Starting Over (Robert)

[anneliese]

They insisted on a partner for her, never satisfied with the way she worked, however at every turn she blocked their attempts. She didn't play well with others, though there was nothing new about that statement to her. With a cup of coffee in hand, she surveyed the crowd of people as they passed, the people who seemed terribly unaware of what was going on, but her boss knew all too well what needed to be done. But where was her target? He passed through here everyday on his way to work, tonight would be an eventful night indeed if he was late, since this man was usually articulate about his schedules and times.

"Nice suit, looks good on you." came a voice through a tiny, nearly invisible ear piece that she wore. "Keep your eyes on the street, we don't have time for this." she said, trying not to laugh, they went through this almost every time she was out on assignment. "No sign of him yet, I'm going to disappear, alright? Stay sharp, I'll radio if I get into trouble." she said, removing the ear piece and hiding it in the lining of her collar. Stretching for a moment, Anneliese slipped on a pair of sun glasses and vanished into her surroundings, just another face.

Being this close to people brought up old thoughts, old urges sometimes, that need to kill. However she had been cured, her mind now realized that she was no longer a vampire, that she didn't need their blood to survive. She was about as normal as she was ever going to get now, they saw to that, however they made sure not to take away instincts that made her good at what she did. Taking a second to look down at her watch, she looked up just in time to see herself pump into someone who was trying to get into their car. Catching herself at the last moment, she decided not to give away her cover, and instead fell onto her butt to appear harmless.

"Oh, I'm sorry.." she said sweetly in her accented voice, only the person standing before her was not who she had expected at all. In fact, it was probably the last person she probably wanted to run into. It was a confusing feeling really, she wanted to avoid him out of fear, but it wasn't fear that he would kill. It was more like the fear that he would confirm for her once and for all that there was nothing left for her in the Anne and Robert chapter, that there was nothing she could do to at least get him to speak to her.

[Robert Alexander Lovelace]

He sensed her before she was even aware he was there, her scent, her voice, everything gave her away to him. He'd wondered who picked her up after he had tossed her out on her ass for the manipulation and lies. It was not surprising she was working as a spy for someone. He saw the mike and it made him even more wary of her. She'd known too much of their kind and was a dangerous loose end. He should have gotten rid of her and the thought of how to do it had crossed his mind a dozen times before she'd moved five feet. It took all his restraint not to just scoop her up and disappear but the chance of her new employer seeing him was too great.

Internally he sighed and slipped into the crowd in his suit and made his way to his 1965 red mustang convertible. Seeing Anne collide with him and fall on her butt was amusing as he caught her coffee and looked down at her, then offered her his hand to help her rise. His own suit well tailored and clean as he locked eyes with her and smiled softly. "Careful, Annie. You wouldn't want to spill your coffee." he said as he helped her steady herself then handed her back the Styrofoam cup, "The swill here is barely palatable. I always thought that the shoppe in Athens we went to had wonderful coffee...at least till you killed the owners." he didn't need to remind her of their sadistic past but he had to remind himself not to fall for her again as she stood there looking every inch the business woman.

He released her hand and prepared to leave, "I hope your new endeavors don't bring any more unhappiness, Annie. Connor was killed about a month ago and I don't think my family could handle being dragged off in a midnight raid and burned at the stake."

[anneliese]

At first she was silent, it wasn't fear this time though, but hearing his voice after being away for awhile cut through like a knife. This was something they couldn't have trained her for, there was no way to block out the glaring pain of losing the person you loved the most to your own insanity. Was it her own? One could argue that she never had a chance, not since the day she was born, but neither Robert nor Connor knew of her origins. It would be pointless now anyway, it didn't undo what she did to either of them at this point so she kept her own tragedy to herself.

"We're still using names like that? I thought you were going to kill me honestly, the moment you saw me." she said, brushing herself off. Taking the cup back from him, she tried to smile, but it came out as an awkward smirk. There was alot about this being human thing she didn't truly get yet, like how to let herself feel things, how to express her new found ability to actually feel emotions beyond lust and anger. "Yeah.." she said, looking down at the ground as he said the last bit, anyone who knew her might be surprised to see it, but there was shame.

She felt a lot more humble now that she didn't have the powers of a nightmare creature flowing through her. "My new what? H- oh right, I'd almost forgotten what it was like." she said, remembering the power to hear things one normally wouldn't. "I'm not here to hurt anyone, infact, quite the opposite. I'm here to dispose of things like I used to be." she said, shifting a bit uncomfortably. She felt like he was gazing into her, not at her. But everything she said was the absolute truth, she was on the side of good this time, at least a form of it.

"I promise nothing else will happen to them, at least from my end. I.." she started, but she knew it would be a waste of time, but said it anyway. "I'm sorry.." she said, this time it was truly genuine, and her heart almost seemed to skip as she said it. "After everything, it's better off for him that way. Unlike you, he didn't make it through, he.." she started, there was a tear. "..well he didn't have much to live for, like me, unlike you we were honestly the weakest out of the trio. Heh."

[Robert Alexander Lovelace]

"I thought about it. But not knowing who your friends were makes me a little hesitant to stick my neck out like that again." he said solemnly as she reclaimed her cup and he placed one hand in his pocket casually so anyone who saw them would see a calm amicable conversation between old friends, "If the Elders of Los Angeles will it I may have no choice but to kill you. You're a liability and a loose end, Anne. If I were you I would tread very carefully."

"So you're now trying to fix things by being a hunter? Something tells me you still don't get it. It never was about us verses them. Its about looking at a being for who he or she is not judging them because they happen to be a race you don't like." he exhaled because it was expected, not because he needed to. "You shouldn't promise things you can't deliver, Annie. If I was smart I'd make you forget all about vampires and the things that go bump in the night to make sure we aren't going to get drug out into the light to spontaneously combust." he leaned forward a bit to make it look like they were talking of private things and moved a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"He had my daughter. And at least in my eyes that's a hell of a lot. But it doesn't matter. I doubt the boy actually loved her anyway. And even if he did it would just make her pain worse not better. I never wanted Merry to go through what I did but some things can't be helped I suppose." he shrugged his shoulders quietly and stood up straighter. "You should go before your handlers miss you." he said quietly as he took a step back.

[anneliese]

"For a while I was afraid they would, however, they won't. You want to know? Because they are afraid to do much of anything. You should have realized this when they didn't kill me, only imprisoned me for all I had done." she said, shrugging her shoulders. "They can't even protect their own anymore." she said, though it wasn't the old Anne who was issuing a taunt. It sounded more like she understood now, for the first time, and like this she could have been a strong and very respectable Elder if not for her past. "Like you said, I am a loose end. They won't come after me because I know how to bring them down, so do the people I work for should I disappear." she said calmly.

"I made sure to protect myself. It's not out of greed this time, I -have- to do this. I have to try and make things right." she said, staring at him for a long moment or two. "I'm not doing it because of what they are, Robert, I am doing it because of who they chose to be. Everytime we put one down, some bloodthirsty renegade, I feel like I am killing myself. It might not make sense to you, but it brings me peace, at least a little. It helps to know that even after everything I've done I might save someone else for once." she said, sounding sincere, and quite adamant on her new position.

"You should make me forget, but then they would just fill my mind with their own agenda's. At that point I might actually become dangerous. Part of me thinks you won't because despite everything that has happened Robert, you care what happens to me. I don't understand why and I don't deserve to understand I guess. Even in death, you're a great guy. Not even the dark gods themselves could take that from you, it seems." she said, offering an awkward half smile.

Shaking her head at him, she sighed softly. "I honestly couldn't tell you just how much he felt anymore. I did a number on him, he was never meant to be more than a glorified guard dog. He went rabid and that is all my fault, however the fact that your daughter was the only one he didn't kill speaks volumes. You know what I used to be able to do, yet somehow she found a way to undo what I did, at least a little." she said, pondering this. "She's strong, she'll be okay. I felt it that night they took this curse from me. Strong enough to have me by the throat and choose not to stain her hands.." Anne said before deciding to be brave.

Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around Robert for what she meant to be a brief hug, and if he didn't resist or move she would linger there. "He'll get over it." she said.

[Robert Alexander Lovelace]

He looked at her silently as she spoke of things about the vampire community and herself. She still had that same self possessed aire about her but he should not be surprised, she was 500 years old. Cockiness was to be expected, and while she was world weary it still seemed like she hadn't learned a damn thing. He sighed softly and stepped back, shaking his head gently, "Its not just about killing, Anne. Its about having a life outside of that. Having something to come home to at night. Knowing that you can always come home. THAT is what you never grasped. You and Connor always destroyed that when it was offered to you." he looked at her with pity, "Five hundred years and this is all you are. I find that to be tragic."

He listened as she spoke of Merry, "You've never truly loved anyone. If you did you would see how callus that statement is. My daughter may be strong but she is still grieving and you can't even see it." He froze when she hugged him, confusion on his face, "Why do you keep doing this? Playing with people? Can't you see what you're doing?" he gently extracted her from himself, "When you truly love me you'll understand, Anne. Right now I'm just familiar to you but its not love for you." He shook his head again, "I hardly think this is going to serve you well. I should go." he said with a touch of reluctance in his voice, "I hope you find what you are looking for, Anne. I'll be around."