It was a rainy morning. Sofia was in a fabulous mood. She practically skipped up the stairs, her parasol that had doubled as an umbrella at her side. The cloudy wet weather practically drowned out the dangers posed by the sun. A good omen if she had even seen one.

Her dad was packing up and would meet them at the hospital soon. Despite her original suggestion to wait to head out until the evening, they would now be heading out after lunch. The forecast promised a rainy afternoon and Sofia knew Jackie was going stir crazy.

Sofia skidded to a stop as she approached Jackie's room. Two uniformed police officers emerged. That sight sounded alarm bells in Sofia’s head, thankfully they were walking away from her. Sofia took a moment to memorize their appearances before entering Jackie’s room.

“Everything alright?” Sofia asked, the worry clear in her tone.

“Yeah, they just wanted my statement before I checked out. Scared the shit out of me when they showed up though,” Jackie chuckled, folding a shirt and putting it back in her suitcase. She was dressed in plain clothes again, finally out of her horrible medical gown.

Sofia sighed with relief. “They say anything about the driver?”

Jackie growled. “Apparently he fell asleep at the wheel. Died in the collision. The coward.”

Sofia probably shouldn't have felt the disappointment she did. She wanted to hurt the person responsible. But that had never been a possibility. “Well… it’s over.”

Jackie nodded and climbed to her feet, wincing slightly as she did so. “Could you zip up my suitcase?”

“Dad isn't here yet,” Sofia replied though she moved to do as asked.

“I’d rather wait outside.”

Sofia grabbed the suitcase and offered Jackie an arm. Together they made their way down and out of the building.

“Do you think he will like me?” Jackie asked.

“Who,” Sofia frowned.

“Your dad, despite everything I haven't actually even spoken a word to him,” Jackie laughed weakly.

Sofia led her to the bench, thankfully kept dry by the overhang. Her vision wasn't the best outside but she could navigate well enough. “I’m sure you two will get along fabulously,” Sofia offered, helping Jackie sit down. “It’s my Mamá you may have to win over.”

“Should I be scared?” Jackie asked with a smile.

“She is a sweetheart unless she doesn't like you. Then you may be fucked,” Sofia winced.

“I’ll be on my best behaviour then,” Jackie snorted.

Jackie reached out to take Sofia’s hand. A gesture that was becoming increasingly common between them, Sofia was never going to complain. Feeling Jackie’s fingers slotted between hers was… grounding. Reassurance in a time she desperately needed it.

Sofia placed a kiss on the back of Jackie’s hand. A gesture that could not be particularly platonic.

Jackie skipped right over any kind of game. “You could just kiss me properly. You don’t want to waste your opportunity in case another truck comes along to finish the job.”

“Don’t joke about that,” Sofia muttered. It was easier to focus on that part of Jackie’s sentence. Sofia wasn't sure she was brave enough to do the first bit especially right outside a very public place.

“Orrrr… I could kiss you properly,” Jackie continued undeterred. Tilting Sofia’s chin up to face her. “If you're too much of a chicken.”

Sofia could swear her pulse was racing. Or maybe that was Jackie’s. “Kiss me then,” Sofia prayed. Jackie seemed calm and collected, but her heart gave her away. Sofia could practically see the blood flowing under Jackie’s skin, her carotid throbbing in time with her heart. How good it would feel to drink from the source. To run her teeth and lips along Jackie’s neck to lay claim to her life just as she had so many others.

Jackie dropped her hand with a playful pout. “Maybe I’m also feeling shy.”

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Sofia swallowed and glanced away, forcing herself to roll her eyes and scoff in annoyance despite the pervasive sense of wrongness. Sofia needed to feed, and soon. She was far hungrier than she had expected, far colder maybe. The sun had taken its toll.

She should have been focused on Jackie. To feel the heat of arousal and the desire to kiss until the sun exploded. Instead, at that moment, all her focus had been on Jackie’s blood. Simply, she hadn’t really cared about the idea of fucking Jackie, the only desire she had managed to muster had been the desire to feed. To taste Jackie’s life and to take it for herself.

“Are you alright?” Jackie asked with a frown of concern.

Sofia could dodge the question. Let the awkwardness hang in the air until they had no choice but to confront it or give up on whatever there was between them. But she wasn't shy, she wasn't a chicken. “I’m afraid I may love you to death.”

Jackie scoffed. “Everything will kill you, better to be killed by a lover.”

Sofia didn't recognize that one. “And when I’ve drained you dry is that what I should tell myself to try and absolve my guilt?”

Jackie’s tone softened and she squeezed Sofia’s shoulder. “I know you’re scared of yourself. I know I have what you crave running through my veins. But there is one simple solution.”

Sofia couldn't bring herself to ask because she could never turn her. For Sofia’s sake, for Jackie's sake, for the words. Because the moment Jackie started asking for undeath everything would crumble.

“Don’t kill me. You're a grown woman, you can make your own choices. Just don’t kill me and well… that won't ever be a problem will it?” Jackie offered as if it was as simple as that.

“I don’t think I can separate my desire to love you and my desire to kill you,” Sofia stated plainly. “They are one and the same. No one’s blood sings sweeter.”

Jackie cupped Sofia’s cheeks in her hands. “You live in me, my life is yours. Do with it what you wish, I wouldn't want to die any other way,” Jackie whispered, their faces only inches apart.

Sofia wanted to cry, but her body was too cold for that. Instead, she closed the distance, taking Jackie’s mouth in hers. She didn't entirely have the words for what she was feeling. Jackie wrapped her arms around Sofia’s neck and pulled her closer.

She nipped and tasted Jackie’s blood. Jackie moaned and with surping strength for someone right out of the hospital shifted into Sofia’s lap. Maybe the end had already been written, maybe it always had been. But their story could be as long as they liked.

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Making out outside a hospital in the middle of the day only to be interrupted by her father honking the horn was right up there with the most embarrassing moment of Sofia’s life.

Still considering the conversation that had led up to that Sofia couldn't bring herself to care that much. Jackie was happily chatting with Jack as if Sofia hadn't just admitted that one day she might kill her, as if Jackie hadn’t welcomed the idea. How hauntingly beautiful.

It was selfish to not push Jackie away. But Jackie had no intention of ever living a normal life. And love was always selfish. There were always sacrifices to be made and there were no sacrifices without blood.

Sofia glanced over at Jackie, eagerly listening to her father’s explanation of their family and home. She was so… carefree, she effortlessly lived. Sofia doubted she had ever simply existed. So stupidly wise.

Because Jackie was right in a stupid way. If Sofia didn't want to kill Jackie, she just had to not kill Jackie. Why be scared of something she could simply not do?

Jackie’s death wasn't what she desired anyway, not really. Sofia wanted to consume her… and if she took her sweet time, savouring every moment… she would never run out of Jackie.

“So Mr. Ortíz,” Jackie corrected, after her father’s predictable joke about taking his wife’s last name.

“Really Charles is fine.”

“Any good embarrassing stories about Sofia from when she was little?” Jackie asked, doing what Sofia was pretty sure was her attempt at puppy eyes.

Sofia groaned. “We’ve not even been driving an hour.”

“Well let's see,” Charles considered.

Sofia cursed them both under her breath. Jackie just gave her a dazzling smile.

They stopped a few times for bathroom breaks and snacks. Jackie eagerly ate all of Sofia’s portions. They kept driving into the evening thanks to coffee. Jackie offered to drive which Charles shot down immediately. Cars definitely counted as heavy machinery.

“I’m sure you’ll love it here,” Charles was saying as they turned off the highway and into familiar territory. “Obviously it’s named after the large creek that flows through it. We’ve even got our own dam. Not so great for fishing, but there are some swimming spots downstream.”

“I do like swimming, Sofi, we should go swimming sometime,” Jackie practically begged. It occurred to Sofia that Jackie had grown up in Toronto, she wasn't used to rural areas or small towns. No wonder she was so excited.

Charles chuckled and pointed at the fork in the road ahead. “If we wanted to go to “downtown” we’d turn there. But Gem Creek also includes all the farms in the surrounding area. Including ours. You can walk from our place but it’s a solid half an hour.”

“Wait, you guys have a farm?” Jackie asked with surprise.

“We’ve got a farm but we don’t do any farming,” Sofia supplied.

“We bought an old farm when it was cheap and fixed up the house. We do some gardening but… we’ve got a lot of space,” Charles expanded.

“Is that barn still standing?” Sofia asked. That heap of junk was probably older than the farmhouse, how it still stood Sofia had no idea.

“Actually, it’s in the middle of being repaired. One of our neighbours wanted to use it to store supplies and we worked something out,” Charles replied, turning off the road and onto a smaller one.

“Huh, has much changed since I’ve been gone?” Sofia asked.

“That's about it I think, don't worry,” Charles replied.

They drove by large fields of crops all in their early stages. There were a few pastures though empty at this time of night. Every once and a while they saw a driveway and a house. Sofia had somewhat forgotten how big it all was.

Finally, they slowed and turned at a street-numbered mailbox. A small path between two large walls of trees offered a large amount of privacy. They drove up the driveway, the large grassy fields empty on either side. To the left was the old barn, it had a new coat of paint and looked to be standing a little taller than Sofia remembered.

The house was exactly how she had left it. It was two floors, with white walls and a darker roof. Smoke drifted from the chimney that also housed the antenna. The extension was a little more obviously modern and nearly doubled the floor space. Rectangular windows overlooked the property. Home sweet home.

Behind that was a small creek that fed into Gem Creek and the forested hills that followed. Sofia had never done much hiking up there. But now that she needed privacy and somewhere too large to run it was perfect.

“This is… fucking amazing,” Jackie muttered as she stepped out of the car. “Sorry,” she immediately winced at her language.

Charles waved it off with a yawn. “Let’s get your stuff inside, I’m sure your mother can't wait to see you. And meet you, Jackie.”

Sofia smiled and stared up at the stars. There was practically no light pollution out here. It was gorgeous. It even smelled how she remembered, the air crisp and fresh. Home sweet fucking home.

“It's beautiful,” Jackie muttered. Getting a little too excited before her injury reminded her to chill out.

“Come on,” Sofia scolded, grabbing Jackie’s suitcase and coaxing Jackie towards the house before she hurt herself further. “We’re in the basement.”

“Don’t worry about your stuff, I’ve got it,” Charles called after them sarcastically.

“Sorry,” Sofia called back. “C’mon,” she said to Jackie. “Let’s see who's awake, I’ll introduce you.”