Crimson Passion

Shaun smiled and looked towards the front door where the pile of dust was. "Well, Tuff, you look hungry. Let's see if your infected or not." He said walking ot the fridge and grabbing a can of animal blood, that he had gotten for himself and hidden in a container and then some meat. He put both in seperate bowls and set them on the ground. He looked up at Ettabell.

"Let him go and let's see what he eats." He said.

"What did you put in the bowls?" She asked.

"One is animal blood, a back up for me, the other just some meat." He said walking over to her. "If he is infected you can't keep him."

*Sorry! My laptop turned to the black screen of death and I had to reboot it!

I let the doggy go and I was seeing out of Deadlove's eyes again. I watched as Tuff went to the bowl of blood and drank it fast. After that he went to the bowl of meat and drank the blood out of it. He sunk his teeth into it and just dried it! It was amazing and horrifying at the same time!

"Oh no," I moaned.

"Yep, you have to go little guy. I don't want you to hurt anyone," he said picking TUff up and heading towards the door. Before he could exit the door it slammed before him. He put Tuff down.

"Shaun," I whispered.

"I don't know," he said as if he had read my mind. I watched from my own eyes this time as Tuff pawed at Shaun's jeans. When Shaun finally looked down to Tuff he stood on his hind legs and pointed his nose to the roof. We all listened as the boards creaked. It was like a shadow climbing the walls. It wasn't there and then it was.

"This dog will help Ettabell. It will protect her when Me and you can't," the man said. I wasn't sure what it was. A man or a boy, but it was for sure a demond.

"Tuff is a good name for him. He will obey and doesn't drink human blood. Only, animal blood. Also, he can go with you on your hunting trips, Shaun, and protect Ettabell on those to. He may not look like much, but he is a miracle dog. And to properly introduce myself, I am Deadlove," he said turning. Shaun looked disgusted and didn't dare touch him. I understood when Deadlove turned. When he blinked his face would change to something else. It was amaing and horrific all at the same time. WIth the blink of an eye my sight was gone and so was Deadlove.

Shaun walked over to Ettabell and hugged her close. Tuff ran over and pawed at his jeans his tongue hanging out.

"I guess you got yourself a new home." Shaun sighed rubbing the dog's head. "But you'll have to do what we say." The dog barked like it knew what he was saying and then walked to the door laying down in front of it.

"I can see when Deadlove is around." She smiled up at him.

"So you don't get your sight back, it's just when he is here?" He asked.

"No, I get flashes of sight I guess, but when he is here I can see!" She grinned. "It's amazing, Tuff is so adorable. Deadlove waht is he?"

"A shape demon, he's vary dangerous. There are very few of them. They can look like just about anything, it takes alot of strength, but they can hold a form. They are near as invinciable as us. Vampires you have to hit in just the right spot ot kill. Same with Shape demons, their harder though. It is good to have them on your side rather then against you." He sighed. "I do need to hunt soon."

After Shaun said hunt Tuff burst into miniature barks.

"But you have to cook! Remember," I said smiling.

"Oh, yes. Well, I should be done in five minutes then I will cook. I will hunt before time," Shaun said. I felt Tuff's little head against my leg. I grinned.

"I have a question. Do you believe in a God or in gods and goddesses?" I asked. I awaited his answer as he hesitated.

"I think there is a God, and a hell." he replied shrugging. "I think I'm stuck with the hell option because of what I am."

"But..." She started.

"I'll be back. Tuff, you better take care of her!" He turned and fled the house running quickly to the woods and finding a few rabbits and a deer to satisfy his thirst. He ran back to the house and slipped inside silently starting to make the meal being as quiet as possible so she wouldn't know he was back quiet yet. Tuff looked at him and he put his finger over his lips and Tuff kept leading her to the other room for something. He knew that when the food started to smell that she would know he was there if she hadn't figured it out before then.

The food smelled delicous. I hadn't realized that Shaun was back yet. I had to push Tuff away many times because he was licking my toes. Tuff started tugging at the hem of my dress when the food started smelling very good. I rose myself and followed the outer edge of the wall.

"Shaun," I called. I heard a pan drop and his footsteps ease to me.

"Yes," he said in a funny british voice. I giggled.

"Hey. When did you get back?" I asked.

"A while ago. I didn't want to disturb your painting," he replied.

"Oh? Well, it was barely anything. I just doodled really," I said feeling his lips to my forehead.

Shaun hugged her close and then worked on the food more. He heard a knock on the door and he hugged her. "Tuff, watch her." He walked to the door opening it. It was Betty Jane and her family.

"Come on in,f foods ready." He smiled. They walked in and he led them to the table he had set. He pulled Ettabell's chair back for her and helped her sit down sitting next to her. The meal went well, Shaun made sure Ettabell got whatever she needed. Afterwards they all sat around in the living room talking while Shaun held Ettabell close.

It was fun and the children were a hoot. They ran around and when they got in trouble they would pout and then a few minutes later they would be running around again. Tuff enjoyed them. When it came to nine o'clock, we escorted everyone out. Then we closed the door.

"Whew. What a night. Wheren't those kids the cutest?" I asked Shaun. He stared at me.

"Shaun," I said giggling.

"If we ever get married, and if we ever have kids, no more than three," Shaun said. I hung my head.

"Yeah...if," with that I turned and Tuff was at my feet again tugging at that hem of my dress. I went to the bedroom and threw myself on the bed letting out a big sigh. Tuff barked once and was soon curled up on my ribs. I smiled. Then, I heard Shaun's footsteps. I don't know why he walked so hard. I knew he didn't need to.

Shaun walked in and rubbed Tuff behind the ears. "What did I say?" He asked softly sitting next to her and brushing some hair from her face.

"Nothing." She replied her eyes still closed.

"Bell, it's not that I wouldn't want to marry you and have kids, i'm not sure it's possible." He said kissing her forhead. "That is the kids part."

"Why not?" She asked. "Your a guy, if I was the vampire and you were the human I would understand, but your the dead on, not me."

"Doesn't matter, love, get some rest. Ok?" He kissed her closed eyes and she sighed.

"Stay with me?" She asked softly.

"I think Tuff took my spot. I'll be back in about five minutes, I want to see if I can find Deadlove, I need to talk to him." He smiled.

"CAn't he wait?" She asked. He sighed and nodded,

"I guess." He picked Tuff up who started to growl and laid him on the floor. "I get to guard her tonight, boy." He smiled at the dog.

I put my face into his chest holding the edge of his shirt. I held him close and made sure that my grip was tight. I didn't want him to leave me, not now, not ever.

"Shaun?" I asked yawning.

"Hm," he replied. I couldn't believe that I was going to ask this because I already knew what he was going to say...I think.

"Do you think that you could still be partially alive? I mean, you eat, drink, walk, run, love, hate, your just like a human...I don't understand it. Explain?" I said. I waited for his answer.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the reason I'm like that is because of you." He sighed. "But ya, I think I could still be partially alive, I mean I felt heart broken when you seemed to rather Ron over me. I felt my heart beating for no reason several different times. It's almost like I'm a weird vampire or something." He kissed her cheek.

"Your heart beat?" She asked looking at him.

"Ya, it doesn't ever do that unless something happens to you." He replied stroking her face. "It's like you control my ever being without meaning to." He smiled at her, he didn't care if she knew he was smiling or not. "I need you to survive, I wasn't sure I wanted to live when Ron came back." He admitted.

"Don't you ever say that! If you kill yourself then I can't live...you wouldn't want that would you?" I asked. I felt him shake his head. Then, my stomach turned...I know. Weird. I felt like throwing up and even though I had just ate, nothing came out. I was vomiting blood. It hurt like hell.

"Ettabell? Are you okay...Ettabell?" Shaun said my name over and over. I couldn't answer. I was k=now arched over the bed hlding onto him. I felt him turn me over.

"Don't...I'll dround," I moaned. It has happend many times before. I had seen a kid dround in his own vomit. It wasn't pretty.

"Your stomach is bleeding again, Bell. I have to take you to a doctor," Shaun said getting up. I was seeing out of my own eyes again, but it was nothing but a blur. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him down. I swear that I had heard something.

"Ssh," I said, the pain slowly leaving. "Did you hear that?" I asked. I saw his blurry head go back and forth. My sight was coming back little-by-little. The blur was going away very slowly. It was footsteps on the roof. Not two or four. More like fourteen or sixteen. I rose myself from the bed.

Shaun sniffed the air. It was strange and familiar.Vampires, and something else.

"They smelled your blood." He whispered picking her up and turned to leave. Deadlove was there.

"You can't leave the house, they'll get her. They can't come in." He said.

"What about her other house?" He asked.

"They can't get in this one!" Deadlove repleid walking over and touching her stomach softly. Shaun stiffened at his close proximity.

"What's wrong with her?" He demanded.

"Ron is fighting to live again, so her wounds are reopening." Deadlove replied. He muttered something and her wounds healed over, least he hoped so. She stopped bleeding and just started at him then Deadlove. "Ron will relive here soon, but she will be fine now, the wounds will no reopen."

"What!" I yelled. Okay, I over reacted just a little bit. "What do you mean again! I killed him!" I said pausing between every word. Deadlove chuckled.

"You can't kill the dead. Only when the sun sets, love," he said. I swear I stopped breathing. I think the whole world stopped. I couldn't believe he said that. How did he know that, too?

"What did you say?" I said.

"Well, I simply said 'you can't kill the-'" I stopped him.

"The last sentence," I interupted.

"I said 'only when the sun sets, love'," he replied.

"Where did you hear that?" I asked.

"It's the way you kill the dead. Whence Lucifer walks the Earth again, that day when the sun sets is when you can kill the dead. It's like the seven seals. On the setting of the sun of the days which the seal is broken is when you can kill the dead. That's only when. Why?" Deadlove said. My sight had moved to his eyes once again so I was staring at myself. I guessed he did this so I wouldn't see his expressions.

"No reason. I have heard it many times before. I was just wondering where you had heard it," I replied turning so I was staring at the back of my head...then he blocked me out once again. I heard the footsteps louder then a bang on the door. I felt as if I was being drawn to the door, like a magnet.

Shaun held her close not letting her go. He really didn't like the look he had seen on Deadlove's face.

"Stay here, we can't go out there." He whispered softly to her. "They'll leave as soon as they sun goes up."

"I must leave again, they won't get in." Deadlove replied turning and leaving. Shaun laid her on the bed and kissed her neck hoping to distract her a little. It seemed to work a tad.

"Look at me, Ettabell. Do you still see?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied looking up at him.

"Good." He kissed her softly. "Now, please ignore them."