These Streaks of Blood

19

They've been walking for hours, and though Natalee had expected awkward silences and hateful glares, she hadn't received any. Ever since leaving the basement, Dan seems to have gotten much calmer; maybe even a little happier. They've been keeping up continuous conversation, and his tone hasn't sounded accusing even once. How is it that even after what she did to him, he can forgive her? That even after turning him into a monster, he can still act like they're good friends?

"Natalee?" prods Daniel, and Natalee blinks, turning her gaze to him. His eyes sparkle with amusement.

"Yes?" 

"You haven't been listening to me, have you?" he asks, and Natalee feels a slight flush creep into her cheeks.

"No," she mutters, embarrassed. He's been so nice, and she can't even return the favor. Ever since she was Changed, she's felt lost... then here's Dan: complete newborn, Changed by someone he thought was a friend, dealing with the internal distress that comes with believing his girlfriend is dead, yet putting up with all of it so much better than her. Why is she having such trouble?

In Patty's basement, after he had seen the reflection of his fangs, Daniel had been silent. Natalee had expected him to yell at her, blame her, hate her... but he had just flopped onto the ground, his head in his hands. She hadn't said anything, not wanting to interrupt whatever process of grief he was going through.

She isn't sure how long it took for him to wrap his mind around it. It could have been hours, or it could have been minutes. She really hadn't been paying attention, had been too wrapped up in her own grief and guilt to be concerned with the time that had passed. But eventually, Daniel did raise his head to look at her.

"So, a vampire. I'm a vampire," he said, and Natalee had only nodded, detached.

Daniel had shaken his head. "I don't understand... they're not supposed to exist. I mean... am I dreaming?" His tone turned hard, as if daring Natalee to tell him he wasn't.

But she wouldn't lie to him about that. Not after experiencing the same feeling. "No."

Daniel had hesitated then, and Natalee saw something, an idea, flicker across his face. A minute later, he voiced it.

"So this killer... he's a vampire too, right? That's why all the girls were drained of blood. That's why nobody would be able to catch him unless he wanted to be caught. You knew that all along."

Natalee had just nodded again.

Daniel's expression had then turned horrified. "So Olivia was kidnapped... by a vampire," he whispered, and Natalee felt her hands clench into fists at the mention of her name. Dan, with his new vampire senses, did not miss the movement.

"Why do you seem to hate Olivia so much? In your room, before you... bit me, or whatever... you seemed really angry that I was concerned about her. Why?" he had wondered aloud.

Natalee had stretched out her fingers and stared at him. She didn't want to tell him about Olivia. Who knew what he would do when he found out that his precious girlfriend couldn't care less about him? That his precious girlfriend had fallen for another guy, the guy who had killed seven girls in Leewood and kidnapped her in the first place? That his precious girlfriend was stupid enough to make a deal with an old, powerful vampire, and kill an innocent human? That his precious girlfriend was, at the moment, rotting in a dungeon, and would stay there? She had already told him that Olivia was dead, and it wasn't too big of a lie. She's not coming back, either way.

"Olivia wasn't as perfect as you thought she was," Natalee had finally said, and wanted to leave it at that.

But of course, Dan didn't. "I never said she was perfect. What did she do? You guys were captives together, right? You were taken nearly the same day," he said, and Natalee had sighed. She really didn't want to have this conversation.