It was cold, very cold, but Payne was comfortable in Eliza's leather wraparound, her longest one, a sweater she'd lifted just yesterday and a heavy woolen cape.  They walked in silence, both simmering with seething rage.  

Eliza thought back to the day Payne had showed up.  Finding Payne in her bed had not been the high point of the day.  Eliza's senses were much keener than average and Payne had a distinct aroma that was hard to miss.  Her dumpster diving for food had left a characteristic eau du garbage that was hard to miss.  Then they had talked and Eliza had found her world turned on it's side.  "What have I gotten myself into," she wondered.

"You're not my damn mother," Payne said in a low voice, kicking a can that was in their path.  She muttered something indistinct and the can skittered with a metallic clatter away from them.  

"What'd you say?" Eliza shot back with an edge to her voice.

Payne stopped and turned to face Eliza.  "I said, 'if you were, I'd have been out the door the first day!'" Staring up at her, Eliza realized she was about to cry.  For a tough street person she sure was sensitive.

Eliza sighed.  "You're right.  I'm not, but I am your friend and I don't want you getting into trouble."  She smiled.  "That sweater does look good on you, even if you did boost it!"

Payne giggled and wiped the corner of one eye.  "I loved it the minute I saw it!"  She stroked the soft angora and smiled.  "I love it."

Eliza had to smile at the happy expression on her face.  She shook her head.  There seemed to be pieces missing from her way of dealing with the world.  If this problem child was going to be in her life, she was going to have to civilize her. Staring at her with faintly glowing eyes, Eliza realized that might be a lot easier said than to accomplish.  Already her life had changed and she wasn't sure if she'd made any impact on Payne or not.  For the first time in a very long time there was food in the refrigerator and Toby seemed to like Payne.  

It was weird though.  When Christa had been staying with her, it was easy and fun.  Payne didn't know what she was and Eliza hoped she never would.  It wasn't easy, although thinking about it, maybe there were fun parts.  Payne had slipped right into the night life schedule and it was neat having company for this.  Eliza smiled and put her arm around Payne's waist.  "Let it go.  We have things to do, remember?"

Payne took a deep breath and squeezed her back.  "Ok, I'm sorry.  I guess I get touchy sometimes.  When are you going to tell me what we're doing.  This is a really bad area, you know."  

"Yea," Eliza giggled, "and with at little luck it'll get a lot worse for someone."

Payne nervously glanced around at the seedy warehouses.  "I just hope it's not us," she muttered.

Eliza stopped and stepped into a doorway, pulling Payne in behind her.  "Okay. You see that alley over there?  You watch it very closely.  Anyone starts to go in there, you distract them and make sure it doesn't happen.  Hit them for money, ask them if they want to party, anything, but don't let them go in.  Got that?"  

"But, but. . . suppose I can't stop them?"  Payne's voice was shaky. 

Eliza sighed and pulled a small gun from beneath her cape and pressed it into her hand.  "Here!  Just don't shoot anyone.  Threaten, even fire it into the air, if you have to, but DO NOT shoot anyone.  We're stopping that crap, not making it worse." 

"Oh shit!" Payne gasped as Eliza crossed the street and vanished it to the alley.  A few seconds later she heard the sound of a metallic door being opened.  Then there was silence.  Each second seem to take hours to pass and then her nightmare came true.  A car pulled next to the alley and parked.  Swallowing hard, she started across the street as the driver, a tall, well dressed man got out of the car.

Before he could close the door Payne spoke.  "Hey you.  Take a hike.  

He turned and faced her.  "What's your story, bitch?  

Payne saw red.  She hated that word.  He'd used it against her, and now she couldn't take it.  She whipped up the gun Eliza had given her and pointed it right between his eyes.  "Bitch?" she whispered.  "Bitch?"  The look on her face made it clear she was not entirely sane and he felt the fear of death as she pulled back the hammer with her left hand.  "Bitch?  Did you call me bitch?"  

His eyes got big and he held up both hands.  "No, no, don't do that.  Please don't do that."  Payne could hear Eliza telling her not shoot anyone and she controlled her rage and watched as he jumped into the car, floored the accelerator and peeled rubber leaving.  With shaking hands, she tucked the gun back into the waistband of the skirt and returned to the door way where she'd been waiting.  She stopped shaking in a few minutes and realized she'd gotten a rush from it.  She'd liked it!  Her heart rate was almost back to normal when she heard a muffled "whomp" and there was a distinct sound of breaking glass.  She was peering from her place of concealment when Eliza almost seem to materialize next to her.  She was no longer neat and clean.  If fact, she looked like she'd been rolled in mud.  Her hair was a wreck, her face was dirty and bruised.  It seemed that there was almost a smoking and pungent odor, almost like gun powder.  

Eliza smiled and Payne saw she had a black eye and a split lip.  Her blouse was ruined.  It was ripped and there were holes in it.  Spitting blood, she said, "I think we need to leave.  Now!"  She grabbed Payne's arm and pulled her out of the doorway and pulled her into an adjacent alley.  It was suddenly very dark but she could feel Eliza's strong hand on her arm guiding her.  She stumbled a couple of times in the pitch darkness but Eliza supported her weight with one hand easily.  The sound of sirens, fire, police and ambulance could be heard approaching and Eliza moved even faster.  

The heavy flopping sound of a helicopter could be heard and the crazy spot light began flashing around.  Suddenly Payne felt a lost, cold darkness that nearly scared her to death and she felt herself falling.  She landed on her feet and staggered but was supported by Eliza.  She looked wildly around but all she could see was darkness and then she realized there was total silence, no sirens, no helicopter, no lights flashing around, seeking to find them.  Looking up she could see the dim outline of tall building and a faint display of stars in the cloudy sky.  "What the hell is going on?" she whispered, almost afraid to speak out loud.

Eliza took her by the hand and led her out, towards the street, even though her eyes were adjusting to the dimness of the alley.  Somehow, discovering that they were behind Eliza's building wasn't the surprise is should have been.  Eliza hesitated and doubled over, clutching her stomach.  Payne realized that she was injured and in pain.  "Can you walk?  Should I carry you?" she asked.

"I'll be alright.  Just let me hold on to your arm and let's not move too fast," she responded with a wry grin.
 

Payne took one look at the ruined blouse, shook her head, and just ripped it open.  "Oh my god," she whispered when she saw the gaping wound in Eliza's stomach.  Eliza looked up and her and grinned.  "Yes, it hurts as much as you think it does, but believe it or not, I'm not going to die on you."  Giving Payne some quick instructions, she lay her head back and tried to calm her breathing.  A shotgun blast in the stomach, from close range, can ruin even a vampire's whole evening.  She was drifting in a haze of pain when she felt the bottle of brandy being pressed into her had.  

"You sure you can drink with a stomach wound?" Payne asked.  

"Umm. . . guess I'm about to find out." There was a ding from the kitchen and Payne rushed out.  Eliza took a long pull on the brandy bottle and sighed as the burn of the brandy and the heady rush of alcohol competed with the agony in her body.  For the moment, the alcohol was winning.

Payne returned bearing a glass of warm red liquid.  Eliza struggled to sit up, grabbed it and gulped it down.  She collapsed back on the bed and sighed.  "Another one, please."  Payne shook her head but said nothing.  She left the bed room and headed for the kitchen She returned, bearing another glass of liquid.  Eliza sat up and took the glass with a steady hand and drank half of it.  "I think I'm going to live," she said smiling.  "Between the brandy and my heath tonic, here, I'm feeling a lot better."  She tossed back the last of the glass of blood and chased it down with another slug of brandy.  Holding the bottle to Payne, "Want some?"

Payne took the bottle and had a sip.  "What in that health tonic?  It looks disgusting!"  She looked a Eliza in amazement.  "What ever it is, you sure do look better!"

"It's a high protein drink and, yes, it does have raw blood in it.  I follow a very low carbohydrate diet."  

Payne giggled at that, party with relief and party with irony.  "I've been on a very low everything diet, I guess.  It consists of what I could find."  She sat next to Eliza and took her hand.  "I really do want to thank you.  You've been more than good to me, and tonight, you scared the hell out of me.  This wound. . ."  She pulled Eliza's bloody blouse back.. Eliza grabbed the ends of the blouse at the same time and pulled it closed.  "It’s not as bad as it looks Payne, I’ll be fine in a little while.  Just let me rest," Eliza told her.

"You need a doctor, Eliza.  Please let me call one or take you to the hospital," Payne asked her in a low voice.  "From what I saw, that was a pretty nasty wound.  It needs to be taken care of," Payne stated firmly.

"NO doctor or hospital, Payne, it’s truly not as bad as it looks.  See it’s a little deeper than a flesh wound," Eliza said, holding apart the ends of her blouse.  It parted, showing the bloody wound.  It looked bruised and bloodied.  "Just bring me some warm water and the gauze pads and we’ll clean it up.  Oh and there’s antiseptic in the cabinet."  Leaning her head back against the chair, Eliza waited silently for Payne to bring the things needed.  She chuckled to herself at the thought of a doctors reaction.  She surely wasn’t his run of the mill patient.  

Eliza opened her eyes as Payne returned to the room carrying all the things she’d asked for.  "Why not make yourself something to eat Payne.  I can clean this up myself," she said with a grin.

"I know, I know, in other words, get lost." Payne replied with a smile.

Waking, Eliza raised the bandage she’d applied the night before.  Knowing already what she’d find.  Looking at her bared stomach, the skin was as smooth as it had always been.  Now how to keep Payne from inspecting the supposed damage.  She’d worry about that one when or if the time arrived.

Heading to the door, she opened it a crack and brought in the paper sitting on the mat in front of the door.  Opening the paper, she chuckled to herself as she looked at the headlines.
"CRIME LORD DEAD", "Vigilante on the Loose?"  With a smile, she read the articles and laughed out loud as she read the speculations made by the police interviewed.  They ranged from a group of people out to get the baddies, to a single man.  The didn’t and wouldn’t ever think it was one lone woman.  Poor weak little woman.  "Yeah, right," she snorted.  She went on to read about how the police were baffled by the blood found at the site of the murder.  Yes they did term it a murder.  Even though that piece of garbage deserved killing.  A lot of the blood, of course, was his.  The rest came from Eliza.  

Eliza became aware of Payne reading over her shoulder.  She knew, almost before Payne said anything, that she was going to have a lot of questions.  Now was the moment of truth.  Did she tell her anything or should she try to cover up again?  "Well, I guess the tone of the questions will make my decision easier," Eliza thought.
 

Jesse laid the paper down.  With a grim look, he went to the computer and started an e-mail to Eliza.  He knew, without a doubt, that the handiwork in this mornings headlines belonged to Eliza.  Shaking his head Jesse wondered how he was going to put an end to her "crusading."  She was endangering all of them, not just herself. She didn’t realize she wasn’t immortal.        One of these days, he couldn’t bear to think about it, he was afraid she’d die.  He couldn’t bear to lose her.  He was really afraid though, she was heading in the wrong direction. She was becoming too visible and that led to trouble.  Someone was going to put two and two together and then they would have the hunters to worry about again."Eliza, we have to talk, please be careful, Jesse."  He knew this would intrigue her enough so that she’d meet him, but would it put a halt for now to her activities?  He hoped so.  He knew from a friend on the police force, that they were really looking hard for this "vigilante" and that it wouldn’t be long before she made a mistake.
 

He stood silently and invisible in the entrance to the alley.  The police activity was slowing down now.  There weren’t as many as there had been when he first got there.  Then he saw it, "how did they miss it," he wondered.  Maybe it was because of his keen sight, he wasn’t sure, but he saw the brief flash of light on something shiny.  Moving toward it, he seemed nothing more than a shadow.  He waited and watched.  As one of the policemen bent to look at something on the ground, he bent also and picked up what he had seen glimmering in the flash of light.  As they both stood, he slowly moved off.  As he turned the corner of the alley and materialized to flesh again, he looked at what he’d picked up from the alley.  His face turned red, he was truly angry.  Pushing the object deep into his pocket, he moved on the place he had told Eliza to meet him.  His features remaining Jesse’s instead of the ones he now used in the band.
Suddenly he knew she was there.  He could feel her.

"You commanded, Jesse?"  Eliza’s snappy comment made him see red again.  Turning slowly to look at her, he knew she could see the anger on his face.  He’d never been this angry with her before.  He continued to look at her silently.  Beads of sweat popped out on her forehead as she waited for him to speak.  She knew he was angry and she also knew why.  Still he remained silent.

Eliza tumbled into speech trying to explain why she’d gone after this one.  As she talked on, she realized that in all of her speaking Jesse hadn’t said a word.  Just continued looking at her.  Slowly she stopped speaking and waited.  She knew that Jesse was still against what she’d done.

"Listen to me Eliza, and listen good," Jesse began.  "You have not just endangered yourself with what you did last night, but the whole of the vampire clans and night people that abide in this city.  By killing that man and his henchman last night, you placed the police force in an unenviable position.  They are now obligated to track you down.  Why, you ask?  Because you are now referred to as a ‘Vigilante’.  They can’t have one of those running around free in the city.
You have gone passed avenging wrongs done to your friends.  You have taken the thrill of killing and have become as bad as the ones you are going after.  This has become a game to you, and as far as I can see, you are trying to outwit the police.  Believe me, you slipped up.  Be glad I found it and not the police."  Jesse reached into his pocket, taking from it the brooch Eliza always wore on her cloaks. 

With a cry, Eliza reached out to the pin.  She hadn’t known it was even missing.  It must have been pulled off in the fight with that slimeball.  Jesse closed his hand over the brooch and drew his hand back.  "Eliza, you have to stop this, before everyone is truly in danger.  We haven’t had a problem with the hunters, but if you keep this up, it won’t be long before they are called in.
I, personally, don’t want to have to move again.  I like it here and I know you do also.  Are you ready to have to move again?"

Mutely shaking her head no, Eliza said nothing.  She felt like a little girl.  She knew Jesse was right and that she had only been thinking of herself and the thrill of what she’d been doing.  She didn’t think of herself as a vigilante, but as someone helping to rid the city of the slime that was taking it over and polluting it.  She had gone overboard in a way, but she had felt she was in the right.  

Jesse watched Eliza and knew that what he’d said had hit home.  She had paled when he’d asked about having to move.  He noticed though she was paler than usual.  Moving closer, he put his arms around her and drew her close.  Just standing there holding her.  Resting his chin on the top of her head, he closed his eyes.  The anger and fear left him as he held her.  He slowly became aware that she was holding herself a little stiffly away from him.  Looking down, he slowly raised her chin until they were eye to eye.  "Eliza, what’s wrong?"  Jesse asked her. 

"Well, ummm, well, you see Jesse, I didn’t get away scot free last night either," Eliza replied softly.  "I took a little shotgun blast," she said sardonically.  "Its still a little tender, even with the healing powers I have," she went on.

"Oh Eliza, what am I going to do with you?" Jesse asked.  Gently pulling her closer, he held her carefully.  

Suddenly they both became aware of someone approaching.  Jesse bent his head and claimed Eliza’s lips.  They appeared to be nothing more than a young couple taking advantage of an alley to steal a quick kiss. It quickly became more than a quick kiss and Jesse and Eliza were lost to the returning magic they had always generated.  The didn’t see the smile on the strangers face or hear him walk on.  They were lost in each other.

With a little start, they both remembered where they were and broke apart.
 

With a smile, Eliza leaned over and kissed a sleeping Jesse.  Pulling the blankets over him, she finished dressing and left his apartment.  Emerging into the cold, crisp air, Eliza smiled again.  She felt good, better than good.  She felt "GREAT"!!!

Looking around, she became aware that it was close to dawn.  There was no way for her to get a ride to the apartment, it would take too long.  She made sure no one was around, and was home.  Standing outside the elevator bank, she realized she didn’t want anyone to know she had been gone.  That included Payne.  Since she had told Payne she was going to stay in her room and didn’t want to be disturbed for anything.  How was she to get not only into her apartment but into her room unseen.  Too bad she couldn’t drift in like smoke or mist.

Startled, Eliza realized her body was losing substance.  She saw the hall but she couldn’t see herself.  Drifting slowly upward, she realized somehow she’d become a smoke tendril.  She drifted up the eight floors until she came to hers.  Slowly she drifted under the door and down the hall into her own room.  She rose to the ceiling and stayed there.  "Okay, now how do I get down," she thought.

No sooner had the thought entered her mind, than she fell with a thump onto the bed.  There was silence and then a knocking at her door.  Smothering laughter, Eliza pretended to be groggy.  What, who, what do you want.  

"Eliza, are you okay?  I heard a loud noise and just wanted to make sure you were all right," Payne called through the door.

"Oh, I’m fine, Payne.  I fell out of bed," Eliza called back.  "Let me sleep some more.  I’ll be fine."  Eliza smothered her laughter and thought that she’d have to work on the landings, but that was a terrific trick.  Oh the places she could go.  The blinking herself places had been high on her list of favorites, but this was even better.  She didn’t know how she did it but she was going to find out.
 

Emerging from her room at dusk, Eliza saw Payne sitting in the darkened living room.  Wondering why she was sitting in the dark, Eliza moved to her side.  

"Are you okay, Payne?  Did something happen while I was sleeping?" Eliza asked.  She noticed the tears flowing down Payne’s face.  "You know you can tell me.  You don’t have to, it’s not a requirement to being here, but if you need someone to listen, I’m here," Eliza spoke quietly.  She went to move off but stopped when Payne reached out for her hand.

"I..I think I do need to talk, Eliza, but I don’t know where to start.  It’s not a pretty story and I’m not proud of it or my part in it.  It’s only fair since you took me in and made me part of your family that I tell you.  If you want me to leave after this, I’ll understand," Payne said.

Eliza sat down and looked at Payne and waited.