Author's Note: Wow... it's actually been 2 years... Well, in that time, I met someone, got married and had a baby! Thus, my writing has been, well, not happening. I just have birth to my son 3 weeks ago, so I'm home pretty much all the time. I hope this means I'll be writing more. This chapter came out so fast and easy, I'm hoping that more will be on the way. Enjoy, and apologies for it taking so long.

Chapter Seventeen

"Locke?" Locke turned hearing the soft sweet voice behind him. Hope was standing in the doorway.

He forced a smile walking to her. "How was your shower?"

Hope shrugged. "It was okay. So, who are you?"

"Listening?" Locke asked.

"Maybe a little," Hope admitted. "I came downstairs and heard his voice."

"I'm sorry, he even came here," Locke said. "I'm seriously thinking about getting some huge electric fences. People seem to enjoy just walking into my home and it's beginning to annoy me." He turned back to the bowl and started mixing up the ingredients. "I suppose, that give our… relationship I should let you in on a few things." He looked over his shoulder, "have a seat, love, I'll tell you over breakfast."

"Okay," Hope said. "Can I help?"

"Um, sure, want to cut some bread for me?" She worked beside him as he cooked.

"Thank you, for taking up for me."

Locke shrugged with a smile. "I'm just sorry I couldn't rip his head off like I would have liked. Someone really needs to do something about that man."

"Can't anyone stop him?" Hope asked as they sat down.

"Unfortunately, everything that he's done is technically legal," Locke said. "I need you to tell me now. Do you want to turn? It's becoming more and more dangerous with you being human. I'll respect your decision either way, and do my best to take care of you, but if you turn it will make things much easier."

"Is that what you want?"

"What I want is simple," Locke said pouring some syrup on his toast. "You safe and happy."

"You make me pretty happy on your own," Hope whispered.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Giving up my humanity is a huge, huge thing."

"I know it is; there's also a lot of paperwork attached to the choice. If you're remotely interested I can start the paperwork and we can discuss it until the paperwork goes through. Even once they say yes we can still delay or just not do it. If you decide yes though, we'll be able to make the conversion any time that you'd like, in our own time."

Hope studied him for a few moments. "Putting it like that I guess it makes sense for you to at least start the paperwork… This is amazing, by the way," she said taking a bite.

"I'm glad." Locke ate in silence for a few moments. "Onto other business, as to who I am. My parents were in the second generation. What this means is that my brother and I are the oldest generation of vampires alive."

"Um… how old?"

He sighed scratching the back of his head. "Two thousand."

"Oh, my," Hope breathed. "The things you must have seen…"

"My brother is older," Locke shrugged. "Our parents decided to meet the dawn when we were in our hundreds."

"Meet the dawn?"

"It's when a vampire decides that they've had enough and watches the sunrise one last time. After enough time eternity can seem more of a curse than a blessing."

"I can imagine. Have you ever felt like that?"

"Until I met you I felt like that all the time," Locke admitted. Hope blushed taking another bite of the French toast. "Most of the older vampires have met the dawn. After the war there were a great many who did. I guess they couldn't take the new order. It's really unfortunate, if they had stayed we would definitely have the support for Jon's new law."

"Are older vampires kinder?"

"It's more empathy than anything else," Locke shrugged. "The longer you've been around, the more you've seen. It's easier to put yourself in someone else's shoes when you've experienced so much. Not to mention some of them were slaves at some point. They know what it's like."

"That makes sense," Hope said.

"I have a proposition for you," Locke said.

"Oh?"

"How would you like to go see my brother? We'd take a plane and go to England. I think after recent events we could both use some time out of the country and away from… certain people."

"That actually sounds nice. What about my father?"

"We'll leave in two days, we can tell him about it tonight. I'm sure he'll understand after everything that's happened."

"Okay," Hope said smiling brightly.