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The sensation that gripped him was best described as a current, as if he'd forced his tongue against the severed end of a downed electrical wire. A taste rose at the back of his throat, as sharp and burning in its clarity as ozone. Oppressive in its force. Hannah's own had been muted, closer to the faintly metallic taste of a penny that had begun to blacken around its edges. There was still the hint of vampirism - though not as defined. There was something inherently counterfeit about her own. Ripper, by contrast, was as subtle as a right hook to the jaw from a hand whose knuckles were adorned with brass knuckles dusted in dried blood. The sensation didn't subside as he approached. If anything, it intensified, worsening that curious feeling of having swallowed a spark, one that coursed through him, tracing a slow, insidious heat over tendons and muscle.

He didn't react outwardly. He was aware, vaguely, of the animosity between the Paladin order and vampires, but it wasn't something he'd embroiled himself in. His introduction to the world of the supernatural hadn't been by choice. He frowned as Ripper gained the landing, his attention diverted by the cacophony behind him. There was the sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor. A chair, he guessed, by the rasping slide of it.

He grimaced as the door shook briefly in its frame, jarred by the violence of the chair wedging underneath the door knob. There was a muted click as the tumblers in the lock spun once and stilled. He turned his pained expression to Ripper a moment later, resolving to ignore the hurried murmuring behind the door.

"Help us?”He echoed, arching a brow. He was curious, despite the instinct that gripped him, urging caution. "Let's say we were interested, hypothetically. What is it you think we need ‘help’ with?”His tone was even. He wasn't opposed to the offer, per se. The past few evenings had left him mystified, at a loss for a rational explanation. It would have been easy to dismiss it as traditional sleepwalking, brought on by a combination of exhaustion and Jude's refusal to leave his office at a reasonable hour.

If it hadn't been for the still moments that followed, that was. Too still. Jude behaved as if shellshocked, flinching at every stimulus before going still. It was the stillness, in some ways, that proved more frightening. It reminded him of a deer, caught in the distant glow of headlights. Stock still, regarding some distant horror with sightless terror. A hushed word, rushed and teetering on a crest of anxiety, echoed.They. Refusing help, however unorthodox, would have been foolish. Both of them suffered the effects of Jude's nocturnal wanderings, in their own way.


"And in the interest of time, let's avoid the cryptic ****,"he added shortly. Then, regretting it immediately, added a "please."

Her heart beat increased when Jude confessed that something wanted him. The way it was all said...Hannah believed him. He had never lied to her that she knew about, and wasn't it sort of against his job? Strange creatures that had antlers. What would have that? Hannah couldn't even begin to image just what it could be. Up until a year ago, Hannah never believed anything other than humans and animals existed. Now there were vampires, sirens, blood thieves, paladins, and people who could do magic or something like that. So, while the scientific and medical side of her held skepticism, being faced with these things day in and day out, had Hannah also believing that anything was possible. Why not? She was walking proof of it herself—in more than one way.

A shudder rippled through her shoulders, imagining something with antlers like a deer, mixed with a bear. At first the combination seemed like something out of a horror movie-B grade at best. Hannah thought about what else Canada had in terms of wildlife? Wolves. A bear with antlers and a wolf tail. Hannah laughed, revealing her 'fang boner' to Jude, glad for the distraction and the imagery that ran through her mind. “I'm sorry. I-I wish you could see what I have imagined, dude.” Hannah dished the word back at Judah, never having been referred by him as a 'dude, before. Friend? Yes. Dude? Not that she knew of. She could roll with the best of the 'dudes' in some respects, but there certainly were some differences between them and her, right? Hannah couldn't ever remember being called a dude, ever if she thought about it quick. Hannah moved past it, sure nothing was meant by it and sure it was because Judah was tired.

“And no. I think your friend is fine. Remember? Muscly arms and his shoulders are pretty beefy. I'm sure he'll be fine. Chill out.” Hannah coaxed Judah, before allowing her blood thief fangs to disappear beneath a thin lipped smile. “There's a vampire out there. I-you know. I should go...maybe. Let you guys go see Alaric, and help me avoid...him and Alaric.” She slowly stood and looked around the room for the window to judge the size of it and if she could fit through it. “As for Alaric and the rest of your family...” Hannah shrugged her shoulders. “If he's doing as well as you say he is, then maybe it won't be such a big deal. Especially since Sterling is helping you.” Hannah offered him, before standing up. “What can I do to help? That doesn't involve vampires?” She said as she moved the chair, then pressed her back against it, still using it as a barrier between her and the vampire in the church. “Can you tell me where these things are? What they're called? Or draw a picture? I doubt what I have in my head is what you're talking about.” Hannah said with a sigh, feeling certain she was hindering Judah and his friend, more than helping either of them.

Hannah's calmer nature seemed to radiate outwards, Judah able to take a shaky breath that had some of his tenseness loosening up, still wary of her, concerned that his friend was taking a headlong plunge off the deep end. Not like he could talk. Jude had spent the past week or so dreaming of the dead and living, dreaming of creatures that could morph and change, that could take his face. Just minutes earlier he'd faced himself, twisted by some inner darkness, a mere echo of the man he was. It was a creature wearing his face, using him against himself. It was enough to shake your faith, not only in the higher powers which Jude was already somewhat dubious about, but in your own person. It had left him uncertain of anything he had seen, unconvinced that it wasn't all fever dreams and delusions brought on by some long suppressed emotion he had never faced. It would make sense, he'd spiraled somewhat downwards at points, letting his grief hold him back and maybe there were parts of past experiences and pains he had never addressed. No, he couldn't just pass this off as some kind of out of the blue crisis, there was something going on here that screamed of the supernatural, was positively bathed in the stench of it.

Hannah's laughter broke his reverie, giving Jude a reason to smile slightly, amused by her use of dude, alerting him to his bad habit. "Sorry, I mean dude like... Person... What were you imagining? I don't know if I could draw it, but I guess I could try? I'm not sure where they are. A forest, it's always a forest though." He was disappointed by the thought that she wouldn't come along, Hannah was often a pretty calming presence, though today he'd seen a different side of her. Perhaps it was exhaustion that had him feeling this new intensity, or the scenario, but she was other level today. Jude wasn't sure how to manage it, whether to be concerned for her or just in general, but he kept coming back to gratitude. Grateful that even though it was causing her to act out she was there, she was trying to help him. "It's ok, I get it. Fangboner. Alaric would be ok with it though, when you are ready. If you are ever ready. Might even be able to help you out? Help you adjust to just being around them? Otherwise we can continue avoiding my family... Honestly that's not the worst plan, right?" He chuckled a bit, moving towards her again, "Anyway... As for what they are called? I don't know. They haven't exactly introduced themselves, just told me I need to come to them, just tried to get me to move. Maybe you should let me, you guys could follow. Probably not s-..." His words were cut off by a loud knock.

The knock didn't stop, not until a fist had come through his door, Jude jumping back a step. The pastor gasped on delay, his heart leaping into his throat, everything about him still slightly sluggish and the sudden shock just made him feel sick. As a face appeared through the splintered wood, a stranger with a foreign accent and looking like a messed up punk rocker who lived an unhealthy lifestyle, he reached for Hannah. His hands caught at her arms, trying to urge her back with gentle but urgent pressure as he spoke to the stranger. "THAT is my door. What the ****, man? Sterling? Where is Sterling?" He spoke low, with a frantic edge, more alarm than fear or anger. Yet. He was fully prepared for the emotions to flood him, but shock had him standing still, staring with confusion at the stranger. "Trouble? Dealing with something troublesome? Oh, I'm dealing with a lunatic how came into a church screaming and just punched through my door. I don't care if you're dead, or undead or... Whatever, dude, you don't get to come and damage my property or interrupt the peace of this place. You are NOT welcome here with that kind of behaviour or attitude. Also, how the hell are you walking around? It's day time!" Jude was aware of many different abilities, but walking in the sun was a new one and it was quietly alarming to him.

What else could they do? Alaric had warned him the skills were varied, and that many used them for dastardly means. There was a good chance this guy would drain them dry as soon as help them, leave the bodies and not give a damn. He had to get him out of here and quickly, Jude trying to peer passed him to see if Sterling was alright, if he'd hurt the man trying to get to the door. "I think you need to step away from the door. Now."

His skepticism at Ripper's assessment was mild. He was a hairsbreadth shy of twenty eight, and while it wasn't improbable that the pair of them were close in age, the visual discrepancies were jarring. Sterling had grown out of the softness that had affectionately earned him the title 'baby faced.' The definition to his jaw - not quite gaunt, but sculpted - had long since rid him of it. He privately considered it an act of mercy. Ripper, in contrast, was a poster child for 'weathered.' Whether the years had been cruel, or something far more harrowing, was hard to say with any real authority. "'****' would be a good way of putting it," he agreed wryly. "But I can't say that the proprietor of the church would be thrilled with the low key blasph---" He began, his sentence trailing off as Ripper spoke again. Sterling's response was to stare, an expression of mild consternation settling into place. He found the man's dialect fascinating, if hard to follow.

""I don't think..." He began. It was hurried - a mixture of alarm and a mild attempt at dissuasion - that went unfinished. The man stepped smartly forward, raising his curled fists to the door. There was the muffled impact of flesh against an unyielding surface, and then, a heartbeat later, the sound of splintering wood. The force was enough to make the door shudder in its frame, a hollow sound escaping the tumblers in the lock as they struggled to hold the lock in place. The chair Hannah placed just under the doorknob miraculously held. For the moment. In any other circumstance, Sterling would have found the scene comical; Jude and Hannah sheltering behind the remains of the door while Ripper leered in at them like a scene from The Shining. As it was, whatever humor he might have found in the situation faded, giving way to a tense sobriety as Jude began to speak.

"Mmm. Yep. A bit grumpy," he muttered in a low aside. Not that he blamed his reaction in the slightest. It was justified, given the anxiety that had accumulated into the precise moment they found themselves in. "I'm here," he said, pitching his voice an octave higher. He was careful to shift into view. "I'm fine. I think we could all benefit from a few minutes to ourselves, to catch our breath before this escalates any further." He paused, shooting Ripper a sidelong glance. "You heard the man. He won't need to ask twice."

“What the heck?!” Hannah blurted out as the door was 'broken,' by the vampire with his fist. The act of power or strength hadn't surprised Hannah, just the sheer audacity had. Would he like it if one of them knocked down his door? Or punched a hole through it?

Jude had moved her out of the way, almost as if he were afraid the vampire might do something to her-a thought that had Hannah laughing. Sure, the guy looked tough, but all she would need to do was press two fangs into him and what he could do, she could do too! Not that Judah knew that and judging by the way he was protective of 'Sterling,' Hannah could see he wasn't afraid she would get hurt-it was just a normal reaction for him when it came to those Judah considered a friend. Because...well, look at those arms!

Then the vampire talked-to them, and the woman curled fingers around Judah's shoulder before pressing into it. Vampires generally weren't a problem for her, but eavesdropping ones could be problematic. And the fact was that she had never seen the guy before, and it seemed Judah hadn't either...so why was he so happy to help? Judah summed it up nicely in his outburst-the guy was probably some lunatic...vampire or not. Who just broke a door to get their point across? “Noooo..." Hannah answered the vampire's question hesitantly, mostly because she didn't trust the new guy on the scene and frankly...she didn't trust herself with him. Her face pressed into Judah's back after she said that, hoping that if she hid her nose, that it would be enough to resist the act of pouncing on the guy and ripping apart his flesh for what was beneath that troublesome flesh. If only that arm was once again closer...Hannah could imagine how it might taste...Oh...crap.

“Yes!” Hannah suddenly said with a change of her mind, shoving around Judah and launching for the door. A hand went to the hole, while the other to the knob of the door, as Hannah more or less 'perched' herself against the door using those two points as weight holders, while she rattled at the door, forgoing all common sense on how to open the barrier, and instead baring her blood thief fangs through the hole and inhaling the scent of the vampire on the other side.

*Ripper took Sterling's advice and stood behind the man whether to escape the tongue lashing or the crazy woman was unclear.

"I know how to leave before a situation emulates." he acknowledged mutely before exiting stage left...rubbing the stain of blood off his wrist.

"Let me warn you though, I will still be assisting from the shadows!"

Things exploded at that point, a flurry of action that began with Hannah’s lunge towards the vampire. Jude against his better judgment lunged after her, trying to grasp his friend about the waist and drag her back. Sterling was quick to put himself between the blood thief and the vampire, nudging Ripper aside with a sense of authority. There was something different about Sterling in that moment, a strength of presence, a solidness that was a firm juxtaposition to the wildness of Hannah. She was really something else, trying to claw her way to Ripper by any means, throwing a vicious elbow back that caught Judah against the ribs. It left him breathless, his grip on her slipping as he doubled over, stumbling back a few paces as he tried to regain his breath. “You need to leave.” Sterling grated out at Ripper, turning in time to catch at Hannah, struggling with her, the pair wrestling wildly. The vampire was still trying to peer around them, looking around the room as if he might find some mystery there, something more exciting than what he’d seen thus far. “There…” Judah gasped painfully, slowly recovering from the blow that had no doubt left behind bruising beneath the surface of his skin which would quickly bloom, “Is nothing for you…” It was difficult to push out the words, flinching from the obvious discomfort as he breathed out the last, “Here. Go.”

It wasn’t entirely convincing, but the vampire moved, stepping back. Sterling managed to wrap his muscular arms over Hannah’s, pinning them to her sides and bringing the woman down to the ground with a swift throwing movement. He had strength and training on his side, but even so, Jude had figured they’d be more evenly matched with Hannah’s new abilities. Something about it didn’t sit right, the Pastor watching the scene with growing alarm. Sterling was tired of playing, his patience clearly ticking over into annoyance as he looked at the unwelcome guest as if he was going to speak. Before he could the vampire seemed to decide bailing was best, declaring he was leaving but making an ominous threat about helping from the shadows, at least, Jude found it oddly threatening in his distressed state. The prick toothed punk didn’t stick around much longer, kicking at some imaginary debris as he began to move towards the exit, muttering about being ripped off by an oracle.

Hannah cried out, trying desperately to follow after him, a breathless Jude joining Sterling once more in his effort to subdue her. It wasn’t until the scent of the vampire was gone that she began to calm down, but there was a desperate agitation to her, some of that lingering wildness that made her a risk. Sterling dragged her to another room, closing the door with an assurance to Jude that he’d keep an eye on her while he sorted out his office. The Pastor had to explain that a madman, probably hopped up on drugs, had tried to break into his office and they’d had to fight him off, making some fairly lame excuses along the way. His staff were worried enough that they didn’t question it much, helping him to put things back together and work on getting the door replaced as soon as possible.

Eventually, the three were able to leave, looking shellshocked and exhausted they piled into Sterling’s car, stopping for food to replenish before heading towards the von der Marck manor. Jude had come out of it with bruised ribs, a headache and more than a few questions. Every time he opened his mouth to ask them they stuck in his throat, glancing between his companions every few minutes like they might do something that would startle him if he let himself relax. Even with his training and obviously jacked physique how had Sterling bested Hannah? She was strong in her crazed state, having thrown Jude off with relative ease and yet Sterling had managed. Really Judah felt too tired to delve into it further, ready for the day to be over, to find Alaric and ask for his help.

The sun was going down as they arrived at the Manor, a stunning sunset that lit the grand house and surrounding grounds in golden light, soft pinks and burnt oranges blending across the sky to create glinting highlights across the balustrades and arches that loomed before them. Unfortunately, it also created shadows, ones that Jude tried hard not to look into for long, afraid of what his sleep deprived mind might conjure. It wouldn’t be long before Alaric would wake, and here they might be safe. He might be safe, if only for a short while. The thought left him choking back tears and he didn’t even know why; pure exhaustion playing havoc with him. “Welcome to the von der Marck manor…” He murmured to Sterling, voice thick with some unspoken emotion, shaky and unsteady. Jude was aware Hannah had been here before, and he shot her a quick, almost apologetic smile in the mirror. It hadn’t been the best night they’d shared since they had become friends.

As the car came to a stop he wasted no time in scrambling out of it, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. Nausea hit him like a wave, the need for sleep so dire that he swayed as he walked. Jude made his way wearily towards the front door, each step less steady than the last, fingers fumbling for keys that seemed slippery against his fingertips. It took two attempts to pull them from his pocket and when he did he inevitably felt them slide from his fingers, the dull metallic clatter as they made contact with the paved entrance almost tearing away the last of Jude’s resolve. He wanted to weep, to crumble there on the ground and the let the darkness consume him, let sleep come and whatever terrors accompanied it. He might have as he tried to lean down to capture the keys, if not for the fact that an arm had caught under his, crossing over his back and providing a support. It was Sterling, stoic-faced and leaning down to pick up the keys. He pressed them into Jude’s hand, guiding it towards the door so that he could open it, releasing the lock and swinging the large door open to allow them access. His head turned to search for Hannah, to see if she was still there, wanting to assure her it was alright but not finding the words he needed. Instead, he murmured croakily, “We’ll go through to the sitting area… Tea, or coffee or…” His mouth felt full of cotton, tongue a deadweight unable to push it aside to continue talking as he all but let his friend carry him in the direction he pointed. It was going to be a long night, and Jude could only hope he’d make it through it.

The last place Hannah wanted to be was at the Von Der Marck home. Nothing good could come from it in two different ways. The first being...a really old vampire and a blood thirsty vampire. The second was, Alaric knew that she knew, and while months had passed and Hannah had done nothing to the man, or his family, tensions had still been high when the brunette had left.

Jude had dropped his keys and Hannah took a step away from the car to retrieve them for her friend, but Sterling was already there to his rescue. Hannah smiled, briefly, glad to see that Jude had someone like Sterling helping him these last few...nights? Weeks? It didn't matter. What mattered was that Jude was still alive and Sterling had to be a big part of that equation.

She saw Jude look back at her, and Hannah gave her own look of apology. "I'll just...wait out here." She slowly stated, before Hannah moved around the vehicle and jumped on the hood of it. Better to be safe than sorry. Jude needed everyone keeping their crap together and being near Alaric wouldn't do that for Hannah. "Good luck." She added, somewhat lamely, but Hannah did want Jude to get the answers her needed and the solution.

Though he was outwardly calm, the sheer amount of adrenaline that lingered in his veins was maddening. The sensation was a confused one; as if he'd shunned traditional creamer in favor of a third of a pack of energy shots. The altercation with Hannah had been unfortunate, but necessary. He'd kept their interaction minimal in the tense hour that followed; in part to quell the revulsion that coursed through him, mapping his veins and bringing with it a strange heaviness, similar to a weighted blanket left to collect dew at the peak of summer's humidity. The taste of ozone had nearly been overwhelming the second the pair made skin to skin contact; sharp and bitter, as if he'd touched the concave, hollow back of a spoon to an old filling. The second reason for their limited contact was his personal disgust at her behavior. She acted rashly, hadn't seemed to care that her lashing out might have jeopardized the very man she'd come to see. She could argue 'instinct' only so far, as far as Sterling was concerned. It had been selfish.

He blinked at Jude's words, at the slight unsteadiness to his words. There was a tautness to the statement; a waver that had nothing to do with exhaustion. He exhaled, cutting the engine. The three sat in silence for a tense handful of seconds, the quiet sounds of the cooling engine filling the silence. He scrubbed wearily at his eyes with the heel of his palms, as if he could rearrange the stony expression he wore half as easily as he drove away the sleep from the corner of his eyes. He'd greeted Hannah's announcement with the arch of a brow. He might have said something, halfway considered it, but was interrupted by Jude as he started from the car on unsteady feet. Instead, he managed a weak, if slightly slight smile, before moving to catch up with him in three long strides. It was for the best. Anything he said would've been unfairly curt, shot through with displaced tension from the afternoon.

"Nope," he countered. "Any more caffeine and I'll have to stage an intervention. Suggest an appropriate twelve step program. It will be messy and your family will feel strangely uncomfortable every Christmas dinner years after the fact," he countered, deadpan. He kept his tone light as he steered the man inside, drifting in the direction that he assumed was the sitting area. He settled him onto a nearby chair some minutes later, gingerly lowering Jude's frame into it. "Do we wait? Are they expecting you?"