Belle Morte Bites (Belle Morte 4.3)

Birthday Girl: Part One

Modern Day

Nikki Flynn sat on the edge of her bed, her hands tightly gripping the wooden frame, and tried not to cry.

On some level, she'd known that this was how she'd spend her sixteenth birthday – completely alone – but it stung more than she'd thought.

Other kids turning sixteen had parties with their friends or families, but Diane was the only family Nikki had left, and she was working late, so there'd be no surprise party or special celebration from her. Before she'd left for work earlier that day, she'd handed Nikki a birthday card and some money in an envelope, and while Nikki knew she should be grateful for that, in some ways it was a stark reminder of how she and Diane had never managed to bond.

Three years had passed since Dexter's death, though to Nikki it felt like so much longer. Three years since she'd been forced to leave the home she'd always shared with her dad and move in with the aunt that she didn't even know. Even after all that time, she and Diane still didn't really know each other.

Part of that was Nikki's fault – she could admit that. She resented Diane for not having been involved with Nikki and Dexter until Dexter had been killed. She resented Diane for taking her away from Winchester and forcing her to relocate to Guildford, leaving behind any shred of the life she'd known. She'd never made a secret of these resentments. But she'd also been a scared, angry, lonely kid, who'd lost the only family she'd ever known, who desperately needed the love and warmth of a parental figure. Diane hadn't provided that.

The gulf between them was as much Diane's fault as Nikki's.

"Happy birthday to me," Nikki mumbled, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay.

She was grateful for the money Diane had given her, but all she could think of was how her dad would have treated her on her sixteenth birthday. He wouldn't have shoved an impersonal envelope full of money at her. He would have taken the time to find her a special gift to mark this milestone in her life, and if he'd been unsure on exactly the right thing to get her, he would have brought her along to choose. It could have been something they'd have done together.

He would not have left her sitting, in her room, sad and lonely.

But he had left her.

Nikki touched the gold locket around her neck. "I miss you, Dad," she whispered.

Nikki's phone buzzed, and she glanced at it where it lay on her pillow. Was it even worth seeing who was texting?

Just as she'd never managed to bond with Diane, she'd struggled to make any real friends at school. She was too angry and prickly to fit in, or too different because of her connection to the vampires of Belle Morte. Some people didn't know how to act around her because she'd lost her mum before she was old enough to remember her, and her dad had been murdered by rogue vampires. Others saw her as a way of getting close to Belle Morte, hoping that her link to some of the most famous vampires in the world would rub off on them.

Nikki Flynn had no patience for anyone who wanted to use her.

Her phone buzzed again, and this time Nikki picked it up.

Her spirits lifted.

Despite the fact that she didn't get to see him that often, and despite the six year age gap between them, Nikki considered Jason Grant one of her best friends. He'd already texted her a birthday message early in the morning, complete with a short video of fireworks going off, but this message simply read, Come to the window.

Nikki frowned and climbed off her bed.

A black van was parked outside Diane's house, and Nikki's heart gave a huge leap. Jason stood in front of the van, his husband Gideon beside him, and Edmond and Ludovic close behind, all looking up at Nikki's window. She couldn't see Renie or Roux, but since sunset still stained the sky orange, they were probably inside the van, waiting until it was completely safe for them to be out.

Nikki ran out of her bedroom, launched herself down the stairs, and wrenched open the front door.

Jason beamed at her. "We've come to kidnap you," he said.

Nikki's heart jumped into her throat, choking off any words. They were really here. She wasn't alone on her birthday.

Jason's smile faded. "Oh God, we didn't get the wrong day, did we?" He turned to his husband. "Gid, what day is it?"

"No, it's the right day," Nikki blurted out. "I just . . . I can't believe you're here."

Jason held out his arms and Nikki ran to him. Jason gave the best hugs.

"We're taking you out to dinner," Renie called from inside the van.

"Really?" Nikki felt like she could cry again, but happy tears this time.

"You didn't think we'd let you spend your birthday alone, did you?" Jason said.

Actually, yeah, that's exactly what Nikki had thought, but she wasn't going to say that.

"Do I have time to get changed?" she said. She wasn't particularly fashion-conscious, but going out to dinner in old pyjama trousers with Spongebob Squarepants on them was a step too far, even for her.

"It's your birthday. Take as much time as you want," Jason said.

Nikki knew better than to invite any of them inside. Diane had never made a secret of the fact that she hated vampires, especially the ones who lived at Belle Morte. Dexter had died defending Ysanne, and Diane blamed all Belle Morte vampires by default. Since she was at work, she'd never have to know if a vampire had been inside her home, but, understandably, none of Nikki's friends had ever felt comfortable coming inside. They knew that they weren't welcome there – at least not as far as Diane was concerned.

Nikki flew back inside and upstairs to her bedroom. Since she didn't get invited to parties, she didn't have any pretty evening outfits. Despite what had happened to her dad, Nikki hadn't given up on her dream of working security at a vampire house one day, which meant training hard, every day, and her wardrobe mostly consisted of workout gear – leggings, trainers, plain t-shirts. None of that was particularly smart or formal, but it was better than Spongebob.

She quickly changed, slipped on her cleanest running shoes, and hurried back downstairs.

Edmond, Ludovic, and Gideon had climbed back inside the van, while Jason still waited outside.

"Ladies first, especially birthday girls," he said, opening the passenger door with a flourish.

Nikki climbed up, wedging herself next to the driver – a tall woman that she didn't know, but who smiled at her in a friendly enough way. Jason climbed in after her, and shut the door.

"We did debate blindfolding you, but Renie said you wouldn't like it," Jason said.

"Renie was right," Nikki said.

"I heard that," Renie called from the back of the van.

The van rumbled to life and pulled away from the kerb.

"I'm surprised you're not driving. I thought Ysanne let you use Belle Morte vehicles now," Nikki said to Jason.

"She does," he said, looking supremely proud of himself.

Nikki didn't blame him – Ysanne Moreau didn't put her trust in people lightly. Jason had earned that.

"But it's your birthday, and I want to celebrate with a proper drink. So we asked Mandy here to be our chauffeur for the evening," Jason went on.

"Where are we going?" Nikki asked.

He grinned. "It's a surprise."

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