After All This Time

Chapter 30

The darkness started to fade and the pain was so intense that she was shivering. A warmth combatted the coldness but both were so strong that her body continued to shake. The warmth was starting to coat the stinging cold as her brain fizzled like the static of white noise. Everything was so sharp she hated it. What was going on?

"Jazzy," Luke's voice came through the darkness. The burning intensified and she tried to get away from it. "Easy Jazzy, it's just me, your Luke."

She could hear Luke's voice but she felt the roughness of North's touch. "Come on Baby, come back to us," North gently pleaded. "It's safe now, he's gone. Open your pretty little eyes and come back to us, please." He sounded so sad. Did he actually care that much about her?

"Come on Cupcake, please open your eyes and show me that you hear me," Luke pleaded. "I can't lose you again Jasmine, please."

"She's too weak right now Luke," Sean said softly. "She lost so much blood. She shouldn't be alive but she is, you know what that means."

"Her vampire is keeping her alive," North said as something touched her, diminishing the coldness but didn't completely take it away. Everything still hurt so much.

"Jazzy, please," Luke said gently pushing her hair out of her face. "Please, I can't lose you again. I can't."

"Lu.." She barely whispered gathering just enough strength to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry but once she eyes locked with his brown ones, she watched as he gasped in awe.

"Holy shit, that's beautiful," he whispered as he watched her eyes transition from cerulean blue to violet purple and her hair turn onyx black. Luke reached out and gently pulled on her lips to see her fangs. "So beautiful." She felt herself start to change as much as she didn't want to.

"Careful Luke, she's been deprived of blood for so long she's starving," Sean whispered. "If she were to cut you, she may not be able to control herself."

"Good idea," Luke nodded, called forth his vampire, making his eyes go from brown to amber and sliced his wrist. He held it up to her mouth and smiled, "Take it Cupcake, you need to get your strength back. I got you Jazzy, drink."

Jasmine closed her eyes and they watched her hair faded back to dark brown. When she opened her eyes they were back to blue, "No," She whimpered and weakly turned her head away. She couldn't do that, she wouldn't, she absolutely refused.

"Please Baby," North said taking her hand in his. "Please you are so weak, you need to drink."

"No," She barely breathed. "No vampire no."

"We just saw her Jazzy," Luke said, "She was so beautiful, please Jazzy, you need to drink, you are too weak right now. Please let me help."

"Please Baby," North pleaded. "You don't have to drink from me, I'll stay away just please let her through and drink, please." He actually had tears in his eyes and voice.

"Too late," She barely spoke, "lose control, too late."

"No you won't," North shook his head as he felt her get weaker, "You are too stubborn and care too much. As much as you're mad you still care, I believe in you. We believe in you."

"Too tired," she breathed, "too..."

"Baby?" North asked as a few tears slipped down his face.

"Fuck this," Luke said slicing his wrist again and pressed it against her mouth. "She can be mad at me all she wants, I don't care, I'm not losing her again." He pressed even more against her mouth forcing her lips to open, "Come on Jazzy, stop me. If you really want to prove me wrong then stop me." He felt his blood start to be pulled away and chuckled, "That's it Cupcake, take it." Her eyes shot open shining vibrantly purple.

No, no, no, it wasn't happening, it wasn't possible. She yanked her mouth away and started throwing up. "Shhh Baby, it's okay." North said soothingly as he held her hair back. She snarled and he smiled softly. She threw up again then spit out the little blood that was still in her mouth. She closed her eyes and tried to focus. She had to get herself under control again, no matter how tired she was.

"Don't Jasmine," She heard Dr. Green's voice speak gently. "She's keeping you alive right now. You are too weak as a human, please don't do this. Please just feed."

"Take it Jazzy," Luke commanded holding his wrist in front of her. "This one time you won't win, Jasmine. I'm pulling a North, you have to feed until I know you are okay to get the hell out of here."

"Please Baby," North dropped to his knees in front of her. "I'm leave the group, I'll do whatever you want but please just drink."

She sat up and Sean helped her put North's shirt on. She tried not to think about his scent coating and surrounding her. She grasped the table as everything spun, making her close her eyes again. Once she felt like she had herself under control she stood but immediately dropped. Instead of falling onto the concrete she landed in someone's lap. She felt warm arms hold her still and she weakly opened her eyes to see North's looking back at her with tears silently slipping free.

"Let go," She whispered weakly.

"Never," North said hoarsely.

"Come on Cupcake, take it," Luke knelt and held his wrist out. "You need it."

"No," She breathed, "I can't." She closed her eyes.

"Please Baby," North pleaded, "please."

"For once I'm sorry I was wrong," She slowly whispered as if it took everything in her to talk. "I wish I could but I can't."

"No," Luke shook his head hearing her heartbeat slow down again. "No, take it Jasmine," he sliced his wrist again and pressed it to her mouth. "Take my blood, Jasmine."

She weakly sucked as North held her in place. She opened her eyes showing the purple and barely held his arm while North supported her. She heard both of them sigh in relief then felt her stomach churn. She pulled away and started throwing up again. "Told you," She gasped before throwing up again, "I can't." She looked up at the Taylor brothers and smiled weakly, "Sorry." She let the darkness take her once again welcoming the quiet and numbness.