Blood Relations

Author Note: Hope you continue on with my story! I would love to hear where you think it's heading! Sorry for making you wait so long for the smoochy-smoochy, but the characters just aren't quite there yet. I hope when it happens you will find it worth the wait! Happy reading :)

*****

Adam felt like beating someone or something up as he walked away from Serena's loft. What the hell was that about? He ran his hands through his hair. He knew it was his fault. She didn't give off the easy vibe. He pushed it too far. The whole night was wasted. He put forth all that effort for no reason. Buttering her up, acting like he was interested in what she was saying with nothing to show. He was back to square one with her. Even lower, more like square zero.

He pulled out his phone and for the first time in months started typing in Josephine's number. He was about to hit send, but his brain realized what he was about to do and put a stop to it. He deleted the numbers, hating the fact that he had it memorized. Maybe he was just as weak as Piper suggested. Adam stopped walking and tried to focus his breathing. He debated on calling Kyle, but didn't think it was that serious. Instead he pulled up Lance's phone number.

Where you at? Adam texted.

My side of town. The Stakeout. Lance responded.

Adam always thought that was a stupid name for a bar, but vampires seemed to love their puns. He made his way through the wolf section, keeping his head down.

"Hey," someone yelled.

Adam looked up to see John walking towards him. Adam kept walking.

"Parrish," John yelled again.

"What?" Adam said back.

"Why were you with that human earlier?" John asked.

"What do you care?" Adam asked his former friend.

"This is your first summer back," John said. "We don't want any extra attention. You know the rules."

"So now we're not allowed to fraternize with them? Since when?" Adam said.

"No," John said. "We're not allowed to hurt them. She's going to be here all summer. Not some one week and gone type."

"What does that matter?" Adam asked.

"I told Malcolm I would keep an eye on her," John said.

Adam stopped walking. He spun around to face the lanky Were.

"What's Malcolm's interest in her anyway?" Adam asked. "Why would he bring a human here for the summer?"

John shrugged.

"I don't question Malcolm," John said. "Just follow orders."

"Well when he gets back tell your master I took his precious human on a nice date and then fucked her brains out all night long."

Adam watched John squirm, not knowing how to respond. Adam turned and continued his walk towards Lance. He wished he didn't need to be part of a pack, but everyone knew going rouge meant losing your mind, Adam better than most. Those few months were terrible. Adam would rather keep his sanity and stay here with these sheep than risk that again.

Piper always kept him grounded and made sure that he was just active enough not to draw the wrath of the Alpha. Adam didn't want to think about how he was going to accomplish that if she left with Thomas. He shook his head, it wouldn't happen. No matter what Piper thought Thomas was not her mate, just some fling.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lance was waiting outside the vampire club and ushered Adam in before the line.

"You know I am part owner of this place too right?" Adam asked.

"I know that," Lance said. "But I doubt the lowly bouncer does."

It was Adam's idea that the town needed more venues geared towards the younger crowd. It started with Lunbar, the werewolf club. More "mates" had found each other there than any other place. Soon the Alpha encouraged him to open a similar establishment that would attract vampires. The Stakeout proved a success and two other clubs followed. One meant for the woodland supernatural and another that served as a catch all.

The Stakeout was much different than Lunbar. Instead of a dance club this was more of a lounge. There were no windows and blue lighting giving the place the feel of a speakeasy. A small stage came out over the dance floor where a beautiful woman in a skin tight dress sang songs that came from another era while a man played the piano behind her.

"You want a drink?" Lance asked.

"I feel underdressed," Adam said.

"That's because you are," Lance said.

Adam watched him take a sip of his martini.

"I'll have one of those," Adam said. "And a shot too."

It took an awful lot to get a werewolf drunk on liquor alone. There were some spices and wildflowers they could add to the drinks to intensify the effects, but Adam doubted any were down here. Lance went to grab Adam his drink while he went to one of the tables at the back of the club. Lance didn't take long to walk over.

"What do you put in your drinks so you can get drunk?" Adam asked taking a gulp of his martini.

"The blood of a drunk person," Lance said.

He gave a smile and took a sip of his martini which Adam now noticed had a pinkish hue. He grimaced, but Lance just shrugged and took another drink.

"I can tell you ignored my suggestion," Lance said. "How is the baby doll?"

"Don't call her that," Adam said.

Lance set his drink down and turned his head to the side, pressing his lips into a smile.

"You like her," Lance said.

"No," Adam said. "I just find it creepy when you refer to the chick I'm trying to bang as a child's toy."

"I take it tonight wasn't a success?" Lance asked.

"I pushed her too far," Adam said. "She threw me out."

"How could any girl resist the charms of Adam Parrish?" Lance asked in a sarcastic tone.

"You've been around forever," Adam said. "Or at least a couple hundred years. You must have learned a thing or two. How do I work this girl? And fast?"

"Times may have changed, but women do not," Lance said. "They are all different. From what I've seen about this one you have to get her to open up."

"Why?"

"Clearly she has trust issues," Lance said. "Get her to trust you. Then she tells you her problems and then you swoop in and she welcomes you with open arms."

"I couldn't get her to talk about anything personal," Adam said. "She only seemed happy when we weren't talking about anything."

"Be her friend first," Lance said. "No touching, no romance, just keep hanging out and it will come naturally."

"That could take all summer," Adam said.

"If you really want to speed it up, share something with her," Lance said. "But you could always do the noble thing and just leave the girl alone."

"Who knows when another opportunity to piss off Malcolm will present itself?" Adam asked. The smile spread across his face. "I can't pass this up."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Serena poured herself a bowl of cereal. Her dreams were plagued with the same scene from the night before, only this time she didn't manage to get ten hours. It was barely seven AM and she knew her day was in full gear. She told herself it was for the best, that way she wouldn't get too used to sleeping in.

Feeling too tired to go on a jog Serena decided to just head down to the shop and start working some more. She had no desire to be such a workaholic, there was just nothing else better to do with her time.

She tried her hardest to get work done, but thoughts of Adam and last night continued to plague her mind. At first she thought she had overreacted, but then decided Adam had no right to touch her without asking first, let alone kiss her. Life was so much easier a year ago. She had friends, family that loved her, a long term boyfriend that she was certain was her destiny. A tear started to form in her eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Four Months Ago

Serena thought it was almost cruel to call second semester the Spring semester. January was coming to an end, but February didn't look like it was going to be any warmer. She was used to harsh winters, but before coming here for school she always thought it was hot year round in this state.

Someone was handing out flyers. Serena kept her head down. Even though she had been here for almost a year she didn't bother creating a social life. She went to a community college for her first two years, and spent her first semester here with an overload of courses so she could graduate early, then move back home to her family, friends and boyfriend. That was the main reason she chose this college. It was five and a half hours away from home, but one of the only universities that would let her finish her degree in just a semester and a half. She would rather deal with the distance for eighteen months than stay closer but go to school longer.

While her decision was logical at the time, now it seemed completely insane. There was no more home. In fact, this was home now, where Serena didn't know a soul.

"Party tonight," the person with the flyers said.

He stuck one right in her face. She shook her head no.

"Come on," he said. "Pretty little thing like you? Great opportunity to meet some people. Make new friends?"

Serena turned and looked at the guy handing out the invitations. He smiled down at her. His words rang in her mind. Make new friends. That was one of the things her doctor encouraged. Serena checked out the flyer. The apartment building wasn't very far from her dorm.

"Maybe," she said.

"I'll look for you when you get there," he said. "Or if you want to look for me just ask for Jacob."

He gave her a wink and walked away. Serena looked down at the flyer. She didn't see any harm in checking the party out. After all, she was twenty one now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sun was starting to set. Serena had worked the entire day without eating, yet again. She was very pleased with her progress this weekend and had a feeling Malcolm would be too. She couldn't wait until tomorrow when Piper came in and gave her the scoop on her weekend. Serena wanted to hear all about what happened with Thomas.

She was about to turn off her computer when a knock on the window startled her. Serena turned to see Adam standing outside. He lifted his arms and showed a picnic basket. Serena knew she should tell him to leave, but a big part of her wanted to spend time with him. She finished shutting down the computer before grabbing her keys and walking outside, locking the shop up after her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I decided apologizing with food worked well last time," Adam said. "So why mess with what works?"

Serena rolled her eyes.

"I really am sorry," Adam said. "I shouldn't have pushed you. Truthfully, I like spending time with you. Even if it is just as friends."

"Really?" Serena asked with sarcasm and a raised eyebrow.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Adam replied. "Do you want to eat your picnic dinner now? Or we can wait until later."

"I forgot to eat lunch," Serena said. "So the only reason I'm choosing to believe and forgive you is because I am starving."

"How can you forget lunch?" Adam asked. "I don't like that. If you keep it up I'm going to have to start preparing all your meals for you."

"Do you want to eat upstairs with me?" Serena asked.

"Maybe we can set up a blanket on your balcony," Adam said.

They started up the stairs and Serena hoped she wasn't making a huge mistake.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adam made sure to keep at least two feet between them at all times as they spread out on the blanket on her balcony. It wasn't that difficult as long as he continually reminded himself seducing her was different than other girls. The conversation stayed light, talking mainly about movies and books.

"Why wouldn't I have read A Farewell to Arms?" Adam asked. "I went to High School."

"You seem more like a cliff notes sort of guy," Serena said.

"I take offense to that," Adam said. "Hemmingway was a man's man. Even his love stories are masculine."

"Most people think that story is boring," Serena said. "But it's my favorite."

"It's so sad though," Adam said.

"Maybe I'm just a sad person," Serena said.

Adam watched her drop her head. He had a feeling this was his in. If he shared then she would share, and then she would share her bed. He took a deep breath.

"Two summers ago a girl came to town," Adam said. "Her name was Josephine. It was love at first sight for me, or at least lust. After the first week she sort of moved herself into my apartment. I didn't mind. But she had a drug problem, kept insisting it wasn't a problem. Flash forward a month and I had a drug problem, but kept insisting it wasn't a problem."

Serena lifted her head and looked at Adam. She didn't look horrified. Instead she looked concerned.

"Piper held an intervention," Adam said. "I was given an ultimatum. Kick Josephine out, go get help, or be thrown out of the town."

"What did you do?" Serena asked.

"I left town with Josephine," Adam said. "But that meant I left my businesses and apartment. She realized I didn't have any more money so she left me for someone else to support her habit. I came crawling back with my tail between my legs. Hawkins sent me to Montana, a rehab clinic. I will be a year drug free next month."

"That's rough," Serena said. "How could they kick you out of town?"

"Strong community watch," Adam said. "Just trust they can. Since I came back not everyone has been very welcoming towards me. Some people thought it was stupid for Hawkins to send me to rehab after I said no. Then some people thought it was wrong he let me retain ownership in my clubs."

"So Hawkins Corporation is owned by a real Hawkins," Serena said. "I thought it might have been just a name. He sounds like a good man. Especially since he was willing to see what a good person you are. People make mistakes. After all, we're only human."

Adam nodded. Of all the things to call him, good didn't seem to fit the bill. He was far from good. He didn't understand how she got that out of the story.

"What drug were you addicted to?"

Nigthshade, of course something like that didn't exist in Serena's world. Adam decided to keep it vague.

"One of the really bad ones," he said. "I still struggle with it all the time. I probably will for the rest of my life."

"It's better to struggle and live then give in and die," Serena said.

The main reason he shared his story was to get her to open up, but now he didn't really care if he got anything back. It was a strange feeling for him. She looked him square in the eye and he almost wanted to stop her from talking, it felt like he was stealing one of her secrets.

"I've only ever kissed three people," Serena said. "My boyfriend Charlie, this guy named Jacob, and you."

"You have a boyfriend," Adam said. "I didn't realize."

That was an easy answer to his struggles with her last night.

"No," Serena said. "He died. It still feels wrong to call him an ex though."

"Oh," Adam said. "I'm sorry."

"I turned twenty one in January. My parents planned a surprise party for me at my favorite restaurant. That way I could have my first legal drink surrounded by everyone I loved," Serena said. "I knew about it though. My friend Stacy had a big mouth. I was running late, since I took too long to get ready. I wanted to look perfect. I'm one of those girls who enjoys styling hair, picking out clothes, that sort of thing. I know it's shallow, but at the time I didn't care."

Adam could see the tears welling in her eyes. He wanted to comfort her, tell her she didn't have to continue, but she sucked back her fears and kept talking.

"I parked my car," Serena said. "And started walking towards the restaurant. I was just across the street. My parents lived right outside Fort Collins, Colorado. That's where I went to high school and community college, where all my friends were. The winter wasn't particularly bad, but that caused a lot of melting and freezing snow. There was black ice everywhere. A truck, wasn't even speeding, hit a patch. I watched as they lost control. I was so sure I was going to die, but then it spun away and straight into the restaurant. The entire building collapsed."

"Did anyone survive?" Adam asked, knowing the answer.

Serena shook her head.

"You know that's not your fault," Adam said.

Serena nodded her head.

"I should have been there," Serena said. "I was running late. Everyone who I loved, hell most people I even knew better than a casual acquaintance were in that building. I really am all alone."

"No," Adam said. "You're not alone."

He broke his own rule and reached out, pulled her down to him so her back was against his chest the held her tight to him.

"I really am," Serena said. "And the last five and a half months I've been getting used to it. I don't want anyone else in my life at the moment. It's just going to ruin things."

Adam listened to her words, but he didn't let her go and she made no effort to move away. He wanted to soothe her, but knew he could do nothing more to comfort her than to hold her while she let the tears out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Serena awoke to her alarm the next morning. She was fast asleep in her bed, the covers tucked up to her chin. Last nights memories came crushing down on her. The balcony with Adam. She shouldn't have talked so much, she probably freaked him out.

She wanted to hit the snooze, but didn't think she would get much more sleep anyway so she stretched and got out of bed, turning off her alarm in the process. She noticed the French doors were still open and for a second wondered if Adam was still out there. Then she spotted the box of cereal on the counter. There was a note scribble on her cheerios.

Little miss,

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Don't make me have to start spending the night to make sure you eat it.

XO XO

Adam

Whatever embarrassment Serena was feeling vanished. She leaned against the counter staring at the box while she tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach Adam's note was causing her.

After eating breakfast and taking a shower Serena pulled on a pair of orange linen shorts and a long sleeved white t-shirt. It was more formal than Piper's attire on Friday, but not as professional as Serena thought an office setting required. She would give it a try today though. She left her hair down and wavy, a look she normally hated. Her makeup was minimal with one coat black mascara and a little pink lip-gloss. She put on a pair of flat gladiator sandals that were tan and pretty much went with everything. Checking herself out in the mirror Serena decided she looked good enough.

She walked over to the door and gave the handle a tug. It didn't open. She looked at the deadbolt, confused how Adam would have left with the door still locked. He couldn't have closed it from the outside without a key. Serena shook her head and decided she must have locked it right when she woke up in her sleepy state.

When Serena got to her desk and turned the computer on she was surprised it was only 8:20. She decided right then and there to pick up a hobby, or at least set her alarm for later. There was no urge to check her e-mails or even look at news websites. Instead she wanted to dive right into the day, hopeful that the time would fly by until Piper showed up.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was after noon, but Piper had yet to make an appearance. Serena was getting scared, she mentioned she got in around 11 on Mondays. When the sound of the door opening filled the office Serena perked up, but then saw Adam walk through the doors with two bags in his hands.

"Someone is not happy to see me," Adam said.

"Have you heard from your sister?" Serena asked. "Is everything alright? I wanted to call her, but I don't have her number."

"She's fine," Adam said. "I just left the apartment and she is happy as can be."

"Oh," Serena said. "Is she coming in?"

"I doubt it," Adam said.