Justine

"What do you want Mikhail?" Violet asked over the intercom, her voice cool.

"I come to offer my services." He replied his tone just as cool.

There was a surprised silence but the voice that came over the intercom remained cool.

"What is your price?" Violet asked, "Or are you still working for Jeremiah Mathers?"

Mikhail addressed the last question first.

"I am no longer employed by Jeremiah Mathers, I left his employ when I found that he was less than honest with me and as for my fee, I am waiving it."

There was another shocked silence.

"Violet," Mikhail said, "I know that you don't trust me but if you remember anything about me you will remember that I do not lie even if it is to my advantage to do so. Time is getting short and I know that you must find Justine before Jeremiah does..."

"What do you know of her?" Violet snapped cutting him off.

"I know who and what she is." Mikhail replied.

There was another pause before Violet spoke again.

"There is one thing that I do know," Violet said, "and that is nothing is free so what is it that you want?"

Mikhail sighed. This was going nowhere fast.

"I only want to help you and her, is that so difficult to believe?" he asked.

"Yes, it is." Violet replied, "But be that as it may, you may enter but understand something, if you come into my home and make one false move, your life will end. Do you understand?"

"Yes my queen." Mikhail replied addressing her formally. He was entering her home and she was due all of the respect that he had for her which was considerable. He also knew that once he entered her home, he would be at her mercy. All of his gifts would be neutralized, whether she knew that he knew that he didn't know and it really didn't matter. In her home, he would be like a human and dead within seconds if he made a move toward her or anyone under her protection.

The gate slowly swung open and he walked through it. Almost immediately, he felt the drain of his gifts as he walked toward the house. Once he left the house, they would return maybe stronger than before. One of the myths surrounding the queen was that if she deemed one worthy, she could accentuate the gifts already present or could grant a new one. He supposed that he would find out one way or another if the myth was true.

Mikhail walked up to the door and waited for it to be opened. After several minutes, he was inside and following a young man to Violet's study. Mikhail had no idea of what to expect, the last time he had seen Violet she was young and quite beautiful with brown eyes and dark hair that fell past her waist. He knew that the reigning queen was suppose to gradually begin to age when they decided that they were ready to step down and that once the new queen was born or in Justine's case activated, the aging process sped up. The process would be reversed when they went to the realm of the queens before.

He had no idea of when Violet decided to give up her reign or how long Justine had been on her radar so he prepared himself as best he could. The young man tapped on the door not opening it until he heard Violet speak.

"Enter."

The young man opened the door and stepped aside. When Mikhail was inside, the door closed softly.

********

Violet didn't trust Mikhail even though she knew that he may have been many things but a liar wasn't one of them. She had to be honest; the fact that he didn't want to be compensated for his services unnerved her. Mikhail was if nothing else was a mercenary selling his skills to the highest bidder but yet...

The tap on the door distracted her; she smoothed her hair, stood and pushed the wheelchair out of the way. It was one thing to appear elderly and quite another to appear invalid. She smoothed down her blouse and straightened her skirt before she gave permission to enter.

As she waited, she wondered if Mikhail was as handsome as she remembered. He had been the topic of many discussions and dreams of many young vampire females including her. In her mind's eye, she could still see him, tall, and blond- haired, blue eyed and devastatingly handsome and she wondered what he would think about her.

She turned to face him and gave him a small rueful smile. He was every bit as handsome as she remembered if not more so.

"Mikhail."

"My queen." he replied with a bow. "You are as lovely as ever." he added meaning it. The waist length white hair and wrinkles did nothing to diminish her beauty but seemed to accentuate it.

"I thank you for that." Violet replied. "Now, let's get down to business, why are you offering your services to us?"

Mikhail started at the beginning and ended at what brought him to her doorstep.

"Jeremiah knows who and what she is and if we don't find her and her mate first, he'll kill the male and mate with Justine."

"Why does this concern you? And what is your stake in this?" Violet asked.

"Violet," Mikhail said with a patience that he didn't feel, "we may have had our differences but I have always been your faithful servant as I intend to be for the next queen. You also know that I can't stand for someone to have an unfair advantage as Jeremiah Mathers does. I only wish to even the odds."

"Do you know where she is?" Violet asked.

"No, I don't but you stand a better chance of finding her with my help."

Violet walked around the room for several minutes before replying.

"And how do I know that your goal isn't the same as Jeremiah's?" she asked.

"You only have my spoken word for it." Mikhail replied, "But if you wish to enter my mind, I won't stop you as a matter of fact, I am volunteering."

Violet blinked. For Mikhail to make such an offer was no small thing.

"You would do this?" she asked warily.

"I made the offer didn't I?" Mikhail asked, "My mind is yours to explore at your will."

Mikhail dropped to his knees and waited for Violet to make her decision.

*******

Lana held on to the back of Amanda's shirt, her eyes wide with fear as Jeremiah stepped into the living room.

"Mama?" she asked as she gripped the shirt tighter in her fist.

Jeremiah looked at Amanda and then peeked around her to look at Lana.

"My aren't you the pretty one!" he said in an attempt to win her over. "Your daddy must love you very much to make sure that you get a good education."

Lana wasn't buying it and her fear only intensified when Jeremiah smiled at her. She swallowed hard, let go of her mother's shirt and went back to sit with the baby who had fallen asleep.

"May I sit down?" Jeremiah asked.

"Oh, sure." Amanda replied nervously. Some of Lana's nervousness had rubbed off on her and she found herself wishing that she hadn't let Jeremiah in.

"You know what?" she asked, "My husband will be home in the morning, could you come back then?"

"I'm sorry but I only work at night and I'm here already." Jeremiah replied with a false smile plastered on his face.

"I know and I'm so sorry but I would like for you to leave." Amanda said as her feeling of unease grew.

"Do you know where your ex husband is?" Jeremiah asked ignoring the request that he leave.

"What? No, I haven't seen Quinn for a few weeks." Amanda replied.

"Does he have a cell phone number?" Jeremiah asked.

"Yes but... I thought that you said that you had it."

"I said that I couldn't reach him." Jeremiah said.

He had tried to find a number for Quinn but only found a home number. He found it hard to believe that given the type of work that Quinn did that he didn't have a cell phone. It came to him that he must have had a prepaid cell phone, one that was untraceable and required no contact.

"Amanda, may I call you Amanda?" Jeremiah asked the now frightened woman. "I know that you have a way of reaching Quinn and if you wish me to leave, you'll give me that number."

He had no intentions of leaving but there was no point in telling her that until after he got the information he needed. When Amanda didn't reply, he looked over at Lana and the sleeping baby, smiled but didn't say anything; he didn't have to.

Amanda followed Jeremiah's gaze and turned back to him.

"Who are you?" she asked thinking that he had to be someone that Quinn still owed money.

"I told you, I'm Quinn's attorney..."

"No you aren't." Amanda interrupted, "Does he owe you money or something?"

"Or something." Jeremiah replied quickly running out of patience. "Amanda, look at me."

Amanda tried not to look at Jeremiah but couldn't help herself.

"Good, now tell me how to reach Quinn."

"I..."

"It would be such a tragedy if something happened to those beautiful children of yours." Jeremiah said as he gave another mental push.

Tears ran down Amanda's face as she thought about her options.

"If I give you the number, will you leave us alone?"

"Give me the fucking number!" Jeremiah hissed glaring at Amanda.

"I...555-219-0017! Now please leave! We're not involved with Quinn and whatever it is he's mixed up in."

"Go sit with your children and don't try to run." Jeremiah said, "You won't make it and it would be such a shame to have to hurt one of you."

Amanda moved over to the sofa and gathered both girls into her arms with her eyes glued on Jeremiah. He hadn't moved but his intent was clear. As Amanda settled in on the sofa, she silently cursed Quinn in a way that she hadn't since they were married.

*******

"Pam? Where are you? Are you alright?" Justine asked.

"I'm fine... Justine listen to me." Pam said softly, "I know that a lot's been happening and you don't know who to trust but you have to trust Zoe."

"No, I don't Justine replied."

"Do you trust me?" Pam asked.

"Yes of course but...."

"Then you can trust Zoe, she has some things to tell you and she can help you."

"She could be lying...."

"Justine, she isn't. You have to let us help you."

Justine closed her eyes and listened to the sound and inflections of Pam's voice.

"Alright, you're not lying now let me speak to Zoe."

"Yes Justine?" Zoe asked in a soft voice.

"What the hell is going on here?" Justine demanded, "and you had better not be lying." she added

"Justine....."

Then the line went dead.

*******

Quinn had forgotten about his cell phone until he heard it buzzing from the outside pocket of his bag. He frowned at the sound, very few people had his number and those included Mrs. Rhodes and Amanda. Amanda had only called him twice and both times, it had something to do with Lana.

He took the phone out the pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was Amanda's number.

"Amanda?" he asked not bothering to say hello.

"Hello Quinn." a deep masculine voice said.

Quinn froze; he knew that the voice didn't belong to Amanda's husband.

"Who is this?" he asked, "and where are Amanda and the girls?"

"Let's address your concerns first shall we?" Jeremiah said, "Your ex wife and the children are safe... for the moment but how long it stays that way depends on you."

Quinn's breath caught in his throat as he tried to remember if there was anyone from his past that he left unpaid.

"What do you want?" Quinn asked.

"Just one, no two things... you and Justine Graves."

"Jeremiah Mathers." Quinn said more to himself than to Jeremiah.

"At your service." Jeremiah replied smugly.

"Leave them alone, they haven't done anything to you!"

"Blah, blah, blah," Jeremiah replied, "So cliché but you do happen to be correct, they haven't done anything to me which is what will make what happens to them so tragic."

"Let them go and I'll meet you." Quinn replied.

"Not just you but the Justine as well or there's no deal."

Quinn closed his eyes and then slowly opened them; a cold rage had taken over. This man was holding his ex wife and their daughter not to mention another child hostage and would hurt them if he didn't do as he said.

"We'll be there." Quinn said coldly and then threw the phone as hard as he could against a wall.

******

Buddy and Justine came into the room to see what the commotion was.

"Quinn?" Justine asked, "What's happening?"

Quinn turned to face her, his green/hazel eyes glittering with anger.

"That son of a bitch has my ex wife and the kids!"

"Who.... Oh shit! Jeremiah Mathers." Justine breathed.

"He wants the both of us or else he's going to hurt them and he meant it, I could hear it in his voice." Quinn said. "Justine just who the fuck is this guy and don't tell me that he's a lawyer that you used to work for and what the fuck does he want with you?"

"Quinn, I'm sorry about your ex and the children but I really don't know why he wants us so badly....."

"We'd better damn well find out!" Quinn snapped glaring at Justine. "Tell me something, this Jeremiah Mathers, is he human?"

"No, he's a vampire who was turning human women into vampires and then selling them to other vampires."

"Is that what happened to you?" Quinn asked.

"Not exactly, I was supposed to have been killed and my friend Pam was the one who was to be sold."

"That even makes my point even more valid," Quinn said. "Why is he after us? There has to be more to it than the fact that you didn't die and you knew what he was doing. It doesn't make sense! Think Justine, what could he possibly want with us?"

"I don't know but I think I know who does."

*******

Zoe wondered what happened on the other end of the line and tried to call back. Her first thought was that Jeremiah and his goons found them but then she relaxed a little. So far, Justine's gifts appeared when she needed them the most and if Jeremiah were there, she would be able to escape. She tense again when she remembered that Justine had Quinn with her.

"Where would she go?" she asked Pam.

"I don't know.... Maybe my apartment? But that wouldn't make sense because it's probably being watched.

Zoe tapped her fingers on the desk, "Maybe but maybe not." she replied. "She has to be running out of places to go...."

"She's going to make a stand." Pam said softly. "Something is going to happen where she's going to make a stand and force Jeremiah's hand."

"She can't!" Zoe exclaimed.

"Why not?" Pam asked, "You said that she was the queen..."

"Yes but Quinn is still human! Don't you get it? If Jeremiah gets his hands on Quinn he'll do one of two things, he'll use him to get Justine to make him king instead of Quinn or he'll kill him and force Justine to mate with him and he won't care how he does it."

"But she's strong right? He couldn't make her mate with him." Pam said her voice filled with anxiety.

"She's strong but Pam, if Jeremiah had help he could pull it off and become king. If he kills Quinn, Justine would want to die and Jeremiah wouldn't stop her."

"There's more to it than that." a quiet voice said from behind them.

*********

"Mr. Mathers." Amanda said quietly, "I don't know how much money Quinn owes you but we have some money that I can give you if you'll just leave."

"Quinn owes me nothing." Jeremiah said, "He has something that I want."

"Then go get it! We have nothing to do with whatever Quinn's into." Amanda replied hugging the girls closer to her.

"I am well aware of that and believe me when I say that I regret that it came to this."

"Then let us go, at least the girls..."

"Mama...'

"Shush Lana," Amanda said softly, "let the girls go to the neighbors and I'll stay here with you."

Jeremiah pretended to be considering her request even though he had no real intentions of honoring it. He waited for five minutes before responding.

"As much as I would like to honor your request, I can't. Now please sit back and relax. As long as Quinn does what is required of him then all will be well."

Jeremiah gave Amanda a cold look when she opened her mouth to speak.

Lana looked at Jeremiah and snuggled closer to her mother and sister. She knew that he didn't feel bad about what he was doing and even liked it. Tears ran down her face as she realized that this man was going to hurt her father and the woman that he was supposed to bring with him.

*******

Jeremiah stood up, stretched and looked through the refrigerator noting that there wasn't much in it. Something about seeing the mostly empty fridge triggered a memory from centuries ago.

They were starving, all of them. Somehow, they had been found out and everyone who was able to walk combed the streets of the small town that they lived in looking for Jeremiah, his brother and the parents. They hid in the cellar during the day with plans to slip away that evening. Their stomachs growled and burned with hunger and if they didn't feed soon....

He remembered thinking how he hated being poor and thinking that if they had money this wouldn't be happening. They would have been living in a house far away from the town and if by some chance they were discovered, there would have been secret rooms that they could have hidden in until it was safe to leave.

As it was, the only place to hide was the dank root cellar and no way to get to the nourishment that they needed. It was during that siege and that was how Jeremiah saw it, he made a decision; never again would he be in this position. Never again would he be hungry.

It was at that point in his thoughts that he realized why he was never satisfied with what he had. He softly closed the refrigerator door and joined Amanda and the girls in the living room. The baby was now awake and crying, the sound grating on Jeremiah's ears.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked impatiently.

"She's scared." Lana replied.

"She needs to be fed and changed." Amanda replied.

'Will that shut her up?" Jeremiah asked as the baby's cries got louder and shriller.

"yes."

"Then do it." Jeremiah said sharply.

Before Amanda turned away, Jeremiah spoke.

"You will tend to the child and come right back, the other one stays here."

Lana started to object, "But..."

"Quiet." Jeremiah said softly before Lana could finish her sentence." He looked back at Amanda, "Go."

Amanda stood up, holding the baby close to her shuddering as Jeremiah watched her. The word predator popped into her head as she headed first to the spare bathroom where she always kept supplies for the baby. As she quickly changed the baby, Amanda tried to think of a way to get the girls out of the house and kept hitting a brick wall.

When she came out of the bathroom, she saw Jeremiah sitting on the sofa next to Lana. Lana had squeezed herself as far into the corner of the sofa as she could and was whimpering.

"Get away from her!" Amanda hissed.

Jeremiah's head snapped up toward the sound of Amanda's voice.

"I said get away from her!" Amanda demanded, her fear gone erased by the concern for Lana.

Jeremiah stood in one fluid movement and walked toward Amanda.

*********

"Alright Mikhail." Violet said. "Your assistance is accepted."

Mikhail bowed again and headed for the door, he had a good idea of where Jeremiah was.

"Where are you going?" Violet asked.

"To find Jeremiah." Mikhail replied.

"Do you know where he is?"

"I believe so and I must hurry." Mikhail said as he walked out of the study and out of the house. As soon as he was outdoors, he felt his gifts begin to trickle back into him, by the time he was through the gate, they had all returned. There were no new ones and the old ones didn't feel any different to him.

"So much for that myth." he murmured as he vanished from the front of the house to Jeremiah's office.

As he suspected, Jeremiah wasn't there. Mikhail looked at Jeremiah's desk noting how disorderly it was. He knew that Jeremiah was meticulous and the disarray told him that Jeremiah was in a hurry. He took the time to look at the papers on the desk and within moments, he knew where Jeremiah had gone.

"Damn it!" he swore not believing but believing that Jeremiah had gotten so desperate that he was going to use a woman and her children to get to Justine and Quinn. Within seconds, he was back at his penthouse and was changed into his hunting clothes.