Walking deeper into the darkness of the night, Relena hid amongst the shadows surrounding her, seeking haven in the inky darkness. Never had she felt comfortable walking the streets at day. People could see her, see the emotion's written across her face. As she breathed slowly in and out, she tucked a loose strand of her black hair back behind her ears. She Silently hoping that tonight would be the night that she would find proof of the un-dead.

As a child, she had read everything about vampires that she could find, and as a teen she had eventually been labeled a social outcast by her peers. Smiling sadly, Relena remembered how she had always been picked on, and a few times she had even beat up because she was different from the rest. But now, she was just who she had always wanted to be, a vampire chaser. She had always heard of vampire hunters, but she didn't want to kill them, Relena wanted to understand them, study them, maybe even become one. Once she could have sworn she had met a vampire, but whenever she tried to remember what had happened, her mind would go blank.

A slight noise behind her caused her to stop dead in her tracks. Slowly she turned toward where she thought she had heard the sound. Dammit . . . I can't see anything . . . Relena thought sourly. Scanning the darkness for any signs of movement or sound, her green eyes peering into the endless darkness. Hearing only the steady beating of her heart, she turned on her heals in disappointment and continued walking down the dark alley.

Her feet kicked at trash as she walked down the broken and uneven pavement. The distinct clicking of her boots resounded in between the walls of the building's she walked in between. A door opened on her left just as she was passing. The fluorescent colored lights streamed around her, momentarily blinding her, as she stopped mid-step. Music was loudly playing inside, and Relena was surprised she had not heard it out here.

"What the hell you doing down here?" someone said from inside the doorway. "It's a little late to be tramping through the streets isn't it?" "Excuse me?" Relena shrieked. "I'm not a fuckin tramp! Who the hell do you think you are mister? This is a public alleyway. You got a problem with that?" "Well lady, now that you mention it, I reckon I do have a problem with it." The man bellowed cruelly. "Get the hell out of here if you know what's good for you." Then the man abruptly slammed the door, leaving her once more in her beloved darkness.

"Fucking weirdo's around here . . . " Relena mumbled as she continued walking. The same noise she had heard earlier again sounded behind her. Once again she stopped and faced the shadows, but this time it was closer, and she could see movement within one of the darkest shadows. Excitement washed over her as she waited. For what? She surely in hell didn't know. "Who's out there?" she squeaked nervously when the rustling continued. Relena began to walk toward where the noise was coming from, and she couldn't stop the slight shiver of fear that ran down her spine. "Hello?" Relena whispered out unsurely. A deeper shadow, if even possible, towered over her and she let out a whimper.

When a hand grabbed her, she jumped somewhat and tried her hardest to remain calm. Relena covered her eyes as a bright light flashed into her eyes. "Damn you Relena, you scared the hell out of me." Her friend Leoben yelled. "I've been trying to catch up with you for about an hour now. What the hell are you doing out here at this time of night?" Leoben chided gently. "I..., well I was on my way home." Relena lied quickly as she pulled her arm firmly out of her friend's grasp. "Just . . . turn that fucking light off and walk me home now Leoben, im exhausted." She said sighing as she began to walk forward again.

His hand roughly grabbed her and pulled her back. "What the . . . " Relena began, but was cut short by Leoben who was kissing her frantically and brutally, holding her tightly. Kicking at him Relena furiously thrust him into the alley wall. "What the hell was that all about you fuckin asshole?" she shouted. "Come on Relena, I was just having some fun." He said nonchalantly. As she turned away from him in disgust, she repulsively wiped her mouth on her shirt sleeve. Infuriated, she calmly informed him "If you ever touch me like that again, I will kill you Leoben."

Turning on her heal, Relena hurriedly walked away from him, leaving him standing there amongst the shadows alone. After a few minutes she heard heavy steps running after her. Slowing down, she waited for Leoben to catch up and hoped he had finally got the message. Relena stopped just before she was under a streetlight and patiently continued to wait. When the footsteps stopped, an eerie silence filled the alleyway. "Leoben?" Relena called out, and was about to curse him to hell when she was quieted by a solid hand that held her mouth tightly closed. Biting down as hard as she could, Relena fought as arms encircled her. Leoben didn't even flinch when blood began to flow freely down his hand.

Blood oozed into her mouth, and she quit biting him to spit out the blood. Before she could spit though, the arms freed themselves and Relena was forcefully slapped and thrown to the ground. "I love you Relena, and I have loved you for a long time." Leoben said shakily, "but I will make you mine, even if I have to force you." Laughing madly as he pinned her down with his knees and holding her hands above her head with one of his sweaty hands. Frantically she fought him as he began to pull up her shirt with the other. "GET THE HELL OFF OF ME YOU DICK HEAD." Relena screamed wildly.

When he suddenly cried out, he removed his hand's enough that she could pull them free from him. Looking up into his face, she could see his pupils dilating in the faint light of the street lamp. A look of pain was upon his face, and limply he fell forward onto her. Screaming, Relena pushed him off of her, then seeing a knife protruding from his back relena screamed again.

Stopping, Relena just sat there, kneeling over her friend, her friend who had tried to hurt her, and then began to silently laugh"Thank you." Relena whispered softly. She stood up and looked around for the person who had saved her. No body was there, which didn't surprise her. Almost cheerfully, she pulled the knife out of his back and wiped it clean on his pants. Studying the intricate designs of a rose and its thorns on the hilt of the knife, Relena slowly began to walk away with it.

The more she thought about it the less it seemed that her helper would appreciate her stealing his knife. Relena walked back to Leoben's body. This was her friend, or so she had thought. He had betrayed her, and had paid for it with his life. Gently, she placed the cold steal against her lips and kissed it. Relena slowly put the knife on Leoben's corpse and walked under the street light. Looking back one last time, Relena smiled. The knife was gone. "Don't be a stranger," she called out as she turned and began to walk home once again.