214. Changing

Bridgeport, Present day...

Leigh cried as soon as she jumped in the passenger seat, imagining the worst when she saw her friend naked.

And it took Eloise a good few minutes to calm her down and assure her that nothing awful had happened to her.

“Honest to God, Leigh, I’m fine,” Eloise told her for the hundredth time as she handed her a Kleenex.

Leigh gratefully took it and blew her nose. “It’s just that, when I saw you naked and bruised, I thought of Mickey, and I flashed back to that time with Vladimir.”

Eloise wanted to cry then, calling Leigh out here like this was a mistake, she hadn't realized just how much the stuff with Michaela had affected her, and how much she was still hurting over her own assault.

“I’m sorry I worried you, but I’m honestly okay.”

Leigh looked at her for a long time, before she slowly nodded her head. “Here,” she said as she passed the backpack to her.

“Thanks,” Eloise tried to smile, but her face hurt too much.

“I was so worried, I just took the first thing I saw,” Leigh explained her faded college sweater and the equally faded low cut jeans she’d brought.

Eloise waved her off, now wasn’t the time to be fashion conscious, hell she was just happy to have clothes, no matter how old and faded they looked.

“So what happened? I know you didn't get those bruises just from phasing in and out,” Leigh wasn’t one to beat around the bush, she was always frank and direct, what you saw is what you got, no bullshit, and it was one of the things Eloise loved about her.

Eloise gave her summarized version of her run-in with Cruz as she threw on the clothes, an uncomfortable mission considering the small space she had to work with.

Leigh listened attentively, the look in her eyes flitting from intrigue to shock and back to intrigue again rapidly, the expression on her face was comical, and if the situation wasn’t so serious Eloise would have laughed.

“And that’s it,” Eloise leaned back in her seat as she wrapped up her saga. She felt horrible for withholding the part about her transformation, but the only reason she did is because she didn't understand it herself. 

Normally when she transformed, which was almost always on a full moon, she took on her wolf form, but tonight she was caught between forms, part wolf and part human. As much as she hated the thought, it seemed Cruz was right after all, their talk was inevitable.

Leigh didn't say anything for a long time, and when she finally spoke it wasn’t something Eloise wanted to hear.

“We have to tell Devon.”

“No!” Eloise refused outright.

“Why? He has to know that Cruz or whatever his name, is back in your life!”

 Eloise knew her friend’s right, but she wasn’t ready to go there with Devon, not yet anyway.

 

“You know your brother, Leigh, he’ll want to take him on, and Cruz is ruthless, trust me I know, I have battle scars to prove it.”

Leigh just snorted in her seat, but didn't say anything.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Eloise demanded angrily.

“You’re withholding stuff from me.”

“I’m n-” Eloise started to protest, but the icy look from Leigh shut her up. Lying to her was pointless; now that she was a vampire Leigh could read human behavior with her eyes closed.

For the first time since Leigh slipped in beside her, Eloise took a good look at her. Apart from her glowing eyes, and the ashy sheen to her skin, she still looked like her Leigh, small and fragile, but there was an enigmatic aura about her that wasn’t there before, giving her an air of mystery and intrigue. She was no longer a helpless human; she was a predator, cunning and astute.

“What?” Leigh asked when she saw the uneasy look in her eyes.

“You read my thoughts!” Eloise accused.

“I try not to, but it’s hard, Krisis says it will get better with time. He says as I grow into my abilities I’ll be able to tune them out,” Leigh replied in a small voice.

Eloise felt horrible then, she knew her friend wanted to be turned, and she’d taken it for granted that she was doing okay with her transformation, the thought that she could be struggling never crossed her mind.

“Leigh, I’m so sorry, it must be hard on you,” Eloise took her hand and squeezed it.

“It’s exhausting,” Leigh told her truthfully.

“If you could, would you-?” Eloise didn't finish her question.

Leigh cut her off. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love Krisis, and if putting up with people’s thoughts is a small price to pay for having eternity with him and our children, I’m okay with it.”

Eloise nodded her head. She understood where she was coming from. She just wished Leigh would do the same for her. She tried to explain again, “Look, about Devon, I don’t want to worry him.”

But Leigh would have none of it. “That’s just an excuse El, and you know it. I don’t like what you’re planning to do, and it’s your decision. But if you shut him out, and he comes to me, I will tell him the truth. He’s my brother.”

Eloise didn't know what to say after this, she felt uncomfortable suddenly, like a line had been drawn, and it made her sad, she’d never wanted to make Leigh choose sides.

“I’ll tell him everything, just as soon as I've spoken to Cruz.”

“You’re going to meet with him?” Leigh gave her an incredulous look.

“I have to.” Eloise insisted in a small voice.

“No, you don’t have to do shit, El. That man is trouble, he bit you, left you alone to fend for yourself, you almost lost yourself because of him, and suddenly he walks back into your life and you want to meet with him?”

“You don’t understand!”

“Then make me understand,” Leigh pleaded with her.

“I need answers, I need to know and understand what I am and Cruz is the only one who can help me!” Eloise hissed.

Leigh bared her fangs, the predator in her shone through briefly in their heated moment. “You don’t need him, El! You have me, Devon, the band.”

“That’s your clan, Leigh, not mine! You’re surrounded by Vampires, people who understand you and would lay down their lives for you. I don’t have that; I need to know I belong somewhere too.” Eloise broke down in tears when she said this, and Leigh joined her.

“I’m sorry; I didn't realize how lonely it is for you.” Leigh was the first to recover; she quickly wiped away her tears.

“Maybe I’m just being a big baby,” Eloise tried to laugh, but it came out as sob.

“No, I think you’re just trying to figure yourself out. But don’t shut Devon out in the process; it almost destroyed you both the last time.”

“I promise I’ll tell him everything as soon as I've figured it all out.”

They both fell silent after this, it seemed there was nothing more to discuss. Leigh turned to leave, but Eloise stopped her.

“I need your help, and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

“What?” A small frown creased Leigh’s forehead.

“The cameras. I think my fight with Cruz was caught on tape, I need to get rid of the recordings.”

“And you want me to break in there and steal them for you?” Leigh asked, her voice sounded shriller than it was just moments before.

“Not exactly. I need you to compel the guard to turn off the cameras and erase the tapes,” Eloise cried in a small voice.

“Good grief, El!” Leigh shook her head.

“I know. I’m sorry to ask, but there’s no other way, I could lose my job if they see the tapes, worse I could end up spending the rest of my life in a science lab-" She would have carried on, but Leigh waved her off.

“I don’t know if I can do it, El. I've never done it before.”

“Please, just try,” Eloise pleaded with her.

 “Okay, just this once,” Leigh reluctantly agreed to help her friend. Mind control is one Vampire ability she was always against, and she couldn’t believe she was about to attempt to use it on an unsuspecting guard.

They spent a few minutes in the car going over their plan. They’d go in, Eloise would take her to the security station where all the recordings were kept, and Leigh would do the rest.

It sounded simple enough, but with each step they took toward the building, Leigh found herself growing anxious.

“I can’t do this, I’m sorry,” she cried just as Eloise punched in her access code to gain entry to the building. One of buttons on the keypad flashed green, and the door opened with a soft click.

Eloise didn't give her time to chicken out; she dragged her inside the building and held on to her hand while they waited for the elevator.

“What if they catch us before we even get there?” Leigh asked.

“Why are you whispering?” Eloise ignored her question.

“Maybe because we are about to do something wrong?” Leigh shrugged.

“Since when is helping a friend wrong?” Eloise asked evenly.

Leigh didn't know what to say. They could both justify it all they wanted, but messing with someone’s head was wrong, plain and simple.

The elevator opened then and Leigh reluctantly followed closely on Eloise’s heels.  And before she even knew it, they were there, on the ground floor.

The place looked like a ghost town around this time of the night, and Leigh could swear she could hear a pin drop, that’s how quiet it was.

She followed Eloise down a short corridor; they passed a few impressive titles stamped on the doors along the way.

“This is it,” Eloise stopped in front of the imposing red door.

Without giving Leigh a chance to prepare herself, Eloise knocked once, a second later the door flew open, and a youngish looking guard stepped out to greet them.

Recognition flickered in his eyes, but Leigh didn't give him a chance to go down the rabid fan road. She stepped up to him, touched his hand gently and pushed him inside the room.

Eloise followed them inside and as she watched in the background, she knew the guard didn't stand a chance. The moment he looked into Leigh’s eyes, he was mesmerized, and he’d do anything she asked without question.

Twenty minutes later, they were back in the parking lot, and Leigh was shaking, not from the chill in the air, but from her anger at herself.

“That was epic, Leigh!” Eloise screeched excitedly.

Leigh though felt sick to her stomach. She’d hated it; the way the guard had hung on to her every word, the way he’d done everything she’d told him without question. For that five minutes while she was in his head, he’d been utterly at her mercy, weaker than a new born baby, empty of all sensible thought. She hated knowing her mind could shatter someone else’s to such a point, hated even more that the guard could get into trouble and possibly lose his job because of her.

“I’m glad you found my destruction epic,” she hissed under her breath, shocking Eloise with the venom in her words.

“Look, Leigh, I’m sorry, I know it was hard, but you helped me out tonight, you really saved my life, and I’ll always be grateful.”

“I have to go,” Leigh ignored her gratitude and made her way to Krisis’ bike. Eloise got in her car too.

For a few moments Leigh just sat there, remembering how the guard’s weakness was once hers a lifetime ago when Dr. Jacqueline Steinberg compelled her to leave Bridgeport and forget Krisis. She knew, from experience, that the next couple of days would be a blur for the guard, he’d feel like a huge chunk was missing from his timeline, and sadly for him, he’d never recover those moments, he’ll have no one to fill in the blanks for him like Krisis had for her when he found her in Barnacle Bay.

Without even realizing what she was doing, Leigh shifted the bike into gear and blindly made her way out of the parking lot. Eloise hooted behind her, but Leigh ignored her, she was very angry with her. Yes, her friend didn’t force her to do anything, but she’d used their friendship and put her in an awkward position where she couldn’t refuse to help her.

All four kids were sleeping when she got home almost an hour later, but Krisis was still up, waiting for her. 

She didn't have to say anything; he could read her like a book. He opened his arms for her; she flew into them and cried on his chest.

“Hey, what’s wrong, what happened?” He kissed her temple, and Leigh just shook harder in his arms.

“I compelled someone tonight,” she told him.

“Who?”

Leigh shook her head, she wouldn’t say.

He tried to push her, tried to read her thoughts, but for the first time since he'd turned her, she successfully blocked him out, and he understood then why it had hurt her so much in the past when he'd shut her out.

“Leigh we promised there’ll be no more secrets between us,” he reminded her.

“I’ll tell you everything, just not tonight, or tomorrow, but I will,” Leigh told him as she hooked their hands and led him to their bedroom.

Krisis didn't make love to her like he normally did every night, instead he held her closely to him, and gave her something she needed the most then, he gave her intimacy and comfort…