The one bedroom apartment is easily found. Just in the cheaper end of Valencia. A condo. The neighbours minding their own business...mostly.

Tracy can see from the illumination behind the drawn curtains that Andy is probably up and about in second storey room which overlooks the courtyard of the condo block.

The air of the yard is heavy with the scents of the blooms of flowers all about and the clinical smell of the swimming pool out of sight to the rear of the block.

Tracy stood outside the condo, looking up at the window. While she was had some doubts about what she was about to do, the petite Gangrel knew that it had to be done. Andy had been exposed to things that he shouldn't have, and deep down inside she felt responsible. If she hadn't fed him her vitae, she wouldn't have to do what she had come to do here tonight. Then again, if she hadn't fed Andy her vampiric blood, he would've just bled out on that jogging trail the evening in which they met.

This sucks.

Not wanting to delay things any further, the redheaded Deputy headed up the steps until she reached the door to Andy's apartment. After taking a moment to evaluate things in her head, Tracy knocked lightly on his door.

The light knock seems to have done the trick. After a few moments Andy answers the door. Opening it without the least anxiety, he may have being expecting someone else. But his face lights up as he sees his Angel.

Dumb struck, he cannot say a word for the moment. He just stands there. Wide eyed and stunned.

"Hello!" he eventually says. The excitement at seeing Tracy is obvious in his voice and demeanour. "Oh...Jeez...er...won't you come in?" stepping aside, he opens the door more fully. There is a narrow hallway leading into the apartment.

The aroma of a recently cooked pasta dish lingers in the air.

Tracy smiled at him, doing her best to keep up appearances. "Hey there," she said to him in a sweet voice. "I was just stopping by to check in on you, see how you were doing." With those words, the Gangrel stepped inside the apartment, taking a quick look around the place as she picked up the scent of the freshly cooked pasta.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" she asked as she focused her emerald green eyes on Andy.

Smiling, only slightly nervous at the arrival of the vampire, he shook his head, "No...no. Just marking papers..." a smile. "Er...do you want a drink or something?" he makes to head into the front room, looking behind as if to check if Tracy is following. "Jeez...I just can't believe it's you! I never thought I'd see you again!" he enthuses.

"Sure, show me what you've got," said Tracy with a smile, following close behind Andy. "Well, after everything that happened that night...I figured it'd be nice to stop by and check on how you were doing and what not." The Gangrel paused for a moment before adding, "seems like you are doing much better by the way."

He detours to the kitchen area just to the rear of the lounge section of the mostly open plan apartment room. The place is neat and clean and there are a lot of term papers Andy seems to be marking and working on piled on the sofa and floor. The TV is off. On one wall there are some family photos and class photo's of high schools Andy must have worked at in recent years.

Various nick-nacks on shelves of the sort gathered from 30 or so years of living and travelling the States.

Once in the kitchen he shows Tracy a bottle of red wine. "I've got this...or there's a beer or two in the cooler...or Pepsi. Whatever you want really...I can do you a coffee too. Just granules though..." he stands and smiles at Tracy. Simply pleased to see his guardian angel again. "I'm doing great thanks! Never better! I tell you, your Federal buddies sure fixed me up just fine. I mean...I owe them and you my life! This red wine...it isn't enough, you know."

The redheaded Gangrel followed along, taking a quick look around as Andy lead them into the kitchen. As he showed her the bottle of wine and started to offer her things, Tracy gave him a sweet smile. "Oh, I don't wanna be too much of a bother," she said to the man. "The wine sounds great actually."

She paused for a moment, considering his words. The tiny Deputy had in fact saved the man's life that one night, but she had done so because she wasn't sure of what else to do under the circumstances. Dillon and Dr. Powell had been of great help with making sure that he remained alive too, because her "medical" skills could only do so much. Tracy had given Andy a new lease on life, but now, here she was...preparing to take that away. It felt wrong, but she knew that it was necessary. A rogue ghoul wouldn't do anyone any good, especially her.

"I'm just glad that I bumped into you that night," said the redheaded Kindred, offering Andy another quick smile.

"Me too!" he enthuses. Walking about the kitchen to gather a wine glass and bottle opener. He soon begins to work on the cork. "I mean...all that help that clinic gave me! Just amazing! I never gave much thought to the Government...not really. You know...I mean...I'd vote and all...pay taxes. But...to see the Government in action like that! It's something else, I tell you. You guys rock! Just name it...I mean...I don't know what I can do to pay you guys back...I don't know...but, just name it!" another smile. He's clearly sincere as he makes his way over to Tracy with a glass of red wine.

Tracy couldn't help but be amused by Andy's excitement about the whole ordeal. Part of her wondered if he really was that grateful, or whether it was her own vitae running through his veins that made him act in such a way towards her. She watched him with her emerald green eyes, as he moved around the kitchen and managed to get the bottle of wine open.

"Thank you," said the redheaded Gangrel as she took the glass of wine. "Well, we do what we can to help." The petite Kindred gave the man a sweet smile, bringing the glass of wine to her lips to take a quick sip.

"You know, there's something that you may be able to do for me," said Tracy as she set down the wine glass on a nearby counter, the look in her green eyes full of fierce sensuality, leaving very little doubt as to what she was referring to.

Fade to Black...


After about an hour or so, the petite Gangrel came out of the apartment. She looked slightly more pale than when she arrived, and was wearing a hooded sweatshirt that was too big for her. Tracy rushed out of the condo, a duffel bag in her hands. She walked a couple of blocks to her bike, and didn't waste any time once she was on it, speeding away into the night.

It had to be done.

End Scene