and Cosima complied. Her head moving around the plane for a second to check her surroundings. It was an automatic response, she was conditioned to think forward and scan the area for possible threats and exits if need be. Mrs. S. had taught her this, when she was a young vampire the woman had taken care of Cosima.

--

Freshly kicked out of an orphanage, Cosima had roamed the streets in search of her place in the world. It had been weeks, even months since she had conversed in a normal way with a human being. Her needs where present, but she hadn’t known back then how to satiate it. The thought of killing animals was too gruesome for her then and killing a person was definitely on the bottom of her list.

So, she gently roamed around the city, trying to live off of stolen money and cheap sandwiches, when a woman with dark hair and intense blue eyes approached her in a deserted alley. The smell of blood was eerily present and Cosima almost couldn’t stop herself from attacking the woman, having never experienced this kind of intensity from the smell of blood. She hadn’t ever been close to blood, only feeling it vaguely present in living humans, their pulse thumping softly for Cosima’s ears to hear.

“Hello there chicken, what are you doing here all by yourself?” the dark-haired lady had asked, her hands in the pocket of her leather brown jacket. Cosima had eyed her suspiciously, not thrusting the woman at all. “Why do you care?” she had countered.

“Oh love, I care a great deal. I could use somebody like you and I know what you want,” the woman had stated firmly, her intention clear. Cosima tried to walk away from her, not wanting to engage with a stranger.

“I wouldn’t walk away from me Cosima. You won’t survive out here on your own, not without the right…guidance,” Cosima had stopped dead in her tracks when she’d heard her name. A flame inside her stomach ignited and anger overwhelmed her. “Get the fuck away from me, you don’t know shit about me and I surely don’t need you,” to add more strength to her words she’d turned around to the woman and pointed a finger in her direction. The woman didn’t waver and her eyes didn’t show any sign of empathy. A small part of Cosima feared the woman, it was like a dominance was radiating from her and Cosima felt like she couldn’t escape the woman even if she wanted to.

She slowly started to take her hands out of her pockets and what she was holding shook Cosima to the core. There, in the woman’s hands, was a bag of blood. The smell reached Cosima’s nose again and all of a sudden it was all she could see. Everything around her ceased to exist and her eyes could only look at the fluid red substance. Without her consent two teeth started to unsheathe in her mouth and a uncontrollable low growl emanated from her throat.

“See, I might know more about you than you think Cosima…” the woman’s voice came from a distance, barely audible. “But I understand your precautionary stance towards me, that’s good. My name is Siobhan Sadler, but you can call me Mrs. S.” the woman stepped closer towards the young Cosima, whose sharp teeth were still extracted from her mouth.

“Now I’ll strike you a deal how about that? If you help me, I will help you,” the simple statement held so much more intensity than Cosima could comprehend at the time, but right there her focus was still on the bag of blood. Even though she was trying to get her sane side of mind back, she couldn’t. Her savage side was getting control over her. In an instant she lunged forward, intending to grab the bag and suck it dry.

She wasn’t fast enough though, or maybe it was the woman who was extraordinarily quick. Because when Cosima tried to grab the bag, she was met with the ground instead. Blinking a few times, she tried to register what’d just happened. The woman stood a few meters away, the bag still in her hand. Mrs. S, as she called herself, had stepped aside and pushed the young vampire in a swift motion to meet with the ground. Cosima tried to stand and brushed off her already dirty clothes.

“What the f…” Cosima let out under her breath. Her eyes met the woman’s eyes and there was a hint of amusement in them. “See Cosima, I am like you,” and the words hit home. All of a sudden all air was sucked from Cosima’s lungs. Her mind went blank and her mouth fell open with this revelation. It was not Cosima’s speed that had failed her when she’d lunged for the blood. No, it was the fact that the woman herself probably has the extraordinary speed too. The woman knows Cosima’s weakness for blood and maybe their nature was alike. Her eyes roamed the face of the woman, trying to receive a bit of clarity, but nothing was to be read from the woman. She was stoic and indecipherable, her motives for this meeting still unclear.

“Please, let me help you chicken. I will hand over the blood if you join me on my way to my home. I will let you meet with everyone and tell you why I want you on my team,” the woman walked closer to Cosima. “If you still want to leave, then by all means, you can leave. But remember that you are not safe on your own,” The woman ended with a stern look on her face.

Cosima cleared her throat before answering. “So if I get this right… you are like me? And you want me to go with you, a complete stranger might I say, and become part of this team you’re talking about… just for a bag of blood?” Cosima said incredulously. Unbelievable, this woman.

A light chuckle came from the woman, her lips turning into a smile for the first time. It gave her a soft expression, almost maternal. “Cosima, I want to protect you and you would be a great asset to my team, we are like a family,” it was the only clarification the woman gave.

Cosima had been on her own for so long that she didn’t really know what the etiquette was in this kind of situation. Something along the lines of ‘never go with a stranger’, but in Cosima’s world everyone was a stranger. She would never trust anyone, but the woman seemed sincere and there was no pressure. She could leave whenever she wanted, and maybe, just maybe, she could find more people like her. Because, that was what sounded alluring to Cosima, the notion that there are more of her and the possibility of meeting them ignited inside Cosima a longing she had never felt. What if she could get a…family? People who understood her needs and feelings.

So Cosima went along with Mrs. S., and after months Mrs. S. had gained Cosima’s trust enough for Cosima to enter the team. Eventually a bond for life was forged between the two and Cosima truly saw the woman as her mentor. The other teammates became siblings to her and after some time they all fell into a familial routine.

--

The distinct smell of old blood reached Cosima’s nostrils, and her eyes shot open. She had been gently dozing off, hoping to sleep throughout most of the flight, but now she was wide awake. She looked around, trying to discern where the smell was coming from. It was a soft smell, barely present, but enough for Cosima’s mind to work overtime. The sensory overload caused her to shift in her seat and she bumped the man next to hear, who looked annoyed at her being antsy.

She gave him a weak apology and turned away from him. Trying to get comfortable again she willed her mind to go to sleep, but it was not working. Maybe for an outsider she would have seemed to be asleep peacefully. However, if you looked closer you could see the quick and short breaths she was taking. Her body fully active and not giving in to the sweet slumber she wished she could fall into.

A soft crying could be heard from behind Cosima and it sounded like a hammer pounding in her brain. The cries growing louder with every minute, causes Cosima’s ears to hurt like hell. The super hearing being fully active and taking in all sounds that are around.

After some more shifting, her body almost in a panic state, she bolts to the toilet. She roughly crashes into someone in a black suit and he looks at her apologetically. “I’m so sor… your eyes?” but Cosima was already pushing through on her mission for the bathroom stalls. By now her eyes must be flaring red, indicating her hunger. The only thing she needed to do was to calm down, to not create a fuzz and to keep everyone’s attention away from her. She had been trained for moments like this, the moments where her need would seem unmanageable. Mrs. S. had taught them all how to deal with it and what to do in order to prevent it getting out of control.
Once inside the stall, she took in deep, calming breaths trying to steady herself. She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes indeed a deep shade of red. “C’mon Cosima, you trained for this. Fucking act like it,” she muttered to herself.

She stayed for another ten minutes before exiting again. Luckily no one had disturbed her during her episode or this could have ended very differently. She had gained control on her breathing and partly on her eye colour, now an auburn shade. The colour wouldn’t attract as much attention as the flaring red, but still she kept her head down while walking to her seat. The soft crying had ceased to small whimpers and Cosima thanked the lord for the quietness.
God, this was going to be a long flight.

--

Delphine’s POV

Delphine was sitting in the same office she had visited a few days before, with the sun shining bright illuminating her city with its vibrant colours. Leekie was keeping her waiting again, but this time Delphine was more annoyed by his lack of punctuality. A full ten minutes passed before he entered with a broad smile on his face, wearing a blue suit that accentuated his shoulders, making him appear to be stronger. He walked straight to his chair and Delphine waited for him to organise himself. He shoved a few papers away from the table and clasped his hands together. For the first time since he came in he looks at Delphine, an amused expression on his face. It almost seemed like he was mocking her somehow.

“Good afternoon Delphine, how are you?” he asked in his typical authoritarian voice. The amusement in his eyes never falters and it annoys Delphine beyond compare.
She crosses her legs and answers his question with a tight lipped smile. “I’m confused Dr. Leekie, as you might expect,” she leans back into her chair. “I hadn’t expected Cosima to be… prone to women,” she lets out, her heart racing against her ribcage. The memory of the kiss is still very vivid and every time she thinks about it her heartrate picks up. The nerves that accompany her racing heart not settling one bit, not even when Delphine tries hard to push them down.

“Oh well, my apologies Delphine, it must have slipped my mind,” Aldous retorts, no sign of sincerity whatsoever. “I can assure you that it was not my intention to make you feel uncomfortable. I just thought it would be more… what’s the word… natural,” Aldous remarks, his hand loosely waving in the air while he speaks. “You see, if I had told you upfront of her preferences then you might have instigated it too much. That would have possibly blown your cover and right now you are the only opening we have,” Aldous remarks.

Delphine’s realisation to this new information wasn’t new. She knew that she was in the best position to get close to the vampire. Cosima had been very welcoming and it had been easy for Delphine to get close to her as a friend. Or at least, that were Delphine’s intentions, but now she knew DYAD had completely different plans with her.

“Why Aldous? Why didn’t you just tell me? I would have been able to control the situation. Now I ran out of her hotel room, because I didn’t know that was going to happen!” Delphine was already getting frustrated with the conversation. She felt like she failed her Master and suddenly an ice cold fear gripped her heart. What if she had disproven her abilities by storming out of the apartment? Could Leekie forgive her for her rookie mistake. She should have just stayed or at least she should have left with a more appropriate goodbye than slamming the door in Cosima’s face.

“… Delphine…?” the low voice of Aldous barely reaches Delphine’s ears, her fear getting the better hand of her. “…Sorry?” she muttered aloud. Leekie gave her an honest understanding smile. “Delphine, I am sorry you felt out of place. However, you must understand the importance of this mission. If we had told you beforehand we could have jeopardized the whole situation,” Leekie leisurely leaned back in his chair.

“If you must know Delphine,” his eyes focused more deliberately on Delphine. “You keeping tabs on Cosima is only the tip of the iceberg of our mission. It goes way deeper than what you have read in those files and I would love to indulge you, but you will have to go back in the field,” Leekie stated firmly. The prospect of facing Cosima again caused both joy and fear in Delphine’s body. A strange combination that leaves her sizzling in her seat, unsure of how to act. “Go after her, get close to her in ways you seem fit. You might have to do things that feel… uncomfortable, but those are the most important moments. We need you to gain Cosima’s trust and after that we can continue with our plan,” he ended his monologue and Delphine sat there, contemplating his words.

She wouldn’t throw away her opportunity just because she was shy, that wasn’t even true. She had shared her body with multiple people, with one’s she disliked and one’s she liked just for one night. It hadn’t been a problem then, why should it be a problem now?

She was scared Cosima was going to get too close. Delphine had already shared stories about her youth she hadn’t told anyone else. However, Cosima felt natural and reliable, like a person one can count on in times of need. The problem was Delphine’s reaction to Cosima, she didn’t trust herself around her. The moment she is with Cosima she forgets she is dealing with a highly dangerous animal, a vampire who sucks people’s blood for fun and food.

“What plan are you talking about?” Delphine asked after she reorganised her thoughts. The question seemed to make Aldous Leekie happy, his smile growing ever so slightly and his posture changing. His hands unclasp and he sits more upright. Only now he remembers the files on his desk and he reorganises them in front of Delphine, who takes one look and knows enough.

The pictures in front of her are gruesome to say the least. Aldous put three pictures out of a thick file on the desk for Delphine to observe. They were police photo’s of two men and one woman. The woman, probably around 40, looked as if a bear had attacked her. There were deep cuts in her stomach, her own blood staining her shirt. Her eyes are lulled back into her sockets and it all too much resembles the eyes of her own mother when she nearly overdosed. When Delphine takes the picture in her hand to scan it further, she notices two small holes inside the neck of the woman. Clearly indicating that this wasn’t the work of some rabid bear, rather something with a more supernatural nature.

When she looked at the other pictures it was clear that a same kind of beast had attacked the two other men. They looked equally dishevelled, their clothes torn away from their bodies and deep gashes across their torso. Both men had the same puncture wounds in the neck, only reinforcing Delphine’s first suspicion about the attacker. A vampire created these wounds, and an out of control one at that, because these wounds looked to be created out of anger and pure insanity. Nothing like Cosima’s kill… wait? Was this Cosima’s work?

“Is this… Cosima’s doing?” Delphine asked hesitantly. Aldous snickers and furiously shakes his head. “No! No Cosima and her family are far more discrete. This one, or well these ones actually, are from a different family we like to call the Castor vampires and as you can see they are unfamiliar with subtlety,” Delphine feels relieved at hearing it wasn’t Cosima’s work, but the sound of this new tribe turns Delphine’s blood cold, especially when she looks at the defeated face of Leekie. “We have been trying to get to this tribe by force, manipulation we even tried to bargain, but they seem to slip through our fingers every time,” Aldous breathes out an exasperated sigh.

“We started to take things in our own hand, we managed to set up a lab with bright minds at work,” a hint of pride in his eyes. “You see, if we can’t take them down externally, we want to try it internally,” He continues. It stays silent for a bit and Delphine is unsure if she should ask for more information. However, Aldous is already taking the lead in the conversation before she can open her mouth.

“Delphine, we are trying to create a venom, a virus that will take out vampires. We need Cosima and possibly her family to extract enough vampire venom from their teeth, and hair samples and the ordinary, and with that we will be able to create a virus that will kill the Castor tribe,” his eyes are boring into Delphine’s, a determined look in his unwavering gaze.

“Alright… how does it work? What is my place in all this?” Delphine asks carefully. A growing discomfort is settling in her stomach like a bleak omen for the future. Something about Dr. Leekie’s eyes tells her he isn’t sharing every detail and it unsettles Delphine. She shifts in her seat nervously.

“Do you think you can get close enough to extract samples from Cosima?” He inquires, his gaze still not faltering.

How on earth would she have to do that, it is not like she can just ask casually and she definitely can’t randomly get the venom without being invasive. However, she couldn’t let this opportunity slide, she could figure something out the get the venom of Cosima, she just had to be able to give Dr. Leekie what he wants. The hair samples and such wouldn’t be a problem, but Delphine should be very discrete in extracting the drops of venom from the delicate vampire.

“Of course we would provide you with the necessary tools,” Aldous adds, seeing Delphine’s uncertainty.

Delphine averts her gaze, instead choosing to look out the window at Paris, the city she had been exploring all over with a cheeky dreadlocked girl next to her, which made her experience Paris again. If she could see Cosima again she was sure the spectacled girl would welcome her with open arms. Cosima had made her intentions very clear the night before. Maybe she could play into that, maybe if she could gain Cosima’s trust to eventually be able to get her venom from her teeth. Delphine was painfully aware that she would have to get the girl to sleep and she could only hope that would happen sooner rather than later.

The prospect of having to meet up with Cosima doesn’t sting Delphine at all. Instead, it actually makes her heart flutter with excitement.

Delphine’s gaze fixes on Aldous again, looking at him with a daring expression. “I will manage,” is all she says, but it conveys the message of her certainty. Aldous lips curl upwards and he leans back comfortably in his chair again. “My Prodigy, I knew I didn’t make a mistake when I let you in, now try to get back with Cosima and I will provide you later today with the necessary equipment; syringes, cool boxes, sucking tubes that sort of thing,” he waves his right hand in a circle along the list. “I want you to get back with me with every update, and your previous task of keeping tabs should still be a priority as well.”

And just like that, the conversation is done for. He rolls his chair back and gets up, Delphine following suit. He walks her to the door with his hand on her lower back and Delphine can feel it unnervingly burning. She wishes he would not be this predatory, always when they are in public he makes sure to silently be dominant over her. His hand on her lower back or her shoulder just like this instant. It conveyed a message to other people that he was the one in charge, he was superior over Delphine and she was just a lost puppy following in his tracks. It angered Delphine to feel hopeless, but she had to play along with Dr. Leekie in order for her career to blossom.

Delphine gets home and with a sigh she crashes on the bed of her apartment. She had given herself the day off after her meeting with Leekie, roaming around Paris and enjoying the safe feeling it always gives her. The moment the sun was setting she had decided to go home and enjoy the sweet taste of red wine before she would contact Cosima again.

The whole afternoon she had been contemplating about her game strategy, trying to come up with ideas to get Cosima’s venom. Every time she thought she had a solid non-sexual plan, it would blow up in her face. There was no other option than to spend the night with Cosima, because she really needed the vampire to be sleeping in order to extract venom from the girl. She hoped she could get it over with tonight, she would meet up with Cosima, they would have a chat, some wine to ease the nerves and then it would happen. Secondly, Delphine would just have to wait for the vampire to sleep and done was the deed.

The notion felt wrong in Delphine’s gut, it didn’t sit right at all with the empathetic part of herself. She wished upon a different possibility to extract the venom, but there was really no different road she could take. It had to be invasive and secretive. To bed with Cosima caused immense fright in Delphine’s gut and the feeling had made itself comfortable inside of her since her meeting with Leekie. She would have to share herself with a vampire, a cheeky, pretty but deadly vampire. A person that seemed to be more human than most people Delphine knew, but she could not let herself forget the true nature of Cosima. Luckily, she had the memory of the man’s attack by Cosima in the alley to freshen up her memory whenever it wandered off its tracks. Whenever it would deem Cosima a tentative person, instead of a filthy vampire.

In order for her to succeed she would have to push down any doubts. She would have to crush her negative opinions about vampires, because Delphine is sure that Cosima would notice if Delphine was even a little adamant. No, Delphine needed a real plan, a plan with no loose ends and a mindset that would focus on the positive sides of the cheery girl.

Her first order of business would be to contact Cosima again, gauge her reaction to meeting up again. Then she would have to show Cosima that she really wants to try this, to give the quirky woman a chance, and then they would get closer. Delphine was certain the vampire would have no obligations in restoring the contact, the intentions of Cosima were clear as night and day. However, Delphine would have to be sure not to be a one-time fling, Leekie would most likely want more rounds of venom to be extracted.

But why does Delphine feel like she is making a huge mistake? It is like she is going into a lion’s den, but without a shotgun to protect herself. She was trained to kill vampires, not to sleep with them. Even the notion of ‘sleeping with a vampire’ doesn’t even shake Delphine that much, it is more that she had envisioned her first hunt very differently. She doesn’t want to lie to Cosima, nor is she able to.

She had tried to tell lies multiple times, tried to make up stories about her past, but every time she bended to tell truths instead. She couldn’t bring herself to lie, not when she looked into the deep brown eyes of the vampire, with those inquisitive looks they gave her. The familiarity and trust that was embedded in those little orbs behind the large glasses gave Delphine’s heart flutters. For the first time she felt like someone truly understood her, understood her past without even knowing the dirty details. Someone that waits for her to explain herself instead of pushing through. No, Cosima had been patient with every story, had listened with her full attention. There was no hint in sight that the small vampire was not interested. The thought of the little vampire, strolling next to Delphine along Parisian streets, makes the blonde’s heart swell again.

That happened a lot lately, the flutters and the turmoil in her stomach was a feeling that had settled inside of her without any intention of leaving anytime soon. More often than not, she caught herself smiling by just thinking about the sneaky grin the brunette wore so often.

Delphine gets her laptop to check on Cosima’s location, the phone still being followed by Delphine’s mediocre hacking skills. However, when she scans Paris for the blinking dot, it is nowhere in sight. She checks again, and again, but there is truly no sign of the little blip that indicates Cosima’s place. A dreadful feeling washes over Delphine and quickly she zooms out finding Cosima’s phone somewhere on the west side of America.

“Merdé,” she breathes out and slaps the laptop shut not caring if it breaks. She is quick to retrieve her phone and debates whether to text or call Dr. Leekie.
The phone rings a few times before a pleased voice answers. “Good evening Delphine, to what do I owe the pleasure?” the deep voice of Aldous asks. “Dr. Leekie we have a problem. Cosima has gone back to America, what should my next move be?” Delphine’s accent is more protruding, because of her nerves. “Well, this indeed causes for trouble,” it remains silent on the other side of the phone for a long time. “We will return in two days to go back to San Francisco, after that you wait for two more days and then you will get back in contact with her again,” Delphine starts to pace around trying to alleviate some of her anxieties.

“But won’t she be suspicious of my sudden arrival?” Delphine retorts, her voice a bit higher due to stress. “She might, but have you told her about where you study Immunology?” he asks. “Non, non, I haven’t, she only told me she was studying in San Francisco, but I never responded to that,” Delphine sits back down on the couch again, not liking the oncoming plan at all. The vampire is a trained person, someone who is meant to detect deceit and now Aldous wants her to deceive the girl in the worst way possible? It would be impossible…almost

Unless… she transferred. She could tell Cosima she transferred after her last year, because she got the opportunity to study and work on her experimental studies, a dual study program. It would be a long shot, but if Delphine was right about Cosima’s weakness for her, she might be able to get the benefit of the doubt from the dreadlocked girl.

It was worth a try, because they really had no other plan.

“I think I can manage an excuse for my staying in San Francisco,” Delphine managed to say. “I would need a venue though, with a lab that I could bring her too, to prove my point,” Delphine worried her bottom lip in between her teeth and let out a sigh. “I hope she likes me enough to believe me,” she whispers, almost forgetting the man on the other line if he hadn’t snickered.

“Does she like you?” he asks amused. “Non! Non, I didn’t mean it like that, I didn’t mean to come off arrogant,” Delphine excuses herself which only causes her boss to laugh on the other end. “It’s okay Delphine, we are all compelled by vampires, that is why we chose this job, just don’t forget what she is capable of,” he adds at last.

They share a few pleasantries before Delphine hangs up the phone. She would have to change her whole game plan now, leaving the safeties of her city to go after a vampire. Not to forget she would have to gain the trust of said-vampire to get close, but she would also have to gain intel on her family. With every thought Delphine has about this plan, she finds herself trapped in a web of lies more and more. She had hoped she would just have to extract the venom a few times so she can bolt without them realising her deception. She wouldn’t want to wait around for Cosima to find out it was all a lie, especially when her interest seems so genuine and honest. A guilt has already settled in her heart for the upcoming lies she would have to tell the cheeky girl.

Without further thought, she impulsively orders two plane tickets for her and Aldous. She should stop dwelling on the repercussions and instead she should start to focus on the possibilities. If she manages to pull this stunt off, everyone in the hunter community would think highly of her. That was the only reason for this, to get higher in her ranks. She wouldn’t let a vampire snatch that away from her, even if said-vampire is still so enchanting and mesmerizing. Delphine would not change her mindset for a person who kills in the night. Not when she is this close to achieving her goals.

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

“So, where is the Frenchie?” Felix’s voice quips knowingly and he grabs the handlebar of Cosima’s suitcase. “God, Sarah, I though this was to be kept between us,” Cosima breathes out annoyed. She watches Felix doing his signature runway walk with her suitcase at his side, causing some heads to turn his way. Most likely because he is the personification of femininity, but also because people disapprove and are ignorant. Cosima shot them ugly looks, but they were all too captivated by her eccentric brother.

“Yeah, well, I’m sorry Cos, you were on speaker everyone heard you,” Sarah mutters annoyed. She is walking a bit behind Cosima and Felix so people can pass by the trio.

“Hey! You haven’t answered me, did the Frenchie steal your heart? Is it now in Paris with her, because you look sulky,” Cosima smacked Felix harsh on the arm and with a mocked hurt expression he pushes her back, causing her to stumble a bit. “Fuck off Felix, I’m jetlagged, let me have a decent coffee first,” and with that Cosima resolutely walks on, intending to get her coffee as soon as possible. Somewhere behind her she hears the muffled snickers of her siblings.

She finds a little coffee shop along the street, it is busy with people and Cosima can’t stop herself from licking her lips. Felix notices this and nudges her a bit, causing her to shift her gaze from the people to her brother. “What?” she asks, even though she is fully aware of the answer.

“I saw what you did Cosima and don’t even think about it. We have enough supplies back at home so reign yourself in,” Felix says sternly not letting Cosima off the hook.

“Yeah, yeah, I just want some coffee, I know how to control myself,” Cosima mutters annoyed. Maybe it had been a mistake to go back home, because she all but forcefully remembers why she left. She gets in line for a coffee, the bitter smell reaching her nostrils and stimulating her appetite.

“Are you sure about that Cos? Because to me it feels like you are ready to throw yourself on those people, maybe it’s best we go home yeah?” Sarah interjects, trying to reason with Cosima. However, Cosima doesn’t want to hear it, not after the night and flight she just had. She truly just wanted some coffee to wake her brain and in order for her mood to improve. She really just wanted some of the dark liquid in her mouth, she could handle herself enough not to attack the innocent people. But Cosima also wasn’t up for an argument and definitely didn’t want to discuss her case or prove her point, her energy levels were drastically low for that. Besides, the angrier she got the lesser she would have a grip on her savage nature, so it was for every one’s benefit if she accepted her defeat and moved on from it.

“Fine! Then hurry your asses and bring me home, jeez,” Cosima breathes out exasperated, not being able to hide her annoyance.

Felix is taken a bit aback with the exclamation. “Wow, that Frenchie really did a number on you didn’t she?” after registering Felix’s words, Cosima reaches her breaking point. Her anger takes over her and her sight is zooming in to a specific focal point, her brother. She balls her hands into fists and her knuckles are becoming white by the pressure. Cosima’s senses become extra strong and she hears and smells her surroundings intensely. She is ready to swing an arm at Felix when a strong grip catches a hold of her arm. Shocked, Cosima looks to her right and is faced with the piercing blue eyes of Mrs. S.

“Lets get in the car, shall we?” she asks with a fake smile. Cosima reluctantly walks next to her, her arm still held by Mrs. S. Felix and Sarah follow quickly without a word, they know better. Mrs. S. roughly pushes Cosima inside the black SUV and goes around to sit herself on the driver’s side. Felix puts the suitcase in the trunk and then proceeds to go in the back next to Sarah. Everyone remains silent while Mrs. S. drives off, and it stays like that for a long time. Cosima has her arm propped up on the door and is looking outside at the passing nature.

If Felix knows, it is only wisely to assume Mrs. S. also knows about Delphine, which isn’t a problem in itself, but Cosima is just waiting to be lectured. With every minute that passes silently, Cosima grows more antsy and soon she knows she will break. She can’t handle this kind of tension very well and Mrs. S. damn well knows it and makes great use of it. For example right now, Mrs. S. is driving expertly along the high way, her gaze fixated on the cars in front of her. She hasn’t spared Cosima another look since they entered the car and she definitely hasn’t attempted to strike up a conversation. In the back, Felix and Sarah have grown silent as well, knowing full well that Cosima is going to be criticized. Even though, Cosima hadn’t necessarily done anything, she has jeopardized her position. For starters she ran off without so much as an explanation and secondly she has encountered another person who she didn’t really know. Someone who could be a vampire killer or serial killer or both, and she had let her guard down.

But Delphine seemed harmless, the memory of blonde curls involuntarily puts a smile on Cosima’s face.

“And what are you smiling about?” Mrs. S. finally spoke, startling Cosima from her thoughts. This was going to be the lecture and Cosima had hoped she could have possibly escaped it. But no, of course not, Mrs. S. wasn’t someone who would forget easily let alone forgive.

With a deep sigh Cosima answers Mrs. S. “I was just thinking about…” Cosima trails off, she didn’t want to be honest about her smile. She knew it would complicate things a whole lot more if she came clean about her infatuation with Delphine. Mrs. S. wouldn’t trust Cosima’s judgement and that was something she really didn’t want to lose.

“I was just thinking about my trip, about the Eiffel tower and stuff,” she settled on a half lie. Mrs. S. her gaze shot quickly to Cosima and back on the road again. However, in that split second Cosima could see Mrs. S. not buying one bit of her bullshit. Mrs. S. was trained and probably knows when someone is lying from miles ahead.

“Cosima, it came to my attention that you met somebody and became… awfully close with her,” the way Mrs. S. says it causes a chill to run up Cosima’s spine. “I mean… I wouldn’t say close, we only talked for a few days. She showed me around Paris, she was a local,” Cosima retorts. Her hands are becoming clammy and she tries to stop herself from fidgeting with them, for it will be a clear indication of her unrest and Mrs. S. would notice.

“Hmm, Cosima you know what the rules are, I have let you take this holiday so you could reinvent yourself. I know you needed it,” Mrs. S. breathes out, her hands gripping the steering wheel a bit harder. “But you must understand the danger you could have put yourself and us in,” She continues, her tone ominously stoic.

“Jeez S. don’t worry, nothing happened and I haven’t told her anything about my… peculiar nature,” Cosima interjects. “She just invited me along and I went with her, because I wanted to see the city,” Mrs. S. throws another incredulous look Cosima’s way and Cosima knows she won’t be able to say anything to steer this situation into better water.

“For the love of God, Cosima I raised you better than this. All the training I gave you, for you just to throw it in the wind when a pretty girl walks along!” Mrs. S. has lost her patience and Cosima is temporarily frozen in place.

“I didn’t throw away shit! Every time I payed attention to my surroundings and I scanned the proximity whenever I made a kill,” Cosima throws back, fighting fire with fire. “I just went away for a few days, no one knew I was on this trip, so no one could have known I was there, which means Delphine didn’t know anything about me either!”

“Cosima! For the love of god, get your head out of your arse!” Siobhan exclaims, but it is ineffective. “No! Why would I? Why can Felix go and shag every bimbo he wants, but when I do it, it is this big deal!” Cosima counters roughly.

“Hey, leave me out of this! I’m not the one who has fallen head over heels over some French girl,” Felix interjects, coming out of his seat to be able to look at Cosima angrily. Sarah remains quiet in the back, but Cosima is sure she is just as eager to speak her mind, instead she wisely holds her tongue in fear of Siobhan’s reaction. Cosima should follow her example, but instead she chooses to fuel her fire inside.

“I haven’t fallen for Delphine! Jeez Felix! Great way of throwing me under the bus,” Cosima mutters annoyed, and she throws him an ugly look through the rear-view mirror. “Well, I am sorry, but I didn’t start this whole mess now, did I?” Felix isn’t deterred by Cosima at all and by now she is ready to climb to the back and give him a piece of her mind.

“Felix! Cosima! Shut your gobs,” Mrs. S. intervenes the quarrel, her voice loud and stern like she is scolding two small children and in a sense she is. “Cosima don’t pull your brother in this if it’s your mistake, you went away, you intermingled with a stranger,” Mr. S. looks accusingly towards Cosima before her eyes return to the road again. “You disregarded our most important rules and now you are done for, you will live off animal blood the next few days, because you couldn’t behave and I will deal with a more firm punishment later,” the notion of having to drink animal blood takes away all the fuel left in Cosima’s fit. Animal doesn’t satiate the thirst and Mrs. S. knows it will leave Cosima weak, which also means she can’t conduct any missions or attacks. This realisation makes Cosima’s shoulders deflate and she turns her head out the window again, annoyed.

After a few hours they reach their destination, a big house in the middle of nowhere, which is safe from prying eyes, but close enough to the city for supplies. Cosima gets out the car and regards the house, with the pebbled driveway. The driveway leads to the front door made of hard wood.

“And don’t think for a second I’m going to roll down that trolley of yours all the way inside,” Felix quips, pushing the handle of the suitcase in Cosima’s hands and briskly walking to the door. With her head bowed down, Cosima starts to move for the door, but a hand on her shoulder makes her stop in her tracks. It is Mrs. S. looking at her intently.

“I hope you know I do this for our benefit, love,” she inquires softly, almost warmly. Cosima looks at her for a moment, trying to see if there is any hostility, but she finds none. The only emotion behind the woman’s eyes is concern, a concern a mother would have for her daughter who wants to date a bad boy. “I just want what is best for the family and you running off has put eyes on us,” Siobhan continues.

“Eyes? What do you mean?” Cosima asks incredulous, she thought she had been extremely careful. She had used a different last name on her passport and at the hotel she used that same name. besides Delphine, she hadn’t encountered any one else who struck her as peculiar or noteworthy.

Siobhan seems to realise her slip up, but does nothing to hide it. “Cosima we are in danger, we have been for a fairly long time now, people are after us,” she informs Cosima. “We are safe here, no one knows we live here, but my contacts have been warning me that people are asking questions about our family,”

Cosima is at a loss for words, the wind softly blowing by the only sound around. How could this be possible? They had been living inside the walls of the house for ages without problems, what changed? Was it Cosima’s fault? Had she attracted people with her little getaway? The questions come flooding in and Cosima’s growing restless with guilt. Her eyes are darting around the forest as if one of those prying people would be standing somewhere between the bushes.

“Cosima, do you understand the seriousness of the situation we’re in? We have to lay low for a while, our hunting trips will be scarce and possibly ineffective and you will be excluded from the trips for now,” Mrs. S. squeezes Cosima’s shoulder gently before continuing. “People may have seen you in Paris, or perhaps during your flight. Your face is possibly known and I want to keep you safe, which means you need to lay low most,” the tone of Siobhan leaves no room for discussion and Cosima knows better than to attack her on the matter.

For all Cosima knows, someone might actually know her true nature which means she has jeopardized not only her own safety, but also that of her family. The guilt inside her intensified and for a second she was ready to cry, the emotions of fear becoming too much, but she wouldn’t break down in front of Mrs. S. she wouldn’t show weakness. So instead, Siobhan was met with a secure stare of Cosima, no sign of her inner turmoil on her features. Cosima was trained for this, and maybe if Siobhan looked close enough she would see the tiny cracks in Cosima’s confidence, but before that could happen she walked to the door, suitcase following close behind.

--

It had been two days, two excruciating days of living off of animal blood. Cosima probably has never felt her thirst this strong, the trip home having tired her out completely. The need to satiate herself with fresh blood was becoming unbearable and with every passing hour she was growing more restless.

Worst of all was that she had nothing to do in the house, there were no distractions and Cosima could only focus for a certain amount of time, which means reading was out of the question. Moreover, Felix and Sarah were out of the house most of the times to hunt, they had to hunt in a different city in order to stay in the blind. It meant that their trips took longer.

Tired, Cosima flopped down on her bed, but soon enough her restlessness made her get up again to walk downstairs. She had had clear orders from Mrs. S. which meant she was to remain on the property at all costs. Cosima had never been more happy for the large garden, because it meant she could at least go outside to breath in the fresh air, which she did at the very moment, walking through the back door.

The temperature was pleasant and Cosima took out one of her weed sticks to smoke on the back porch. It was truly the only thing that had been keeping her sane the past few days, her pod. She would wait for everyone to leave the house, Mrs. S accompanied Sarah and Felix on their hunts, and she would walk downstairs with her pod and a lighter in her pocket. Even though Felix and Cosima had had a quarrel, they were back on good terms. Felix had provided her the pod and every time he came back home from a hunt he would bring Cosima a bag of it, in secret of course. Mrs. S knew about Cosima’s liking for the narcotics, but she wasn’t happy about it nor did she want to be confronted with it. So, Cosima would wait for everyone to leave the house until she lights up.

The hunts had been time consuming for the trio and they were not effective enough, meaning they couldn’t get their hands on the right amount of blood for all of them. The hunting system of Mrs. S was to drain, but not to kill at the moment. Kills would attract too much unwanted attention and they really didn’t need that. The subjects had to be able to live on, which meant they couldn’t extract a lot of blood. Alison had taken Kira away to a safe house in order to protect the small child from the outside world. Mrs. S was the only one who knew where they were, and she was the only one to visit them. The first priority of the blood they obtained was to get it to Kira as soon as possible, for she was the one who needed it most. She was just a child, but with her tendency to grow up fast she needed a lot of supplies. Plus, Kira wasn’t used to controlling her abilities yet, she was still in training, it could become very dangerous if Kira didn’t receive blood.

This meant that all obtained blood would be rushed away. There wouldn’t be enough whenever they came back and Sarah, Felix and Mrs. S had to share the remainder of the blood, splitting it evenly among themselves. Most of the time that wasn’t even enough, and Cosima had drawn the short end of the straw and she would be left with deer blood originating from the woods.

With Kira and Alison away, Sarah had become highly irritable, which caused a tense atmosphere to fall down on the house whenever she was home. Cosima felt like the anger was directed at her, like Sarah somehow blamed Cosima for the whole situation and truly, Cosima blamed it on herself as well. Felix on the other hand had become himself again, and he hadn’t brought up the conversation about Delphine to Cosima’s relief.

Luckily, everyone was away at the moment, having left Cosima alone to attend to her own. With the pod in her hand she sits herself down on one of the wooden lawn chairs. An easy flick of her finger and the weed is lit, which she calmly inhales deep in her lungs. She holds it for a moment before releasing the dense smoke, repeating this routine a few times before the gentle buzz starts to kick in. By now she had smoked so much pod that she had grown used to the feeling, almost as if it was just a temporary trait, a part of her personality.

Cosima had tried the first day alone to stop her thoughts from wandering towards a certain curly haired blonde. She had tried not to think about the beautiful soft features of the French, but the more she tried the more often it happened to land on Delphine. The second day she had stopped trying all together, instead she just basked in the feeling. Delphine would drift in and out of her mind throughout the day and without consent it would cause Cosima to form a smile on her lips.

Delphine hadn’t reached out to Cosima again, and Cosima wasn’t sure if she should text her about the whole kissing-incident, especially now she was back home, it felt unnecessary. However, Cosima couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to reach out to her, the girl had had that kind of power over Cosima ever since they met. The hazel eyes captivating Cosima’s attention, sweet stories coming from those delicious lips. The thought alone causes Cosima’s heart rate to pick up and a small smile crosses over her features. It is quickly replaced with a grimace when she remembers the kiss again. The kiss itself had been wonderful, though a bit hesitant and calm, but it had been a good kiss. Cosima truly felt that after some point the blonde had wanted to continue as well, accepting Cosima’s mouth and even moving along with her. However, she had been wrong, the blonde had been surprised and not in a positive way. Instead, she couldn’t wait to bolt out the door, leaving Cosima confused and bustling.

Cosima sat there, on the lawn chair, for a very long time. She saw the colours of the sky changing from a vibrant blue to a soft pinkish colour. The temperature was dropping ever so slightly, and the wind was picking up, rustling through the trees freely. Soon, her siblings and mentor would arrive home and they would have dinner. For now, Cosima was still lonesome and enjoying her solitude with her almost-done weed between her fingers.

She heard a sound coming from her phone and for a second she was startled by it, not a lot of people would contact her these days, thus a text message was the least of her expectations. She retrieved it from her pocked and turned on the screen. The name caused Cosima to drop the pod on the ground and her heart to jolt out of her body.

Delphine: I just flew in, can we talk?

It was the only thing the text message read, causing Cosima’s heart to thump erratically. The brunette stared for a long time, taking her time in registering the text message. What was Delphine doing in San Francisco? And why would she want to meet? Surely Cosima couldn’t go against Siobhan’s will, but she was curious. Maybe she could sneak out for a bit, leaving the house in it’s solitude while she searches for the blonde’s intentions.

The text message had come out of the blue for Cosima and she doesn’t know how to deal with it. Mrs. S. had been very clear; she wasn’t allowed off the property at all costs. However, she couldn’t expect Cosima to stay cooped up in the house all the time, plus Delphine already knew Cosima thus she wouldn’t let a new person in on her life. Additionally, she wouldn’t confide in Delphine about her true nature, she wasn’t that stupid.

Going against Mrs. S. her wishes could very well mean her breaking ties with her family, it could result in the ending of their bond. Mrs. S. could see it as an act of disloyalty, a deed that she couldn’t forgive Cosima for, because she would continue endangering the group. However, Mrs. S. didn’t need to know of her plans. She could meet the French in secret, hear her out and end ties with her.

That she could do, she could just meet Delphine off the record, listen to her what she has to say, because she clearly wants to tell Cosima something. And after she heard her out, she could end the friendship all together, telling Delphine they don’t fit that well after all and that it’s better for them to stop meeting. Yes, she had had a wonderful time because of the blonde, but all things must come to an end. Cosima could do that, she could end her ties with the French femme fatale.

The kiss hadn’t meant anything, the blonde had made that very clear. Maybe the blonde just wanted to ask Cosima about San Francisco, about sights to see, and Cosima would provide her with a professional answer, without emotion.

So, after contemplating all her possibilities, Cosima decided to go with her intuition and meet the blonde just to end it once and for all.

With quick fingers she typed her message and threw her phone on another chair. She picked up the forgotten joint and lit it up again, inhaling a deep breath of the intoxicating sedative. Now, she just had to wait patiently for Delphine to answer and while she was at it, she would just enjoy her last moments of solitude. The sun was setting quickly now, the sky afire with vibrant red and orange colours. Mrs. S. and her siblings would arrive soon and dinner would be ready. The foresight of animal blood turned Cosima’s stomach upside down and with a sigh she got off the chair, intending to set the table.

--

Delphine’s POV

Delphine felt ecstatic, the reply of Cosima had been better than positive and she was clutching the phone in her hand triumphantly.

Cosima: Sure! Text me an address and I’ll swing by tomorrow.

After Delphine sends her the details, she throws her phone away and drops herself on the couch. Tomorrow she would meet with the cheeky girl…vampire again. It made Delphine’s stomach turn and swirl, but in a positive way. She knew what she had to do, but she wasn’t feeling panic or fear like she expected she would.

Instead, there was only pride. Pride for her career and her years of training finally paying off. She wouldn’t let Leekie down, she wouldn’t let herself down, she would gather the samples and they would find a venom to kill those Castor vampires. They had to go, they were trailing too many bodies behind.

Humanity had been kept mostly in the dark about vampires, sure there were movies and stories about vampires being real and breathing, but there was no proof. The DYAD Academy liked to keep it that way and they had been doing a pretty good job at it. However, this new tribe seems to screw up all those years of hard work. They were loud, present and gruesome. They didn’t care about leaving a mark, maybe it was even intended as a statement, but it was dangerous for society. If the truth about vampires came out, society would shake with panicked people. Sanity would be far gone and people would lose their shit trying to save their life. A new kind of purge era would arrive and in all honesty, no one needed that.

So, here Delphine was, in San Francisco, trying to lure in a vampire for the common good. Of course Delphine would feel elevated with pride right? Reliving every moment with the brunette was just for observational purposes, trying to discern the vampire’s movements and intentions. It was for observational purposes only Delphine reminded herself every time her mind flooded back to that kiss.

Keep your enemies close they say right?

Chapter Text

Delphine’s POV

There was a gentle knock on the door, alerting Delphine to a presence. Swiftly, she got up from the couch, crossing the small living room to the door. Upon opening it, she is met with a cheeky yet shy smile, big brown eyes staring intently into her own. The woman is wearing a long red coat, hiding the dress that’s underneath.
“Hey,” Cosima says coyly, walking past Delphine to enter the tiny apartment.

“Hi,” is all the response Delphine can muster, the air has left her lungs since she laid eyes on the girl. Cosima is shedding her coat and discards it unceremoniously on the couch. She is wearing a form fitting dress, hugging her tiny frame beautifully. The earth colours of the dress go well with her dreadlocked hair and Delphine can’t take her eyes of petite woman. Luckily she is with her back to the blonde, inspecting the apartment curiously.

“So what are you doing in town?” the vibrant voice reaches Delphine’s ears and without a beat she answers. “I’d received an offer I simply couldn’t decline,” it wasn’t a lie, she did get an offer from Dr. Leekie she simply couldn’t decline. But for the sake of her assignment and the brunette, she would leave out the details.

“I will be able to finish my PhD while also working on my own research, the lab they offered me was simply too beautiful not to accept,” Delphine tangles herself in the lies. The details of her true nature are white noise in her head, trying to break free, but Delphine knows that telling truths would end up in hurt and heartache. So instead she prefers lies, twirling words until they satisfy her story.

Cosima seems to buy her story, softly humming in response, her back is still turned towards Delphine and she is closely inspecting a painting on the wall. The painting had hung there already when Delphine moved in.

“Yeah, I have just arrived, I haven’t had the time to decorate yet,” Delphine says shyly, feeling observed by the brunette. Cosima turns around with a wide smile on her face, the kind of smile that knocks you off your feet, brightening even the grumpiest of people’s day. Her tongue poked out from behind her teeth, as if daring Delphine to take the plunge and come closer. She did no such thing, there was no basis yet, but she felt like Cosima wouldn’t stop her if she did go for it.

Instead, she was feeling jittery, nerves flying through her body, electrifying every nerve ending in a state of activity. How does Cosima have such an effect on the normally stable blonde?

“I get it, it’s quite cool actually if you ask me, I wish I would have an opportunity like you to just up and leave your home,” Cosima says, walking to the couch and dropping on it. She pets at her side for Delphine to sit and she complies, careful not to touch the brunette in any place. If she did, she wouldn’t trust herself in continuing her assignment too fast, diving in too deep, and it could drive the vampire away.

--

Cosima’s POV

“So…why exactly did you invite me over?” Cosima had to ask, she had been in the blonde’s apartment for an hour without knowing the real reason. Sure, they had fallen into easy banter, talking about all kinds of trivial things, but Cosima was on a time schedule. She would have to be back home, showered to rid the smell of Delphine off herself, before the three familial vampires arrived back home.

The blonde’s eyes hardened for only a second, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her white blouse. She was wearing tight, black jeans that left her curves on display for Cosima all too well. She had almost forgotten the reason she had come here in the first place…almost. Go in, talk, get her out of your life forever. Mrs. S. was right, only trouble would come from this, especially if people were already looking for her.

Delphine seemed to pick her words carefully, hesitantly. “I have never found someone who gets it… who gets me,” she says and Cosima smiles warmly at her. “Yeah me too, obvs,” Cosima is reminded of her mistake back in France, kissing the French had been bold and stupid. The blonde seems really nervous, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth as she mulls over her next words.

“I can’t stop thinking about that kiss,” Delphine admitted, closing her eyes at her own revelation. Cosima was silent for a second, considering her next words gently. “Like in a not-bad way…?” Cosima asks hesitantly. She doesn’t want to drive Delphine away, doesn’t want the girl to run with her tail between her legs. Not when it seems like she is being this open, this genuine with Cosima. Even though she intended to dash as quick as possible, she can't get herself to shake the girl off when she seems to be this vulnerable.

“Oh, like, I have never thought about bisexuality, I mean for myself, you know, but as a scientist I know that sexuality is a spectrum, but you know social biases they codified attraction, contrary to the biological facts,” the words are flying from the French girls mouth, she is throwing them at Cosima for her to make sense of them, because the blonde surely doesn’t seem to know why she is telling what she is telling. It is quite an interesting sight to see, the ever-so-in-control blonde completely at a loss of words while simultaneously providing so many.

“That’s oddly romantic,” Cosima breathes out, an amusement dancing in her eyes. They both laugh at the situation, Delphine finding comfort in the brunette’s witty answer.

All of a sudden, the amusement in Delphine’s eyes is replaced with something much more serious, her eyes glass over and she traps her bottom lip in between her teeth again. Cosima swallows hard, unable to take her eyes from the blonde.

“Totally encouraging,” Cosima’s mouth is dry, her throat like the Sahara desert after years of drouth. Delphine moves closer, bending ever so slightly towards Cosima on the couch. Her hand moves up, up to Cosima’s cheek and she gently holds the brunette who sighs into the touch. Delphine’s eyes become impossibly darker, and Cosima’s heart starts to beat erratically against her ribcage.

Somewhere faint, in a far distance alone, Cosima can feel her need. Her thirst trying to pry its way out of her depths to encourage her teeth to sink in the delicate flesh of the French. It is trying with every fibre in its monstrosity to take over Cosima, to lull her sane side into a slumber so it can tend to its deepest desire. However Cosima is taken over by a completely different kind of need, a far more powerful and primal need that has taken control over her body since she stepped inside of this apartment room. If she ever thought she would be able to handle the attraction towards Delphine, to end their delicate friendship, she was wrong. All is Delphine and Delphine is all she needs this instant.

A throbbing pain positions itself inside her stomach, arousal getting the better of her. Delphine’s thumb softly brushes over her bottom lip and it is enough for her to let out a whimper. The blonde’s response is beautiful, closing the gap between them in an instant and pushing her lips to the brunette’s. It’s an instant fit, no adjustments or alterations are needed, when their lips fit so perfectly. Delphine’s other hand comes up and she is effectively holding the brunette’s face in a firm grasp, pulling her impossibly closer.

It is Delphine’s tongue that softly sweeps over her bottom lip, eliciting a quiet moan to escape from the brunette’s lips. She opens her mouth slightly to invite the muscle in and Delphine is tender in her sweeps. Their lips kiss as if they have known each other for years, almost methodically. Their tongues dancing together, letting each other get used to the other’s taste. There is a hint of cigarette’s on Delphine’s lips, and she seizes it to her memory, not wanting to forget the taste ever.
Cosima takes off her jacket and discards it somewhere on the floor. As if on cue, Delphine breaks their kiss to move onto Cosima’s lap, legs on both sides of Cosima.
With a steady, yet hesitant hand Cosima moves up Delphine’s legs, letting her hands rest on the blonde’s hips. She looks deeply into the blonde’s eyes, trying to find a speckle of doubt, of hesitation. The brunette would seize her ministrations if she thought the blonde wasn’t fully on board. She wouldn’t want to push her luck with the magnificent French. However, the only thing Cosima finds in those hazel orbs is determination. It almost frightens her if it didn’t give the blonde such a seductive air.

Delphine leans in again for a more gentle kiss, small pecks that Cosima responds to eagerly. It doesn’t take too long before the feather light kisses transform into the passionate ones everyone secretly longs for. Cosima moves her hands up to the shirt of Delphine, her want uncontrollable with the blonde on top of her. Delphine rocks her hips softly into Cosima, tenderly almost. Her tongue still dances with Cosima’s when Delphine breathes out a moan. A moan that travels through Cosima’s body and makes her shudder.

When Cosima tries to remove Delphine’s shirt she is stopped by slender fingers. Delphine breaks the kiss slowly. “Not here, the bedroom,” she states out of breath. She is quick to move off from Cosima’s lap which makes Cosima pout for just a second, missing the warmth of the French instantly. But she doesn’t dwell on it long when Delphine moves past the couch, not breaking eye contact while she lifts her shirt slowly from her body. Throwing it haphazardly on the ground and turning around to walk to the bed. Cosima had been nailed to the couch all the while the show was being performed by Delphine, gracious Delphine.

Darn French with their unattainable beauty, she thinks and moves up from the couch. A bit less delicately she tries to remove her clothes while also running to catch up with Delphine in the bedroom. When she stands in the doorway, Delphine's sitting on the edge of the bed with her chest bare, all Cosima can do is watch in awe. The soft porcelain skin of Delphine calls for Cosima to come closer, to dare and touch the fragile shell of the woman. A golden complexion dimmed by the soft lights in the room. Cosima’s eyes are unabashedly taking in every dip and curve, every birthmark and freckle. It seems like a painter travelled around the world to find every pretty woman and combine it into a final work called Femme Fatale. Because that was what Delphine was to Cosima, right this moment she realises that she’ll probably be spellbound to this woman forever.

She stalks closer, missing the small smirk on Delphine’s face, until she is right in front of Delphine. only then she lets her eyes travel up, up to Delphine’s eyes who shine with gratitude. As if no one had ever taken the time to look at her the way Cosima had looked, solely with pure adoration.

“You’re majestically beautiful, Delphine,” Cosima breathes out which causes Delphine to chuckle under her breath. Delphine’s hand snakes around Cosima’s neck, pulling her closer until their lips almost meet. “Merci,” she whispers before connecting their lips, effectively silencing the brunette who pushes Delphine down on the bed and crawls on top of her. Their kiss turns heated once again, lips finding each other at every angle and interlocking sweetly. Cosima is quick to remove her bra too and when she lays flat on top of Delphine she can’t help the gasp that escapes her lips. Luckily, the blonde seems to feel the same way, because she takes in a sharp breath at the contact.

Cosima breaks the kiss to move to Delpine’s ear, softly nibbling on the earlobe which causes Delphine to shudder slightly. Her hands move around Cosima’s torso, towards her shoulder blades and with a death like grip she holds on to Cosima who hisses at the nails being dug into her back. It’s a sweet agony and encourages her to continue her administrations, moving her lips from Delphine’s ear to the slender neck, pecking it with soft kisses, intently listening to Delphine’s sharp intakes of breath. Cosima moves her body slightly from Delphine, trying to move her hand in between them to cup one of her boobs. She feels Delphine’s erratic heartbeat through her skin and Cosima can’t help her whimper from escaping her lips.

“Merdé, Cosima please,” Delphine breathes out breathlessly and she holds on tighter on Cosima. The brunette’s hand massages Delphine’s boob for a few seconds before slowly making its descend southwards. Delphine very well knowing where those fingers are moving starts to roll her hips to encourage Cosima further, faster. But Cosima doesn’t budge, the sight of the French almost crumbling under her touch is just too beautiful. So she continues to trace her finger over Delphine’s front, but it isn’t long before she feels the fabric of Delphine’s pants. They both had forgotten about the clothes all together and Delphine softly pushes Cosima off to rip her jeans off far more ungracefully as expected. With it she removes her panties and moves to lay under Cosima again.

Cosima eyes the blonde for a minute, but soon her eyes travel south and she almost swoons at the sight of the naked French woman beneath her. The scrutinizing gaze changes dangerously hungry and Cosima dives down to nibble on the erect nipple of Delphine. The suddenness of the act catches Delphine by surprise and roughly she rocks her hips into nothingness, her fingers digging deep into Cosima’s back almost ripping open the skin.

With a flat tongue, Cosima licks the erect bud, enjoying the response. Then she moves her lips around it to softly suck at it, whimpering when she feels the nails definitely opening up her skin. Delphine’s hips are rolling into the air and Cosima can’t hold out for much longer, she moves her hand to the inside of Delphine’s thigh, which effectively make Delphine gasp and stop moving her hips. Only just for a moment though, when Cosima doesn’t move her hand at all, the blonde starts to roll her hips again, to encourage Cosima to explore further, dive in deeper.

It works, Cosima trails her hand slowly higher up Delphine’s leg, agonizingly slow, before it hits Delphine’s core. Both girls moan loudly in unison, and Cosima moves one finger slowly through the blonde’s folds. They are slick with want and desire in a way Cosima has probably never experienced before. Again she moves her middle finger through Delphine and basks in the sounds that are coming from the blonde’s lips. Cosima continues to move through Delphine’s folds slowly, while working on her nipples with her mouth. Hips rock into her hand and dampens Cosima’s hand.

All of a sudden she pushes in one finger, Delphine’s wetness making it an easy task, while she curls her finger at the end. Delphine’s moan comes from within, deep within her. She even seems to say something in French, but Cosima can’t make it out. She thrusts her finger in a few more times before adding another one. The walls of Delphine feel tight around her finger and it spurs Cosima on.

She moves her lips higher up Delphine until she is softly kissing her. Delphine tries to kiss her back, but it is futile with Cosima’s fingers buried deep inside of her. Cosima moves her fingers in again and curls them at the end. She holds onto her tedious pace, slowly rocking in and out of Delphine who meets her every time with a roll of her hips. But Cosima feels it is not the pace Delphine desires, even though they have a rhythm, Delphine tries ever so slightly to speed it up with the rocking of her hips. So after some time, Cosima complies and thrusts her fingers in faster, speeding it up more after every thrust and then all of a sudden she takes out her fingers, causing Delphine to whimper disappointedly.

She moves her fingers towards her mouth and licks the glistening wetness of Delphine off her fingers, moaning at the sweet taste of it. All the time she keeps her eyes on Delphine’s, soaking in the reaction which is priceless. Delphine’s eyes are trained on Cosima’s fingers and when Cosima is finished licking the wetness off she grabs Cosima by the neck to pull her in for a feverish kiss. Tongue sweeping roughly but tenderly over Cosima’s, making the brunette moan in her mouth.

But Cosima has other plans with her mouth, she untangles her lips from Delphine, gives her a smirk and crawls down Delphine’s body, kissing softly on her way down. When she reaches her destination she hesitates, not sure if she should continue, luckily the need in Delphine’s eyes is all the confirmation she needs to dive into the heat of the blonde. The overwhelming taste grabs her by surprise and she almost drowns in the beauty. Licking through the folds and pushing her tongue deep inside Delphine, eliciting soft moans from the blonde.

She licks with a flat tongue to flick the bundle of nerves, causing Delphine to inhale sharply and grab onto the dreads of Cosima. With her head now secured in its place, Cosima almost only can give her attention to the clit of Delphine, but she isn’t opposed at all. She licks softly and sucks gently on the bundle, moving her tongue from left to right to hit the right spots every time.

It doesn’t take long before Delphine comes undone, her hips shudder while Cosima tries to pin them down. A long, low moan escaping her lips and pushing Cosima’s head ever so closer to her core. It was a beautiful sight for the brunette to witness. She licks the slickness away for good measure and moves up Delphine’s body, trailing kisses along the flesh.

They lay in silence for a bit before Delphine moves on top of Cosima, kisses her lips tenderly and deepening it softly. Before it can go any further though, a phone rings from around the apartment.

“Shit, that’s mine. I better check it I’m sorry,” she shoots Delphine an apologetic smile, who counters it with a pout. Cosima giggles at the sight, the naked gorgeous blonde pouting like a puppy. “You’re such a little puppy with those eyes,” and she slides out from beneath Delphine’s grip, who holds onto her hand for a second before letting go. She crawls under the covers and her eyes trail after the brunette skidding away to her phone.

“Hello?” Cosima whispers, walking away and out of ear shot from Delphine.

“Cosima, you better come home real quick or I might have to come and get you.” Mrs. S. voice comes through and it is stained with disappointment and a no-debate-possible kind of tone. Cosima swallows thickly, she had been sure she would have a free evening, because they should have come home by tomorrow… apparently not.

“Uh… yeah, yes of course Mrs. S. I’m on my way now,” the call disconnects and it unsettles Cosima an awful lot. She walks back to Delphine’s bedroom and starts to gather her clothes.

“So I normally don’t dash like this, but there is a family emergency and I really have to go home,” Cosima explains while pulling her dress over her head. Delphine shoots up from the bed with a concerned expression on her face. “Are you okay?” she asks quickly.

Cosima can only hum at that, not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to tell the truth. She lets herself out of Delphine’s apartment and makes her way home. All the while she fidgets with her fingers, she truly dreads coming home, she feels something was horribly wrong and right now she can only ponder about all the possibilities.

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

It had been the longest taxi drive ever in Cosima’s opinion. It was already dark out, but Cosima thought it to be soothing…if it weren’t for the dreadful conversation with Mrs. S. she was about to have.

Alright, so, best case scenario, Mrs. S. gives her a hard time for sneaking out to Delphine (because lets be real, Mrs. S. knows with whom she was) and she has to stay home for a longer period of time. Worst case scenario… she is kicked out of the family for this betrayal and she will have to fend for herself in the outside world. Truly, both cases were equally possible.

Upon arrival at the house, she drags her feet slowly across the gravel to the front door, not wanting to deal with her repercussions and sanctions.

“I’m home!” she calls out when she walks through the door, removing her jacket and hanging it on a hanger. There is no response, and an eerie feeling settles in her stomach. Not even Felix or Sarah call out for her. The house is silent with the occasional creaking, because of its age. Unsteadily she continues to walk deeper into the house. Bypassing the closed doors and walking straight to the kitchen. When she walks through the door it is scarily empty, but outside on the back porch she sees a head coming up from behind the window. She takes a deep breath and walks through the door that leads to the garden and simultaneously to the porch.

Mrs. S. doesn’t waver, doesn’t acknowledge her arrival in any way, but Cosima knows Mrs. S. has heard her. It is one of the perks of being a vampire. Cosima continues to stalk closer until she sits herself down on one of the chairs and relaxes into it. They both stay silent for a while, enjoying the dark. Mrs. S. is holding a file in her hands possibly a new mark for Cosima? Was that what this was all about? Was she going to put her in the field again for hunting?

No, that wouldn’t be possible, Cosima was still a mark herself and putting her out there was almost equivalent to a suicide mission. Mrs. S. wouldn’t do that…right? But maybe it was her punishment for her betrayal, for not listening to Mrs. S. warning to not leave the house.

All kinds of question came popping up in Cosima’s head and she can’t silence them. She was growing more restless by the minute, all the while Mrs. S. remained stoic and silent.

What felt like an eternity, Cosima finally opened her mouth to say something, but even before she got a chance Mrs. S. was already speaking up.

“You were with Delphine, I assume,” she states, knowing the answer full well, but giving Cosima the opportunity to lie to her, to betray her even further, to finalize her own demise. It was a trick she used often on her kids, to test their loyalty and honesty. If you would lie you could expect a serious punishment, because Mrs. S. knew everything and saw all, it was like she had a third eye. More importantly, she can sniff out a lie miles ahead, even before you think of lying she already knows.

So in conclusion, Cosima’s only possibility was to tell the truth. To tell why she went and how she had planned to end things with Delphine so she wouldn’t be a thread any more.

“I mean, yes I was but I…” she tried, but she was interrupted before she could finish her sentence.

“Even when I told you, you should stay away from her, you still went to see her?” Mrs. S. turns her gaze from the garden to Cosima, finally acknowledging her existence. She tilts one eye brow up, not a hint of amusement or understanding in her gaze whatsoever and it only unsettles Cosima more.

“I mean, I did go there, but not to… not because… I went there to end things with her, so I could get her out of my head and life. It would mean she wouldn’t be a thread anymore,” Cosima’s hands were flying around, trying to get her point across, trying to get Mrs. S. to see her intentions weren’t malice-laced or rebellious. They were truthfully to keep her family safe.

“And did you?” Mrs. S. asks knowingly. At this Cosima stays quiet for some time, noticing she did indeed fuck up…literally. “I mean I was getting to that, but then some things happened and we…” but again she is interrupted by Mrs. S. throwing the file on the table. It opens up with multiple pictures scattered on the table. A few are from corpses heavily beaten up and slit open like a savage animal came across them and had no mercy in its heart. Limps are closely torn off and huge gaps are adorning the bodies like someone with a knife played Operation, but heavily failed in its task.

“Why are you showing me this?” Cosima asks hesitantly. She rummages through more pictures, each one more disturbing than the other.

“I want you to know what we are dealing with and why I don’t want you close with Delphine, because…” she magically pulls up another file from her lap and hands it over to Cosima, who eyes it suspiciously. Something in her gut tells her she is not going to like the information that is stored in this file. Carefully she accepts if from Mrs. S. and she opens the file slowly, almost trying to wait for a wind to catch the file from her hands and take it away in its natural swirl. To take it away from her so she’ll remain passively ignorant. However, no such thing happens and instead she opens the file fully and is met with the blonde walking along a street. Blonde curls framing her face ever so gracefully, but her face looks different. She looks suspicious like she is scanning her surroundings, it is a face Cosima knows well, because she makes it as well whenever she stalks closer to a mark, whenever she has an assignment and needs to move in the shadows to not get caught.

It doesn’t take long for Cosima to realise that what she is looking at is very bad for her conscious, especially after the activities she had had with the blonde. With every sentence she reads her face drops ever so slightly more, colour draining from her face and fear gripping at her heart. She had been in a serious dangerous situation this afternoon. Delphine could have killed her. Because Delphine was a hunter… a vampire hunter from the most pristine academy to be existent in this era.

“Shit…”

-

Delphine’s POV

Cosima had almost ran out of her apartment after the phone call, not even waiting for Delphine to get dressed and see her out. Now she was sat in her bed, pondering what that phone call could have been about. It must have been something serious, because Cosima’s face had drained from all its usual colour, leaving a white faced vampire in its place.

She got up from her bad and threw on some pyjamas, before heading out her bedroom and gathering her phone. It only took a second before Aldous Leekie picked up his phone.

“Delphine! I’m so happy to hear from you, what have you got for me?” he asked in his usual cheerful tone that aggravated Delphine beyond compare. She had shared her body with a vampire… and she had liked it. Cosima had been so gentle, so caring and thoughtful, always checking if she wasn’t crossing some invisible line. Instead of how Delphine had expected her to be, to be aggressive and rough like vampires are known for.

“I have the samples you want for the vampire venom. I think it should be some hair, blood and saliva is that enough?” she had the blood under her nails from when she not-so-knowingly ripped open Cosima’s back, because of the ecstasy. The saliva should be on the cup Cosima drank from at the beginning of the evening when things hadn’t yet turned heated. And she was sure she had accidentally pulled some hairs from Cosima’s scalp when she ungracefully held onto it during their moment.

She could almost hear the smile on Aldous’ lips when he answered. “Yes, Delphine, that is some fine work you gathered. Bag the samples and deliver them to me ASAP. I’ll be waiting and soon we will start a treatment so we can isolate the vampire gene and mutate it for a venom to finally get rid of our enemies,” Delphine felt a sense of pride at knowing she had done her job, but she also couldn’t shake the guilt that was washing over her in waves.

The call ended after some pleasantries and Delphine moved to get a cotton swab to acquire the blood and saliva samples. The hairs she collects off her bed and bags up as well. It doesn’t take long for her to bag everything up safely and put it back in a suitcase to keep it safe. Tomorrow she would be stopping by Leekie’s office to drop it off.

-

The next day comes and she wakes up briskly around 8 A.M. readying breakfast for herself and a cup of coffee to start the day right. She would walk by the office later in the morning, but first she would have to get her mind fully awake. The sinking feeling of guilt hadn’t left her all throughout the night and she had slept awful because of it.

But after enough delay she can’t wait any longer. She really has to get the samples to Leekie or he would be calling again and that’s the last thing she wants right now.
She gathers her things, the suitcase being the most important one, and walks out the door to grab a cab. The drive doesn’t take long and soon she finds herself waiting in front of the elevator. The way up to Leekie’s office has her mind railing with doubts and questions. Was she doing the right thing selling Cosima out like this, without her even knowing? Why did she even feel like she should care about this though? Surely protecting a raging, murderous vampire is not what she had learned down at the Academy. Delphine just couldn’t figure out her thoughts before the ping of the elevator indicated that she arrived at the right floor.

She walked through the hallway to Leekie’s office, the handle of the suitcase was burning in her hand. As if it was trying to escape from her, leave this building as fast as possible, because it didn’t belong here. It belonged to a certain caring vampire out there who wasn’t known for doing murderous things. But it was too late and the pleading of the suitcase did no good, Delphine already opened the door to the office and was met with a smiling Aldous.

“Delphine! Glad you could make it so soon. Have you got the samples with you?” Aldous was wearing a lab coat over his regular clothes, his office adorning paintings of plants all around. He surely had made this office more of a lived in office, which meant they would be staying for some time in this area.

Delphine placed the suitcase delicately on the desk for Aldous to check over, which he did swiftly. He opened it up, eyed the materials and locked the suitcase back up again, placing it off his desk next to his feet on the floor.

His eyes moved to Delphine again and a weird sense of crazy was visible in them, a wicked smile playing on his lips. “Well done Delphine, now if you will excuse me, I need to tend to our matter of interest.”

Delphine had wanted to ask questions about the venom, wanted to know exactly how they were going to catch up with the Castor family, but the finality of his tone made her swallow her words. It seemed he didn’t look like he wanted to discuss the matter right now.

So she went to her apartment, her temporary home from now on. She had never been able to settle well into her temporary stays, always knew she would have to move from them eventually, so why would you make yourself at home? No need for buying plants or paintings, they would only decay or be thrown out with the weekly trash eventually.

With her keys in her hand a sudden panic washed over her. She was standing in front of her apartment, keys not yet in the lock and all of a sudden the realisation of what she had done came clashing down with violence. She had slept with a vampire. She had distributed samples of said-vampire.

Guilt was the only loud enough emotion to come through, the rest only small murmurs in her body, but the guilt was shouting the loudest. What for? She had no clue, she only knew that the panic that adorned the guilt was far too intense and she had to go inside to take a bath or shower, to eat something or work on finding out the whereabouts of the Castor family, to just do something. Instead she remained just outside her door, just outside of her sane mind. It would only take one movement of her hand and she was safely inside, safely back to her sanity and work-persona.

It took her 20 more minutes of debating and panicking before she finally mustered up enough courage to face her apartment again, the smell of Cosima still present so it seemed. The memory of their shared moment vividly displaying over and over in her mind. Something was off with the vampire girl. Something that made Delphine doubt her every learned knowledge of vampires. As she had been taught to despise the vampire kind, to hate them for their monstrous activities and pursuits, to kill them whenever a hunter encountered one. However, here she is, bedded with a vampire for science.

But this vampire seems so different.

-

It is later in the afternoon when her phone chimes indicating a text message.

Cosima: we need to talk.

Is all it says. A sinking feeling grips Delphine by surprise and all of a sudden the panic from before has all but come crashing down again to sweep her off her feet in a negative way.

What would Cosima want to talk about? Delphine wasn’t sure she was ready to face the vampire again, not after their shared night and not after the betrayal of this morning… though it wasn’t betrayal on her part per se, she just did her job and eventually it would be to save people all around. It Cosima ever found out she would surely understand.

She would understand.

Cosima’s POV

The message she received from Delphine was quick and short.

Delphine: sure, tonight at 8 P.M. at my place?

Cosima responded a yes and now was fidgeting in her chair. She wasn’t at all happy with the upcoming event and surely not with the plan Mrs. S. had concocted.

After Cosima had found out about Delphine’s true nature through the files she had taken a moment for herself and Mrs. S. had allowed her to. She knew better than to aggravate the vampire further, it could turn really nasty if she did pry for more. However, the sweet silence of her bedroom had soon been disturbed by Mrs. S. walking right in again. Cosima thought she hadn’t even had 30 minutes of solitude.

“Cosima I need you to do something for me, preferably today,” she had said, not wasting time with pleasantries or comfort. She sat down on the foot end of Cosima’s bed, who was curled up on her side watching Mrs. S. vertically. “Sure, what do you want me to do, S?” she had expected a new assignment, or a blood hunt, maybe even just cleaning the house or spending time with Felix to distract him from going out during these dangerous times. Maybe, if she dared to dream, a new mark to hunt. However she hadn’t expected Mrs. S. to want her to abduct someone. That someone being Delphine.

The plan was simple, Delphine doesn’t know Cosima knows her true identity, which seems unfair for Delphine did know Cosima’s real identity. So, they could assume Delphine would still hang out with Cosima without any suspicion being raised. They would meet up and Cosima would be accompanied by Sarah and Mrs. S. herself (which was odd, because Mrs. S. usually didn’t do assignments). Then they would easily grab Delphine and take her to the house, head covered in a bag and driving around in a maze so she wouldn’t be able to trail back and know the route to the house.

It was simple, but it definitely didn’t sit right with Cosima. Surely, she wasn’t in danger she thought otherwise Delphine wouldn’t have let her live. Her head should be on a spike already, proudly warning all other vampires to run for their lives and keep their heads down, but instead here she sat, on the porch smoking a bit of pod before the grand scam. She survived Delphine numerous times, so it wasn’t in the interest of the blonde to kill her off, at least not yet.

It was closing 8 P.M. and she knew they would be leaving soon to retrieve Delphine. Luckily, she didn’t have to have a long conversation or anything with her. She would only need to get her out on the streets and the grab and dash would happen, not even words would be needed to be shared between the blonde and brunette. Still a dreading feeling was creeping up on Cosima and she knew she wouldn’t like the sight of the blonde once they had grabbed her from her apartment.

“Cosima, we’re gonna head out, you ready?” Sarah asked, her raven hair securely tucked under a black beanie. She was wearing an all-black outfit, black combat boots with black jeans and a black sweater to top it all off. It made it easier for them to move through the dark, even though the shadows were a vampires best friend, dressing black would surely assist to being almost invisible.

With a last puff and a deep sigh, Cosima stood up from the edge of the porch, stashing the pod away. She was wearing her usual red coat with a earthy coloured dress underneath. She wasn’t wearing heels though, it would be too dangerous, instead she was wearing her sneakers. Shoes she could be fast on when needed.

She followed Sarah throughout the house to the car and sat herself heavily in the front seat. Mrs. S. took the wheel and Sarah crawled in the back huffing while fastening her seat belt.

“Why is it you always get to sit in the front, Cos?” She asked annoyed. “Guess I’m just the favourite, deal with it,” her witty remark backfires on her when Sarah answers. “Yea? Think you’re still the blondies favourite vampire in a bit too?” Cosima whips her head around to face Sarah, but Mrs. S. puts a hand on her shoulder to still any movement. She pushes Cosima back in her seat and after she’s sure Cosima seized her attack she turns on the radio. The rest of the car ride is silent.

Sarah had every right to be angry with Cosima, she had mingled with an enemy in the worst way possible (she sincerely hoped Mrs. S. hadn’t told the foster siblings about the whole ordeal). But to throw it in her face like that, well Cosima wasn’t about to just deal with it. An anger settled in her stomach that didn’t leave her for most of the car ride. Not until they were just 5 minutes away from the apartment a certain uneasiness settles in her core.

Almost now and this all would be over and they finally could get some answers from the blonde. Like who did she work for and why hadn’t she killed Cosima yet. And why did she allow herself so close to Cosima… why did she interact physically with the vampire if she was trained to kill them.

Why?

-

Delphine’s POV

Cosima had texted she was waiting outside for her, which was odd, but at least she was here. Delphine quickly threw on her jacket over clothes and but almost bolted out the door all the way down to meet the cheeky girl. She was feeling jittery and the nerves didn’t go away, but only intensified with every step she took. Once outside she scanned her surroundings for the brunette. The street was deserted apart from some parked cars and Cosima standing on the opposite side of the road.
She gave a small smile and a wave, her eyes unreadable. Delphine checked twice before crossing the street and walked over to where Cosima was standing.

“Hello Cosima, how is your family?” she asked when she was close enough for the girl to hear her. Stopping a steps away from her. It seemed odd to feel awkward after the night they had had, but Delphine felt guilty and nervous all the same.

“My family?... oh right, yea they are fine… I’m really sorry Delphine,” Cosima took a step back from her and instinctively Delphine took one closer, not minding the sounds of a car approaching. Not even when it stopped right near her she looked up, which she seriously should have done. Instead she threw a quizzical look towards Cosima, but before she could get a word out a bag was thrown over her head and two pairs of arms strongly held her from behind pulling her backwards. She tried to struggle, but it was like fighting with two bears, the strength in the arms surely that of being supernatural creatures. The last sight she had seen was Cosima looking apologetically her way. She felt a sting in her arm and everything started to feel fuzzy. It begins in her legs, that seem to way her down more than anything, then it spreads towards her torso, her arms and eventually her mind. She coherently remembers being pushed into a seat, but everything after that is a blur. The world turns black and all she can think about are brown eyes and dreadlocks before she is out of it.

Chapter Text

Delphine’s POV

It was dark when she woke up, for a second she wasn’t even sure if her eyes were open or closed. Pitch blackness, overwhelming her senses all at once. She felt something on her head, presumably a bag. Her memory was coming up empty and it was all foggy, not wanting to recreate the events that led to this moment. She tried to move one of her hands, but found them being tied to her back. She was sitting on a chair, that was all she really knew at that point.

“Oi, the blondie is waking up,” she heard an unfamiliar voice call out. Another voice spoke up right after, way more reserved and monotone. “Yes, so lets rid her of the bag, will ya?” a large sigh was heard and a few footsteps approached her. It was when she heard the person was right in front of her she kicked out her foot, intending to hit the person in the shin. But instead they stopped mid-air when her legs were roughly stopped in their movement by chains around them.

Merdé, she thought to herself and heard one of the voices chuckle out loud while another person sighed in disbelief and disappointment.

“Nice try, blondie, not going to happen,” and the bag over her head was roughly yanked away from her face, her hair getting all frizzled and in her face. When she opened her eyes to regard whomever her abductors were she was met with the faces of three women. A raven haired girl who looked like she just walked out from some rock concert, an older woman with a steely face, hiding her emotion behind a thick mask and Cosima. Sweet, caring Cosima, now standing in a corner not daring to look at Delphine. They were all wearing black clothes except for Cosima, who was in the dress, she remembers, she was wearing the last time she saw her on the street.

“Hello Delphine, I’m sorry we had to take these measures to get you here, but we merely have a couple of questions,” the older woman said. “My name is Siobhan, this is Sarah and Cosima, I believe, you already met,” a knowing look was shot her way from Siobhan and Delphine was sure her face was shining bright red. The woman moved towards her pocket and took out a cigarette. “Sarah dear, untangle one of the hands of Delphine will ya?” and Sarah moved to harshly untangle one of her hands and fastening the other one a little tighter. Delphine hissed at that and glared at the wild haired girl. She stretched her now free arm out a bit before she hesitantly accepted the cigarette Siobhan was offering. Siobhan held a lighter out and Delphine lit her cigarette, basking in the smoke for a minute, forgetting her current circumstances while enjoying the slight burn of the chemicals. When she exhaled reality came crashing back with the three women staring at her.

“Why are you doing this?” Delphine directed her question to Cosima, who only managed to look guilty and avert her gaze. Instead Siobhan takes over the conversation, clearly not wanting to deal with the drama between the two. “Delphine, we are just concerned about some things and we hope you can shed some light on it,” she smiled warmly, but Delphine knew it was fake. Sadly, she wasn’t in a position to argue as she was being held captive by three vampires, one of which she had trusted.
Abduction wasn’t in the handbook of the vampire academy, mostly they learned how to not get killed by a vampire, not one book mentioned abduction. She realised she had actually no idea how to handle this situation. However, she tried to reign in her emotions as vampires had killer senses and they would surely know when Delphine was feeling vulnerable.

“First of, who do you work for directly? We know you were a member of the Dyad Academy, but who are you employed by at this moment?” Sarah, who had been standing a few feet away from her, moved to sit next to Siobhan, her legs spread and looking as if she was going to assault Delphine any second.

“How do you know I’m a hunter?” Delphine asked back. “I have my means Delphine, I find out a lot of things,” Siobhan retorted. Delphine took another drag of her cigarette, holding it in longer than needed just to stretch it out. To try and come up with an answer or know how to deal with this. She came up empty, scarily empty.
“Clearly you couldn’t find out too much then, because you must know I’m in one of the lowest ranks. I don’t know much,” Delphine settled with. Siobhan smiled a little at that and inched the tiniest bit closer.

“I see, how about you just answer my questions Delphine,” and all of a sudden a knife was pulled from behind Siobhan. She didn’t use it, yet, she merely held it in her lap, showing it as a threat.

Delphine sighed deeply, truly there was no way out of this alive unless she told them what she knew, which truly wasn’t much to begin with. “I work for Aldous Leekie, an senior hunter who supervises new hunters, like me. Cosima was my mark, I was told not to terminate her so I didn’t,”

Siobhan smiled at the last part. “And why wouldn’t Cosima be needed to be terminated then?” the woman asked, spinning the knife in her hand a few times before holding it back in her lap. Sarah was wearing a smug expression which angered Delphine beyond anything that was happening right now. Cockiness was never a trait she admired in people.

Cosima was still in the corner, not looking at Delphine directly, but from the corner of her eyes. The fact that Cosima was being here wasn’t because she had the same roll as Sarah. Delphine was sure of that. Sarah was being protective, was working for Siobhan and taking care of watching Delphine’s movements, scanning for any sudden things. Even though she was laid back in her chair, Delphine was sure that if her free arm did something remotely endangering, she would be pinned to her chair of worse… get killed right then and there. No, Cosima had no such role. Cosima was merely a spectator of it all, a watcher in the dark. She could provide strength if it were needed, sure, but it wasn’t her job to defend right now. It was her job to watch. Why? Delphine wasn’t sure of, but she had some idea. Cosima had endangered her family by mingling with Delphine, she probably was called back that evening after their night together, the phone call must have been about that. So this was Cosima’s punishment. Siobhan knew Cosima cared for her, otherwise this whole ordeal wouldn’t have worked. Siobhan was keeping Cosima here to show her how threats need to be dealt with. And Delphine by circumstance drew the shortest straw and now she was mixed up and dealing with some dangerous creatures. Just her luck.

Delphine took one last drag and threw the cigarette on the ground, stamping on it to get it out.

“I wasn’t allowed to terminate her, that’s all I know,” Delphine said, not meeting Siobhan’s eyes instead staring intently at Cosima, which was a mistake, because the woman moved quick to stand close to her. The knife was at her throat in a heartbeat and she felt the slightest hint of blood trickling down her neck. Cosima had stepped forward, but was caught and was now standing still just a few feet away from it all, Sarah’s hand resting on Cosima’s arm.

“I won’t ask again Delphine, why did you let her live?” The older woman growled, her voice low and ominous. Delphine swallowed trying her best to take even breaths, but it was futile. A vampire was standing in front of her with a knife to her throat. She could see Sarah’s eyes shining bright red with her hunger. If she ever came out alive of this hell hole she would turn Christian.

“I… We are working… on something,” Delphine sputtered out. Siobhan retracted her knife and stepped back, wiping the blood off on a blanket that was folded over Sarah’s chair.

“Go on, chicken,” Siobhan said, sitting back down again. Cosima had stepped back also and was now in her usual spot against the wall.

Cosima’s POV

“Go on, chicken,” Siobhan tried. Delphine looks stoic and confident even after having had a knife to her throat, but Cosima knew better. Cosima had gotten used to the smells of Delphine, and right now Delphine was emanating the slightest bit of fear through her composed composure. But who could blame the girl, she was being interrogated by three vampires.

“We are working on something… on a venom, I don’t know the specifics, but we needed…” Delphine hesitates and shoots a look Cosima’s way before continuing. “We needed samples, blood samples, hair, anything I could get my hands on,”

“How did you get it?” Mrs. S. asked, a stern look on her face and her voice filled with distrust.

Delphine coloured red for a bit before she actually spoke up. “I got the hair from around my apartment. It’s not that hard to find the brown hairs, I got some saliva from a glass and … blood from under my nails…” the room fell silent and Cosima turned bright red. Luckily, all the attention was on the blonde.

Sarah whistled, “The sex was that good?” Cosima almost jumped Sarah for the comment, but Mrs. S. beat her to it with a swat to the head and Sarah only huffed before sagging down in her seat.

“And Aldous Leekie is using this for his own experimenting and for the creation of a vampire venom?” Mrs S. asked quickly. The urgency was only palpable for her kids, but they knew that if someone invented a venom against them they would have a serious problem of survival.

All of a sudden the realisation hit Cosima that she had been used. Her body had been used for something she didn’t sign up for, she didn’t even sign anything. Instead she was lured in by Delphine who used her and betrayed her.

Cosima exploded.

“I was just a pet toy for you? Something to probe and take samples of?!” She yelled aloud and stepped closer. Delphine, however, didn’t waver one bit, instead she met her eyes with determination. Sarah was already at her side trying to push her back in the corner, but Cosima pushed her aside roughly. Sarah was quick to stand up again and almost hit Cosima square in the face when Mrs. S. voice barked, “Girls! Outside! Now!” and they all moved to walk out the door.

Delphine’s POV

It barely takes a minute before the three women come back in. Sarah stomping in like a child and Cosima resuming to stand in her corner, this time her gaze fixed on the floor beneath like it was showing her some beautiful mosaic art piece. But really it was just a plain floor, grey-coloured. Lastly, Siobhan steps back in and sits back down on her chair, knife still in hand, but it seems like she isn’t intending to use it soon again, much to Delphine’s relief.

“Delphine, tell us more about this venom, how are they planning on creating it, how do you get infected, everything you know,” Siobhan suggests. It takes Delphine some time to answer, she has to truly think about it, because she isn’t sure what else she actually knows about it. She doesn’t know the biological side or experimental side to it.

“We are creating it for a tribe, the Castor tribe,” she settles on and it hits a homerun. Siobhan’s eyes grow wide for a second before she composes herself again. She also sees Cosima’s head shoot up at the mention of the name. Sarah is the only one who seems unaffected by the news, leading Delphine to think she doesn’t know about the brutal killings unlike Cosima and Siobhan.

“What do you know about Castor, chicken?” Siobhan asked with a hint of desperation that Delphine picks up on. Now she knows she has some valid reason to stay alive. She can tell Castor is also a person of interest to Siobhan. Possibly a common enemy?

“I know little, I only know they are brutal in their killings and they have been last seen around where my apartment is. They are a threat to the vampire and hunter community, because they could expose us. And don’t forget the lethal way they are using to provide themselves with blood,” Delphine says.

“But I think you knew that already, too, right?” Delphine asks, trying to discern if her intuition is right and if they are sharing a common enemy. If they were, that could mean she could bribe them into working together. At least free her to get Leekie and set up a meeting. A plan was quickly forming in her head.

Siobhan only nodded at her question. “Yes, Delphine, we are aware of their possible threat and the urgency of their demise, that’s why I have been trying to find them and why we are here,” three pairs of eyes looked shocked at what Siobhan just said. It seems her companions were kept in the dark about this piece of information.
Sarah seemed like she wanted to say something, but it got stuck in her throat.

“I have tracked them back to this city, but they have been laying low lately. Some older records show that they keep turning up here, which means their tribe is located somewhere in this city. At least, that’s what I assume.” Siobhan shared her part of information.

“We can form an alliance,” Delphine blurted out. Sarah scoffed. “Like in the bloody hell we would work with you,” the rest of her sentence was cut off by Siobhan who put a hand up.

“Go on,” was the only thing the older woman said to her.

“We are not intending to use the venom on you, we only needed your DNA to create a venom. So all we need from you is DNA samples along the way. We can then create it and we can take down the Castor tribe.” Delphine started to say excitedly. She actually saw a plan form in her head now, a means of escape at least. They could provide them with DNA samples and in return they could work together to attack the Castor tribe. It seemed like a good plan, too.

“I could set up a meeting with you and Leekie and you could discuss the specifics. I don’t know the details of the program, I’m merely a hunter with a minor doctor’s certificate,” Delphine explained her thought process aloud.

“Alright,” Siobhan sighed. “Keep in touch with Cosima, let Leekie know I will contact you in the following days to set up a meeting. It will be by my conditions, there is no argument possible on that. You need our blood, not the other way around.” She gave a stern look towards Delphine who could only nod once.

Siobhan nodded towards Sarah and she stood up with a syringe in her hand walking towards Delphine. The blonde looked frantically around her, eyes landing on Cosima who stood in the corner with a coldness in her eyes. “Sorry blondie, can’t risk you knowing where this house is,” it was all Sarah provided before she gently stung Delphine.

Everything started to become a black blur soon and before she knew it her head rolled forward onto her chest. She was out.

-

She could still feel a tingling sensation in her body when she woke up, her eyes screwed shut still, seemingly not ready to wake up. Her mind was awake though, just barely. It didn’t take long before she could move her muscles again and she opened her eyes. She was in her bed in her apartment, everything seemed like the ordinary except for one thing. Cosima was sitting on a chair, book in hand, reading.

“What are you doing here?” Delphine asked, but it came out like a whimper. Clearly she hadn’t gotten back all of her senses. Cosima looked up from the book, startled, but soon it was replaced with the same coldness as before.

She closed her book and shifted in her seat. “I had to make sure you were going to wake up well after the tranquilizer. Sorry for that by the way,” it sounded insincere. Delphine was dumbfounded at the sudden rudeness, not really sure how to approach the vampire right now.

“Uhm, thanks I guess, I’ve had worse hangovers,” she smiles weakly at Cosima, but she doesn’t return it. Instead she stands up swiftly and shrugs on her coat. “Alright, I’ll be going then. I have put my new number inside your phone so wait for our invite. It is best if you find Leekie today to discuss your night.” She was already walking away when Delphine shot out from her bed and grabbed her wrist softly.

“Merdé, Cosima, what is up with you?” Delphine asked softly, her hand still around Cosima’s wrist, but the girl hadn’t turned around. She stood still for a moment before she turned around swiftly.

“What is up with me?” she hissed at Delphine, taking a step closer to the blonde, that made the blonde stumble back a bit. “What is up with me, is that I thought you were sincere Delphine, I thought we had something good, but apparently it was all a delusion,” she took another step forward and this time Delphine stood her ground.

“It wasn’t all a delusion!” Delphine hissed back. “I did enjoy our time together, yes, I did do it for my job,” Delphine took a step forward, standing so close to Cosima she could smell her. An earthy sweet scent. “but it’s not like you are a saint, I saw you attacking that guy back in Paris. You can be a murderer. I think that’s worse than what I did to you. So before you start being hypocritical, think about your self first.”

Cosima was taken aback by Delphine’s rant, but Delphine wasn’t going to let her attack her like that. Not when Cosima was being a hypocrite. It hurt Delphine to see Cosima like this, but she had no right to be this angry. It is not like they were together and it’s not like Delphine actively lied about her feelings.

Truthfully she hadn’t known what she was feeling anyway lately, and thinking about them only scared her so she had pushed them down, way down.

Cosima turned briskly again and walked for the door, but again Delphine stopped her by the wrist, which she roughly yanked herself free from. She did turn around again, looking at Delphine expectantly, unimpressed.

“Cosima, we are going to work together, so whatever you want to say, say it now so it doesn’t get in the way when we work together,” Delphine tried.
Cosima sighed through her nose took a step forward. “You played me Delphine, but I’m sure you felt something too, the way you… the way you were with me can’t be faked,”

Delphine swallowed hard, memories of another night coming to mind. “I’m sorry Cosima, I just don’t… I don’t think of you like that.” Delphine settled on, even though her mind was a clear betrayal of that little lie.

Cosima took another step forward, actively invading Delphine’s space, there was only a few inches between their faces. Delphine swallowed, hard. Her eyes darted from Cosima’s eyes to her lips and back to her eyes only to find Cosima doing the same. A sudden heat was pooling in Delphine’s core and she knew she had to end this as soon as possible or it could turn nasty. So she did. She stepped back, hardening her eyes. “I’m sorry Cosima.”

Cosima swallowed hard and blinked a few times before she put her mask back on, stoic and cold as before. “You’ll hear from us,” is all Cosima had to say and she was out the door, leaving Delphine to take in a deep breath.

Cosima’s POV

A weird tug in her stomach settled when she walked out of the building. A familiar scent hit her nose and she blindly followed after it, walking through tiny streets and eventually stepping into a wider street with a sidewalk. She chose to take the sidewalk as it was more in the shadows than anything else. The smell was rapidly getting stronger, which meant someone was bleeding excessively or else the smell couldn’t get this strong this quick. Or either the person was moving at 80 km/hour and that seemed more irrational to think. She sniffed the air and knew she had to be only a few metres away, that’s when she heard a muffled scream and she ducked behind some bins. She stayed there for a second before she dared to cock her head over the bins. The street was empty, darkness almost changing into brightness as it was nearing morning. Some squirrel was climbing a tree, but next to that the street remained empty and deserted. Another muffled sound came from one of the side streets and Cosima went to walk over.

When she was at the corner she cocked her head around the wall, keeping in the shadows and there on the ground she saw a man hunched over a body, rapidly tearing his hands over the person. It was like a true monster was scratching the body viciously. It didn’t take a lot of comprehension for Cosima to realise she just encountered a Castor vampire.

She also realised that she had no clue what she had to do now. She couldn’t take him on, he was way bigger and possibly stronger than her, plus, the person was probably already dead, or close to it. Instead she watched again to the two strangers and something spiked her interest. The man, although still tearing into the body like it was a pinata, had a tattoo of a two headed horse, two swords crossing beneath it. She made a mental note of it and turned around to leave. It seemed like a cowardice strategy, but she couldn’t risk getting smelled or heard. Sadly, the wind was blowing the wrong way for Cosima.

Without her noticing, as she was trying to be as silent as possible, a man crept up behind her. It took only a second, but Cosima was knocked to the ground by something harsh. She had barely time to comprehend what was happening or the man attacked again, kicking her in her stomach, which made Cosima sputter out blood. He went in for another kick, but Cosima clamped herself around his foot. Rolling over so she pulled him with her, using her vampire strength to get him to topple over her on the floor. Her teeth were protruding and she hissed at the man. He had a wicked scar over his face and his hair was styled in some weird mohawk. He had a craziness in his eyes that’s most often only reserved for the psychopaths.

He jumped up far quicker Cosima expected and soon she followed as well. “Look, dude, I’m not looking for any trouble…” but she was cut off when she had to duck for a hand swinging her way. He missed grandly, defence had always been Cosima’s stronger side and right now he was swinging blindly at her. Fist after fist she blocked or ducked away from, which only angered him further.

Somewhere in the distance a gurgle was heard, presumably from the body he had so savagely beaten.

The man’s wicked smile at finally landing a fist to Cosima’s side made him all the more scary. Cosima was fearing her life right now. She was already getting tired from having had no assignment lately, no duty to train for, no nothing. Her muscles were getting sore.

All of a sudden a dog barked somewhere, which caught the man’s attention. His defence was down and Cosima took the opening. She swung a fist out and hit him square in the face. He stumbled back a bit, holding his cheek. “You bitch! I’ll make you pay for this,” he ran back to her, ready to aim a fist in her cheek when the dog barked again, closer this time. He stopped mid-air, turned around and went away swiftly. Cosima knew she was in trouble, there was a dead body and she was bleeding all over, having gotten blood of the body on her from the man with the scar.

She needed a hiding spot right away and frankly she only knew one apartment who would answer. Begrudgingly she turned to dart away. The dog barked again and a female scream was heard, yup the body had been found. It would take barely 10 minutes before the police would arrive, so she used her speed to arrive sooner at Delphine’s apartment.

Delphine’s POV

It was barely 2 hours later when a knock on the door startled Delphine awake. The knocking was consistently getting louder and Delphine all but ran to it to open it. When she opened it she was met with Cosima, again. She stormed inside and pushed the door closed, standing with her back against it.

Delphine took a quick glance over. On the side of her mouth was fresh blood, her eyes were closed, but it was clear her cheek had taken some pretty bad beating. Her clothes were the most prominent though, as they were covered in blood and dirt. Literally the coat almost dripped of the blood.

“Is that yours?!” Delphine squeaked, dragging Cosima along and taking her coat. “Some of it, yeah, but most is from some dead body,” Cosima retorted like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Delphine’s eyes widened and then narrowed at her. She hadn’t… she wouldn’t in this neighbourhood right? Cosima seemed to pick up on Delphine’s internal struggle and answered her unasked question. “No, I didn’t kill anyone. I came across a Castor… I think at least. He smelled me and came after me, I was saved by a dog barking near us. He fled away.”

Delphine walked over to the sick and got a clean cloth, wetting it and walking back over to Cosima. She sat Cosima down on the couch and dragged a chair over. She dabbed at Cosima’s mouth who hissed at the pain, but Delphine continued anyway.

They stayed in a comfortable silence, while Delphine worked on cleaning the wounds of Cosima. After she was finished she went back to the kitchen to clean up the cloth. She came back with a glass of water which Cosima eyes suspiciously.

“What you want to take my DNA again? I thought you had it already.” She deadpanned. Delphine winced, but didn’t budge, instead she pushed the glass in Cosima’s hands who eagerly drank from it.

“I will be gone, when it all settled down over there, can’t really walk out looking like a dead person walking,” Cosima said. Delphine hummed her agreement.
They went to watch a movie together, which seemed weirdly trivial, given the current circumstances.

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

It took three hours before Cosima felt safe enough to go home, she had to go, because being in the same space with Delphine was truly excruciating. The blonde hadn’t said anything about their little disagreement nor had Cosima brought it up. The awkwardness was hanging thick in the air, but both girls were adamant not to break it. Delphine had asked a few questions about the attack, but Cosima’s short answers had been a clear indication that she didn’t want to talk about it. Firstly, she would discuss it with Mrs. S. and they maybe were planning on working together, Cosima didn’t know how much information Mrs. S. was going to exchange with them.

Cosima gathered her stuff, her bloody jacket in a bag, out of sight, and went to go to the door, Delphine trailing behind her.

“So, thanks for the bag, uhm, I have to go now otherwise Mrs. S. will worry,” Delphine looked at Cosima questioningly. It hit Cosima that Mrs. S. had used her first name when they met and quickly she added, “Siobhan, I mean.”

Delphine smiled a little and opened the door for Cosima, who walked through almost right away. However, she was stopped by a hand around her wrist.

“I’m really sorry, Cosima,” Delphine said apologetically, the sincerity was clear in her eyes, but what did Cosima know. She had believed those hazel orbs before and apparently it turned out to be liars. A coldness settled in Cosima’s gut and her gaze fixed straight on Delphine who slightly coward backwards.

“It’s fine,” was all Cosima said, but it sounded sarcastically. Delphine opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Cosima. “Really, it’s fine, I was just a mark for you,” and with that she turned around to storm away, not wanting to hear Delphine’s response.

-

“Cosima! Finally, what took you so long?” she was greeted by Felix who had jumped to the door the moment she stepped through. “Hello Felix, it’s nice to see you too,” she said instead. She didn’t know how much he knew and her first task was to talk to Mrs. S. Until now it seemed Mrs. S. had deliberately kept him in the dark. Cosima understood why, he was the loose canon of the group and went out the most. Sadly, he didn’t see it that way and most of the time it angered him that he was kept in the dark.

“Did you shag that blondie again, is that why you are late?” he questioned, but Cosima was not at all in the mood for this kind of teasing from her brother. The memory of Delphine’s betrayal was still very vivid and if he continued on like this she would surely blow up like a bomb.

“Where is Mrs. S.?” she asked him. Felix huffed and pointed towards the kitchen. Cosima nodded a thankyou and briskly walked on, not wanting to hear any more questions from him.

She entered the kitchen and was met with Sarah and Mrs. S. sitting around the coffee table having a cup of tea. They both looked up worriedly when she walked in and she gave them a reassuring smile.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I just came across a Castor that’s all,” she knew her statement would take both women by surprise, what she didn’t expect was for Mrs. S. to stand up abruptly and examine her. Literally, she was probing her skin and taking her face in her hand turning it this and that way to make sure Cosima was fine. After some time, Cosima had enough and she gently pushed Mrs. S. hands away. “I’m fine Mrs. S., truly,” she gave another reassuring smile.
“Good, now sit chicken, I’ll make you some tea and you can tell us everything that happened,” she pushed Cosima down on a seat and went over to the stove to boil some water.

“First I need to know, does Felix know about all this?” she asked and Mrs. S. stiffened up for a second before she relaxed again. She waited before she answered with, “No, he knows what he needs to know and I like to keep it that way,” she gave a stern look to both girls. Sarah and Cosima shared a look when Mrs. S. was concentrating on the boiling water again. It wasn’t unusual to keep him in the dark, but this situation seemed rather big and important. It would be a tiring task to keep him out of the loop.

If he knows what he needs to know, Cosima thought, then there is a high possibility that they don’t know everything as well. Mrs. S. knew about Castor, but she hadn’t told Sarah before the abduction, Sarah only found out by accident, because Delphine knew something about it. Cosima only knew, because Mrs. S. needed some leverage to get Cosima away from Delphine. Which backfired, because now they were arranging a meeting with Dyad to work together. What a strange way for things to turn out.

But, Cosima only had read one file on Castor. Mostly about the victims they had made and their way of killing, nothing on where they are from or why we need to hunt them so badly. Vampires tend to stay out of each other’s business, because it can turn really ugly if they do mingle with each other. What was happening?

“Why do we want to work together with Dyad to create a venom that could possibly be used on us?” Cosima asked. Mrs. S. poured the boiling hot water in a cup and handed it over to Cosima, who blowed on it, looking over the rim to Mrs. S.

“Because, chicken, we need something from them and they need something from us,” Mrs. S. was clearly adamant in sharing information, but Cosima couldn’t not know the whole ordeal. Not if it involved her family and another vampire family, it was too dangerous to be kept in the dark.

“Why can’t we just stay out of their business like we always do?” Sarah butted in. Catching onto what Cosima was trying to do. Mrs. S. sighed deeply and took a zip from her tea. “Because, as I said, we need something,” Mrs. S. threw a stern look to both the girls’ way telling them to stop this interrogation. But Cosima wasn’t about to drop the matter just like that.

“What do we need?” she asked instead, ignoring the daggers that Mrs. S. was sending her way.

She sighed deeply, clearly contemplating how she was going to answer. Probably debating if she was going to tell the truth or a half truth. Cosima and Sarah waited expectantly for Mrs. S. to continue.

Mrs. S. inhaled deeply. “Alright then, the Castor family was getting dangerously close to us and not by accident. They have been trying to gain vampires into their tribe, and I can only imagine what can happen if they have gathered enough vampires into their tribe,” Mrs. S. paused. Cosima and Sarah shared a look, waiting for Mrs. S. to continue. “My contacts and I think that the leader, Virginia Coady, wants to start a war between the humans and vampires,”

“Ait, but that ain’t so bad right? Maybe we can finally live freely without having to hide in those shite shadows,” Sarah commented. But Cosima knew better than that. That wasn’t how it was going to go, it either would end in a vampire win, which meant all humans would be wiped out and where would they get sufficient blood from? Or the humans would win and this small peace they had right now would be destroyed forever. It would mean vampires would have to hide deeper and longer. Worst case scenario, the hunters would try even harder to wipe out the vampire race. Sure, hunters were still roaming around, but they had clear rules about killing vampires, the humans were just as adamant in creating a war as the Leda tribe was.

“Sarah dear, both conclusions to that war would end in the demise of vampires if you think about it,” and Sarah did and soon she was catching on to Cosima’s train of thought as well, realisation dawning on her face. “Oh…yeah…sorry,” she said and slumped in her chair. Mrs. S. only smiled at her.

“So, if we can set up a deal with Dyad, it would mean that we are protected and simultaneously we can end a possibly devastating war.” Mrs. S. was finished talking now. She cleared the table of the empty tea cups and walked over to the sink to rinse them out.

“So Cosima, it is your turn now to enlighten us with your story about Castor. Please tell us as detailed as possible, everything might be of significance,” Mrs. S. said when she sat back down.

Cosima inhaled deeply before she started her story about the attack. “So, I heard a scream and needed to check it out. I walked over and in some alley or side street I see this man all hunched over a trembling body, it didn’t take me long before I realised he was eating the body, ripping at the chest and literally clawing its way inside.” Cosima looked around the table, two pairs of eyes intently watching her.

She took another deep breath before continuing. “I realised the man must be a Castor vampire so I bolted, I wouldn’t be able to handle him and the person clearly died already.” She felt a wave of guilt wash over her and all of a sudden her eyes teared up. Mrs. S. put her hand on her forearm for reassurance and smiled warmly at her for comfort.

Cosima laughed awkwardly, it wasn’t like she truly cared for the body, but she had never seen someone be torn apart like that in real life. She can’t stop thinking about the fact she possibly could’ve prevented it. She stopped herself from dwelling any further and tried to even out her breathing and blink her tears away.
After some time she had pulled herself back together and continued. “So, I bolted, but apparently he had smelled me or something and all of a sudden he attacked me from behind,”

Sarah huffed, “What a bloody wuss,” she breathed out through clenched teeth.

“We fought for a while, but then a dog’s bark scared him off or something, he probably didn’t want to be found near the body.” Cosima paused again for good measure.

“I was all covered in blood of the victim so I went to Delphine to hide out there until it was clear again. Then I went straight home and here I am,” Cosima finished her story, looking at both women who were staring at her. Another thing came to mind and all of a sudden Cosima stood upright and went to rummage through the kitchen searching for something. When she found the stuff she needed, she sat back down and started sketching the tattoo she had seen on the man’s arm. When she finished she turned it around for the two women to see.

“I saw he was wearing this tattoo, I guess it might be a symbol or proof of loyalty,” she said, while Sarah took the paper in her hand to take a better look at it. “Two horses, two swords, how badass,” she retorted.

Mrs. S. patiently waited for Sarah to hand the piece of paper over and examined it closely once she got it. “We will take this with us to our meeting, I want it to be tomorrow and we will pick them up. Can you send to Delphine that we will be picking her and Aldous up at 1 P.M.?” Cosima nodded at Mrs. S. and took out her phone to send the text. In a heartbeat she got a response, an emoji of a thumb.

Cosima sighed, she couldn’t help herself, she truly had believed Delphine was sincere in her feelings.

“Cosima, I want you to tag along with me tomorrow during the meeting. Delphine trusts you and she might be helpful to get this deal through our way,” Mrs. S. said and Cosima only nodded.

-

It was 12:45 and Cosima and Mrs. S. had been staked out in front of Leekie’s office for a while now, checking for any sign of danger, because if there was they would bolt out of here right away and no deal would be made. Something in Cosima’s stomach told her that she needn’t to worry for any danger, Delphine might not be in love with her, but she did care and she seemed a strong advocate for this deal to be made.

All of a sudden Mrs. S. sat up straight and pointed towards the entrance. Cosima’s heart did a little flip, but soon after she scolded herself for it. Delphine was walking out of the building with an old man walking right behind her. She scanned the streets before her eyes landed on their car.

Not long after the duo stepped inside the car and a cheery man greeted them. “Hello! Cosima, I’m so happy to finally meet you,” he put his hand out for her to take, but she only eyed it suspiciously. After some time, and awkwardness, he retracted it again.

“And who are you, if I may ask?” He directed his question towards Mrs. S., who eyed him in the rear view mirror. His voice despised Cosima right from the bat, with his smug grin on his face like he owns everything around him.

“My name is Siobhan and we’re going to drive around a bit before we settle down somewhere for a nice picknick, anyone opposed to that?” Mrs. S. asked and when everyone kept quiet she started the car and drove off. Cosima went to look out the window, but it backfired as she saw half of Delphine’s face in it as well. Delphine was staring outside with her lip sucked between her teeth. God it was a beautiful sight. Quickly Cosima averted her gaze towards the trees that were flying by. The radio crackled some soft rock and it was the only sound in the car. She dared a look in the rear view mirror to look at Aldous and she wished she hadn’t.

He was already staring at her and when her eyes met his, his smile widened. It is meant to be a reassuring or comforting sign, but it only made the knot in Cosima’s stomach contract more.

-

“We are here,” Mrs. S. called out when she parked the car on an off road grass area. They all exited the car simultaneously and the cacophony of closing car doors was a vast contrast with the overall silence of the woods. Mrs. S. had driven near a deserted creak, no one in sight for miles, a perfect place to kill two people and get away with it. However, that wasn’t Mrs. S. her plan, she drove them here, because it is secluded and if someone had followed them they would see them coming from miles away.

“Please, take a seat Dr. Leekie and Delphine, myself and Cosima will get some food out of the car,” Mrs. S. stated. Delphine and Aldous walked on and set themselves down at a picknick table. Cosima helped Mrs. S. carry some bags filled with food and they both walked over to the table and set out a pretty decent picknick.
“So, lets get right to it shall we, we heard you needed some things from us,” Mrs. S. cut right to the chase. Aldous shot a weird glance towards Delphine who slightly cowered under his gaze. He was probably disappointed in her for spilling the beans.

“Yes indeed, we merely need some samples and then we can work on a venom together,” he declared. “It might work best if Cosima remains to be our subject, as we already have some samples of her,” Cosima shot a glare towards Delphine who met her eyes head on. There was no fear in them, just determination and… an apologetic look? Maybe Cosima was just seeing things.

The two elderly people had progressed with their conversation and Cosima had a hard time tuning in again. It was all politics that they were discussing anyway. Delphine still stared at Cosima and when Cosima caught her she averted her gaze quickly, it annoyed Cosima.

She already felt like a lab rat, like she was going to be used as a pet mouse. Pricks and probing would be her new temporary future, Mrs. S. had told her that, but that didn’t mean she was going to be happy about it.

“Delphine will be the one to acquire the samples from you Cosima, as you two have already met and are… comfortable with each other,” Aldous said and this caused Cosima to whip her head around. Actually, she shouldn’t be surprised that this was how it was going to go. Of course he would pick Delphine, that way, he made sure she didn’t know who else worked with them. She would be kept in the dark about their total number or most important scientists.

“Sure, tell me when to show up and I’ll be there, but if I smell one bit of foul play, me and my biology are out,” she looked at him harshly. It only made him smile wider, which made him look like a scary grandpa.

“Don’t worry Cosima, we will have no bad intentions for you or your family,” he tried to reassure her. It was Delphine who spoke up next. “I’ll guide you through the extractions, are you okay with that?” she asked, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

“Doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice, so yeah sure, totally fine with it,” Cosima responded rather bitterly. Mrs. S. shot her a stern look and Cosima swallowed the rest of her attitude. It just seemed unfair that she was drawing the short end of the straw right now. She would have to mingle directly with Dyad, hunters or vampires, and Mrs. S. acted like it was normal. Like she was ordering her to get a pizza from down town or something. Not like she was sending her into the hell hole that was Dyad.

After some more discussions Mrs. S. and Dr. Leekie seemed to have come to terms with things. Cosima would come in regularly, which meant the venom would be created pretty soon if all things went accordingly. Mrs. S. and Leekie would keep in contact as well to discuss the progression of the creation of the venom. They would meet again once the venom was ready and then they could talk action plans to attack Castor.

“One more thing Dr. Leekie, I’m sure you already heard, but Cosima met a Castor vampire yesterday,” Mrs. S. stated. Aldous looked genuinely shocked and he shot a disapproving look towards Delphine, who looked intently at the floor.

“No, I haven’t heard of the incident, it must have slipped Delphine’s mind,” Aldous smiles his usual smile again, acting like it doesn’t bother him, but the pursing of his lips and anger flaring behind his eyes indicate a different story.

“Well, she was attacked by him and we found out a few things about him, for one, he wears a huge scar over his face and secondly,” Mrs. S. rummaged through her pockets before she pulled out the slip of paper Cosima had drawn the tattoo on. “He was wearing this symbol on his arm, it might be of significance and we hoped you could find more about it,”

Aldous took the paper in his hands to examine it more closely. “Thank you Siobhan, I will let a team look into it and we might find something. I expect you have your own people working on it as well?”

This strikes Cosima as odd. The question is too direct, too precise. How does he know Mrs. S. has a network? What more does he know that he isn’t telling them? The knot in Cosima’s stomach tightens more and she has to mentally focus on her breathing.

“I have, so if it shows up somewhere, I’m sure we will find it,” Siobhan answers.

“Well, I guess we are finished here. Delphine can you set up your first session with Cosima?” Aldous looked between the two girls expectantly. Delphine nodded and then dared a glance towards Cosima, who only had eyes for the weird elderly man.

Mrs. S. and Aldous were walking back to the car, chitchatting about some minor details, while Delphine and Cosima walked a bit further away from them. An awkward silence hung between the two until Delphine broke it. “Uhm, can you come in for me tomorrow? At around 1 P.M.?” Delphine asked hesitantly. Cosima looked from the corner of her eye to the blonde, seeing the girl had once again her lip in between her teeth.

“Yeah, sure, is there anything I should, like, bring with me?” Cosima asked. She really should have listened more carefully to Aldous and Mrs. S. conversation. She realised she almost knew next to nothing about the whole plan of action. She also didn’t know what the examinations were going to be like.

Delphine snickered at the question. “Just bring yourself and we’ll be good,” she said, a small smile playing on her lips. Cosima wasn’t quite ready to be friendly with the girl again. She had hurt her more deeply than she would like to admit to anyone and she definitely wasn’t ready to have a civil and normal conversation.

“That won’t be a problem,” Cosima mumbled under her breath and she picked up the pace to stand next to Mrs. S., who was holding the door for Aldous Leekie.
Delphine climbed in on the other side and now only Cosima and Mrs. S. were standing outside, safe from eavesdropping as the car doors were all closed.

“Watch your back Cosima, Delphine has played you once, she could do it again,” Mrs. S. warned, clearly also not a fan of Delphine being the one who will collect the samples. It was all Mrs. S. said and she stepped in the car, leaving Cosima outside alone. She walked around the front of the car to get in as well and off they went.

-

Delphine’s POV

It was nearing 1:07 and Cosima was still a no show. Her leg was tapping feverishly on the floor and her lip was stuck between her teeth, she was looking around and scanning the hall. A minute later a flash of brown hair catches her attention. And sure enough, it is Cosima who waltzes in without a care in the world. However, Delphine sees the flexing of her fingers and the slightly nervous shifting of the eyes indicating Cosima is feeling nervous as well.

“Hello Cosima, if you will follow me I’ll lead you to a room where I’ll collect some samples,” Delphine escorts Cosima along the way. She then leads her towards a door and opens it for Cosima to step in. A whiff of Cosima’s scent hits Delphine’s nose and she has to take a step back not to act on it.

Cosima saunters in and scans her surroundings, promptly sitting on the examination table and staring unabashedly at all the things that are on display. Delphine inhales deeply before also following the cheeky girl inside and sitting across from her.

“Cosima, thank you that you and your family want to help us,” Delphine tries. But Cosima’s eyes harden and she grips the edge of the table, making her knuckles turn white.

“Yeah, it wasn’t my idea, if it were up to me I would run as far away from them, and Dyad, as possible,” she remarked, causing Delphine to flinch.

“Look, I understand your… negative attitude towards Dyad, but we really only want to stop these Castor killings,” Delphine said and Cosima started to laugh aloud, she literally almost doubled over laughing. Delphine looked at her concerned, was the girl losing it?

“You…really don’t know huh?” she tried to say in between laughs. Delphine’s blood started to rush and she felt anger flaring beneath her skin.

“I don’t know what?” Delphine asked rather harshly, but it didn’t bother Cosima one bit.

“This whole thing is not meant to stop them from killing some people you know,” she said looking at Delphine directly. Delphine at the same time got a cotton swab and motioned for Cosima to open her mouth, which she complied to. Once she finished, Cosima continued talking.

“They want to stop them, because they form a potential threat towards the human race, one you are a part of,” Delphine looked at Cosima in disbelief. Why would Aldous hide something like this from her? It didn’t make sense. Sure, she was merely a hunter of the lower ranks, but she thought she had earned some kind of trust over the years.

“You are serious?” Delphine asked incredulously. Cosima nodded.

“What do you mean by that? How would they want to try and wipe us out?” Delphine asked quickly, hoping the truth serum Cosima was on kept going.

“Well, there is this leader, Virginia Coady, who is trying to assemble vampires for a takeover. If she manages to do this, she could start a hell of a war. Rumour has it, she tried to find vampires all around America, but her tribe is set in this town,” Cosima winced when Delphine not so nicely stuck the syringe in her arm, retrieving blood samples from the vampire. When she had three tubes filled she took out the syringe and carefully placed it on her little table.

“Alright, well, thank you for telling me, I had no idea,” Delphine admitted softly. Cosima looked at her with mercy and understanding. The blonde probably isn’t the only one who has been kept in the dark about everything.

Delphine was startled when Cosima spoke up. “You didn’t have to lead me on like that you know,” Delphine’s eyes shoot to Cosima, but she is looking to the floor. Her voice had sounded small and it stung somewhere in Delphine’s chest.

“Cosima, I’m sorry, I never intended for this to happen…actually I thought I would have to kill you at some point. Right now, I’m just glad that that isn’t the case,” Delphine admitted sheepishly. Cosima looked up from the floor and showed real sadness in her eyes. The kind of sadness someone bares with them after they lost someone important.

Delphine took Cosima’s hand in hers and softly stroked it with her thumb, the act catches Cosima by surprise and her eyes shoot towards the intertwined hands. Delphine only now realizes what this might mean, but she can’t bring herself to stop the movement with her thumb.

“Am I done?” Cosima asks hoarsely. Her eyes were still fixed on their locked hands. Delphine swallowed thickly before answering. “Yes, oui, you can go…or you can have lunch with me if you want?” Delphine blurted out the last part and Cosima looked at her amused.

“Sure, why not, we’re working together anyway right,” and Cosima jumped off the table and walked over to the door, letting go of Delphine’s hand. Right away Delphine missed the warmth it had provided, but she didn’t show.

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

They were sitting in a small diner, Delphine had brought them here. It was a cute little place, buzzing with people and waitresses trying to fill everyone’s stomach with food. The delicious smells wafted off all the plates surrounding them and Cosima almost drowned. It was nauseating to be so close to all these kind of foods and not being able to enjoy them to the fullest. They were never going to fill her like blood would, but the diner smelled like it was going to try its best.

“So, what’s your usual?” Cosima asked while she scanned the menu. There were so many things, she didn’t know where to start looking. Delphine placed the menu carefully on the table, looking everywhere but at Cosima.

“I usually go for their Sandwich Special, as it is home made and truly delicious,” Delphine answered. The blonde dared a glance at Cosima and was met with a hesitant look.

Cosima didn’t know what game Delphine was playing, was she trying to pry for information? Delphine seemed to be kept out of the loop by Dr. Leekie, which to Cosima seemed odd. They looked to be tight buddies or at least great co-workers. It would be weird for the old man to not tell Delphine about Virginia Coady.
Except…if the blonde was like Felix. Just a liability most of the time and in no need to be kept up to date. Maybe he was protecting her by keeping her out of the loop.

However, it could also be that he was purposefully pushing her out so she wouldn’t ask too many questions. Because Delphine surely seemed like the type to not just shut up about something. She was like Sherlock Holmes, always trying to get to the bottom of things.

So her trying to befriend Cosima right now probably only was because she wanted some answers. There seemed no other logical reason for the blonde to try and be friendly with her. Except of course… but no the blonde had been clear about the way she felt. She didn’t like Cosima like that.

“Sooo, why did you ask me to have lunch with you? It surely isn’t because of my dazzling personality,” Cosima asked head on. The blonde hesitated to answer the question, her eyes shifting from the table to Cosima.

“I… don’t know, Cosima, after everything that happened it just seems logical to me that we could hang out together. Get to know each other you know?” she answered eventually.

“Frankly, I don’t know, why would you want to get to know me? Because the only reason I can think of is prying information out of me, because that weird boss of yours is keeping you in the dark,” Cosima said exasperated.

Delphine looked dumbfounded and genuinely confused at Cosima. Before she could answer a waitress showed up to take their orders.

“Well, Cosima can’t I just for the sake of myself want this…relationship to be nice. So when we work together, we can work in peace,” Delphine retorted rather harshly, which only spiked a new found anger in Cosima’s gut. She tried to push it down, she really did, but the blonde had a way of pushing her buttons.

“Fine, what do you want to know?” Cosima asked, her hands motioning wide with her statement.

Delphine did an eye roll before she asked a question. “Why does your family need Dyad to fight the Castors?” Cosima snorted. This woman.

“I mean, I don’t trust you guys to be completely honest with you, but Mrs. S. seems to want this alliance to work so here we are,” Cosima waved between herself and Delphine.

“A vampire war, even though it sounds very alluring, will be devasting either way it ends for the vampires, you see,” Cosima took a quick sip from her drink, before continuing. “If the humans win, we will be wiped out so that’s bad,” Delphine nodded along. “And if the vampires win, we’ll eventually run out of human blood, because half of the vampires are just blood thirsty scavengers and they’ll kill anything that comes their way. Resulting in either a war between vampires or just the demise of vampires because there is not enough food,” Cosima concluded.

Delphine was silent for a while, taking in the story. “Alright… but why work with Dyad? Why not go after them yourselves?” Delphine asked with a raised eyebrow. Cosima shrugged at the question.

“To be honest, I don’t know. Maybe she wants to infiltrate your residence so we can kill you all from the inside out,” Delphine’s shocked eyes made Cosima laugh.
Delphine realised the joke a beat later and swatted the cheeky girl on the arm. “You tease,” she said.

“You know it,” Cosima said before she registered her words. Delphine’s easy smile changed and an awkward silence settled between the two. Luckily for them the waitress came back with their food orders and they dived into their dish.

“Alright riddle me this, why didn’t you know about Virginia Coady?” Cosima asked in between bites.

Delphine finished chewing before she answered the question. “I don’t know, I guess he waited to fill me in on the details once the venom was created. He likes to keep me in the dark so I remain ignorant and safe,” she said and a blush crept up her face, which Cosima found odd. The whole dynamic between the elderly man and Delphine had stricken her as weird from the beginning. Too close with each other to be just co-workers, as if he acted like a father or something. It was weird to think about.

“Hmm, sounds like Mrs. S.” Cosima said and smiled softly at Delphine, who returned the gesture. It was hard for Cosima to stay angry with the blonde. Sure, she could spike the emotion in an instant, but she could also take it away within seconds. Just seeing that smile makes Cosima swoon.

“When did you become a hunter?” Cosima asked, finishing the last of her meal. Delphine thought for a second, her lip stuck in between her teeth.

“I think I just turned 13 years old. I was recruited by Aldous himself, he was my mentor for years,” she answered, marvelling in her memories for a second.

“Hm, Aldous yeah, he gives me bad vibes, like he’s a creep or something,” Cosima put her utensils on her plate and looked at Delphine, whose eyes were shining with anger.

“He isn’t a creep, he is one of the best hunters out there. It is because of him that I got this job, a job most only acquire at around their thirties,” Delphine defended.
“Jeez, did you sleep with him or something for that?” Cosima had meant it as a joke to lighten the mood, but the blonde stayed awfully quiet. She didn’t meet Cosima’s penetrating stare nor did she defend herself.

“Oh…my…god…you totally did.” Cosima breathed out lowly, realisation dawning on her. It wasn’t even weird, the man did seem like a creep who would take advantage of women like that, she just never expected Delphine to fall for it. she thought the blonde to be wiser than that.

“Only in the beginning of my career. I never wanted to. I… I don’t know why I let him, I was 19 years old.” Tears filled Delphine’s eyes and she shut them to stop them from falling. Cosima’s hand shot out and grabbed the blonde’s in reassurance. The blonde looked up at the gesture and smiled softly at Cosima. A silent understanding was made between the two and Cosima squeezed her hand.

-

Delphine’s POV

Cosima’s soft eyes warmed Delphine’s heart, they were like a shining light at the end of a tunnel, guiding her towards safety. She hadn’t intended for the brunette to find out about her and Leekie, but Cosima had seen right through her. It had been years since the last time Dr. Leekie had put his hands on her, but it still felt like yesterday sometimes.

It also was the first time she ever spoke about it aloud. No one knew about it, of course there had been whispers back at the Academy. Rumours spread by Shay that she slept with Dr. Leekie to increase her rank. However, most students hadn’t really believed it, because they knew about Shay’s vendetta against her.

And now she had told someone… someone she trusted more than she would like to admit. Cosima responded wordlessly, which was the best response Delphine could think of. Instead she had instinctively reached for her hand as a token of reassurance. Something clicked in Delphine’s mind at that moment.

She didn’t see Cosima as a vampire, instead she saw her as a person. A person with feelings, a person she had hurt by lying. A person she cared for, cared for more than she previously thought.

-

Delphine walked up the stairs towards the Dyad building. She had mustered up all her courage to confront Dr. Leekie with her new found knowledge about Virginia Coady. She wanted to know the whole deal, the whole truth about this operation.

The elevator dinged and she stepped inside to pass the last few minutes before her arrival. Her fingers twitched and she was feverishly biting her lower lip. Her nerves were shooting through her veins and she wasn’t sure how to approach the conversation just yet, debating if the head on or jump around the bush strategy would work best. She settled on the head on tactic.

The elevator indicated she had arrived at her floor and she stepped out, walking over to Leekie’s office. She took a deep breath and opened the door.
Right away she was welcomed by Aldous’ broad smile. “Welcome Delphine, what can I do for you?”

“Aldous, why haven’t you told me about Virginia Coady?” Delphine asked. His grey eyes were shining with something indecipherable. He sighed deeply crossing his hands atop his desk.

“I assume Cosima told you,” Delphine nodded. “Ah, well I wanted to wait with elaborating on my plan. I first wanted the venom to be secured and developed. But since you already know about Virginia, you now also now the… seriousness of the situation,” he leaned back in his seat.

“We are on a time schedule, as the longer this takes, the more vampires she can recruit in her tribe. That’s why I wanted you to solely focus on the treatments and your… bond with Cosima,” he paused for a second, studying Delphine.

“You see, I want you to stay on Cosima’s good side. We will be able to use that in the future,”

“How?” Delphine asked briskly, not wanting to exploit her delicate friendship with Cosima again like he was insinuating.

He smiled for a second before continuing. “I not only want to take out the Castor tribe with this venom, Delphine.”

Instant realisation of his plan hit Delphine and all air was sucked from her lungs. She acted as if the statement didn’t bother her, but it did. It thoroughly did.
“You want to use it on the Leda tribe as well,” Delphine gathered and Aldous only smiled wider, a wicked glint in his eyes.

“Yes, because they remain a threat to us and we can’t have a repetition of this Castor situation again,” he said. Delphine only nodded along, not daring to speak, because she wasn’t sure what would come out of her mouth.

She wouldn’t let this happen to Cosima, she couldn’t loose her. She just couldn’t, since their lunch Delphine could only think about the girl. About her wittiness, about her smarts, about those flying hands whenever she talked. She wanted Cosima, and her family by extend, to be safe, not to endanger them further by this alliance.
Delphine made up her mind about her next move and played out a plan in her head.

“I’ll continue to work on my relationship with Cosima as much as possible,” she said and Leekie looked happy at her statement.

“We are going to do great things Delphine, I just know it,” he said with that wicked glint still present in his grey eyes.

-

“Cosima! Cosima, I need to speak with you, can you come over?” Delphine rambled, almost tripping, because she was pacing so fast in her apartment.
“Hello to you too, uhm yeah sure I’ll be there at 7,” she heard the brunette’s voice coming from the other end of the phone. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Damn you miss me already, huh?” Cosima’s cheeky remark made Delphine laugh. The girl wasn’t even wrong.

“Oui,” was all Delphine answered before she hung up the phone. Now, it was just a waiting game until 7 P.M.

-

At exactly 6:57 the doorbell rang and Delphine almost threw herself at the door, opening it swiftly to see Cosima standing in the hallway. So Cosima could make it on time, who knew?

“You made it,” Delphine sighed a breath of relief and enveloped Cosima in a hug, who returned right away.

“Yeah it sounded kind of important,” Cosima shrugged off her coat and draped it across the back of the couch. She walked around it to sit herself on top of it. Memories of their shared kiss flashed across Delphine’s mind and she pushed them down. They weren’t important right now.

“Leekie told me something about the plan, a part of it that he hasn’t disclosed with you,” Delphine started, and she noticed Cosima was fully focusing on her. Looking at her with an intense gaze.

“You must know I didn’t know he was planning on doing this,” Delphine tried to defend herself prior to her confession. She really needed for Cosima to understand that she was on her side in this matter.

“I went to Leekie after our lunch to discuss Virginia Coady with him and he elaborated further on his plan. Cosima, he wants to use the venom not only on Castor, but on your family too,” Delphine waited for Cosima’s response, but the only reaction she got was a deep sigh from the brunette.

“I knew it, I knew we couldn’t trust Dyad, goddamnit how could we be so foolish!” she exclaimed. Delphine winced at the harsh tone. She felt a guilt wash over her for having put them in this situation.

Cosima’s anger was growing by the minute, she was ranting on and on about how she should’ve seen it coming. Delphine tried numerous times to stop her rambling, but she just talked right over Delphine. her anger wasn’t particularly directed towards Delphine, much to her relief.

Cosima’s POV

“I don’t understand how I could have been this blind?! We should have known a hunter community would never want to create an alliance with us. We should have known damnit! How foolish of…” and all of a sudden a pair of lips were firmly planted against Cosima’s. For a moment she didn’t know what to do or think, but after a heartbeat her lips started to move in sync with Delphine.

The full cacophony of questions in her head instantly subsided with Delphine kissing her like that. The kiss was a needy one, filled with passion and want. Both hands of Delphine had come up straddling her face, keeping her in position and thus Delphine was the one to lead the kiss. Even though her lips were feverish in their movement, Delphine’s tongue only hesitantly swiped over Cosima’s bottom lip. Cosima took this as a sign to pull away a little, breaking their kiss. Delphine looked hurt at the rejection and retracted her hands instantly, but Cosima caught them mid-air.

“Are you…sure?” Cosima asked slowly. She was afraid of the blonde pulling tricks on her. Taking advantage of Cosima’s fondness of her and using it for her own good. She was scared to see the truth in the blonde’s eyes; that she truly didn’t like Cosima like that. All this time the blonde had kept her distance, had tried to be friendly, but not too much. Now she was kissing Cosima like her life depended on it.

Delphine sighed deeply, and Cosima deflated a little. “You can’t take a hint?” she chuckled softly, taking one of Cosima’s hands to her lips to kiss the knuckles softly. “Because I don’t know a lot of things at the moment, and it seems the world is turning its back on us with all the vampire dramatics,” she breathed out, exasperation clear in her voice. “But what I do know is that I really like being around you,” she confessed barely above a whisper.

Cosima noticed the weight that started to settle on the blonde, clearly afraid of Cosima’s reaction and the realisation that she liked Cosima. But Cosima almost couldn’t contain her happiness.

“Damn, I’m that irresistible then, am I?” She tried to lighten the mood and it worked. Delphine bellowed out a sincere laugh and hit Cosima playfully on the arm.
Silence enveloped them next, Delphine playing with the fingers of Cosima, twirling the rings around and around.

“I’m really happy you called me tonight,” Cosima admitted sheepishly. Delphine looked deeply in Cosima’s eyes and then she leaned in again. Her lips catching Cosima’s, starting slow, getting used to each other’s feeling in this new found relationship. Their kiss was a promise, an understanding and a trust that neither felt like speaking out loud. Every meaning of those terms got transferred via the kiss and they both felt it.

After some time the kiss started to become more sloppy, Delphine inviting Cosima in her mouth and at the same time cradling her face again with two hands, pulling her impossibly closer. Cosima moaned softly in Delphine’s mouth and it spurred her on to pull Cosima closer by her waist, effectively encouraging Cosima to sit atop her lap. The kiss was never broken when Cosima tried to stand up, taking Delphine with her, it didn’t break when they walked clumsily towards the bed room. It wasn’t even broken when Cosima softly pushed Delphine on top of the bed, crawling over her and resting both her arms besides the blonde’s head for support.

Delphine’s POV

The kiss suddenly broke when Cosima moved to sit upright, Delphine almost whimpered her disappointment when she was met with a bra-cladded chest of the vampire, her skin filling with goosebumps by the sudden cold. A shiver ran up Delphine’s spine and she let her eyes rake over the newly exposed flesh. Then she moved her eyes back up to Cosima, who was smirking widely.

“Like what you see?” she asked in a husky tone, inching forward. Delphine swatted her arm playfully.

“Cheeky!” she responded, but to show that she did very much like her current sight, she moved forward catching Cosima’s lips mid-air. The kiss grew heated instantly and Cosima started to push her hips down on Delphine, grinding against her. A moan escaped Delphine’s lips because of the movement and Cosima takes advantage by kissing down Delphine’s jawline towards her neck. She feels Cosima’s tongue softly raking over her flesh, creating goosebumps in its path.

Delphine was transported to a tranquilness state, purely enjoying Cosima’s touch on her body. But she wanted to give it to the brunette as well. Wanted to convey a message to Cosima that she truly was into this as much as the vampire.

So, Delphine grabbed on to both sides of Cosima and spun them around, simultaneously pushing her down against the bed so she was laying on her back with Delphine on top.

The smaller girl started to giggle at the sudden change of pace and draped her arms around Delphine’s neck. Delphine kisses Cosima feverishly, breathlessly, until she has to break apart for air. Continuing on her journey, she moves to kiss Cosima’s neck, leaving soft kisses on her skin and liking the way Cosima’s breathing is picking up.

Delphine moves to sit up straight, and grabs her shirt to toss it away in one swift motion, taking her bra with it as well. Cosima’s eyes grow wide at the sight of the delicate bare blonde and now it is Delphine’s turn to smirk.

She copies Cosima’s earlier remark, “ Like what you see?” and Cosima has to laugh softly, shaking her head in amusement. A wholehearted “Yes” escapes her lips and she grabs onto the blonde’s waist to pull her closer in again. Delphine breathes out a light chuckle, before it is changed into a low moan when Cosima pulls one of her nipples inside her mouth and softly sucks on it. Delphine grabs on to Cosima’s head to keep her in place, but she doesn’t let the brunette enjoy for too long, it is the blonde’s turn to show her infatuation.

She pushed the brunette back by the shoulders, laughing softly at the little pout the brunette is wearing. With her hands around Cosima’s back she opens the clasp of her bra and throws it to the floor. Then she pushes the small girl down into the bed and pecks her on the lips quickly, before moving to one of Cosima’s breast. Enjoying the pebbles that occur whenever her lips trace over the skin of the brunette’s breasts. Eventually she takes in one hardened nipple and softly sucks and licks it, enjoying the sounds that are coming off Cosima’s lips like a harmony.

Also a lot of profanities follow the low moans in a way Delphine has never experienced, but damn she never knew she needed to hear so much.

Delphine continued to work on Cosima’s breasts for a while until she needed more, she felt a physical ache in her core, but denied herself pleasure, instead wanting to give her all to the trembling girl beneath her.

She moves her hand southwards, a light tremble in her hand from the nerves, but still she moves forward. She dares a look in Cosima’s eyes and she is met with so much warmth and understanding, she almost drowns in it right then and there. She pecks the brunette quickly, conveying her need. Her need to feel Cosima beneath her, trembling like she once did when Cosima was the one in charge.

Her hand is met with Cosima’s panty, but she is quick to move underneath it, delicately moving her fingers between Cosima’s folds and finding her fingers nearly drown in Cosima’s desire. They both let out a long low moan and Delphine catches Cosima’s lips to kiss her needily, tongues sweeping over each other messily. Delphine moves her fingers through Cosima again, enjoying the sounds that are coming off from Cosima. She had never though the cheeky girl to give herself so much and be this vocal. She herself was silent, enjoying the ecstasy within herself. But she now learned that it is so much better to hear the other, hear them crumbling beneath your touch.

Delphine caresses Cosima’s sex once more before she dips one finger inside of her, and Cosima buckles her hips in desire. Cosima grabs on to Delphine’s shoulder blades and pulls them chest to chest which just adds another stimulant to the mix. The skin-on-skin contact feels amazing to Delphine and she is temporarily lost in the touch until she feels Cosima’s needy movements against her hand. She smiles to herself and moves her finger tediously slow in and out of Cosima, occasionally bending it when she is deepest. She continues the slow pace, teasing Cosima with the palm of her hand against her clit.

Cosima is panting now, clearly driven insane, and a low growl escapes her lips, but Delphine doesn’t budge just yet. She wants Cosima to see what she is doing, to see that she is dragging the process so she can be with her like this as long as possible. She wants Cosima to know how much she cares for her.

But then her own desire takes over the reigns and she speeds up the pace, adding another finger inside Cosima, her walls contracting around them. She feels Cosima is already close, close enough to be panting like she is loosing her body. Holding on to Cosima as to not be obliterated in the moment.

Delphine purposefully pushes the palm of her hand harder against Cosima’s clit and with every thrust she grazes the small bundle of nerves and it drives Cosima over the edge. She comes hard and her nails are dug into Delphine’s flesh on her back. The walls around Delphine’s fingers keep contracting while she continues to push in and out to ride out the orgasm. It doesn’t take long or Cosima’s body goes completely relaxed.

Delphine moves to lay next to Cosima, both catching their breaths for a moment.

“Wow,” is all Cosima says before she closes her eyes, evening out her breathing. She doesn’t see Delphine wide smile.

But the peace and silent doesn’t take long as Delphine is still running hot and Cosima knows this, having been in her position as well. So, Cosima moves around a bit until she is steadily cradling Delphine.

She starts kissing the blonde softly, trying to start up slow. The blonde returns the kiss, kissing the blonde slowly and sweetly. Cosima moves her hand towards one of Delphine’s breasts and softly squeezes it, rolling her thumb over the erect nipple. She then lets her tongue swipe over Delphine’s bottom lip and catches her lip in between her teeth, softly scraping her teeth over it before kissing her again, more deeply.

The blonde rolls her hips unknowingly and Cosima steadies herself with one arm next to Delphine’s head.

The other is still fumbling with Delphine’s breast, making the blonde pant faster by every minute. The lack of touching where she needs to be touched doesn’t add to her sanity as well. Her desire is overwhelming her with every minute that passes.

But then Cosima moves her fingers over her stomach, softly caressing the skin and moving down towards her pants. She quickly makes work of taking off her pants and undergarments and then lays back under Cosima, who continues as if she wasn’t bothered at all.

Her fingers dip down and over Delphine’s clit whose hips shoot upwards, but Cosima holds her steady. She moves her fingers through Delphine’s folds a few times before she dips two fingers inside of her.

Delphine moans loudly, a sound she has never made before, and grabs onto Cosima, who has moved to kiss her neck now, leaving soft kisses. Cosima thrusts inside Delphine at an already quick pace and Delphine has to work her hips to keep up with the brunette.

All of a sudden she feels a pain in her neck and she pushes Cosima away, who takes her fingers out of Delphine at the same time.

“Did you just…bite me?” Delphine asks incredulously. Cosima looks like a puppy who just ate a shoe and softly nods her head, not meeting Delphine’s eyes.

Delphine thinks for a second. “When was the last time you ate?” Delphine asks more understandingly. Cosima thinks for a second before asking.

“To be honest, the last full meal I had was in Paris, since then I’ve been living of scratches and lately not much,” she looks ashamed of herself and Delphine takes her face in her hand, turning it so they are looking at each other.

She then pulls Cosima’s face closer, kissing her red-stained lips and enjoying the taste of her own blood on her lips. They kiss for a while, falling into a slow and steady rhythm, before Delphine pushes them apart. Desire has taken over Cosima’s eyes and they are blazing with want.

So, Delphine does what she thinks is best, and she moves Cosima’s head towards her neck, towards where she had just been bitten. A whispered “are you sure?” comes from the brunette and Delphine nods once.

All of a sudden she feels two teeth against her skin and then they are inside of her, an ecstasy overwhelms her all over again, but this time with much more force. The feeling of her blood leaving her bloody makes her head spin and her mind goes hazy. She feels for one of Cosima’s hands and pushes it down, the brunette gets the hint and quickly positions herself so she can use her hand.

Delphine’s desire is every more present than ever and she slides inside easily, even with two fingers. Delphine’s mind is swimming, her heated body a stark contrast with the blood leaving her body, leaving her hazy and foggy. She is getting light headed, but it feels amazing and she doesn’t want Cosima to stop.

And then Cosima moves her thumb against her clit and everything seizes to exist while simultaneously everything comes down with a force so heavy, Delphine isn’t sure she’ll survive it.

Her orgasm hits her hard and she feels herself trembling and shocking, while Cosima thrusts inside of her with an unmanageable pace. Delphine briefly wonders if she is using her vampire speed or strength, but the thoughts quickly leave her body when her body calls for her so loudly. The intensity of her downfall makes her rip over Cosima’s back and she feels the vampire hiss against her neck, but she doesn’t care.

When her limbs finally relax, Cosima drops next to her with some blood still on her lips, a lazy smile adorning her face.

“Are you okay?” she asks, suddenly worried and Delphine can only smile and nod, the past activities have worn her out tremendously.

She grabs Cosima and cuddles into her side. “Now sleep,” she says and closes her eyes, she feels Cosima chuckle against her. “You now, vampires don’t need sleep,” she says, and immediately adds, “But I will sleep for you happily,” and she kisses the top of Delphine’s head.

Delphine is out like a light within minutes and doesn’t notice the vampire lovingly staring at her for another hour.

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

Cosima woke up out of the greatest slumber she had ever had and was met with blonde curls in her face. Apparently they had changed position during the night, because Delphine was now the big spoon with Cosima curled around her. Cosima tightened her grip and the blonde sighed contently in her sleep.

The reality of the night before dawned on Cosima and she smiled. The blonde had at last chosen to accept her feelings and let Cosima in, which she was grateful for. They had spent the night together, truly together in all honesty and longing. But then the news of the night before hit Cosima like a cold water splash.

Leekie wanted to use the venom on her and her family. He really was playing at a double agenda and right now, the most important thing was to get the information to Mrs. S. Cosima knew from the start that the old bastard wasn’t trustworthy, with his icy blue eyes and mouth full of shit. Talking about how he wanted to keep them safe and work with them to get the Castor vampires wiped out. How could she have not seen this coming, it had been too easy from the start, the whole alliance.
With his shit eating grin all the time, he must have been thinking how stupid they were trusting him. Granted, Cosima felt like an idiot right now.

Delphine stirred and her eyes fluttered open slightly. It was the cutest sight and Cosima’s mood lifted up with delight.

“Goodmorning, sleepy head,” Cosima said hoarsely. Delphine’s eyes remained closed, but she smiled.

“Goodmorning, mon chérie,” the french word rolled off Delphine’s tongue and Cosima melted upon hearing it. She curled around the blonde some more and they continued to bask in the morning for a bit.

After some time, Cosima moved to lean on her elbow, looking down on Delphine.

“How are you feeling?” she asked with concern. Even though Delphine had been clear about her feelings the night before, it could be that she was feeling regret or doubt. Maybe she had been sure in the spur of the moment, but was she readying herself to crawl back into her safe haven.

The blonde was still an enigma to Cosima, she never really could read her. Sometimes emotions showed, but they could easily be fabricated by the blonde, could easily be fake.

But the blonde smiled warmly instead. “I feel like I’ve never slept this good,” and she kissed Cosima softly.

“How are you?” the blonde asked back, taking a strand of brown dreadlock in between her fingers and fidgeting with it. Cosima stayed silent for a while, analysing the situation from top to bottom.

“So, I feel very well about this,” she gestured between her and the blonde, “but we really have to go back to Mrs. S. and tell her the information we’ve got. She’ll know how to handle this,” Cosima said.

The blonde nodded and started to get up, pushing the covers off of them and getting out of bed. Cosima followed begrudgingly, stepping out on her side of the bed. She picks up the clothes that had been so haphazardly discarded the night before and puts them on.

When she is finished, she stalks out of the bedroom where she can smell the scent of coffee. The blonde is in the kitchen, having set two plates, and is now at the coffee machine.

“Don’t you take good care of your guests,” Cosima breathes out when she is right behind Delphine. She can sense Delphine smiling. Delphine turns around abruptly and is now facing Cosima way closer than she had thought, their faced only inches apart. The smell of Delphine fills Cosima’s nostrils and for a second her mind goes blank. All her senses are filled with Delphine and an sudden pull at her stomach is the only feeling she has.

“Only of the special ones,” and Delphine leans in to peck Cosima on the lips quickly before she turns around the grab the coffee and walk over to the table. The sudden loss of closeness makes Cosima pout and Delphine catches it, chuckling lightly.

“First food,” the blonde argues and she gets some croissants for the both of them. But then she realises something and she looks at Cosima worriedly. The two small wounds are still present on Delphine’s neck, evidence of what Cosima had done the night before. It had satiated Cosima enough for a day or something, but with last nights shenanigans it would maybe last her a bit less.

“Don’t worry, I eat normal food, too. It just doesn’t satiate me,” she said and she sat herself on a chair next to the blonde.

A silence filled the room while the two were having breakfast and only the sounds of the street were heard by the vampire. She couldn’t doubt Delphine anymore since last night, the girl had trusted her enough to let her feed on her. That kind of trust is unmeasured.

“Alright so… we go to my place… and then we’ll talk to Mrs. S. about what you have come to know…and then we can think of a plan,” Cosima said in between bites. Delphine laughed a little.

“Has your mother never thought you to speak after you’re done chewing?” Delphine said lightly, but Cosima grew silent at the remark. Delphine realises her mistake instantly and puts a comforting hand on the vampire’s arm. “I’m sorry,”

Cosima smiles softly at her, sadness present in her eyes. “It’s okay, I’ve just been abandoned really young, I don’t remember her. Anyway, Mrs. S. is like a mother to me, and no she has never thought me that,” Cosima tried to brush it off. She wasn’t in the mood for a deep conversation, luckily Delphine caught on quickly and let it slide for now.

“Shall we go?” Cosima asked after they were both finished eating their breakfasts. Delphine nodded and put the plates in the sink before she walked over to the couch to get Cosima’s coat. She offered it to the brunette and helped her get in the coat. She then went to get her own jacket and walked over to the door waiting patiently for Cosima, who was staring at the blonde lovingly.

-

“Okay, so, she’ll probably won’t be happy that I took you with me to our safe house, but don’t take it personal,” Cosima said when they arrived at their destination, being Cosima’s stay.

“She just wants to protect us, thus that’s why she can come off pretty rough when she sees you, but I promise that will subside after she hears what you knows,” Cosima tried to reassure the now nervous blonde. It did no good, the blonde was fidgeting with her fingers while her lip was stuck in between her teeth.

Cosima stepped out of the car and Delphine followed closely behind. They both stared at the front door for a second before Cosima moved to walk towards it. She opened the door and they both walked through, being met with Felix who just came down the stairs.

“Oh, now I get it,” he breathed out and continued down the stairs to stand in front of them. He was wearing eyeliner and smelled of liquor, clearly he had been out the night before. His leather pants were hugging his legs tightly and left nothing to the imagination as was his see-through shirt.

“Mrs. S. is not going to be happy about this Cosima,” he said and gave her a pointed side glance. Cosima was ready to throw back a remark, but Delphine stopped her by putting a hand on her arm.

“Hello, I’m Delphine,” and she stuck her hand out for Felix to grab. Who chuckled humourlessly and accepted it. “Felix, Mrs. S. is on the porch,” and he pointed along the hall towards the kitchen.

Delphine nodded and waited for Cosima to go first, who did after throwing Felix an angry glance. He smiled mockingly at her and went through another door towards the living room.

Cosima walked tentatively towards the back exit, she could see Mrs. S. staring out towards the garden.

“Hey S., I brought someone who has some important information,” Mrs. S.’ head swirled around and when she saw Delphine standing next to Cosima all emotion drained from her face. Cosima knew she was doing the right thing by bringing Delphine in, but right now she was as terrified as ever. It stayed silent for only two seconds, but Cosima’s life flashed before her in those seconds. Mrs. S. was unreadable, but her eyes were stoic and hard, clearly indicating she wasn’t pleased at all at seeing the blonde in their safe house.

“Siobhan, I have information you surely want to hear about,” Delphine took over the conversation and when Cosima looked over to the blonde she was surprised. All the nervousness seemed to have left the blonde and in its place was that scary determination Cosima had seen before. She was all business in this moment with her head held high and her shoulders squared.

“Not here,” was all Mrs. S. said before she briskly got up and went inside. Delphine and Cosima followed swiftly and they continued down a few doors before they were back in the room where Delphine had been held hostage only a few days ago. Cosima could see the memory replaying in Delphine’s mind and she softly touched her arm and smiled at her warmly, which Delphine reciprocated with one of her own.

Cosima checked the room again, it seemed to have a different air right now, but it still sucked all life out of you. How Mrs. S. got her hands on a house with a cellar this void of emotion was a mystery to Cosima, but here they were. A beautiful safe house with a murder cellar underneath, the dream.

“Sit,” Mrs. S. ordered and Delphine and Cosima both took a seat. Delphine seemed to have gained some colour since the car and she was looking as fierce as ever. Cosima was impressed by it, she didn’t know the blonde could switch gears this quickly. Especially knowing that right now she was in danger, real life threatening danger, because if Mrs. S. decided she was a loose end, Cosima couldn’t vouch for her. Hell, she wouldn’t even be able to handle Mrs. S. on her own.

If it came down to a fight Cosima wouldn’t be able to choose and she sincerely hoped she wouldn’t have to.

“Cosima, how could you be so stupid as to bring her here, you know what could happen,” Mrs. S. scolded Cosima, who slumped in her seat. The room was all of a sudden sucking all the air out of her lungs and she felt like a caged animal. She guessed that was the whole purpose of the room, to terrify you into speaking the truth.

“Bringing Delphine in can confiscate our safety, we don’t know what her agenda is,” at that Mrs. S. threw a distrustful look towards the blonde, who met the brunette head on. Cosima noticed it annoyed Delphine that Mrs. S. was talking about her like she wasn’t there. Her jaw was set and her eyes glazed over with a flash of anger. However, it subsided quickly and she put on her mask.

“Please, Siobhan, I understand your… worries about me…” but Delphine was cut off by Mrs. S. again.

“You took advantage of Cosima once before, why would you not do it again right now?” Mrs. S. asked with venom in her voice. The remnants of Delphine’s past betrayal were still present for Cosima and she couldn’t help but flinch at the memories that came flooding back. Maybe indeed Delphine was lying, but right now she couldn’t afford to doubt the blonde. Mrs. S. would notice every speck of doubt on Cosima from a mile away and this little “amicable” talk they were having would turn bad real soon.

“Because, I didn’t know her back then, besides I really think you’ll change your mind about me after you hear what I have to say,” Delphine retorted almost angrily. Her eyes showed confidence and she wasn’t here to get scolded by Mrs. S. Her statement hit home base as Mrs. S. peaked up a little bit. Clearly she was distrustful of Delphine, but if she had something useful she would surely want to hear it.

Mrs. S. gestured for her to take the stage and tell her story, leaning back in her chair lazily. Cosima knew it was an act Mrs. S. used. She would come off as disregarding and uninterested, but deep down that woman was hanging on to every word of Delphine.

“I had a meeting yesterday with Dr. Leekie, and he expanded on his plan a bit further,” Delphine started and she paused to see if she was allowed to continue. Mrs. S. gestured for her to go on, leaning slightly more forward in her chair.

“He wants to take out Castor, as we know, but that is not his whole agenda, he wants to use the venom also on you and your family,” Mrs. S. didn’t even flinch. She didn’t show any sort of surprise, but Cosima knew Mrs. S. was only hiding her emotions in order for Delphine not to see them.

Mrs. S. slowly leaned forward and leaned her arms on the table in between them, clasping her hands together.

“Mrs. S., we really should take him our or something, because he is using us, clearly,” Cosima provided, trying to get a reaction out of the woman. But the woman stayed silent and she silenced both girls as well, she looked to be in deep thought.

After a while she finally zoned back in and regarded both girls. “I expected this, I knew we shouldn’t have trusted him, but he is our only chance at bringing down Castor,” she said.

Cosima was shocked at this, Mrs. S. had willingly put them in danger? Seriously? After all those years of trying to protect them, she was ready to throw them in front of the bus just so another family of vampires could be extinguished.

“You knew about this?” Cosima couldn’t help herself. Mrs. S.’ eyes focused on Cosima and she tried to comfort her with her eyes.

She sighed deeply before she spoke her next words. “I didn’t know, but I suspected something, he had been too eager to work with us from the start,” Cosima leaned back in her chair more. Anger was starting to bubble underneath the surface and she needed to calm herself before she would do anything that she might regret later.
“But why would you get with him then?!” Cosima huffed out angrily. Delphine remained quiet next to her, but she could see the worried glances thrown her way.
Delphine was pleading for her to calm down as this might crush their chances of keeping it civil.

Mrs. S. gaze changed into a sternly warning, telling Cosima to calm down right now or else. But Cosima had never known what the “or else” meant in that look, she had never bothered to find out. Today might be the day she would, though. Cosima simply couldn’t believe the danger Mrs. S. had put them all in.

“I have given them my blood for Christ sake!” Cosima was raising her voice right now.

“Language, Cosima,” Mrs. S. warned her calmly. It only aggravated Cosima further, she just doesn’t understand Mrs. S.’ decision. Risk versus reward has significantly declined after this information and Cosima isn’t sure if they are going to get out of this without scratches.

“I understand your predicament, child, but you have to understand that Castor would have gone after us at some point. We are a liability to them, so our priority was and still is, to wipe them out,” Mrs. S. informed in that teacher-like way.

“Alright, but why would we need Dr. Leekie for that, we are a strong family we can take them right?” Cosima asked, but seeing Mrs. S.’ face told an entirely different story. All of her anger left her and was replaced by fear. Fear for everything actually, she really felt like she was wearing the wrong skin right now. It seemed all options would lead to danger.

Mrs. S. had taken this route, because it was their best chance at killing Castor. The enemy of your enemy is your friend right? Well it seems that saying isn’t the full truth. The enemy of your enemy can easily also be your enemy.

“Alright…so what’s the plan?” Cosima asked eventually, feeling defeated and she deflated some more in her chair.

Mrs. S. looked between the two girls and they ended up in a notorious debate about what to do or what kind of possibilities they had at the moment. They came up empty almost all the time, most scenarios leading to either their death, or Castor roaming free.

But then Delphine peaked up. “Wait, I might have something. We need Castor to be brought down right?” she asked rhetorically, but still Mrs. S. nodded. “So, why not continue this venom creation until at least we can take down Castor,” Mrs. S. snorted humourlessly, shaking her head in disbelief.

“You suggest we just, let him create a weapon against us?” Cosima asked incredulously. Delphine nodded once at that. Mrs. S. was caught in between the two women, what Delphine was suggesting seemed utterly outrageous. If they let Dr. Leekie continue his little experiment, he would definitely have the chance to wipe them out.
“Look, I know it sounds incredulous and dumb, but I think Dr. Leekie is working on his own agenda. I don’t think he has informed DYAD about Castor yet, because he doesn’t want to seem like he can’t handle things.”

Cosima still wasn’t following, it sounded reasonable to assume that Leekie hadn’t informed his superiors, but what has that to do with a plan? Mrs. S. seemed to catch on though and she nodded along Delphine.

“Alright, we can use that, we only have to wait long enough for the venom to be created before annihilating Leekie. It will be a small window, though,” Mrs. S. said pointedly. Delphine sighed at that.

“It might be your only option right now, because suddenly stopping with the treatment would just mean that Castor can recruit more vampires. Plus, you’ll have two targets on your back then, DYAD would come after you, too, once they find out about Castor,” Delphine’s little story made all women sigh defeatedly.

“And please don’t hate the messenger, but I think Dr. Leekie might be well on his way in developing a venom.” Delphine looked between the vampires anxiously.

“Christ! What do we do?” Cosima breathed out, her hands slicing through the air in defeat.

“We are going to go along Delphine’s plan. It is the best one we have at this moment, we start by making Castor our mark and afterwards, Leekie will be our first priority. We will just have to be quicker that’s all,” Mrs. S. made it sound simple. A simple plan to execute, but one plan with a lot of flaws and possibilities for fatal mistakes.

“As long as Leekie’s superiors don’t know about his little plan of vampire annihilation, they won’t suspect us after we have killed him, they probably won’t even investigate it, if we make it look like a disappearance,” Mrs. S. reasoned.

“Fine, but how are we going to deal with Castor?” Cosima asked. Mrs. S. thought for some time, Delphine doing the same.

“Well they are recruiting right? And we need to get on the inside to get close to Virginia?” Delphine asked and both vampires nodded at her questions. The blonde fidgeted with her fingers for a bit before she spoke again.

“We might could create a hole in their system if we send on of our own in,” Delphine suggested. Cosima mulled over the idea for a bit, Mrs. S. doing the same as she was squinting her eyes slightly and nodding.

“We could do that. It would be a dangerous task, but hell every move we make is going to be dangerous,” she breathes out and all of a sudden the plan has become solid.

They talked over some details, but in the end they agreed on Cosima to be the one to play the spy. Sarah was too unpredictable and Felix is way too much of a rookie. Plus, Cosima had fought a Castor vampire, which meant he had her scent. She would need to go about the city a bit for him to track her down. With a little bit of luck he wouldn’t go in for the kill, but Mrs. S. promised she would always be nearby in case it turned into a shit show.

Mrs. S. would shadow Cosima the next few days in order to protect her just in case. Then if she could find the vampire she had had a squirrel with, if he would obey his orders, he would probably try to drag her in. She would plead that she was a lost vampire on her own just trying to survive and he would probably jump at the chance to deliver another vampire to his master.

Delphine hadn’t liked the idea of Cosima being the one playing cat and mouse with the Castor tribe, but she was intelligent enough not to fight it. She also realised it was their best chance at getting on the inside. Then, once Cosima had established a pretty bond with the Castors, she could get close with Virginia and eventually take her out.

Her escape plan wasn’t established yet, but that was a worry for another time. Right now they needed to make sure the venom was ready. That was Delphine’s part of the deal, she would have to bribe Dr. Leekie to try and stay up to date about his plans and moves. Hopefully she was right about the venom, and is it almost ready. If not, Cosima would have to play along for longer and it would only increase risks. For the time being Cosima would rent her own apartment in the city, because once she was in, she couldn’t come back to the safe house. All their communication will be through Delphine or burner phones. The three would stay in touch by phone calls made from prepaid phones and talks in the supermarket, discrete and on the down low.

Cosima doesn’t like the plan one bit. She hates to be in the middle and she can’t even come back to her home after they start to execute the plan. Which they would start once they had more information from Delphine on the venom.

Cosima sighed deeply. “Alright so I’m not happy with this, but I’ll go along anyway,” Mrs. S. smiled reassuringly at her.

“If anything feels wrong you come directly to me, Cosima, we will pull you from the job and deal with the situation another way,” Mrs. S. tried to reassure Cosima, but it had a counter effect.

“How? Because from where I’m sitting, this is our only possibility to maybe, just maybe, come out of this shitshow alive,” Cosima crossed her arms defiantly. Delphine softly put her hand on Cosima’s leg, the view of the gesture blocked by the table from Mrs. S.

“I will protect you,” Delphine said, and coming from a human that had to have been funny. They didn’t posses the powers vampires had. But in this instant, with those hazel eyes conveying a deeper message, Cosima was sure Delphine would do anything in her human power to live up to that statement. Cosima only smiled back at her softly, trying to convey the message that she would accept the situation as it is.

-

Delphine’s POV

“Well it seems we’re all done here, I suspect you are going back with Delphine?” Siobhan asked innocently and both girls swivelled their heads around towards the woman.

“Uhh, I mean I think so,” Cosima stammered. Siobhan nodded approvingly.

“Good, you’ll discard your scent already then, and you’ll stay in contact with me through a burner phone I’ll arrange for you. It will delivered today at Delphine’s apartment,” both girls nodded along Mrs. S. Cosima’s hand moved down her body towards where Delphine’s hand was still on her leg and she grabbed it. Delphine couldn’t help the jump in her heart and she sincerely hoped Siobhan didn’t notice, but by the side eye she got instantly afterwards it probably was wishful thinking.

Siobhan got up and the two girls followed instantly, their hands losing contact. Cosima was the first one to walk out the door when Siobhan gestured for her to go. But Delphine was stopped by a hand on her shoulder of the elder vampire.

“If you do anything to defy our trust, you will not see the end of day, understood?” Siobhan threatened and all of Delphine’s blood ran cold instantly. It was the first time she ever felt this fearful and she had encountered dangerous situations. However, something in the voice of Siobhan told her the woman wasn’t playing around and she would, surely, kill her if she took a wrong step.

Delphine nodded only once and she was released from the grip of the woman.

Chapter Text

Delphine’s POV

They had gone to Delphine’s apartment after their intense debate with Siobhan. Cosima had been silent for the full car ride and Delphine was growing anxious, she really wanted to know what the girl was thinking about. She knew Cosima had been adamant, that she really didn’t want to be the one to be send in. It didn’t sit well with Delphine as well that Cosima was going to be the one to be send into the den of the devil. However, she knew it was their best option and quite frankly, their only option. Cosima knew this too, but her anxiety got the best of her.

Delphine sighed heavily when she opened the door and stepped inside. It smelled of the coffee they had had the morning, which seemed like an eternity ago. They had woken up together out of a sweet slumber, but after their talk with Siobhan both their moods had significantly dropped.

“Do you want anything?” Delphine asked, trying to start up a conversation, because the silence was starting to way down on her.

Cosima shed her coat and hung it on the coat hanger near the door. “I mean I could kill for some coffee if that’s okay?” she said, but it sounded defeated. Delphine nodded and went over to the little kitchen to get the machine brewing. Cosima dropped herself on the couch and put the tv on, but she put the sound really low. Guess she hears well enough with her vampire ears.

After some time, Delphine walked back inside with two steaming hot cups of coffee. Cosima took hers gently and smiled grateful at Delphine before taking a sip and almost spitting it back out.

“Fuck, that’s hot!” she exclaimed and Delphine snickered. They continued to sit in silence for a while, watching tv with only half a mind present. Delphine could almost hear the gears turning in the vampire’s head, thinking and worrying about their near future.

“I’ll be going to the office later today, you’re free to stay here if you want and maybe we can have dinner together tonight?” Delphine broke the silence with. Cosima only hummed and finished the last bit of her coffee. Her eyes were trained on the tv, a woman was talking about the latest news, some petty theft or something.

“Are you okay?” Delphine asked eventually, because the usually chatty girl remained eerily silent. Cosima sighed deeply and turned around on the couch to lay her head in Delphine’s lap. She looked up at the blonde, clearly thinking about her answer. Delphine knew she wasn’t okay at all, but she had to ask.

“I’m not, actually, but what can I do?” she laughed humourlessly. “It’s not like I can make this situation go magically away or some shit,” she diverted her gaze towards the tv again.

Delphine caressed the girls face and turned it so Cosima was looking at her again. Tears were gathered at the corners of her eye and Delphine broke at the sight.

“Mon amour, it’s going to be fine,” she said sweetly. Her thumb grazed over the soft, olive skin of Cosima’s cheek.

“No, it’s not! I’m literally send into the lion’s lair. Fuck!” Cosima exclaimed and Delphine flinched at the harsh tone. She continued to caress the face of the vampire sweetly, though, and wiped away a strayed tear.

“Yes it is, you’ve got to believe it is going to be fine,” Delphine said reassuringly. She didn’t know if it was going to be fine, but right now she had to comfort the girl in her lap. So, she mustered up all her confidence and tried to convey it. She tried to change her eyes into the ones she knew she could muster up at any given moment, portraying confidence and determination.

Cosima sighed defiantly. “Alright psychic, sure,” and Cosima roughly turned her head back to the tv. Delphine was hurt by the gesture, but she knew the vampire was just scared. Scared and angry with the systems that have put her in this position.

“Cosima, I will protect you, I know I’m human, but I will fight for you,” Delphine retorted lowly. She leaned down to kiss the brunettes cheek and she felt the girl’s defiant attitude deflate a little.

“I’m just so fucking scared Delphine, I’m just so scared, what if I die? What if I survive, but my family dies?” Delphine felt her pants getting wet with tears that were now freely flowing from Cosima’s eyes. She put her arms around the girl and pulled her in against her chest. Cosima turned around so she was facing Delphine’s stomach and openly cried.

“I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how I can get inside, I don’t know, Delphine,” Cosima cried and Delphine only held her, waited for the fear to settle down.
“We will help you Cosima, your family and I, we will help you get on the inside and stay safe,” Delphine’s arms remained around the heaving brunette. They stayed like that for a long time, Cosima crying and whispering about her doubts while Delphine held her in her arms.

After some time Cosima calmed down, the shaking subsided and the tears dried, until eventually she just laid in Delphine’s arms. Her breathing evened out and the tight hold she had had on the blonde loosened ever so much.

“Cosima, I know you’re scared…but I’m sure you’re going to be fine. You have your whole family protecting you from the outside,” Delphine whispered.
“If anything goes wrong we will get you out safely, I know we will,” Delphine added when the brunette remained silent.

“How?” Cosima asked genuinely curious. It made Delphine think for a second before she answered the question as truthfully as she could.

“I don’t know yet, but Siobhan will know. She seems to always have a backup plan, so I think we can rely on her,” Delphine thought Cosima was crying again when she felt her shaking, but she realised the brunette was laughing softly.

“You can call her Mrs. S. you know, she hates it when people call her Siobhan. Makes her feel old and stuff,” Cosima explained. Delphine nodded and smiled a little. Cosima stirred and moved her head to look up at the blonde.

“Thank you for being here,” Cosima said with so much emotion it almost broke Delphine.

“Of course, silly,” and tears welled up in the blonde’s eyes. She leaned down for a kiss and Cosima met her halfway. Delphine tasted the salt of Cosima’s tears on the girl’s lips and moved her head back to kiss them away. She moved her lips tenderly over Cosima’s face and the girl started to giggle.

Cosima returned the favour and after some time they were back at kissing each other again.

The kiss turned into something deeper, conveying promises they both knew they possibly couldn’t keep. It didn’t stop them from pleading to one and other all the same.

Cosima broke the kiss briefly to move and shift to sit on top of Delphine’s lap. Before she leaned in again she stared lovingly at the blonde and for once Delphine didn’t feel judged or scared by the scrutinizing gaze of another person. She only felt love and devotion, and tenderness. She felt like those eyes staring at her were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen and she never wanted someone else to look at her again. She only wanted those eyes, filled with emotion, staring at her from now on.

But she also wanted to touch her, and so she leaned in to catch the brunette’s lips again, kissing her passionately.

She tuned out the world, with its fears and uncertainties, to focus on this moment alone. To focus on the girl that was sitting on her lap so tenderly. Focused on the lips that were kissing her with a kind of desire one only displays when truly in love. She even tuned out the low buzzing of the tv, having forgotten all about the news.
If she had watched, she had noticed that the reporter was now talking about some new murder. A murder committed by a monster it seemed, because of how the corpse was treated. But the girls were too busy with comforting each other. They had all their senses focussed on the other before them.

Delphine moved her hand to cup Cosima’s face and pull her in more feverishly. Cosima hummed softly in Delphine’s mouth at the touch and put her hands on one of Delphine’s breasts, squeezing it softly. It effectively made the blonde moan as she wasn’t expecting the contact and she felt a knot tighten in her stomach.

She pulled away from Cosima, being met with a pouty face and pushed the vampire down on the couch until Cosima was laying on her back. She then moved to kiss Cosima’s neck, slowly trailing kisses along it until she reached the girl’s ear.

“Je te protègerai,” she whispered and Cosima huffed out a deep breath.

“Damn that accent is going to be the death of me,” she said back and grabbed onto Delphine, slowly rocking her hips against the blonde’s stomach. Delphine took Cosima’s earlobe in between her teeth and softly nibbled on it.

She loved it when Cosima was losing control. She loved to see the girl she adored so much crumbling beneath her touch, because it made her feel like she wasn’t the only one feeling this intense longing and love.

Because it was love, she was sure, she was feeling for this girl. If 10 years ago, when she was still at the academy, someone told her she would fall in love with a vampire, she would have laughed in their face. But right now, it made so much sense to her to be with this woman. To have her in her arms, whispering sweet nothingness in her ear. She couldn’t fantom to be anywhere else in the world, she didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.

Cosima leaned her head backwards when Delphine grabbed one of her breasts and breathed out a low moan of satisfaction.

Delphine wanted to make Cosima feel powerful, she wanted to take away all of her doubts and replace them with the confidence she felt herself. So she tried to do that by biting down in Cosima’s neck, softly grazing her teeth over the skin and licking it.

It granted her another low moan coming from Cosima and Delphine smiled to herself. At least, right in this moment, the vampire was feeling well and it made Delphine happy to be the cause of it.

She inched her hand lower over Cosima’s stomach to move under her shirt and back up towards the vampire’s chest. She softly grazed over the skin of the girl beneath her. Delphine tried to put everything into her memory, every dip and curve she burned into her memory. She moved the hand over the curve of her breast and dipped a finger underneath the last piece of fabric. Her finger was met with an erect nipple and she slowly and softly swept over it. Cosima’s breath had significantly picked up and she felt the erratic heartbeat underneath her touch.

“Delphine…I…need you….please,” Cosima panted and Delphine complied, moving her finger away from the breast and inching south towards the spot Cosima needed her most. Seeing Cosima squirm underneath her filled her with pride and she moved her head to kiss Cosima on the lips. She wanted to kiss her when she would reach her destination. And when she did, Cosima moaned deeply, which was partly swallowed by their connected lips.

Cosima didn’t take long and before she knew it the brunette came undone, holding onto the blonde tightly and biting down on her lip to silence her sinful sounds. When she was done, her body relaxed fully and she fell down back into the couch tiredly. Cosima was wearing a tired smile on her lips and her eyes were closed.

“It feels like I just fell down from the sky, like an angel,” Cosima mumbled, her lazy smile still present. Delphine snickered and kissed the brunette softly on the lips before also laying down comfortably on the brunette’s chest. Even though her breaths had evened out, her heart was still beating harshly against her ribcage.

All of a sudden Cosima pushed Delphine off of her and stood up from the couch. She pulled Delphine up and kissed her roughly, pushing her backwards towards the bedroom. They nearly tripped when Cosima tried to take off Delphine’s blouse, and after the piece of clothing was removed they returned to kissing again.

Delphine smiled at Cosima when she was thrown on the bed. She crawled backwards until her head hit the pillow and Cosima followed soon after, locking their lips again for a passionate kiss.

-

Delphine woke up from a dreamless nap, with Cosima in her arms. They were naked and the vampire had her eyes open, staring somewhere behind Delphine.
Delphine looked over to her nightstand and read it had just passed 4 o’clock on her alarm.

“I’ve to go to the office,” Delphine mumbled and she groaned a little. Cosima stretched and something popped in her spine.

“Goodmorning,” Cosima said while yawning and it caused Delphine to giggle a little. A sudden heavy silence fell upon them. They both knew that Delphine was going to acquire the information they needed to start their plan. To start putting Cosima in danger, in the outside world, alone. Or well, partly alone as Siobhan had said she was going to be shadowing Cosima.

Delphine had to gain information about the venom and let Siobhan know as soon as possible. They would talk about the how’s and what’s afterwards.

“You can stay in my apartment for the time being, I won’t be long,” Delphine told Cosima, who had gotten up from the bed. The blonde rubber her eyes trying to rid herself of the last pieces of sleep.

It didn’t take long or the vampire was dressed fully with Delphine following closely behind, pulling her blouse on.

“I think I would like to stay here indeed,” Cosima admitted softly and she gave Delphine an unsure smile. The blonde reciprocated the gesture and took the vampire in her arms, kissing the tip of her nose.

“Just, don’t be too long? I miss you,” Cosima said sheepishly. Delphine stared deeply into Cosima’s eyes and discerned all aspects of her iris. All the browns were shining back at her with intent and if the light hit just right it seemed like some greens were telling her to come closer. They were daring her to take the leap into the dark. But Delphine felt like she had taken that leap long ago, she felt like she had jumped in after that first time they had met at the bar in Paris. Felt like she couldn’t stay away from these eyes since Cosima had laid them on her. She fallen prey to the dark side and she didn’t regret falling one bit.

Everything Delphine had been taught was to distrust these creatures. To stay away from them, but if you could, kill them with pure cruelty. Put your humanity aside and let professionalism take over. Kill them with bare hands or a stake in the heart, but kill them swiftly and soundlessly. Delphine had learned they were monsters, creatures of the night. So you were expected to fear the night, fear it with your life as it was the ultimate hunting moment for these beings.

But now she learned so much more, she learned about their tenderness, their loyalty and their wisdom. Because all they wanted was to survive and who could blame them? Don’t we all try to just survive in this world filled with misery. Cosima had taught her love. Real love, the kind every one fights for in their dreams. The kind of love that would mean you would throw yourself in front of a fire if it meant saving the one you loved. It meant you would put the other above you in all circumstances.

Right now Delphine wanted to tell Cosima all this, she wanted to tell the girl in front of her that she though of her as a person. That even though she had been thought to think about vampires as degrading and filthy, that she no longer thought like this. Instead she thought the complete opposite.

She felt like a stranger to her past in this moment. Even though her past had learned her everything about surviving in her branch, it seemed like it forgot to teach her basic things, like love.

“I will be back soon, mon chérie,” Delphine said, kissing Cosima before leaving out of the door.

-

Cosima’s POV

Delphine walked out the door and when the door closed an eerie silence fell upon Cosima. For the first time she was alone and she truly despised it in this moment. She wanted Delphine to be here, to calm her nerves, to talk about nothing while so much was happening around them. She wanted to be enveloped in a hug, cuddle away all worries until the next morning.

But Cosima knew what needed to be done, she had been trained for this kind of things. It didn’t mean she didn’t feel fear in this instant. If anything, she felt like a train was riding towards her and she was stuck on the track with her hands and feet tied together. If anything, the next days would be a doomed train wreck to be unfolded.

Cosima walked around the apartment. It smelled of Delphine, even though the blonde hadn’t been here since long. Delphine hadn’t yet properly settled in yet, that was clear. There weren’t any pictures or ornaments around that would indicate someone lived here. Only the clothes were an indication that someone actually lived here, but it felt more like a vacation hotel than anything else. Luckily it smelled of Delphine and Cosima basked in the scent when she plunged down on the couch, switching on the television. The woman was speaking about some traffic accidents and Cosima fell into a partial nap while the TV was playing on the background.

The next section was about a murder and Cosima peaked up. She put the volume level higher and moved to sit on the edge of the couch, listening intently to what was being told. Cosima’s guilt peaked up too as she was listening to the woman talk about the murders.

“It has been a few days and still the police haven’t found a lead on the murder in the alley,” the woman spoke. She was wearing a suit with her blonde hair down. Her face was grim, portraying the misery of the news she was delivering. A few pictures of the scene were being shown and the location of the murder was being shared.

“The murder had happened in plain sight, but still there were no witnesses to the actual act,” Cosima swallowed thickly. She was one of the witnesses the woman was talking about. It was as if the news reporter knew Cosima was listening, because she looked at the camera differently, as if telling her to step up.

“It seems like someone brutally attacked the man as he was torn apart. If you know anything, please contact the police,” again the woman nodded towards the camera as if telling Cosima to come forward with the information.

“You could help another family find the closure they deserve,” Cosima’s guilt grew even further. she could just tell the police about everything, tell them about the Castor vampires being the reason for those wicked murders. She could come clean about it and be safe, she wouldn’t have to infiltrate Castor. However, it would mean telling humanity about vampires and Cosima wasn’t sure humanity could handle the truth about the supernatural. Of course, there had been enough speculations on their part, but as long as there was no evidence it could be kept on the down low.

After the news, Cosima turned off the TV and snuggled back on the couch, some tears escaped her eyes and she sobbed silently. She didn’t know the victim, but she knew she had to do right by him. She would have to step up, do her part, and end this thing once and for all. It would mean endangering herself and everyone she cared for, but at least if they could pull it off it meant she had saved other family’s of future loss. That was worth it.

-

Apparently she had fallen asleep, because she woke up when she heard the keys jingle outside the apartment. Not long after the door unlocked and Delphine stepped through. In her hands she was carrying a paper bag, along with some plastic ones, with what smelled like…blood? Cosima shot upright on the couch and smelled again. She wasn’t mistaken, it really smelled like blood.

“Bonjour Cosima, I’ve something for you that you are going to like,” Delphine presumed cheerfully.

“Is that…blood?” Cosima asked tentatively. Delphine shed her coat and put the bags on the counter of the kitchen. Cosima eyed Delphine all the way through her actions.

“Oui, along with some croissants for myself, I got it from one of Siobhan’s contacts,” Delphine looked rather prideful.

“and you’re okay with…me eating it next to you?” Cosima asked worriedly. She didn’t want to overstep boundaries, especially since Delphine was fairly new to the whole liking-vampires-instead-of-killing-them thing. It caused Delphine to snort and she opened the bags to help herself to her own food.

“Cosima, I have the marks that indicate I’m perfectly fine with you drinking blood,” Delphine said lowly and she looked at Cosima seductively. She stalked closer towards Cosima with an extra swing to her hips and handed over the bag of blood.

“Enjoy,” Delphine purred and Cosima swallowed thickly before two pointy teeth were protruding from her gums. Delphine sat herself down next to Cosima with her croissants on a plate. Cosima bit into the bag and started drinking, slowly at first, but after some time the thirst kicked in and she almost choked on herself.

Delphine was only halfway her second croissant when Cosima got up to throw away the bag of blood.

“I have set up a new meeting with Siobhan for tomorrow, we can discuss my new findings with her then and come up with a solid plan,” Delphine provided when she finished the last piece of her croissant. Cosima hummed at that and crawled over the couch towards Delphine.

“I really would like to discuss my possible death, but I have a beautiful woman on my couch,” Cosima purred when her lips were next to Delphine’s ear.

Delphine hummed, “Your couch?” Delphine asked playfully and she pulled Cosima closer until the brunette was straddling her on her lap.

“Oh shut up,” Cosima said and she effectively shut the blonde up by planting her lips onto Delphine’s lips. They made out for an eternity, just basking in each other’s warmth and comfort. It was a sweet display of care and longing, everything was slow and Cosima didn’t even think about their near future. She didn’t think about the conversation they were going to have with Mrs. S., she didn’t think about befriending Castor, she didn’t think about Virginia.

The only thing she though about was Delphine in this moment. Kissing her with every ounce of determination she could muster. She wanted Delphine to know she was okay, that she was going to be fine with

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

Cosima stepped through the familiar door of the safe house with Delphine coming up behind her. The house smelled of her family already, since they had been staying in one place for quite some time now. The smell had settled and there were even some ornaments scattered around the house, drawings of Kira and paintings of Felix were haphazardly spread out along the hallway.

“Well hello there, my dear sister and her traitorous girlfriend,” Felix’s chipper voice came from the living room. Cosima stepped through the living room door and waved to Sarah who was draped along the couch with a beer in hand.

“Felix, don’t call her that. She is on our side now,” Cosima retorted annoyed. Sarah snickered from the other side of the room and swatted Felix on the arm. He was sitting in the lazy chair also handling a beer in his hand.

“Well, I’ll believe it when I see it,” he responded and threw an ugly towards Delphine who had been quiet.

“Hello Felix, Sarah,” Delphine said warmly. Cosima was beyond impressed by the calmness the blonde was emitting. It rubbed off on Cosima, because she felt her angry attitude wash away rather quickly. The woman had had that effect on Cosima from the start, every time she found herself feeling any negative emotions she only had to look at the hazel eyes of her… girlfriend? Felix had called them girlfriends, but they hadn’t really talked about what they meant to each other.

The whole labels had totally gone over Cosima’s heads with the whole Castor ordeal going on. Maybe she had to ask Delphine about it after… they survived the whole thing.

“Oi, blondie, you better be playing on our side this time, or I’ll have to behead you,” Sarah threw from the couch and anger rushed into Cosima’s veins once again. Her head shot from Felix to Sarah and she almost threw herself at the raven-haired woman if it wasn’t for Mrs. S. walking in.

“Don’t worry Sarah, I already warned Delphine, she’ll be no threat to us. Her boss on the other hand is a different story,” she interjected. Cosima looked from between Delphine and Mrs. S. This was the first time she heard about any threats thrown toward Delphine, she couldn’t believe her family. I mean, sure they had to be careful around strangers, but hadn’t Delphine proven herself enough? Playing doubly spy for them and providing intel from the other side.

“Her boss? Jeez can’t we just have no enemies for once,” Felix breathed out exasperated. Sarah moved to sit on top of the couch, taking a big gulp from her beer.

“Why is this the first time we here about this boss of her, and why is he suddenly important to us?” Sarah provided. Cosima sensed Delphine stepping a little closer to her, surely feeling an alien amidst these people. Granted she was the only real human of the group and currently she was being attacked by half of them.

“Because this man wants us dead, Sarah,” Mrs. S. answered matter-of-factly. Sarah’s head shot up at the statement and she narrowed her eyes at Delphine.

“Then what is she doing here?” Sarah said through clenched teeth. Cosima felt the air in the room changing and right now two vampires were readying themselves for a battle. She could smell their vampire side getting stronger and she wasn’t surprised when she saw two teeth protruding from Sarah’s mouth when she spoke again.

“Because I for one, don’t trust her,” Sarah added. She stood up from the couch and sauntered over towards where Cosima and Delphine were standing. Cosima instinctively took a step forward to block Sarah from stepping any closer towards Delphine.

“Sarah calm down now, we can use her, she has information that will help us bring down both Castor and Dr. Leekie, I will have a talk with them first and then we will bring you two up to speed, sound good?” Mrs. S. hadn’t moved from her spot, not at all feeling threatened by Sarah’s little tantrum. Felix took a big gulp of his beer, clearly not having it. Sarah huffed but nodded her approval.

“Delphine, Cosima, if you will follow me, we can have a conversation about our next moves,” Mrs. S. gestured towards the kitchen. Sarah huffed out air and went back to sit on the couch.

“Don’t worry loves, I will fill you in later. I will have jobs for you to do,” Mrs. S. pointed out and she walked towards the kitchen. Delphine followed almost ride away, but Cosima stayed behind for a little longer.

“She is on our side, you know,” Cosima said sternly. She shot Sarah a look, but the other vampire met her head on.

“I don’t believe it for shit, Cosima, and you shouldn’t either. She has proven herself to be on the other side once before, why would that be any different now?” Sarah asked rhetorically. Felix hummed in agreement, but kept quiet.

“I don’t trust her,” Sarah spit out and she averted her gaze, indicating this was the end of the conversation. Cosima didn’t want to leave the conversation like this, but she really should go after Delphine and Mrs. S. to discuss the plan. She looked between the siblings once again, but decided against saying anything. Instead she walked towards the kitchen.

Delphine and Mrs. S. were already sipping on some tea and there was one cup reserved for Cosima on the right side of the table. She took her seat and softly blew on the steaming liquid.

“Alright Delphine, you have visited Dr. Leekie I presume?” Mrs. S. started right away, ignoring any pleasantries. Cosima looked to Delphine expectantly, she hadn’t heard anything yet as well.

Delphine swallowed thickly and looked between the two women. It was clear she had an internal battle, but why Cosima didn’t know.

“The venom is in its last stages, which means it should be ready for produce in about a week already,” Delphine said. Cosima deflated visibly in her chair, this meant the plan was going to take place sooner rather than later. Mrs. S. looked sympathetically to Cosima and put a hand over her hand for comfort.

“Alright, this is good news I suppose,” Mrs. S. put her cup down. “This means we should start putting you out in the field Cosima, with our protection of course,”

“Our?” Cosima asked, her mind hadn’t yet comprehended the news of Delphine, she was still processing the fact that her life would be in danger for the next x amount of time.

“Yes, your family will have your back. I’m going to include Sarah and Felix in this as well, they can be extra eyes and ears out there.” Mrs. S. provided. On the one side, Cosima felt relieved that her family was going to be included in the situation, it made her feel less alone. On the other side though, it meant that the situation was far more serious than expected, because Mrs. S. wouldn’t put the whole family on one job if it wasn’t important.

“Alright…what is the plan? I just roam around the city all day?” Cosima asked begrudgingly. Her mind was starting to spin and even the comforting eyes of Delphine weren’t enough to settle her nerves. She had had her breakdown, she knew that, but it didn’t mean her nerves were put aside. If anything, it felt like waves of despair were washing over her and there was no helping hand that was reaching far enough to get her out.

“Yes Cosima, I know that sounds tedious, but it is really our only option, we don’t know where there camp is,” Mrs. S. took a long sip from her drink and swallowed it down thickly.

“Alright, can I spend the nights at Delphine, though?” Cosima asked hopefully, but seeing the look Mrs. S. gave her already provided the expected answer.

“I’m sorry love, it will only attract attention to Delphine if you do so,” Mrs. S. looked between the women, trying to make Cosima understand. And she did. Of course, she couldn’t be with Delphine throughout this time, Delphine was an important asset to their plan and if she was jeopardized it would mean possibly ending with all of their deaths.

“Yes, yes I get it,” Cosima blew out a big puff of air. The more they talked about this crap the more she felt like she was falling into a pit. Downwards and into the endless abyss. She wasn’t even sure if she could pull it off, let alone be a spy for who knows how many weeks. At least, she had her family and Delphine backing her up, it was for their and her own protection that she was willing to do this. To risk her life and her future the next couple of weeks.

“It’s going to be fine, Cosima, we will provide you with the venom and you will only have to inject Coady with it,” Delphine tried to reassure, but it backfired.
“Inject?! You mean I will need to put a needle into that lady’s arm?” Cosima frantically waved her hands about while she spoke. She was not prepared for this, she had thought to just put the venom in her drink or something, efficient and invisible, just how she liked it.

Delphine grimaced. “Uhh… oui, it will have to be put directly into her veins to work,” Delphine provided. Cosima was really done with the conversation right now, she wanted nothing more than to smoke some pod. She wished to go back to the days she was locked up in this house, smoking on the porch and enjoying the afternoon breeze. It seemed so long ago that happened, but it really wasn’t.

“What do we do with her little army?” Cosima eventually asked a productive question. Mrs. S. peaked up and leaned forward.

“Nothing,” she said while smiling, and it was at this moment Cosima thought Mrs. S. had truly lost her mind. That all this was due to age or amnesia and not because they really needed to save the earth from a possible vampire apocalypse. At least, Delphine looked like she was shook too, it made Cosima feel like she wasn’t the only one thinking it.

“They are merely followers of a wicked mind.” Mrs. S. explained. “They don’t think for themselves, otherwise they wouldn’t have fallen under the spell of a dictator like her. They will fight each other or disappear to where they came or anything like that and they won’t be our problem,” Mrs. S. looked between the two women, gauging their reaction. Delphine seemed to get it as was Cosima.

“Alright…that’s some good news at least,” Cosima said mockingly. Delphine threw an understanding look her way and it made the hostile attitude of Cosima dissipate once again. The effect of that woman was just indescribable and strong, Cosima really though she had found her soulmate. Because silencing her with one look had never happened before and that was some witchcraft.

“Alright, I will bring Sarah and Felix in and we will discuss everything in a nutshell. Let me do the talking Cosima,” Mrs. S. raised from her chair. Cosima mocked hurt, but smiled at the woman.

When Mrs. S. was out the door, Delphine turned immediately to Cosima. “Are you okay?” she asked worriedly. Cosima wanted to scream no, but she couldn’t bring herself to look weak in front of the woman, human woman even. Delphine was plunging into this head first, her priorities straight, and she did her part. She really stepped up and even when Cosima was slowly falling apart besides her, she managed to stay strong. Cosima could learn something from her, and she wished she had.

“So we finally are important enough to be let in on the plan!” Felix’s voice chimed in. Cosima hadn’t even been able to answer Delphine’s question, so instead she threw her a reassuring look that convey she was doing fine.

“Shut up, Fee,” Sarah’s voice followed soon after. The two walked in and Felix went to sit next to Cosima, across from Delphine. Sarah preferred to remain standing besides the door, while Mrs. S. sat herself down on her chair again.

“Alright loves, this might sound strange, but we need you to shadow Cosima the following days,” Mrs. S. started. She wanted the siblings to ask her questions instead of providing the information herself. She didn’t want to drop a bomb and make them think that they had no true chance at this.

So instead she was going to ease them into the plan, providing information little by little for their brains to digest.

“And why would we do that exactly?” Sarah asked, her voice a little raspy. Felix remained silent, which was a first, Cosima had expected him to make some joke about not wanting to be Cosima’s pimp.

“Because Cosima is going to infiltrate Castor for us,” Mrs. S. said matter-of-factly. Sarah looked between the two women, understanding dawning on her face. It wasn’t a surprise to Cosima that Sarah also had been informed about the Castor tribe. Felix on the other hand had remained in the dark and it showed when he perked up excitedly.

“Castor tribe? Who are they?” His gaze didn’t fix on anyone in the room, his eyes just kept jumping from woman to woman until someone answered.
Mrs. S. nodded towards Delphine and now she took the stage. “They are the vampires we’ve been wanting to create a venom for and with ‘we’, I mean DYAD.” Delphine was interrupted by Felix.

“Ahh the venom you wanted to create from Cosima’s biological elements, as I recall correctly?” His gaze was fixated on the blonde woman. Delphine didn’t flinch or back away from his gaze, and met him head on.

“Yes, Felix, but we have been conducting those experiments with Cosima and Mrs. S. on the downlow, we became alliances of some sort,” Delphine said and Felix surprise was written on his face. He always had been the one who couldn’t not show his emotions, sometimes it worked well for him, but most of the times it was just a liability in the field. Sarah on the other hand remained silent in the corner, observing the conversation from an outer perspective. She was virtuous enough to be someone who could focus on a conversation and keep her emotions in check.

“You what?!” Felix looked angrily towards Cosima. “You seriously went along with her so you two could make some crazy science?” he asked. He was silenced by Mrs. S.’ hand on his forearm.

“Felix, we had the same goal in mind, we wanted to eradicate the Castor tribe.” Mrs. S. said. Delphine looked at her gratefully. She wasn’t prepared for a fight with the siblings, as she had no real right to fight them on anything. She had betrayed their trust and she had used Cosima before all of this. But right now, Cosima truly believed she was on their side.

“Why?” Sarah suddenly chimed in from her spot. Mrs. S. looked over to her and seemed to mull over her thoughts.

“Castor is a real threat to us, and the vampire community, they are a bunch of rogue vampires with a dictator as their leader. If we don’t stop them now, we might not find ourselves having a second chance.” Mrs. S. waited for any of the siblings to chime in again, but they both remained silent. She gestured for Delphine to continue.
“We want to use the fabricated venom on their leader, Virginia Coady, and to do that we need someone on the inside.” She looked over to Cosima and the siblings followed her train of thought.

“No.” Sarah simply said and she shook her head. Cosima had expected this response, her siblings wouldn’t let her go into dangerous waters. But she also knew they both would give in eventually, they would have to.

“Sarah, you know I have to go in, there is no other way in administering the venom,” Cosima butted in. “It has to be injected into her blood stream, directly, or it won’t work,” Cosima looked to Delphine who had her eyes trained on Sarah as if scared the raven-haired girl would attack her if she blinked away.

Given, Sarah was looking very accusingly at Delphine at the moment, as was Felix, and Cosima could understand Delphine’s fear. She still was the only human amidst this company. A powerless human, with no extra strength, no extra speed, and no heightened senses. Yeah, it was clear who would win a hand-to-hand combat.
“Sarah and Felix, you two have clear orders, you will shadow Cosima, we will rotate shifts every day. If everything goes according to plan, we won’t have to wait long,” Mrs. S. concluded. Sarah huffed out a breath of air, but didn’t fight the matter.

“Now you both know everything you need to know, I will fill you in on the schedules and Cosima and Delphine you may go home now,” Delphine nodded at Mrs. S. and got up from her chair.

“Just one last thing, this might be the last day you two can see each other, enjoy it,” Mrs. S. added and she looked at Cosima sternly. Cosima nodded, pushing aside all her nerves and fears to enjoy this last day with Delphine. To enjoy the company and relish in it, gaining strength from it to conquer the next days.

-

Cosima was grateful to have this last day with Delphine, they had roamed around the city for a bit when they’d arrived back. They didn’t want to be locked up in their apartment, so instead they had walked around aimlessly, eventually stopping near a restaurant to get some take out. They took that back to Delphine’s apartment and enjoyed their food (Delphine once again magically provided a bag of blood and Cosima was sure Mrs. S. had something to do with it).

Once they both had finished their food they had ended up in bed, enjoying each other’s company to the fullest and Cosima wished the day would never end. Would never cease to become part of the past. Instead she wanted to relish in this moment forever.

They laid in bed, limbs tangled, while Delphine sweetly caressed Cosima’s shoulder with her fingers. It was already way past midnight and Mrs. S. had let them know that there would come a henchman the next day to provide Cosima with the necessary things like clothes and the keys to her new apartment. Her home for the next few days while she tried to lure a Castor vampire.

Cosima opened her eyes and moved to lean on her elbow, so she could now stare at the blonde. The blonde’s eyes remained closed, but the smile gave away that she knew she was being observed.

“Thank you for letting me stay over,” Cosima said. She wanted Delphine to open her eyes, to grant her the beauty that lay beyond those hazel orbs.

She did, her eyes fluttered open and she looked at Cosima sleepily. Her grin widened and eventually broke out into a smile. “Of course, my silly, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world,” and she kissed the tip of Cosima’s nose.

“Alright, so you wouldn’t want to be on the moon?” Cosima quizzed. Delphine shook her head lightly.

“Non, too cold,” she provided and she gave Cosima another kiss on the nose. Cosima’s hand played with Delphine’s fingers, interlocking them and squeezing softly every time Delphine answered.

“Hmm, Greece then?” Cosima asked and Delphine hummed.

“Ahh they have great cuisine, but also no,” again, a kiss on the top of Cosima’s nose.

“Oeh I know! How about Paris?” Cosima quipped. Delphine seemed to seriously consider the question, scrunching up her nose in thought, but eventually she settled on shaking her head softly.

“Paris is only beautiful if you are there with someone you love,” Delphine’s eyes changed to something intense and Cosima caught on to the innuendo. She swallowed thickly, she had wanted to say those words for some time now, but it never seemed to be appropriate. It may seem soon to promise each other the concept of love, but Cosima knew the way she felt wasn’t natural. And there was a very real possibility that she was going to die, so she took the opportunity to convey her feelings nonetheless.

“I love you,” Cosima whispered barely audible and for a second she though Delphine hadn’t actually heard her, but then Delphine’s hand snaked to the back of Cosima’s neck and pulled her in for a kiss. A kiss filled with love, pure love, that radiated off of it. Their lips connected like they always had connected, but it felt different this time. With every breath of air it seemed like they solidified their bond a bit more. Their lips promising the other to stay strong, to keep faith. It was everything Cosima needed to make this day complete. Almost everything.

“Je t’aime aussi,” Delphine whispered when their lips broke apart. She pushed their foreheads together, both their eyes remained closed. They were both panting, because of the intensity of the kiss. Cosima smiled from ear to ear, though, it was like the universe for one moment had listened to her prayers. Had granted her this little win before she would have to risk her life.

She was ever grateful.

-

Cosima stood in the door with her little suitcase in hand. Delphine leaned on the doorpost, waiting for Cosima to finish putting on her jacket. They had dragged out the morning for as long as possible, but Cosima really needed to go to her apartment. Sarah would be there soon and they would begin their first day of roaming around the city aimlessly, waiting for a Castor vampire to attack them.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye then,” Cosima breathed out disappointed. Delphine took her hand in hers and softly kissed the knuckles.

“Don’t worry, mon cheri, everything will turn out fine,” Delphine reassured, sensing the growing tension in Cosima’s body.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I just wished we could at least be together,” Cosima admitted sheepishly. Delphine smiled warmly at the vampire and enveloped her into a hug.
“Soon, we will meet again, Cosima, text me when you’ve arrived at your apartment?” Delphine asked and her brows knitted together in concern. Cosima nodded and kissed Delphine one last time before slowly descending down towards the street. It didn’t take long before a taxi picked her up and she was on her way to her new home.

The reality hit Cosima harshly, when she stepped inside her little apartment which smelled of the people who had previously owned it. She was going to be live bait and nothing could be done about it. But she wasn't going to let her family or Delphine down, so she would accept her job in silence, very much terrified silence. However, she was ready, as ready as she could be standing on the edge of a pit, ready to take the plunge into the abyss.

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

It had been a week, a week without any signs of Castor vampires, nor any new murders that could be committed by them. This could be interpreted as good news, but Cosima only thought of it as bad. It might mean they were preparing for something, like a massacre or something, or a serial strike. She couldn’t dwell on it for too long though, it wasn’t her concern right now. Her task was to be taken to the Castor tribe, investigate and phone back home to enlighten Mrs. S. about her findings.

In the past week she had acted like a tourist in the city, walking around the major sights and enjoying the view from the top of buildings. Sometimes she had smelled the faint scent of Sarah, smelling the familiar scent very faintly, almost taken away by the business of the streets, but Cosima could smell it.

Felix masked his scent well with perfume, but by now Cosima had figured out which perfume she could relate to his scent and she could pick his smell out from the public. He always kept his distance, but she could smell his nerves emanating from his body. It was on those days Cosima felt fairly nervous as well, as she couldn’t completely trust Felix to help her if things turned ugly.

She even had smelled Mrs. S. once, on Wednesday. That had been three days ago and Cosima hadn’t expected the wave of relief that washed over her when she smelled the very delicate smell of Mrs. S. She had only smelled it for a few seconds, and only once or twice, but it was enough for Cosima to be sure Mrs. S. was watching her. Mrs. S. smelled fainter, because she knew how to keep her emotions in check and she knew how to keep herself on the down low. Her faint smell was purposely emanated for Cosima to smell, so she knew her mother was nearby.

Right now Cosima walked through a small alley way, pondering if she should call it a night or not. It had past 7 o’clock and there had been no sign of someone following her. Sure, she had smelled some people that she had smelled before, but never did she smell the guy with the scar on his face. There was also no indication that someone was following her.

Her phone buzzed with a text message, most likely from Delphine asking how she was doing. It had been a ritual these past few days for the two love birds to exchange texts whenever they had the chance, which wasn’t often. Cosima only allowed herself to answer the blonde when she was safely in her apartment as to keep her attention to her surroundings.

She sped up her pace to get home sooner, she really craved talking to Delphine and getting to knew the newest updates. Last thing she had heard was from last night, where Delphine told her that the venom was as good as done and ready for produce. Today she would have a meeting with Dr. Leekie to get some samples which Delphine would bring to Mrs. S.

As far as Leekie knows, they were going to use the venom for the Castor head vampire and he wasn’t wrong. He just failed to see their second plan, which was to eliminate him as soon as possible after Virginia’s death.

Somewhere in the distance a cat screeched and knocked over some empty cans left at the garbage. It was a pleasant night with birds chirping overhead and a soft breeze blowing by gently. It had rained the day prior and there were still some puddles left yet to be dried.

All she saw was a shadow quickly approaching, all she heard were some birds in the distance and something slicing through the air like a sword. She couldn’t respond quickly enough, so she was knocked to the wall with a vice like grip on her throat. She smelled him before she saw him when she opened her eyes, trying to gasp for air. It was no use, as the fingers around her throat only tightened their grip. It was a strong hold, not just a regular man strangling her, no there was strength in it.
Her eyes were open wide in surprise, but then realisation hit upon her and she could use her own strength. The man before her wore a deep scar over his face and it didn’t take Cosima long to recognise the face as the man she had been trying to lure.

“Hello there, pretty face,” his breath smelled of faint blood and it wouldn’t be surprising to Cosima that he had fed right before attacking her to be the stronger one.
Cosima grasped weakly at the arm of the man, faking incompetence and tried to get a good hold on the man’s arm.

In one swift motion she had freed herself, uppercutting the guy in his jaw and she tried to kick him in the stomach, but he was quicker and he grabbed her leg to pull her off her feet. It worked and with a thud Cosima ended up on the ground, couching vigorously as she was trying to regain her normal breathing.

“Now come on, that wasn’t so nice, was it?” the man said and his eyes were shining with menace. Cosima tried to scramble back to her feet, but he took her out once again. Hooking his leg behind hers to pull it from beneath her body and once again she was flat on the ground, still couching.

“Well, I’m not the one who randomly put his hands around someone’s throat, am I,” Cosima responded and she tried once again to get to her feet, which he allowed this time. She rubbed her soar throat with her hand and tried to ease the pain, he hadn’t hurt her physically enough, but it had been uncomfortable.

“I’m not here to be pleasant, I’m here to take you,” He said blatantly and Cosima looked at him dumbfounded. Maybe this infiltrating would be way easier than expected and in some extent they deserved a little win.

“You haven’t turned me in to the police, even though you saw the murder and my boss thinks you would maybe like to join us as an ally, we would be recruiting you for your services, so to say,” he tilted his head to the side and cracked his neck. He then proceeded to crack his knuckles and Cosima tried to keep her distance, not trusting this guy at all.

“But you see, I don’t like you, which means I’m going to tell her you put up a fight after I tried to talk reasonably to you,” the guy with the scar walked around Cosima while he spoke. Cosima felt what was going to happen, but she couldn’t change her future. He was going to have his way with her and she wasn’t strong enough to fight off a vampire who had just fed.

So, she tried to use her wit. “But don’t you see a flaw in your plan?” Cosima asked, not showing any emotion. She let him walk around her, but kept her eyes trained on the man.

Scar face stopped in his tracks and looked quizzically at Cosima. “You see, we are in the middle of the city and if I scream, surely some people will arrive soon and we will be found. Don’t you think your boss would be angry if you drew attention to yourself?” The statement worked, as the guy now looked a bit flustered and his cheeks turned a shade of pink.

He stuttered momentarily before getting back on his feet. “This is not finished then,” he whispered angrily. He took a hold of Cosima’s arm and pulled her along with him, Cosima went willingly, because she didn’t think starting a fight would help her case in this moment.

But all of a sudden she felt a sharp pinch in her arm and she hissed. The man had used his speed to inject a liquid in her neck and all she could see was his face, smiling menacingly, before everything turned black.

-

Delphine’s POV

Cosima hit send on her keypad and put her phone away. She had been waiting for a Dr. Leekie to come out of the meeting he was in, and right now she had been kept waiting for almost 17 minutes. She was growing aggravated and nervously bit her lower lip, scanning the door once again for movement.

It had been days since she last saw Cosima and she already missed the quirky vampire a lot. Surely, they would text in the evenings, but it didn’t compare to holding the brunette in her arms. Kissing her soft lips and talking about the universe while Delphine fell asleep with her lover beside her. She knew Cosima rarely slept when they spend the night together, instead the girl just watched Delphine or tried to relax. She tried to shake the anxiety that would occasionally build up in the petite girl, because right now she was out there for Castor to take. If Castor would actually try and find her.

She still had a hard time letting go of Cosima, but she really had to, because it was truly their only option and they couldn’t afford to make mistakes. Not when the stakes were this high.

Delphine almost thought of calling it a night, when Dr. Leekie stepped through the door after Delphine had been waiting for 23 minutes.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting Delphine, those board meetings always tend to run late,” He addressed and flew through the room to take a seat in his chair. The large office was adorned with plants, making it look tropical. Delphine didn’t feel at home in it, but that might be because of the man that was sitting in front of her.
“It’s quite alright, you wanted to see me about something?” Delphine got right to the point. She wasn’t going to be darting around the bush, while she really would like to be anywhere but here.

“Ah, yes, yes, I have some great news for us and a new task for you,” he quipped looking too proud of himself. Delphine hesitated to ask, but Dr. Leekie beat her to it.
“We have found a working venom! And I want you to bring it to our vampire friends so they can deal with Castor,” Aldous leaned down from his chair and grabbed a container the size of a small suitcase. He clipped open the handles and opened it up for Delphine to see five tubes filled with a reddish liquid. Delphine looked in awe at the death sticks, right now she was in the presence of the thing she feared most, as it was Leekie’s idea to use it on Cosima.

“I have to get those to Mrs… Siobhan?” Delphine corrected herself quickly. She didn’t want him to assume she was getting close with the vampire family. Although, she was getting close with them, he didn’t need to know about that fact. It would jeopardize the small trust he had in her.

Dr. Leekie nodded vigorously and got up from his chair to move around the desk and sit on the edge of it, right in front of Delphine. Memories came flooding back in Delphine’s mind from a long time ago and she tried to push them down. Her face turned steely, but luckily Aldous was too much occupied with raking his eyes over her body to notice the metaphoric wall Delphine had pulled up between them.

Aldous reached behind him to grab the container and closed it, he then proceeded to hand it over to Delphine, who eagerly took it from his hands. She had the solution to one of their, meaning Cosima and her family, problems and she would handle it with care.

She put it on top of her lap and waited for Dr. Leekie to speak up again, which he didn’t as he was still looking at all parts of Delphine except for her eyes.
“Anything else?” Delphine asked dryly and Aldous’ eyes slowly ascended to look into her eyes. Something shone behind those grey eyes, but Delphine couldn’t recognise the emotion.

“That will be all,” Aldous said in a low voice, which turned Delphine’s blood cold. As quickly and professionally as she could, she grabbed her things and bolted out the door.

When the soft breeze of the wind hit her face she could finally relax again, enjoying the evening. She checked her phone for any missed messages, but there were none. Which wasn’t odd, as Cosima only answered when she was back in her apartment, it made her focus better on the job and Delphine understood they couldn’t be texting all the time. It would be dangerous and unprofessional. So, they enjoyed each other’s digital company at night, talking about their days and telling each other how much they missed the other.

Delphine hailed a cab and told him the address of the safe house, she really needed to talk with Mrs. S. now she had secured the venom.

Luckily, the drive didn’t take long and soon she found herself in front of the house she once was held captive at. It’s strange how it has changed over the past few weeks. Meeting Cosima had surely changed her life 180 degrees and she had yet to figure out if it was for the better or worse.

Delphine knocked on the door and almost instantly was met with Mrs. S. opening the door. She checked behind Delphine to see if there were any things out of the ordinary, before she stepped aside to let the blonde woman wander inside.

“Delphine, I hope you come bearing some good news. Cosima hasn’t had any luck as you might have heard,” Mrs. S. greeted Delphine with. Delphine followed the dark haired woman towards the kitchen, looking around the house for any sign of the siblings. However, Delphine should know one of them at least is outside, shadowing Cosima for protection.

“Well, I had a meeting with Dr. Leekie today,” Delphine started and sat down at the kitchen table. Mrs. S. put a cup of tea in front of her with the flavour she picked last time. The woman had remembered her preference.

“And he handed me this,” Delphine put the case on top of the table and opened the locks. She popped it open and turned it around for Mrs. S. to see. She shied away, facing the liquid that could make her go extinct. She nearly snarled at the venom, but composed herself soon enough, her face getting devoid of emotion again.
“He wanted me to hand it over to you so we can execute our initial plan,” Mrs. S. softly nodded at Delphine.

“I’m sure he would like us to,” Mrs. S. said sarcastically with her eyes trained on the venom. Delphine swallowed thickly, even though she trusted Mrs. S. completely. She didn’t forget that she was the human one of the two. One wrong move, or wrong say, and she was sure the wrath of Siobhan would destroy her.
“This is good news, Delphine. This means he isn’t expecting us to come after him, too,” Mrs. S. almost looked triumphant.

Suddenly the door burst open with Felix coming through panting and sweating, which was odd for the skinny man. Mrs. S. shot towards her young vampire and immediately her senses were on high alert.

“It’s Cosima! She…she has been taken…by a Castor!” Felix tried to get out in between breaths. Delphine was on high alert now too, and a sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. Cosima had successfully infiltrated Castor, and they didn’t know anything about her.

“Sarah just called… she said the Castor vampire had first tried to pick a fight, but didn’t in the end. Then he just drugged her and took her with him. Sarah lost them after some kilometres, possibly near their lair,” Felix provided. Mrs. S. kept silent for a long time, like a really long time. Delphine thought nearly five minutes past before she spoke again.

“We will wait,” Mrs. S. eventually concluded with and she silently took another sip from her tea. Delphine was baffled with Mrs. S.’ decision. How could she leave Cosima alone out there? They didn’t know if Cosima was going to be fine. They should be rescuing her or try to get in contact with her. Delphine had her number, she could call and try to find out if Cosima was fine or not.

“Delphine, she needs to come to us, we could be jeopardizing everything if we tried to contact her,” Mrs. S. had read the blonde’s raging mind. Delphine knew this was true, but she couldn’t sit still and wait while Cosima was out there, possibly in danger.

Tears started to form in her eyes and the world turned hazy. Mrs. S. noticed it first and nodded towards Felix to get out. He silently sneaked out the room and Mrs. S. pulled her chair closer towards Delphine. With a hand on Delphine’s arm, she tried to convey a form of comfort. Delphine looked in those blue eyes that truly conveyed a sense of trust, trust for the future and trust in that Cosima was going to be fine.

It rubbed only slightly off on Delphine, who remained nervous and anxious. Tears had escaped her eyes and were now traveling across her cheek, pulled down by gravity. She didn’t want to look weak, but she couldn’t help herself when a sob rocked through her body and Mrs. S. silently enveloped her in a hug, whispering things in her ear about how Cosima would be fine.

She sat there, a vampire hunter, crying her heart out in the arms of a vampire, because she had fallen in love with another vampire and said-vampire was in danger right now. It would be almost comical if it wasn’t for the critical situation.

“Don’t worry, love, Cosima knows how to act in there,” Mrs. S. softly said and she stroked a hand through Delphine’s hair. Delphine tightened her hold on Mrs. S. and truly was happy with the woman in front of her. If it wasn’t for her holding her down and grounding her, she surely would have gone after Cosima, endangering the whole operation. However, the anxieties that were dancing through her head didn’t subside, they merely intensified with every minute ticking by. With every second passing by without a call from Cosima, not even a text. Which made sense, she probably is still out of this world, because of the drug.

Soon enough, Cosima would contact them and tell them she was fine. Tell them that she had successfully infiltrated Castor and soon she would find a way to get home again and to acquire the venom to kill Coady.

Tears kept falling from her eyes while she thought about all the possible scenarios Cosima was in right now. After being drugged and kidnapped it couldn’t be something good.

-

Cosima’s POV

Cosima woke up drowsy and hazy, her eyes not processing her surroundings yet. She felt on her face and found her glasses askew. With strained fingers she put them right on her head again and tried to look around.

She found herself lying on a concrete floor, in a room with only one door in and out. There was a crappy bed with sheets that didn’t even fit the mattress. She briefly wondered why she hadn’t woken up on the bed, before her eyes scanned more of the room. The walls were of the same concrete material as the floor and the stone felt eerily cold. There wasn’t much else in the stoic room but the bed and a crappy toilet that Cosima was sure she wasn’t going to use, ever. There was a tray with blood in the corner that eventually grabbed her attention. The smell reached her nostrils and all her senses heightened. The smell was different from other human blood, it smelled clean, like the most clean she had ever smelt.

Most of the times, blood was intoxicated with either cigarette’s residue, alcohol or anything other that screwed with the taste. However, this blood smelled like it had been thoroughly cleaned or something. Cosima slowly crawled towards it for a better look.

It looked like blood, like the regular blood she always got from humans. But still the smell meant it had something else, something more. Her senses were way too heightened for it to be regular blood, she nearly couldn’t control herself.

Suddenly the door opened and Cosima hurried backwards not to get knocked in the face with it. the guy with the scar looked angrily her way and waited. He looked like he had received a beating, as his left eye was slightly reddish and swollen. He was wearing a military uniform with two horse heads embroidered on the suit. The same horses she had seen as his tattoo.

“Well, princess? Are you going to get up or do I have to get you to sleep again?” He spat. Cosima cowered slightly and got up from the floor. He grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her along, out the door. They walked in a tunnel of halls and Cosima did her best to try and remember every corner they took.

She saw some crossways with hallways leading to death ends, with some dead ends filled with barrels that smelled exactly like the blood that was in her room. Some other hallways led to more cross-sections and the place more resembled a maze than a lair in Cosima’s opinion.

“Where are you taking me?” Cosima managed to ask, while the scarred man pulled her along roughly. He shot a look at her and continued his quick pass down another corner.

“You’ll see,” was all he had to say and Cosima didn’t want to ask any further questions. She was in his lair now and surely she would be harmed if she aggravated him anymore. He already seemed like he was on edge. Why? she didn't know, but it seemed he had had a firm punishment for something, judging from her bruised eye. Maybe it was by the way he had brought her in.

After a minute or two they arrived at a wooden door and he knocked on it. “Come in,” a female voice called from inside and the scar faced man opened the door. He roughly pushed Cosima inside and closed the door behind her instantly. Cosima needed a second to catch her footing and when she managed to get both feet firmly planted on the ground she looked up and was met with a woman in military gear. She also wore the embroiderance of two horses' heads.

“Hello Cosima, my name is Virginia Coady,”

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

“Hello Cosima, my name is Virginia Coady,” the woman in military said in a friendly voice. Cosima only had half a mind to doubt how she knew her name, but they probably had gone through her stuff and found her ID card. She stepped a tiny bit closer to Cosima and put out her hand. Cosima grabbed it hesitantly and they shook hands. The woman had a firm grip, portraying her power and status in this operation.

“I’m sorry for the way Rudy brought you in, we normally don’t sedate our guests.” The woman had half the decency to look apologetic. Cosima didn’t believe a word she said though, it had seemed Rudy, or scar face in Cosima’s mind, knew what he was doing and had precise precision in executing it.

“He is a bit of a loose cannon, especially when it doesn’t go his own way,” Virginia said.

“Yeah, well I wouldn’t have gone along with him if he hadn’t, but here we are,” Cosima retorted sarcastically. She looked around the room for a bit, the woman allowing the young vampire to let her eyes roam around for a bit. There were computers set up with views of the whole maze-like building. There were even some views of the outside, and it seemed like they were somewhere on the outer part of the city in a large enough building to host all the hallways. The rest of the room was empty, and Cosima concluded this must be the operating room with eyes everywhere.

“Rudy told me you had seen him kill a victim, but you didn’t go to the police, why?” Virginia asked after a moment. Cosima’s eyes went back to the woman who had set herself on a chair that was placed in front of the camera’s. She gestured to the empty seat next to her and Cosima nervously sat down.

“I mean, explaining a vampire killed a man in an alley isn’t really a believable story. Plus, I’m a vampire and I didn’t want to put myself at risk,” Cosima’s practiced excuse came out evenly and believable. Virginia seemed to buy it and nodded in silent agreement.

“Ahh, so you count yourself to be someone who just was at the wrong place at the wrong time, then?” Virginia hit a button on the keyboard and all the cameras went dead. Cosima had tried to map out the building in her mind with every thing she knew this far, but this effectively made her focus on the woman in front of her.

“I would say that, yes,” Cosima retorted. The drowsiness from before had subsided fully and she could hold her attention on everything the woman was saying, which was convenient when she had to kill the woman in some time.

“Why am I here?” Cosima asked, even though she already expected the answer when it came.

“This place is mine, we work for the government as a secret operation.” The woman’s face fell a bit. “To say I work for humans is disgraceful, I am well aware,” Virginia looked shameful and shook her head from side to side. “I couldn’t do anything about it though, they recruited me and I for my part started recruiting too,”

“So it’s more the other way around, really, I have taken some action that will create a chance for us, a chance to crawl out of the shadows,” her face lit up and she looked triumphantly. She looked expectantly at Cosima, waiting for the dreadlocked girl to ask further questions.

Cosima obeyed, she wanted this woman to continue talking. The more information she had, the more she could use against this woman. Delphine and Mrs. S. probably were aware that she had been taken by now and she needed to contact them soon with everything she could tell them.

“What kind of actions?” and judging from the look the woman threw her, she had asked the right question.

“Well, I have created with the help of biology, a kind of special substance, you might have seen it already, but it’s a genetically modified type of blood I like to call type Z,” The pride was easily accessible in the eyes of the woman. Cosima remembered the bag of blood in her compartment, the smell it had and how her senses had heightened at the mere sight of it. This type Z stuff must be the blood she was talking about.

“It is a kind of blood that further heightens the vampire side of you,” the woman added.

“I might have encountered it, yes,” Cosima saw the wrinkles around the mouth of the woman change into a smirk.

“Great! Have you had a taste? I promise it is the best you’ll ever have. You’ll never want anything else after it,” Virginia said, and Cosima knew she wasn’t lying. It wouldn’t be surprising to Cosima if the blood had some component that would make you addicted to it. It would be a way to secure her recruits as trustworthy allies.
“I have not had the pleasure, I awoke in quite a drowsy state,” Cosima couldn’t help the sarcasm that laced her words. The woman’s face fell for a second before she restored her attitude.

“I’m sorry Cosima, I would have wanted it to go in a different way,” The woman leaned forward in her seat and grabbed a hold of Cosima’s hands in her lap.

“But please, I really would like you on my team. I’ll take care of you and you’ll never have to wander around the streets looking for left overs,” Virginia’s eyes shone with promises and Cosima could see why a weaker minded vampire youngster would fall for these promises. Cosime, on the other hand, knew this woman’s agenda and by now she knew the woman was great at persuasion.

“I could make good use of you, you can blend in the public,” Virginia tried to coo Cosima some more, bribing her into what ever this place was, whatever family she was trying to create.

“You see, we tried to do a background check on you once we found your name, but it came up empty. As far as the system knows, you don’t exist,” Cosima knew this. Mrs. S. had wiped out her identity the moment Cosima accepter her offer to join her family.

“And what has that to do with any of this?” Cosima tried, and Virginia took the bait. Way too eager for Cosima to join her little cult. It dawned on Cosima, that Virginia tried everything in her might to get her on board.

“You could be my supplier, I will give you details on the things I need you to get for me and you just bring them to me. Simple as that,” Virginia was still holding on to Cosima’s hands, and she prayed to God for her to let go. She felt enclosed in this little space, and with the woman making physical contact like that it only intensified.
“So I would be your mule?” Cosima deadpanned. Virginia snickered and shook her head.
“No! By all means, no, you would be the transport only. Totally harmless,” Virginia finally let go of Cosima’s hands to put them up in surrender.

“Sure, I’m in, as long as I get to stay at my own apartment when I have the days off, oh and I require days off,” Cosima stated. She wanted this woman not to think of her as a blind-following dumbass, but instead an equal, someone she could trust. It would benefit Cosima in the long term if this woman trusted her, she would be able to get close and eventually inject the venom. She just hoped it wouldn’t take too long, as Dr. Leekie was also progressing on his plan. Ugh, Cosima hated to have a double agenda.

“That’s fine with me, I only need you to be available right away when I contact you, besides that you’re free to do whatever you want,” Virginia said, accepting Cosima’s terms.

“Great, so when do I start?” Cosima asked, wanting to get this over with sooner rather than later. Virginia looked eager and the glint in her eyes betrayed it, she needed Cosima apparently more than she had let on.

“I’ll text you on this phone…” and she grabbed a cell phone out of her pocket, giving it to Cosima, “…and when I call, I want you here asap,” all of a sudden her face changed and it looked at her with a stern look, a look that said don’t-fucking-try-anything. Cosima nodded and went to get up, before she remembered she actually still had no clue where “here” was.

“Uhm and where exactly is ‘here’?” Cosima asked. Virginia smiled and turned on the cameras again for Cosima to see.

“We are in paradise dear,”

-

Cosima walked down the street almost with vampire speed. She needed to get home and talk to Mrs. S. about everything that had went down tonight. It was nearing morning, but Cosima was sure one of the siblings had reported back on her disappearance, which meant Delphine also knew. If not by hearing it from the siblings, than she probably had deducted it from the lack of texts. Delphine hadn’t send any more texts since yesterday, probably knowing it could ruin her chances.

A gentle breeze wafted through Cosima’s hair, but she didn’t notice it. She was too focused on getting home and reporting back.

She turned a corner and another one and she finally stood before the apartment building. She hurried inside and almost flew up the stairs towards her apartment door, which she yanked her keys in to open.

She threw her coat on the couch and fished her phone out of her back pocket. She quickly dialled the number of Mrs. S. and at the first tone it already was picked up. It remained silent on the other end though, as Mrs. S. wanted Cosima to speak first to verify it was really Cosima who was calling.

“Mrs. S. it’s me,” Cosima said and immediately she felt the tension of the woman on the other end lessen.

“Cosima, dear, are you alright?” Mrs. S. asked. Cosima had to mull over the question for a second. Physically she was doing fine, the injection from Rudy hadn’t made her sick or anything and it should be out of her system by now. Mentally she wasn’t so sure. She did get access to Virginia and the plan had really turned around now, picking up the pace and looking more positive than before. Still she felt anxious and nervous about the whole situation. However, she didn’t want Mrs. S. to worry so instead she said she was doing okay.

“I have gathered some information, is it safe to talk about it over the phone?” Cosima couldn’t be sure enough, not when her life and the lives of her family were in danger.

“Yes, it’s safe, Delphine is with me too, but she is sleeping on the couch. She had a rough night worrying about you,” A flash of guilt shocked through Cosima’s body and right now all she wanted to do was hold the blonde girl in her arms and say everything was alright.

“We have got the venom Cosima, I will send Delphine out to bring it to you,” Mrs. S. pulled Cosima out of her guilt trip. The news of hearing they already had the venom at their disposal was a relief to Cosima. This meant she wouldn’t have to stick around long, she just had to find out about Virginia’s schedule and see if at some point she could administer the venom quietly.

“That…that’s great!” Cosima exclaimed excitedly. She felt some hope for the future, finally some light at the tunnel after all the dreadful days.

“I’m going to get Delphine and we will discuss what you’ve found out,” Mrs. S. said before she heard the phone being put down on the other end. Cosima waited patiently for the two women to return, which didn’t take long.

“Cosima!” a sudden voice in a French accent exclaimed from the other side and Cosima nearly dropped the phone in shock.

“Hey Delphine, I…I’m fine…yes, yes I’m sure…no they didn’t do anything to me,” Cosima answered Delphine’s questions calmly and eventually the blonde fell silent on the other end. It didn’t take long or Mrs. S.’ voice chimed in.

“Cosima, what happened?” Mrs. S. asked.

“Okay so first I was taken by Rudy, he tranquilized me, to some weird bunker building in the outer part of the city,” Cosima started and she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt while she talked.

“Then I woke up in some weird cellar room and soon enough Rudy, a helper of some sort, guided me towards Virginia Coady,” Cosima continued when the couple on the other side remained quiet.

“You met Virginia Coady?” Delphine asked in disbelief. Cosima wished she could see Delphine, and Mrs. S., to talk about this. She felt uncomfortable talking over the phone and discussing next steps when she couldn’t see their faces. She has to be able to see them to know what they are thinking.

“I did, nice woman, apologised for the tranquilizer and all so that was nice. However, she explained to me how she has been hired by the government, but on the down low she is working her own agenda.” Cosima heard Mrs. S. hum on the other end of the call. Delphine remained quiet this time and let Cosima finish her story at her own pace.

“She has found out how to create some type of special blood, it heightens vampire senses to the fullest and I think she wants to use that eventually for her army.” Cosima said. She tried to remember how the conversation went as to keep it in chronological order.

“Then she went on about how she wanted me on her team, and now I’m in. I’m her trafficking mule or something.” Delphine snorted on the other end and it made Cosima smile.

“She handed me a phone and I’ll have to show up at the building whenever she calls,” Cosima said.

“You know where this building is?” Mrs. S. asked almost in disbelief. It had come as a surprise to Cosima too when the woman had readily given her the address of the building.

“It is just outside the city on Anderson Street,” Cosima informed the two women on the other end of the line.

“Alright Cosima, I will have Delphine deliver the blood to your apartment tonight,” Mrs. S. said and the news shocked Cosima. She hadn’t expected to see the blonde so soon again, especially not when she is probably being watched by Coady. However, Mrs. S. probably had scouted the area and was sure there was no harm in sending Delphine in. It’s a good moral boost for Cosima to see the blonde again, Mrs. S. probably knew that. She probably had felt that Cosima was feeling down and depressed about the whole ordeal. Cosima silently thanked the Gods for her kindness.

“Me?” Cosima heard Delphine say on the other end of the line. This probably was news to her, too. She briefly wondered why Delphine was at Mrs. S.’ house, but eventually stopped wondering, because she would ask the blonde later.

“Yes, you, it is our safest option at the moment. I don’t want any of our scent on Cosima, Coady will know Cosima has a family the moment she smells a different vampire on her,” Mrs. S. answered matter-of-factly. It sounded logical in Cosima’s mind. The nose of a vampire was really well trained, and with Coady having the special kind of blood would only mean she smelled vampires from miles away. It would even be highly dangerous for the siblings to mingle in the oncoming days.
“Well, if that was all, I will send Delphine over right away, bye Cosima and stay safe,” was the last thing Cosima heard before the monotone beep of the phone signalled that the call was over.

-

Delphine’s POV

Cosima opened the door and all but flushed their bodies together in a tight hug. It made Delphine giggle and she said, “Mon amour, I missed you too,” She kissed the top of the vampire head and pulled her in close.

It had merely been a week since they had last seen each other, but it had felt like an eternity. The whole uncertainty and looming dangers had stretched time and the two felt like they had been apart for half a year, while it was only a few days.

“You don’t know how happy I am to see your face,” Cosima beamed and she pulled Delphine inside. The apartment smelled faintly of Cosima and Cosima had lit candles around the place. It was provided a warmth Delphine happily welcomed after everything. She breathed in the smell of Cosima mixed with candles and smiled contently.

“You have made quite the home of this place,” Delphine said. She turned around to be faced with Cosima who was inspecting her apartment. She grinned sheepishly when she noticed Delphine was staring.

Delphine held up her arm with the suitcase, almost having forgotten her reason for the trip. “Here is the venom. You just push the needle in her arm and it should spread well enough,” Delphine said grimly. She didn’t like the fact that Cosima had been in a position in which she had to kill a person.

Cosima eyed it suspiciously, probably feeling slightly threatened by the power it held. Delphine put the suitcase on the floor and walked over to Cosima, taking her in her arms.

She kissed Cosima for the first time since a week and immediately the brunette reciprocated. She let her hands fall down to Cosima’s hips and pulled them closer to her body. Her body started to buzz with a familiar electricity and she deepened the kiss, which Cosima happily complied to. The pace was lazy, tongues softly sweeping over each other, refamiliarizing themselves with one and other. Cosima put one hand around Delphine’s neck to pull her face impossibly closer, closing the non-existent gap between them. Delphine softly moaned in Cosima’s mouth and it seemed to awaken something in the brunette. She pulled Delphine in more roughly and moved their lips together in a dance for dominance.

“I love you,” Cosima whispered after some time and she reconnected their lips. Delphine pulled back a little to answer Cosima with a “Je t’aime,” and she pulled Cosima with her towards the bedroom.

They stumbled against furniture in their quest to get to the bedroom as soon as possible, almost knocking over the side lamp next to the couch. Cosima pushed Delphine up next to the bedroom door against the wall and moved her lips across the blonde’s sharp jawline, savouring every part of it. She then continued to move to Delphine’s neck and left trails of wet kisses, softly nibbling at her collar bone.

Delphine basked in ecstasy at the feeling of Cosima’s mouth on her body and she didn’t know she had missed the brunette this intensely. She felt a familiar knot in her stomach and pulled Cosima flush against her body which made the brunette gasp in surprise. With a quick motion, Delphine had turned them around and she kissed the lips of the brunette with every ouns of passion she felt. Her hands moved over Cosima’s breast and softly squeezed, enjoying the soft moans and panting of Cosima against her lips. Cosima broke the kiss to gasp for air when Delphine’s leg pushed against her core in between her legs. The long legs of Delphine came in handy in this moment, rubbing slowly against Cosima.

Cosima was panting roughly now and Delphine kept her face close, enjoying every sound and puff that escaped the brunette’s lips. She didn’t quicken her pace all the while though, instead she kept it annoyingly slow. She knew the brunette would cave eventually and she wanted it to happen.

Cosima grasped Delphine’s shoulders to pull her more flush against her own body, grinding down against Delphine’s leg. It was at this moment Delphine pulled her leg from in between Cosima’s legs and took Cosima’s hands in on hand, securing them above her head. Cosima whimpered briefly at the loss of contact, but her eyes glinted with amusement when she noticed her hands being pinned up. Delphine went in for a slow kiss while one hand snaked behind Cosima’s back. She kept kissing Cosima for a while, not making a move, until she felt Cosima relax more against her. At that exact moment she pushed her leg up against Cosima and pulled her down by the arm that had snaked behind the brunette’s back. The long, low growl Cosima breathed out made Delphine’s heart jump and a familiar heat instantly ignited inside of her.

“Please,” Cosima breathed out and Delphine had had enough of the clothes. She took a step back, shocked by the sudden cold she felt when she pulled her shirt over her head. Cosima followed suit and stripped down to her underwear as well. Delphine pushed Cosima against the wall again and feverishly kissed the brunette’s lips. Her hand quickly snaked down, touched the fabric of Cosima’s panties and immediately felt the dampness of Cosima’s desire.

Delphine slipped her hand underneath the fabric and moved a finger between Cosima’s folds, enjoying the low moan that came from Cosima’s lips. Delphine repeated the movement once, twice, three times before she pushed inside of Cosima, rocking her own hips against her hand for extra support. Both women were panting, enjoying the ecstasy. Delphine pumped in and out of Cosima at a steady pace, Cosima meeting her every time with a rock of her hips. Delphine kissed Cosima’s neck and softly bit down on the subtle flesh which made Cosima hiss.

“I thought I was the vampire,” Cosima half joked, half moaned. Delphine only snickered softly before she licked the bruised skin of Cosima’s neck. It didn’t take long, or Cosima came undone. Moaning Delphine’s name into the room and digging her nails into the back of Delphine. Delphine pulled her fingers out of Cosima and with a straight face she licked them clean. Cosima could only watch the act and Delphine saw a new type of want grow in the eyes of the vampire. Delphine pushed off of Cosima and strolled into Cosima’s bedroom, with Cosima hot on her tail.

“That was hot,” Cosima managed to say before attacking Delphine and pushing her on top of the bed, Cosima pinning her down against the mattress.

“Now it’s my turn,” Cosima said mischievously and pushed a knee against Delphine’s core. Delphine, being caught off guard by the sudden pressure, moaned loudly and her hands flew around Cosima’s neck. Cosima slowly rocked her knee against Delphine and Delphine was sure Cosima felt her own desire through her underwear against her knees.

It didn’t take Delphine long as well, Cosima expertly taking care of Delphine’s need and eventually they ended up laying on the bed, Delphine with Cosima in her arms. They were still panting from the love making when Cosima spoke up.

“Why were you at Mrs. S.?” Delphine had to reassemble her mind to answer the question, it was still foggy from their session.

“I had to come over to discuss the plan and then Felix told us about your disappearance and she offered for me to spend the night,” Delphine answered with half a mind. Cosima hummed.

“She likes you,” Cosima said and Delphine was shocked. She almost bolted upright, but just in time remembered she had a girl in her arms.

“She likes me?” She instead shrieked. Cosima nodded, Delphine felt it against her chest. The soft movement of the vampire’s head against her bare skin, the hairs tickling her.

“She does, she doesn’t let people stay over she doesn’t trust, that’s why Felix can never bring one of his boyfriends over, hence, she likes you,” Cosima explained as if it were logical for the older woman to accept Delphine into her tribe. Delphine could only hum, feeling content with this new piece of information.

“What will happen next?” Cosima asked in a soft voice, emotion palpable in her voice.

Delphine mulled over the question for some time, but she couldn’t come up with a reassuring answer and she felt like Cosima didn’t want one at the moment.

“I don’t know,”

Chapter Text

Cosima’s POV

Cosima rummaged through her closet to set aside some clothes so she could securely put the suitcase with the venom in there. She wouldn’t be needing it soon anyway, as her orders from Mrs. S. were clear. Stay put. Listen. Become one of them.

Delphine was still sleeping on her bed, making little sounds, but for the rest she looked to be fast asleep. Delphine had had a rough night worrying about Cosima, so Cosima had told her to get some sleep. The blonde had argued against it for a bit, but even before her head hit the pillow she was gone.

Cosima felt excited and fearful, she had met Virginia Coady, the Virginia Coady, and the woman resembled her reputation. She was stoic, headstrong and not one to mess with. But let it be Cosima who was going to mess with her. When she was set free the address of the dungeon, as Cosima liked to think of it, had been ready in her contacts list of her new phone. The phone hadn’t indicated she had gotten a message yet, but still Cosima couldn’t stop checking it. she didn’t want to miss a notification and cause distrust with her superior.

She had been escorted home by Rudy, who hadn’t said a word until they had reached her apartment. It had been a short sentence, but it had invoked a great feeling of fear in Cosima.

“I will crush you if you hurt her,” he had said, meaning Virginia with the “her” part. He had said it with enough menace and anger in his eyes that she didn’t doubt he could become a problem.

Cosima put the case in her closet, putting some clothes on top of it to hide it away from possible prying eyes and closed the door softly. She walked over to the bed and crawled underneath the sheets. Delphine seemed to rouse a little, but not enough to become awake. Instead she turned over and took the brunette in her arms, nuzzling her face in the crook of Cosima’s neck.

It made Cosima smile to see the blonde finally rest and relax. She knew how hard this also must be on Delphine, to be waiting all the time, working for her terrible boss during her work hours and worrying about her girlfriend when she was free.

Soon it would all be over, Cosima thought to herself. She only needed to find a way to get to Virginia in private and know an escape plan. The plan still needed fine tuning, sure, but she would finish this business as soon as possible.

-

A few hours had passed and Cosima had roused from her nap, Delphine lay awake next to her, studying Cosima. She smiled softly when she noticed the vampire had awoken.

“Goodmorning, sleepyhead,” she murmured and sat up.

“I could say the same about you, I think you slept half a day,” Cosima retorted with a cheeky smile.

“How are you feeling?” Delphine asked with a serious expression on her face. Cosima gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand.

“Scared, but that’s okay, we will be out of this mess soon,” Cosima answered. Delphine nodded, but Cosima saw Delphine didn’t believe her fully.

“Shall I make us breakfast? Virginia gave me some type Z blood stuff and I really want to try it out, see if it does have the effect she says it has,” Cosima jumped out of the bed.

“Do you think that is a smart idea? What if it is highly addictive?” Delphine said, also crawling out of bed.

“Well you’re my drug already so I won’t get addicted to something else,” Cosima said. Delphine faked gagging at the obviously romantic comment and shoved Cosima, who in turn laughed at the reaction.

“You’re the worst,” Delphine said and she started to prepare breakfast.

Cosima walked over to the bag that she haphazardly had thrown on the couch and took out the bottle which contained the type Z. She opened the cap and smelled the substance. Granted it smelled truly delicious, as if it was the purest form of blood. She downed the whole thing in a few seconds, surprised at her own eagerness.
Delphine was taking her first bite when Cosima walked into the kitchen area, and she looked at the empty bottle.

“You already finished it?!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide.

“Oops,” was the only response Cosima could give along with an apologetic smile. “I was more hungry that I knew, and it tasted pretty good,” she tried to explain.
“So…do you feel different?” Delphine asked tentatively.

Cosima focused on her senses for a second. She heard the birds, cars and people outside hustling to get to their destinations. She heard a dog barking, a car honking and even, though just for a second, the beating heart of a person walking by her apartment. It was nothing compared to the thumping of Delphine’s heart, a slow and steady rhythm. Delphine’s smell filled Cosima’s nostrils and once again she was faced with how addicted she was to that smell. For a moment she wished she could bask in this scent for ever. Then she noticed Delphine still looking at her intently.

“I do feel like my senses are more overwhelming than usual, the people outside, your smell, it all has become more apparent,” Delphine nodded at that and took another bite of her meal.

A phone in the bedroom dinged and Cosima almost tripped when she tried to get there as soon as possible. It was the phone, her new phone, that had chimed indicating a new notification.

“Get over here asap,” it read. Cosima’s breathing picked up and she started to rummage through her clothes to find something more decent. Delphine watched her coming into the kitchen area all chaos and stood up quickly.

“Is everything all right?” She asked, cleaning up after her. She kept her gaze on Cosima all the while and didn’t miss the stressed energy that was radiating off of Cosima.

“Yeah…Yeah, I just need to go to the dungeon,” Cosima said quickly, finding the last of her things and fishing for her keys. Delphine walked over to Cosima and took her hands.

“I’ll clean up here, you go,” she said reassuringly. Cosima looked at her with gratitude and walked towards the door, not forgetting to kiss Delphine firmly.
“Thank you,” was the last thing Cosima said before she was out the door. The few steps to get to the bottom floor went on endlessly and Cosima had to restrain herself from not using her speed. Which was weird, she never had urges to use her vampiric instincts before, it must be the type Z, Cosima thought. She finally reached the bottom and flew out to the streets, hailing a cab.

-

Rudy escorted her towards Virginia Coady. His stoic face resembled a statue set in stone, never changing. His ugly scar seemed as if it had become more white than before and it drew attention towards it significantly. He kept quiet besides her and even when she tried to start a conversation he had only looked at her with disdain. She couldn’t put her finger on why he was so adamant, but it must be because he was head of security. He was trained not to trust people, especially new people.

He opened a door with a huge lock and gestured for Cosima to step inside, when she did she noticed he hadn’t followed. Instead, he closed the door roughly behind her and she heard the lock, indicating she was locked up right now.

“Hey! Let me out!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, while pounding on the door. She hadn’t looked around the room yet, if she had, she would have seen the woman with the black hair and sun kissed skin. The woman was looking at Cosima with amusement and let the girl have her little tantrum before she spoke up.

“It’s okay Cosima, it is just for security measures,” Cosima swivelled around towards Virginia Coady. The woman looked as vital as ever, in her military outfit and with years of experience staining her face. Cosima couldn’t help but feel a certain kind of awe for this woman.

“I have asked you here, because I want you to get me some things of this list, they are just trivial things to see if you can handle it.” Cosima took the list in her hands and examined it. Most things indeed looked trivial, but what stood out was the one not-so-trivial thing. It was blood, obviously, but it was blood from children. Was children’s blood one of the components of type Z? Extracting from children was highly frowned upon by the vampire community. In some cases vampires who would feed on children would get so immensely angry about it that the vampire was hunted down by his own kind and murdered. You don’t take blood from a child, it was one of the unwritten rules of the vampires.

Virginia saw Cosima frowning at the list and knew she had read about the children’s blood. This was a test to see if the vampire would be loyal or not. Would it risk its own life for the tribe or not. It was true that they used children’s blood for the type Z. They only needed small dosages, but with the growing of her tribe so was her need for the blood growing.

“I know it seems weird, but will you get the supplies I need?” Virginia spoke up. Cosima remained silent for a bit before answering with a hum. She looked up from the list and pocketed it inside her coat. “I will get it right away,” she said through clenched teeth. Virginia looked pleased at her and walked over to the door. She knocked three times and outside there were some sounds before the door opened to reveal Rudy, with his stoic face.

Cosima was escorted out of the building and hailed a cab to drive her to her destination. She would go to the hospital.

-

Upon arriving she heard the sounds of people buzzing around, their smells filling her nostrils and her craving, which she pushed down. She couldn’t act on her tendencies right now, not in the broad daylight and not around so many people.

She stepped inside the large building which smelled of clean floors and sick people all around. The tiles were white, just like the walls and it made the room look big and inviting. Luckily for her, no one noticed her standing in the doorway, there were too many people. People were sitting in what seemed a break area or waiting area with coffee and cookies. There were three hallways each leading to a different part of the facility. She also noticed the desk were a seemingly friendly woman was typing away on her computer.

Cosima took a deep breath and walked over to the woman. When the woman noticed Cosima at her desk she looked up with a friendly, but distant smile. Her green eyes were filled with gold speckles and she would have looked pretty if she didn’t seem so tired. Her hair in a rough knot on top of her head and the smile not reaching her eyes.

“How may I help you?” She asked in a light tone. The tone didn’t match this place, there were too many smells of death and disease around Cosima, the stark contrast of the voice didn’t quite sit right with her.

“Hey, I am looking for the department for children with cancer?” Cosima asked and she noticed the woman was looking at her with a little distrust. “I’m here to see my nephew, Alex,” she said. The name fell from her lips. It was a common name, there must be an Alex around there.

The woman warmed up to Cosima right away and directed her the way, just a few rights and one left and Cosima would end up at the children’s side.

Cosima followed the directions and soon enough she ended up at the children’s department. The scents of sick children overwhelmed Cosima so much she had to steady herself against the wall for a second. The treacherous scent of despair hung in the air as thickly as the smog in China. The fact that everyone looked at the children with hope didn’t help Cosima’s awful feeling. A knot was forming in her stomach at what she was about to do and she continued down the hallway, passing by children running around and parents softly sobbing outside the rooms. At some point, as if lured there, she stood in front of a closed door. It smelled depressed, as if filled with the deepest desire for death. She opened the door and slipped inside.

She was met with a bright room, and a single bed adorning the place. In the bed laid a small form, a little person seemingly asleep. Cosima walked closer, drawn towards the dying body. It would happen soon enough, if not today then tomorrow, but this child was not going to make it. She would need a miracle or anything. Her hair on her head was shaven all the way to the scalp, but Cosima knew it was a little girl laying there. All of a sudden she noticed the heartbeat and stood as still as she possibly could. The heartbeat was beating erratically, as if scared. Cosima looked more closely at the small form and noticed it was trembling ever so slightly.
Cosima couldn’t hold still, there was too much in this room that made her feel all kinds of things.

First of all she came her for a reason, for a cause. For a cause she didn’t believe in, but for a cause all the same. She had an ulterior motive and granted it would be hard. She knew it was going to be a tough task, getting her hands on some blood of a child. She hadn’t expected the turmoil within her though, she had killed so many people, people she didn’t feel a thing for. However, right now, standing in the room with that small form of a person, she felt the whole world weighing down on her. As if laughing at her foolishness for thinking that she could pull this off in a quickie. The world also made her find the most vulnerable person around and now she was at an impasse.

All of a sudden the girl turned around. She looked Cosima dead in the eye, with her fox-like face and small hazel orbs. She was studying Cosima, tears still streaming down her face.

“Are you an angel?” the girl asked quietly. “Have you come to take me to heaven like my mother promised me?” the little shimmer of hope in the small girl’s eyes broke Cosima’s heart. She could never in a 100 years take away that small piece of hope the girl was feeling. Even the air in the room changed, filling with a kind of acceptance for death.

“Hey, little monkey, you are totally right,” Cosima smiled weakly and slowly walked over to the side of the bed. “I’m send from above to take your little soul with me up there, doesn’t that sound lovely?” Cosima’s voice broke. Her soul was crushed and she wasn’t sure if it would ever be mended together again.

“Thank you,” the little girl said and Cosima felt the last parts of her fight leaving the little girl’s body. She literally saw it in the eyes that before were wide eyed and scared, right now they were closing little by little. Piece by piece the girl’s will to live left her soul and Cosima almost couldn’t bear it. Almost she ran out of the room, searching for a doctor and making them help this girl survive. But Cosima knew that the girl was lost. Lost to the world.

“What’s your name, little one?” Cosima asked in between soft sobs. The girls eyes fluttered open slightly to look at Cosima through her eyelashes.

“Jaden,” she answered barely above a whisper. That was the moment Cosima made her decision. She would help this girl find her peace. The hurting she would take away in a graceful manner and the girl would no longer feel fear or pain or anything.

“I’m going to take you with me alright?” Cosima said and she moved towards the little girl. She took out a syringe made this quick. The got four tubes of blood before almost nothing came out anymore. The little girl was weak, weak to the bones and right now she needed her peace.

“Lets go sweetie, the wait is over,” The little girl’s eyes fluttered open one more time, before closing forever. Cosima pulled back from her neck and the little bite marks were small enough to go unnoticed. Even though she didn’t suck any blood from the girl she did tranquilize the girl with her venom, it was a small dosage, but big enough to let the girl fall into a deep slumber in which she would never wake from.

Cosima was in a haze and she didn’t notice at all she was a living being until she was back at her apartment and Delphine wasn’t there. She collapsed on the floor, crying out loudly and screaming. She grabbed at her hair and pulled it roughly. The sadness she was feeling was so much more intense than she had ever felt. She laid there, trembling on the floor for what felt like hours. Maybe it were hours. At some point she had mustered up enough courage to move herself and get in bed, where she continued to weep for the remainder of the day and night.

The next day she heard her phone chime, indicating a new notification. It was from her work phone and she read it quickly. Sadness still lurked at the back of her mind, but she really needed to pull herself together. She had a job to do and right now she had to focus.

“Have you gathered everything?” it read. Cosima answered quickly, saying she would come over later today and threw her phone to the side. She went to take a quick shower, a light breakfast, and out the door she was to her new employer.

Chapter Text

Delphine’s POV

It had been two months, two months of fleeting texts and even more fleeting meetings. Cosima had gone nearly AWOL and it left Delphine a fidgeting mess. All of her fierce power had left her body and most of the nights she lay trembling in her bed, or waking up from a nightmare in which she saw Cosima beheaded. It were never the rosy dreams she used to have about her vampire girlfriend. They were horrendous, dark and mean-spirited.

She hadn’t heard anything from Cosima or her family in three days. This was not unusual, but every minute without a word back left Delphine more anxious than before. She missed Cosima tremendously. She had never anticipated that she would feel this heartbroken and anxious. Sure, she would have figured she would feel a slight fear to be out of contact with Cosima, but she never knew it would run so deep. Leaving her a mess most of the time, slacking at work (luckily Dr. Leekie didn’t notice too much) and checking her phone every minute.

“I’m safe,” was the last text Cosima had send her, and Delphine had answered with a “Text me when it’s safe to come over,” Radio silence since then.

Cosima was a girl who would turn her day into a heaven, if only she would respond. Right now it was pure hell. She always seemed so happy, but with the huge weight on Cosima’s shoulders, even Delphine had noticed the decline in Cosima’s mood. Through the fleeting texts and the sporadic meetings. She noticed the vampire girl getting stronger, but her humanity was diminishing. Delphine was not afraid of Cosima flipping sides, not at all, but she was scared that Cosima wouldn’t come out of this mess the same.

Cosima had only spoken about her task once. It was her first task in which she had gathered a child’s blood. Cosima had been a crying mess, where Delphine tried to piece the crumbling girl together, another part of Cosima diminished again. It was like a Sisyphus task. Trying to get that bolder up the hill every day, with no exception. However, whenever he reached the top the boulder would just roll down and he would have to start all over again. That was how Delphine was feeling whenever she was with Cosima. She saw the girl rapidly declining in front of her, she tried to mend the girl back together. To get back her cheeky girlfriend that cared so much about wonders of the world. However, it felt useless as Cosima only lost more and more of that beautiful spark inside of her.

Delphine was sure it was because of those tasks she had to do. Virginia Coady made her kill a child and maybe worse? If that is even possible?

“Ugh” Delphine breathed out at her desk which caused her neighbouring co-worker to look up. He didn’t say anything though, which Delphine was grateful for. She wouldn’t be able to explain her worries to him.

Delphine worried so much lately, it wasn’t like her. She had changed during this whole thing and not for the better. She noticed her mood had significantly dropped as well. She didn’t care to get up out of bed anymore unless she had received a message from Cosima or her family. She rather spend her time sleeping, but also not. Because when she slept she would dream and if she dreams she would have nightmares.

Delphine took her phone out to check herself in the camera and she noticed the dark bags under her eyes and lack of makeup to cover it. She didn’t even try anymore, it was useless anyway.

All of a sudden another co-worker, one of Leekie’s assistants Delphine noticed, walked up to her with a bright smile on her face.

“Dr Leekie wants you in his office,” she said and she walked back to where she came from. Expecting Delphine to run to Leekie’s office. She wasn’t surprised, everyone in this office looked at the man as a saviour, as some kind of holy saint. Delphine knew better though. Nonetheless, she made herself get up and walked towards the elevators to get to Leekie’s office which was at the top.

The doors closed behind her and the elevator smoothly went up. Delphine’s mind was still stuck on Cosima and she checked her phone again for any missed notifications. Of course, there were none.

Where would she be now? Trailing behind someone or gathering substances again? Delphine wondered. And wondered, but it was futile.

The elevator came to a smooth stop and the doors opened. She was met with a bright white hallway and she walked out of the elevator. Her shoes tapped loudly in the otherwise empty hallway. She continued her path towards Dr. Leekie’s office and soon found herself knocking on the door.

“Come in!” someone answered loudly and Delphine hesitantly opened the door. Her mind had been so stuck on Cosima that she hadn’t even wondered why she was wanted in Dr. Leekie’s office. The man himself sat as usual behind his wide desk, filled with papers neatly stacked atop each other.

He smiled warmly and Delphine’s core grew cold at the sight. They hadn’t had certain… meetings since she was assigned to Cosima, she had always thought it was because he didn’t want to interfere, but now, looking at the woman who had turned around to face Delphine, she wasn’t so sure anymore that was the reason he hadn’t come on to her anymore. He used to have only eyes for her, used to guilt trip her into sleeping with him. However, since Cosima he had backed off. Delphine had been too happy to think twice about it and never asked him about it. She didn’t want to start anything.

But now, looking at the blonde woman in the seat in front of him, her blood ran cold. A certain anxiety she hadn’t felt since she was a teen came flooding back and her breathing picked up. She even felt her hands getting moist with sweat.

“Hello, Delphine, long time no see,” the smug expression on Shay’s face was a clear indication for Delphine that she looked as terrified as she felt. Quickly, she tried to compose herself and smiled lightly.

“Hello Shay, indeed it has been some time,” Delphine answered with only the slightest tremor in her voice. She didn’t think Leekie picked up on the tense atmosphere, he was smiling contently in his chair and studying the exchange between the two women.

“You two must have a lot to talk about, but we have to get to the matter of importance. The reason why Shay is here,” Dr. Leekie started and pointed for Delphine to take a seat next to Shay. Delphine obeyed and slowly walked over to sit next to Shay, the girl’s icy blue eyes never left Delphine. “I have asked Shay to assist us in the matter of Virginia Coady. I know Cosima has infiltrated the business, but it seems to go rather slow.”

Delphine opened her mouth to respond, but was silenced by Leekie. Shay only remained to keep an eye on Delphine, looking amused.

“I want Shay to assist us, she has had contact with Virginia before and the woman seems to trust her as an ally.” Leekie looked proudly at Shay and she smiled back warmly. It was all an act to Delphine, she felt like Shay had been put here by some evil devil in the sky. Purposefully jeopardizing Delphine’s place.

“I think she can reconnect with Virginia, which means you can take a step back. Focus on another case I have for you,” Delphine gasped. Take a step back? She was really being replaced by this monster of a woman right now? How could he? Well, Leekie and Shay were obviously involved with each other, there was no other reason to believe they weren’t.

“But sir, I am in a prominent position with the family, I can’t step back now, they will know something is up,” Delphine tried. Leekie seemed to think for a second and then smiled again.

“We will leave you as our contact person in the field, report to us what the family is up to and what Cosima is up to. I mean, you’re the only one who has gained her trust out of all our other attempts.”

Delphine was shocked by this news, she hadn’t known Leekie had attempted to get close to Cosima before. Cosima had been in real danger before, if she had trusted someone else her head would surely be on a stake right now. Somewhere Delphine felt a little flattered that she had been the only one to make it this far. But now she was being replaced, tossed to the side, because they weren’t making enough progress.

They continued their meeting, Delphine trying to fight her way back, but it was useless, Leekie had made up his mind about her. She was being replaced by Shay in the field. Delphine would have a desk job from now on, only speaking with the family whenever Leekie requested. Of course, he didn’t know she had her own agenda as well.

--

“He what?!” Sarah exclaimed loudly, banging on the table with her fist. Mrs. S. put one hand on Sarah’s arm to try and steady her.

“Calm down, chicken, the battle is not lost. Do you think he will keep you in the loop?” Mrs. S. looked hopefully at Delphine, but Delphine couldn’t possibly know. They might as well not tell her anything anymore, because she was thrown out. She could always try, but it would be suspicious to ask too many questions.

“I don’t know,” she answered earnestly. Felix was standing and seemed to think really hard, but he never spoke.

“Have you heard anything from Cosima yet?” Delphine asked equally hopeful as Mrs. S. just had been. The expression on Mrs. S. her face told Delphine enough. They hadn’t heard from the cheeky vampire as well. Delphine was growing more anxious, it had been 5 days now and that is the longest Cosima has gone without providing her family with a sign of life.

“I think we have to take matters in our own hand, Cosima and I had an agreement. If she doesn’t let us know anything for a week, we have to start plan B.” Mrs. S. provided. Delphine’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She hadn’t heard of this agreement before. This means they will have to wait for another two days before they can take any action. Two full days, two days of uncertainty. Two days that could be fatal to Cosima if they didn’t act now.

“We will have to wait for another two days Delphine, I know that is going to be hard.” Mrs. S. said as if she could read Delphine’s mind. Delphine deflated visibly and the fear was palpable in her eyes. Even Sarah provided a reassuring smile, and Felix remained silent once again. He was usually optimistic and providing them with intelligent sneers, but right now, Delphine thought, the weight of the truth was weighing down on him. Cosima could be in real danger.

--

Cosima’s POV

Cosima woke up in her cage again, beaten, battered and broken. She blinked a few times, trying to get used to the darkness. Rudy had found her phone with text messages to Delphine, when he was going through her stuff. Well, that’s nicely put. In fact, he had strangled her, demanding for her bag and she had obeyed. Fearing for her life, she waited while he dumped all the contents on the floor and found the small burner phone.

He had told Viriginia and she hadn’t liked this piece of evidence.

So, here she was, for the 5th consecutive day imprisoned. She didn’t know what Virginia’s plan was, she didn’t know what to expect to happen to her, but it wasn’t anything good.

Cosima thought about Delphine and her family, they must be worried sick by now. Not letting them know anything for five days was nothing like her. Plus, she had the arrangement with Mrs. S.

All of a sudden the lock on the door ruffled and the door opened wide. Bright light shone into her cage and for a second Cosima was blinded by its brightness. When she blinked a few times she noticed the silhouette that was standing in the doorway. It was Rudy.

--

Delphine’s POV

It was only the sixth day, but it felt like an eternity had passed since yesterday. Cosima had still been AWOL and without hearing a word from the cheeky vampire, Delphine had grown anxious beyond compare.

When she was at Mrs. S. her house, Mrs. S. had warned her. Had warned her to be extra careful now Shay was in the picture. Mrs. S. though Shay had been invited to the party only to keep a close watch on Delphine and when Delphine thought about it, it made sense.

She had slacked at work, leaving Dr. Leekie’s office at random times to meet up with the vampire family. She had been glued to her phone and now she had wondered why Shay had come into the picture. Obviously, it was to keep an eye on Delphine. To see if she was still true to the cause. Which she was, but she was true to a different cause right now. A cause that involved keeping Cosima safe.

Cosima… where are you? Delphine thought. It would only be another day, another 24 hours and they would execute a rescue plan. Delphine wasn’t even sure if she was a part of that plan, but she was going to make sure that she would be involved. She wanted, no, needed to do everything in her power to help safe Cosima. She wouldn’t be able to survive if she heard that Mrs. S. family hadn’t been able to help Cosima.

Delphine was amazed at how quickly Cosima’s family had become her family. She had met with them numerous times by now and it felt like she had found a new part of herself while spending time with them. A part of herself she really liked and she wanted to keep. Mrs. S. always understood the grievances of Delphine while waiting for Cosima to respond, she understood why Delphine was distracted most of the time while they were discussing plans. She even understood the unbound love that was flowing between her and Cosima.

Delphine got up from the couch to pour herself a glass of wine, a natural sedative for her wondering mind that kept jumping to conclusions about Cosima. Like how would they find her? Where would they find her? Luckily, Cosima had shared the address with them after her first visit and it wouldn’t be too hard to get there. But how would they get her out? The place was massive.

Delphine softly stroked the case with the venom. There were three shots in there, three possible vampire deaths, if she used them wisely. She had gathered the case from Cosima’s place today.

When she had entered the apartment it smelled an awful lot like Cosima and Delphine had almost collapsed with the front door wide open. However, she had remained steady and went to the bedroom of her vampire girlfriend to get the case. She knew Cosima kept it in the closet. But Delphine hadn’t been ready to deal with all the clothes of Cosima hanging there. The clothes she wore in Paris struck her the hardest. That was when she still was on Dr. Leekie’s side, when she still wanted to kill vampires. So much had changed since then.

Her feelings towards vampires… the fact she had developed feelings for a vampire… her betraying her old home. All the thoughts came flooding into Delphine’s brain and it became an overload. She sat herself down on the bed and rubbed her temples. A tear streaked down her cheek and all of a sudden she was sobbing loudly in the otherwise empty room.

It took her a full 15 minutes before she had composed herself again, got the case, and all but ran out of the building. The memories of that place were too painful and she wished her girlfriend next to her side.

Delphine went to bed that night with her mind racing from left to right, jumping to conclusions and imagining horrifying endings. She wasn’t able to fight off vampires, but she was stubborn about that fact. If she must, she would use one of the venoms. Of course, leaving one open for Virginia Coady, stupid, horrifying, scary Viriginia Coady.

Just a few more hours, Delphine thought. She felt exhausted, but she couldn’t sleep at all that night. She swears she had seen every hour pass by her on the alarm. When it was time to get up, Delphine felt more tired than awake, but she had to go to Cosima’s family. It had been 7 days without a word from Cosima. It was time to execute the plan.