Finding Family

[Lancaster]

Something spiked in the atmosphere between them. Although nothing really, physically, gave the guy away—maybe beyond a slight desperation in the eyes—the only way Elliot could recognise the sudden difference was due to that extra sense he had acquired, over time. The thing that he once couldn’t understand, but which he now knew to be an actuality. A power, others might assume it to be. But it was more a curse for Elliot, when he only thing he ever really wanted was a taste of normality.

Oh, how he wished this Adrian didn’t mean Madison any harm. But Elliot had formed a rather healthy scepticism as far as trusting others was concerned. If this were Brisbane, if this were any other city, if they were all human and if Madison were just another human, another backpacker that he’d hired on a whim, he’d have had no qualms telling Adrian to have a seat, to wait a second and Elliot would see what he could do. But this was not any other city. This was Harper Rock. They were not human, they were vampires. And Madison had had her fair share of troubles. Elliot didn’t trust this guy one bit.

But there was an anxiety in the air between them, and it didn’t belong to Elliot. It belonged to Adrian. And before Elliot could question it, or make any effort to understand it, Adrian was taking his leave. Elliot watched him go, arms crossed over his chest. He stayed still as he narrowed his eyes, as he focused. He concentrated on Madison, on her mind. The one person whose head he thought he’d be able to invade without getting slapped for it was Madison’s. He had no idea why.

”Madison. Some guy was here looking for you. Adrian Azure. Said he knew your family. Human family. He wants you to meet him at River Rock station.”

He could have left it at that. Adrian was gone, and Madison was a big girl who could look after herself. Of course, though, Elliot was not the kind to just let others deal with their problems on their own. If it was a problem. And so he added, as he slowly, finally headed toward the stage:

”If he’s a problem, let me know. I will help.”

[Madison]

The wind whipped tendrils of blonde hair in front of Madison's face as she walked. Every few paces she needed to reach up and tuck them behind her ears once more even though they never stayed there for long. She was only a few blocks away from Lancaster's when Elliot's voice slid into her mind. She paused in her walking as she listened to what he had to say, her head cocking to the side and a look of confusion taking over her facial features. The name Elliot gave her was one she didn't know. There was no one in her family named Adrian that she knew of and none of her extended family had the last name Azure. Granted, she didn't know many people on her father's side of the family. Only people she cared about were the aunt and uncle on her mother's side, who didn't have any children. She hadn't contacted them in a long time, not in over a year. Perhaps they had hired someone to track her down.

Focusing in on Elliot, Madison replied to him telepathically, "Thanks Lan. I don't know anyone by that name but I'll check it out. If I need you, I'll let you know. Can you describe what he looks like?"

Looking around to see exactly where she was, Madison decided to pull out the tome from her bag instead of walking to the transit system. She used it and felt the world around her change, blurring out of focus and into darkness before it blurred back in. No longer was she on the city streets but inside one of the tunnels of the abandoned station below the streets of Wickbridge. Looking down the hall, she spotted the familiar sight of fadebeasts, skeletons and zombies. All of which were watching her, waiting to see if she was stupid enough to come near them. Instead she turned the other direction and used her key-card to access the private elevator. Stepping inside, she poked the button for the Depot floor and stared down the beasts until the doors closed and blocked them from her view. While she knew why they were there, it didn't stop her from wanting to take her blade out and hack them down, especially the fadebeasts.

When the elevator slowed, stopped and opened the doors, Madison gave a look around. The normal people were milling about. She didn't speak to anyone, just moved towards the fade portal that would take her to Bullwood Station. Stepping through the portal, Madison found herself back outside in the wind but this time, instead of taking the transit, she went to the hospital parking lot next door to retrieve her car. It wasn't often that she drove her Stingray, it got too much attention when she was on a shopping spree (her code for breaking and entering.) But for this she wanted it. She didn't want whoever this was tailing her on the transit when she decided to leave. At least in a vehicle, she could take side streets that she knew like the back of her hand to lose anyone following her.

The drive to River Rock took longer than she would have liked. Madison wished they would put a bridge connecting Bullwood to River Rock but it didn't seem like that was going to happen any time soon. So instead she had to go west into Gullsborough, take the bridge south through Wickbridge and deal with all the evening traffic there. Then it was further south, through Redwood and passed through a sliver of Swansdale before finally hitting River Rock. Madison decided that she would park at the Riverwood Market structure and walk the remaining blocks to the transit station. She still hadn't figured out who this person could be. Using her powers she had read her aunt and uncle's most recent memories and nothing tipped her off that they had hired someone to find her or were even worried about her. The same had gone for her father. The only thing in his memories were hookers and bottles of booze. Disgusting.

Walking up to the platform of the River Rock transit station, the female vampire let her eyes roam over all of the people. She spotted a vampire she was unfamiliar with but ignored him. Elliot would know a vampire from a human and he had specifically stated that the person looking for Madison was a human. Her pale blue eyes carefully analyzed each and every unfamiliar face, looking for the one that had come looking for her.

[Adrian (DELETED 4904)]

As he slept, Adrian dreamed.

It was 8 years ago, at the height of summer. Adrian was still living in Azure Hall, an orphanage in the middle of nowhere for the children that no one wanted. The adults in charge didn't want them either. At 17 years old, Adrian only had one more year until he could finally leave this hellhole and strike out on his own. He had been looking forward to this for a few years now. Adrian woke up that day to find a lovely face above him, and smiled. "Good morning, beautiful," he said, smiling. ""What brings a goddess like you here?"
Courtney smiled down on him and said, "A little birdie told me it's your birthday today, so I thought I might give you a nice little present." She leaned down and kissed him.
As she pulled away, Adrian laughed. "What a nice present, Court. Let me guess, the Witch wanted me to do some shitty job for her?"
Courtney pouted, an unwelcome sight on her delicate face. "Yeah," she complained. "Even though it's your birthday, she always has to have a **** job for you. And it's always you. I hate it."
She was also another reason Adrian couldn't wait until he turned 18. He planned to leave this place with Courtney, together, and stay together forever. He managed to stow away a nice little present for her. A nice little gold ring. An engagement ring.
"Well, soon enough, we will leave this place. Together. And then that Witch won't ever boss us around again," Adrian said. "Just you and me and the world for us to travel."
Courtney smiled. "Of course, babe, Now get going. She isn't going to wait forever. You remember what she did last time you kept her waiting." Adrian grimaced. He still had nightmares about that. "Now kiss me one last time, you goof."
Adrian kissed her again, and then went to see the Witch. And what a witch she was. If there ever was a more bad-tempered, evil, spiteful (and all sorts of unpleasant words) woman, then Adrian had never met her. There were plenty of reasons for the orphans to call her a witch, none of them good.
"Ma'am? I was told you wanted me to do something?" Adrian asked, pasting a big fake smile on his face.
"Don't try to charm me with that smile, boy." She said, looking down on him, "That might work on the other supervisors, but it won't on me. Anyway, yes I do have a job for you. I need you to go to town. It's gonna be a shopping trip. No side-tracking, got it?"
"Crystal clear, ma'am," Adrian replied, taking the list from her, not looking forward to the 4 mile trek to town.
"Good, now get going," the Witch ordered.


7 hours later
As Adrian rounded the bend to the Hall, laden down with groceries, he smelled something burning. Looking up at the sky, he sees smoke rising from the direction of the Hall. Horrific images crossed his mind, as he dropped the groceries, breaking into a run toward the Hall.
As he got closer, he began to her the screams of everyone trapped inside. He tried to tune them out as the worst thought crossed his mind. Courtney. Propelled on by his fear, he ran into the burning Hall. As he navigated through the fallen beams, he called out her name. "Courtney! Courtney!" he screamed. "Where are you?"
As he got further, he heard his name, faintly. Turning, he saw her. She was trapped under a fallen beam. "Courtney, are you alright? Let me get this off you. Just hold-"
Stop, Adrian," she said, interrupting him. "Let me go."
"What? What do you mean?" Adrian cried. "I'm not leaving you here."
Courtney smiled faintly at him. "Yes, you will. I'm not gonna be leaving here with you, Adrian. This is the end of the line for me. I started this fire, and I'm gonna die in it."
Adrian froze. "You? You did this? Why?"
"It was the only way for you to leave here," she said. "I overheard the supervisors while you were gone. They weren't planning on letting you live long enough to leave here. So, I started this place on fire. So that you can live. Now go, and forget this place. Forget me!" Courtney begged.
Adrian stood back, refusing to believe what she just told him. "GO!" Courtney screamed at him. His body moved of his own accord, as his mind was frozen. When he moved, a sudden weight fell on him and pinned him down. He glanced up and saw that a burning beam had fallen on him. As the flames began to eat at his skin, he could hear Courtney screaming in pain behind him. "Courtney!" he screamed as darkness took hold of his vision.


Adrian rapidly woke up from his nightmare. The feel of the burn scars on his torso stayed for a few seconds as he sat up, then faded away. He had the same dream again. He looked at his watch. He was asleep for a few hours. He rubbed his eyes, then looked around. He had a feeling that Madison probably wasn't here yet, but he might as well take a look around. He reached in his pocket for the photograph, only to remember that he left it with that Elliot guy. With a sense of disappointment, Adrian stood up As he stretched, he looked around, searching for this Madison character, hoping that she was actually here. Hoping that she had the information about his past that he needed.

[Madison]

Time passed and no one had approached her. None of the people she saw looked familiar or looked at her with a note of recognition in their eyes. Madison didn't even pay attention to the man sleeping. Whoever had been looking for her was obviously not here. Her lips pursed into thin lines as she gave one last look around. There was no one here for her. Whoever the person had been hadn't even given her the time to get there.

Not wanting to waste the trip, Madison left the station and walked down to the next block. There was a warehouse next door that she frequented on her shopping sprees. It had been a few days since she'd made the trip to River Rock so hopefully one of the two warehouses that she liked had gotten a new shipment of copper piping. She was starting to run low with all the electromagnetic emitters she had been building for what seemed like weeks on end.

As she exited the second warehouse, the one across the road from the transit station, she stared at it and wondered if she should maybe check again. Shaking her blonde head, Madison started to walk back to Riverwood Market. When she reached the corner of the block, she stopped again and turned. Curiosity was getting the best of her. Perhaps it wasn't that the man looking for her had left. Maybe he just hadn't gotten there yet. Adjusting the strap of her messenger bag over her shoulder, Madison sighed and started to retrace her steps back to the River Rock station.

Once more she found herself standing on the platform, her eyes drifting over faces. An old woman with crows feet at the corners of her wide brown eyes. A young male who looked strikingly like her aunt. A couple, so completely engrossed in each other that they didn't even notice Madison staring at them. She found herself looking back to the man who looked like her aunt. Her brow furrowed as she looked over his features. If she didn't know any better, she would have said the man could have been her aunt's son. But her aunt and uncle didn't have any children, couldn't have any children. Madison simply chalked it up to coincidence.

[Adrian (DELETED 4904)]

For a time, the fires died down and the screams were silenced. Adrian couldn't believe his luck. Not one minute after he woke up, the woman he was searching for walked into the station. Madison. His chance at finding out about where he came from, here right in front of him. He stood there for a moment, watching her. He wated to make absolutely sure that he wouldn't mess this up. If he said the wrong thing, she walk away and then he'd be screwed.
"Or she might do worse," Courtney whispered at the back of his mind. "After all, we don't know her. She might call the cops on you, or attack you, or-"
Shut up, he thought., walking toward Madison. Just shut up, all right? Adrian's good mood was momentarily soured by Courtney's comments. It was like she was getting worse and worse recently. Few were the moments when she wasn't screaming. Unfortunately, he didn't have any control over her, much like when she was alive.
Shrugging off his thoughts for a moment, trying to not be distracted, Adrian finally walked up to Madison. Looking her straight in the face, he smiled and said, "You must be Madison." He made a small mock-salute while bowing his head. "Adrian Azure, at your service."

[Madison]

Madison couldn't help it. Every time she looked around in search for the person who had been looking for her, she found herself going back to the same man time and time again. The one that looked like her aunt. This time though, the man caught her glance. A spark of recognition in his eyes and Madison stood her ground as he approached. She looked over him carefully. He was human, pure-blooded human. Not a blood thief nor a paladin. Her mind reached for his and she read his memories but found nothing that provided her with the information she needed. Why was he looking for her?

"You must be Madison." He made a small mock-salute while bowing his head. "Adrian Azure, at your service."

"I am indeed," she stated as her left eyebrow raised a touch as he saluted her and she dipped her head slightly in greeting. Her eyes never left his face, memorizing it. Attentively watching for any signs of malicious intent. While she knew she could dispatch a human easily, they were in the middle of a crowded transit station. If he did make any more to harm her, Madison planned to run. The last thing she needed right now was a bounty on her head.

"But, even with you giving me your name. I do not know who you are and I want to know why you are looking for me, how you managed to find out where I worked and what it is you want from me."

[Adrian (DELETED 4904)]

Adrian could tell that Madison was sizing him up, judging from the way she was staring at his face. He could also tell that she was ready to run. Curious, he thought. Most people don't want to run when they meet me, certainly not on a first meeting.

"But, even with you giving me your name. I do not know who you are and I want to know why you are looking for me, how you managed to find out where I worked and what it is you want from me."

Inwardly, Adrian cringed. This was not how he wanted it to start out. People shouldn't be wary of him. They should be open and friendly. Not this. Then again, thinking back, what he did leading up to this moment didn't exactly put him in her good graces. That's when he realized something. Madison was ready to run because of this. She didn't know anything about him. And for him to call her out, and track her down... That didn't exactly put forth goodwill and trust on her part.

On the outside, Adrian did his best to not let it show. Instead, he let his smile grow as he said, "Well, I didn't know who you were until a few days ago until a friend of mine told me about you and gave me your picture. So, I guess that makes us even in that department. And your boss still probably has that picture."
Growing more serious, Adrian said, "And as for how i found you and where you worked, gossip travels through the grapevine very fast. People talk, others listen. I am one of the latter. I asked around this city, and people have seen you work at Lancaster's. A bit sloppy on your part. At least, if people are looking for you."

"I can't say if others are looking for you, because I don't know and I honestly don't care. All that matters to me right now is why I am here," Adrian paused, waiting for Courtney to comment. When she didn't, he said, "I want your help in finding my family."

[Madison]

"A friend of yours?..."

Saying that didn't help Adrian's cause much either. Madison was a relatively private person. She kept to herself for the most part when human and those members of her gang that she had trusted with her life. None of them would have given anyone any information about her just willy nilly. She listened to what else he was saying. While it was true she worked at Lancaster's, Madison was clerical help. She mostly worked from home and occasionally the office. Whoever had told Adrian that she worked there must have been a regular. People were going to get questioned the next time she was physically in the bar. Her pale blue eyes narrowed some when he called her sloppy. That was one thing Madison knew she wasn't.

When Adrian said that he had been told that she could help him find his family, Madison's face twisted in confusion. Without thinking, she pushed back the blonde hair on the left side of her face and tucked it behind her ear. The movement revealed the scar that curved around the outer edge of her left eye. Her head tilted slighting in thought, internally debating with herself. She had enough problems right now but ignoring this one could cause an even bigger one. It meant that she needed to take the time to help Adrian in hopes of finding out who was passing around her picture.

"Did this person tell you how I'm supposed to help you find your family? What their names are? Anything? 'Cuz I don't know anyone with the name Azure."

[Adrian (DELETED 4904)]

Adrian's eyebrows rose. "Well, of course," he said. "Azure isn't the name I was born with. Not that it is a fake name," he points out quickly. "It's simply a name I chose for myself, since I never had a last name."
He takes a deep breath. "And the problem is that I don't know who my family is. You see, I was raised in an orphanage, since I was a baby. When that was burned down, I decided to search for my family, whoever they were. Mostly, I am just searching for closure."

Courtney whispered in his ear, an ever present voice of doubt, "She doesn't believe you. Give up now. Walk away. Walk away now."

Adrian suppressed a shudder and continued on. "As for how you can help me, I honestly don't know," he admitted. "My contact usually goes through different records in a bunch of different cities, trying to find records. Somehow, he found you. I don't ask why. All he said was that he tried something different this time, and gave me your name and picture. That's all I know."

He crossed his arms, looking at Madison. If she turned him down now, he'd have to leave and try somewhere else. There'd be no point in sticking around if his only contact refused to work with him. He already wasn't looking forward to the cab ride back to Josh. Adrian grimaced. He didn't like this situation one bit. Running his fingers idly through his hair, he said, "Look, if you don't want to help, fine. I'll walk away, and be out of the city by the end of the day. Therefore, out of your life. However, if you do want to help..." Adrian leaned forward. "I will tell you all you want to know about me, without fear, and without boundaries. I'll be an open book for you."

[Madison]

She didn't believe him but her face didn't show that unlike it had shown everything else she had been feeling up until this point. Instead she looked at him quizzically, as though she was debating the choices he had given her. There was no way in hell this man would have gone through the trouble of coming to Harper Rock and the trouble of finding her just to turn around and walk away once he had. No, she needed to do whatever she could to figure out who this man was, what her connection to him was if there was one and who the man was that had given Adrian her information. There was no ifs, ands or buts about it.

"I'll help you, but the second I feel you're lying to me or not being completely transparent and honest, I'm out," she said to him, her expression once again plainly portraying the sincerity of that statement.

Madison gave a look around. With everything that was going on lately, she really didn't need to be staying in one place too long and even though only five or ten minutes had passed, that was too long. But she didn't want this man knowing where she lived. Hopefully he would have somewhere secure for them to go to.

"Let's get out of here? I don't really feel like standing here in the middle of the transit station talking about this. Are you staying nearby?"