Walking has always cleared my head. Made me feel whole again. Long distance traveling through city streets never bothered me if I wasn’t in a hurry. That night I wasn’t in a hurry. I was exhausted, more than I had ever been in my life but I wasn’t in a hurry. I walked down the hill into the plaza and was too tired to care that everything was closed. I walked up the hill to Westport and was maddened that Sonic wouldn’t serve a walk up customer that late at night. I walked through midtown and as I went down the hill on the other side toward Union Station the sun start to rise above my city. I couldn’t walk much more by the time I settled into Town Topic on Broadway. I ordered two servings of whatever I pointed to on the menu and was surprised I didn’t pass out on the counter while waiting.

I’m also surprised I didn’t drool and get food in my hair, I ate that meal so fast. It was almost comical, specially since I had blood on me in places, but by the time I got there it mostly looked like reddish mud. I didn’t care what they thought the bottle of blood was. I was too tired to care. It also helps that at famous hole in the walls, no one cares as long as you are not punching people.

I left there still hungry for something, still needing something to fill the spot that left me when I touched the vampire. I kept walking, and I walked back to Suzanne’s house. Back to Lucy, and back to Henry. It was a fitting walk. My city is glorious. Simple but glorious. Specially in the morning light when only the most evil can hurt you since those who are only half bad are already sleeping.

At the house I left the bottle just inside the basement door, then shut it and locked the door. That lock wouldn’t hold him but it’d at least give me warning as he busted down the door. Hopefully that blood, Isabelle’s blood, would make him whole again.

Then I went up stairs. Lucy wasn’t screaming, but she wasn’t sleeping yet either.

The door to our room was open and the curtains drawn. She sat in a high back chair, a little bit of the morning light creeping in from a crack in the curtain, just enough to outline her face. Outline her almost naked body. “I thought you would die.” She said.

“I’m too angry to die.” I said back as I walked into the room, closer to her.

“Are they gone? Are we free?” She said as I came over and knelt in front of her. I laid my head in her lap.

“We are free.” I said. Her warmth was amazing to me. I had never felt her feel this warm before. She put her hand on my hair, and I realized how cold I was. I started to cry uncontrollably. It was all too much to take in. Lucy came down to my level, sliding effortless to the floor and held me close. When I calmed down enough to open my eyes I looked up at her. I couldn’t tell if I was sobbing from what I’d gone through or because of what I was about to say to her. I couldn’t tell if this was the beginning or the end. I hadn’t said these words to anyone in years, and even back then I’m not sure I meant them. I meant them now.

“I love you” I said.

Fucking vampires.