"Hmm, I see." Dalton said with a slight nod,"Well, Alice, you have a good night. I would stay longer to chat with you but I have some very important things to do. I'll see you around."

He tipped his cap upward jokingly, and offered a thin smile as he lowered it back.
He stepped past Alice, as he did so saying,"Tell Liza I said 'goodnight'."
He headed toward the wooden door, walking in a casual pace as he did so. As he opened the door with a short squeak and stepped out, he could just be seen raising a small, black cellphone to his left ear before closing the door behind him with a thud.

The crowd around the bar had thinned a bit. While it was still somewhat full there were more open tables around the room, several booths had cleared out slightly too. But for the most part the place was still rather boisterous, though not nearly as rowdy as when Alice and Liza had first arrived.

Giving Dalton a farewell nod, she gave the man a small, friendly smile. "Will do." She chirped cheerily, before turning her attention back to the table. Keeping an eye on Dalton as he walked out. He was a decent person, though she was worried he might be calling to turn her into the mental asylum. Though, she tried to brush the man making a call. It probably wasn't anything important, if it was what could she do? Where could she go? Dalton knew she knew Liza so doubtless they would search the woman's house and Alice didn't want to reveal the woman's secret.

She didn't want to reveal hers either as she turned her gaze back to the bar. Tracing out the patterns on the wood. Her mind wandering as she thought about the possible futures. Honestly? Alice was afraid of what her future might hold. Liam was going to come back, he had seemed dead set on that. So she was going to take it as a given. So drinking animal blood might turn Alice's own blood sour or something. Make her unappealing to the bastard. It would suit him right, the raven headed woman thought sourly. Turning her into a vampire and flipping her life on it's ear! Watching Liza do her rounds, Alice sighed and turned her gaze back to the bar. She also needed to help Liza however she could. The woman had saved her life after all, when it would have been easier to let the Inquisitor kill her. Perhaps the waitress just disliked the Inquisitor so strongly that she hadn't cared if she saved Alice, she just wanted the man dead.

The night passed on, and had time flew by, the bar became emptier and emptier.
At ten thirty the bar had cleared out somewhat, with just over two dozen patrons spread throughout the establishment. There was little commotion other than across-the-table chatter here and there and the occasional laugh.

By midnight, the bar was practically empty, with five patrons total in the establishment aside from Alice. At this point, Liza and the other waiters and waitresses were idly chatting across the place in-between serving drinks and cleaning up from the busy night. Conner attempted idle chatter with Alice regarding the news, weather, and the occasional short bar story. Occasionally the few remaining patrons were chime up and talk with Liza and the staff.

Before long, it was twelve forty, and the last patron headed out the door after paying for his drink. The only people remaining were Alice, Conner, Liza, and the other six waiters, and the cook out back, who was already locking up and preparing to leave.

"Elizabeth," Conner called to a short, blonde waitress,"go ahead and lock the door, turn off the sign too."

The young waitress did as she was asked and locked up the front door and flipped the switch to the large, red cursive neon sign outside that said Benny's Bar. After that, she pulled down the shades over the front windows.

"A full till tonight, it's stuffed actually." Conner broadcasted as he locked up the cabinet doors under the bar where he had placed the assorted bottles of alcohol.

"Hey, you guys can all go ahead and leave," Conner called out,"I'll finish closing down."

"Thanks, boss." Came a males' voice.
"You rock." A dark haired waitress proclaimed.

Liza approached Alice from behind,"You ready to go?" She asked casually.

Alice was enjoying her small chats with Conner. Responding carefully and offering nothing overly personal as she polietly skirted around those pot holes in the topic. Being out of a room and able to breathe in the life that the world was going on was a relief. Something Alice had desperately needed after those long days of confusion and fear. Feeling grounded and that she finally was getting her feet under her, the tailor was in far higher spirits by the end of the night. Though she had a list of half a dozen for Liza, things were no longer looking so bleak.

Emerald eyes blinked as Alice turned to give Liza a small nod. Her smile far more relaxed and at ease than the start of the night. "Yes, I am. Thank you for the lovely conversation." She added to the bartender as she slid off the stool. Pushing the glasses up her nose as they slid down a bit, Alice followed after the waitress and gave a soft chuckle. "I really did need a breathe of the world didn't I?" She noted, with a slight annoyed look. Though the annoyance was turned inward. She always buried herself in her problems or her work, and so shut out the world unintentionally. Trips out the jazz cafe and places like this. "And thank you, for everything." She added to Liza quietly.

"It's no problem at all, your welcome." Liza said with a smile over her shoulder as they headed for the back door.
Liza hailed a late night cab and they took it back to her apartment.
She knew she would need a shower when they got back to her place, considering that she smelled of beer and grease from the fryer.
Liza was glad that Alice had a nice evening, and was relieved that the night hadn't turned sour. She had been in Alice's place before, and she knew a nice "worldly" evening out would help Alice to relax, especially considering what she had been through these past few days.

So far, Liza found that she liked Alice. She was a nice lady with a warm personality, and not a speck of malice in her from what Liza could tell.
She also felt sympathy for Alice, for what had happened to her.
The initial shock of becoming a Vampire alone, along with the immediate pursuit of those bastard Inquisitors, not to mention the grilling from the doctors and police.

No wonder she was such a wreck. Liza thought somberly.



The door to Liza's place opened with a short click.
Liza entered and flipped on her light switch, motioning for Alice to come on in.
"I'm going to take a quick shower," she said,"then take these clothes down to the laundry room and run them through the washer. Help yourself to the tv."

Liza walked over to her dresser and opened it, grabbing a simple t-shirt and some sweat pants. As she walked back past Alice and headed for the bathroom, she stopped just short of the door, looking back to Liza with a caring expression.
"I trust you had a nice time." She said with a smile.

Alice trailed after the woman a she slipped into the apartment. She hadn't said anything, but Liza truly did need a shower according to the tailor's sensitive nose. Returning the smile Alice nodded, and a sly look came into eyes though it lacked malice. "It was a lovely night, and thank you. I just hope I haven't brought more trouble to you." She admitted her worry, perching herself on the bed as she pulled out the ponytail and removed the glasses and shoes. Shaking out the raven locks and combing them back to their proper form, Alice gave a sigh of relief as she felt herself again.

The disguise had been necessary but it was rather irritating when one was not used to glasses or a pony tail. She kept wanting to move her hand back to shape up her bun which was nonexistent. Reaching about she found the television buttons and pressed the appropriate ones to select a news channel. She didn't want to know the fate of her life, but she needed to be informed. It was a sad fact of life. More so was that she had not just laughed off the entire thing as a prank. Let the police and hospital call her mad, or crazy or foolish! It would have been better than this entire mess. Glancing at the door to the bathroom, Alice amended her thought. For Liza had been the silver lining in the entire thing.

It was a cool, pleasant night. The air was at a comfortable temperature, and the steady wind was a welcome factor. The gentle breeze cruised across the face and the through the hair of Thomas. He sat back, relaxed in a decorative wicker chair on the back patio of a magnificent estate. He stared out across the courtyard, his eyes rolling over the neatly trimmed hedges, decorative stone benches, and the elaborate fountain in the center yard which geysered crystal clear water from it's spout.

Thomas sat with his legs casually crossed, his left hand lay relaxed on the chair arm while his right firmly held a long white cigarette up near his mouth. He held it to his lips and inhaled, followed by a stream of white smoke from his nostrils as he lowered it from his lips.

"Nice night." Came a voice from behind.

Briefly startled, Thomas refrained from turning or flinching as he recognized the voice.

"Indeed so." He replied.

From the corner of his eye, Thomas saw him step up next to his chair, it was Dalton.

"You said you have something, I believe." Thomas said, taking another hit to his cigarette, not looking around.

"I do." Dalton replied, his hands in his jacket pockets as he too gazed out across the posh courtyard.
"I've identified our mystery victim, and her place of residence, and business I might add," Dalton continued,"her name is Alice Lynch. She owns a tailor shop, just below her apartment."

Thomas exhaled, releasing more smoke from his mouth and nose,"The same one who disappeared from the hospital? The one who vanished without a trace?" He asked.

"That's right." Dalton replied.

"So," Thomas said,"Liam turned her, and she's fled into the shadows."

"Not quite," Dalton said, prompting Thomas to halfway look around at him, Dalton continued,"she's shacking up with an old 'friend' of mine, another Vampire."

"Interesting." Thomas said, standing up from his wicker seat.
He stepped forward to the edge of the patio, slowly placing his left hand onto the stonework before him, an unseen twinkle in his eye.
After a moment of silence, Dalton asked,"What are you thinking?"

"Tell me," Thomas said, without turning around,"do you and this other Vampire that our dear Alice is staying with keep in touch these days?"

"I see her rather often." Dalton replied.

"Good," Thomas replied,"then I want you to invite her and Alice to a...little get-together Downtown. We're going to enlist the help of Alice to catch Liam."

"What?" Dalton demanded, withdrawing his hands from his pockets,"How?"

Thomas took another hit to his cigarette and said with a smile,"Let me worry about that, you just focus on extending a well-meant invitation to your little friend. If the cards fall right, we'll have the means to set a unavoidable trap that Liam Enduro couldn't possible squirm out of."

Alice frowned at the ticking clock. Seven days made up a week and while it had been a informative week, Alice was getting rather bored. She had repaired all of Liza's clothes and adjusted them so they fell on the woman's frame perfectly. Something to keep her hands busy while the woman explained the world of vampires and drinking blood. While her strength and speed hadn't exactly been a blessing for the tailor, but she had worked her way back to the delicate touch she had with the needle and thread. One good thing about being a vampire, threading a needle was far easier. Liza had explained the benefits of being stronger and faster, as well as jumping further. Something Alice hadn't really tested out, being more concerned with the delicate control she was learning over her overly powered body.

Giving a sigh as she tied off the rough braid of her raven hair, Alice rolled her tongue over her fangs. Wincing at the lousy taste of mouse blood. Using the ability to tap into the minds of animals from time to time, the woman had tried to get a taste for animal blood luring mice and rats to her in the alleys. Leaving the bats, cats, and dogs alone. Especially the bats, disgusting creatures. She shivered, at the thought of bats. They were truly disgusting and a documentary she had watched informed her they were the only species to carry rabies without a symptom. Alice had been paranoid about them ever since much to Liza's most likely amusement and displeasure. Flickering her eyes to the waning sun, Alice gave a groan and laid her head on the desk impatient for the day to be done and the night to begin. Adjusting her scheduled was hard, but worse was the fact of what it would do to her shop. The late hours might just attract some customers, and trouble wasn't something she would probably have to worry about what with a vampire's weakness being beheading or a tap to the heart. Things she could avoid. If she cared to.

For all the worry in her life, Alice still longed for her shop. The coloring books, sketch pads and magazines were scattered about her as she chewed at her thumb. A horrible habit she had rid herself of years ago, only to resurface in the currently stressful time. Immortality didn't help as that possibility loomed on the horizon. She had wanted to ask, but feared the answer. To live forever? It was daunting. Giving another sigh, the tailor sketched mindlessly at a possible design. Whimsical and springy.

It was then that the bathroom door opened, and out stepped Liza.
She was wearing her black button-up work shirt and matching black jeans, her hair hung loosely as ever down past her shoulders.
She firmly pushed the bathroom door shut with a click and stepped over to Alice, reaching up and brushing strands of hair from her forehead as she did so.

"Alright, I'm about to leave for work. I'll be back later tonight though, probably around four or so, my shift was extended since Sarah and Hannah are sick."

She stepped past Alice over to the dresser and grabbed her apartment key and her cell phone, sticking them both into her front right pocket.
She walked past Alice and headed for the door. As she extended her hand for the knob, she hesitated slightly, looking back to Alice.

"Oh, by the way," she said, as she looked to Alice,"Dalton texted me last night. He invited us both to, get this, a masquerade ball Downtown."

Alice looked over as the door opened and Liza stepped out. Arching a elegant brow at the woman's comment about the masquerade ball. Her eyes brightening at the thought. She could make gowns, masks! Her good mood, however, was swiftly shot down. "We don't have clothes and I don't have the material to make anything." Her voice low and disappointed as she frowned to herself. Thinking of the risk it would be to slip into her shop to get the material she would need.

"Do I dare break into my own shop?" She wondered aloud as she tapped the desk in thought. It was possible, but it would be risky. "Do I reveal myself now?" Alice gave a long sigh as she looked at the clock, before changing her emerald gaze to the woman who had aided her. Alice was growing impatient for her freedom to live within the limits of her new life. Though it was going to be far different than what she was used to. Her fingers twisted and turned about each other as Alice frowned out at the world. "I'm sorry. It's just..." She nodded helplessly at the world. "I wish I could do more than this, but I don't dare do I?"

Liza lowered both hands to her sides in a lax manner, her face held a look of firmness yet sympathy in the same. She rolled her lower lip up into her mouth, chewing at it slightly as her mind raced.
Liza honestly hadn't been interested when Dalton had invited her, and politely informed him that she would just have to see. Considering it was taking place on a work night, odds are she couldn't attend even if she truly desired to.

Though seeing the uncontained excitement from Alice, it was clear to Liza that Alice would enjoy such a thing. Honestly, an uppity masquerade ball party was probably more up Alice's alley than the wild bar scene at Benny's.
Though she seemed to be growing used to her new life as a Vampire, Liza could see that the "inconvenience" that Vampirism had induced into Alice's lifestyle and hobbies was depressing her, irritating her at the least.
Liza perfectly understood, after all, she had been there before too.

After thinking for a minute, still chewing at her lip, Liza finally spoke,"You know, if you really want to go, we could always swing by a dress or costume store after I get off of work tonight. You'll have to buy or rent a dress though I'm afraid. The ball is in three days, I doubt you'll have time to make a dress in that time. You have your disguise, remember? Something like going dress shopping won't be an issue."

Alice arched a dark brow, a small smile playing about her lips. "My dear, you think I cannot make up a suitable dress in three days out of something from a shop with a bit of thread?" Her eyes leaning over towards the dresser when the woman's clothes were. Alice was a very skilled seamstress and while she might lack for fabric quality, she could do a lot with a little. Be that time, inventory, or funds. It was how she had started her business after all. Tracing the grain of the desk, the tailor mused silently.

Looking up at Liza with a shy look, she nodded more to herself than to the other woman. "I can probably whip up something for the both of us, especially if I just take a day to sit down and do it. It's nothing I haven't done before." She gave Liza a small smile. "I was a very good tailor." There was a twinge of sadness there. Alice was truly worried about leaving her business behind. A loss that she was taking hard and desire back with everything in her. "Its a masquerade dear. Disguise is in the nature of the ball." Her lips twitched shyly. "No one will know me form anyone else." She promised happily.

On seeing Alice eyeing her dresser, Liza grew fidgety.
After Alice finished, Liza immediately replied,"Tell you what, how about you and I make a trip to a cloth store and maybe a crafts store after I get back from work? It'll have to be later that morning though," Liza warned,"so we'll have to be brisk and stay out of the sunlight as best we can."

Liza brushed some fuzz from her right shirt sleeve, saying as she did,"And by the way, it'll probably just be you, without me. I don't do balls, dresses, and orderves. Besides, I'll have to work that night."

While Liza was a little nervous about leaving Alice with Dalton, Alice was still an adult, and besides, Liza couldn't hold Alice's hand for the rest of eternity. Alice would have to learn to start functioning on her own out in the world as a Vampire.
Besides, as slick as Dalton was, Liza had never known him to be dangerous or evil intended.

Alice nodded eagerly, her eyes bright with glee. For while Alice wasn't over a fan of balls and such, she did have a love of making clothes and if this ball gave her the excuse to do it then she would do it! "A shame, you'd look fetching in blue." Alice gave the woman a quick look over with far too knowing eye considering she knew Liza's measurements too well. "With my skills, I could probably put together a dress that would make poor Dalton pass out." A sly look was playing about Alice's face as she turned back to a old sketch and began furiously drawing over top of it. Another possible design.

She had decided a short time ago that she would deal with the possibility of mortality or immortality. It was far too big a thought for Alice to wrap her head around. What with just working her mind around the fact vampires were real and she was going to be hunted by Inquisitors... Alice frowned at the sketch and waved a hand at Liza with a small apologetic smile. "I'd love to make that trip with you. But you really ought to get going or you're going to be late." She advised, though she knew Liza could make it in time with her vampyric traits.

Liza rolled her eyes at Alice's remark about Dalton with an added smirk.

Oh please. She thought to herself. Liza new Dalton far too well, and lavish gowns, or any kind of "heavy" clothing, weren't what cranked his motor. She refrained from commenting that she preferred not to wear the kind of clothes that would make Dalton faint, but kept that thought to herself.

"Yeah," she said simply,"well I'm off to work. Have a good evening, I'll be back later tonight. We can go shopping tomorrow morning.'Later."

She headed out the door, pulling it to firmly behind her and leaving Alice alone in the apartment.



_____________________________________________________________________________________

The yellow morning sun shone brightly over the eastern horizon that was New York Cities' prominent skyline.
The mass chorus of voices, blaring car horns, and roaring engines split through the air of the metropolitan city.
A small bright yellow cab cruised along a New York side street in Brooklyn, which was lined with several businesses and small rent complexes. A small cafe, a bookstore in an old brick building, and a pawn shop were some of the few small establishments that edged the street and sidewalk.

The cab pulled up to a small, red brick building at the end of the street on the left side.
It was a dress and fabrics store called Fancies, a local owned little store that sold a myriad of dresses, gowns, and skirts, as well as fabrics and sewing material for one to make their own.

Inside the cab, Liza looked to her right to Alice,"Well," she said,"we're here. I've never been here myself, but a girl I know used to come here a lot. She was the frilly dress type like you." Liza finished her statement with a joking sideways grin at Alice as she stepped out of the cab onto the sidewalk.

Alice stretched as she exited the cab, disliking the cramped space. Cabs really were not the best way to get around New York City with the traffic and lovely sights, but her view was being quickly changed by the rising sun. Giving Liza a disapproving look behind the glasses she wore with her disguise. "Frilly dress is but one type and it's not even a type!" The tailor protested. "There's Victorian, Gothic, Lolita, not to mention Edwardian or Colonial." She listed the few that could be considered 'frilly' from the top of her head. Herding Liza into the shop with a single mindedness that was similar to a sheep dog.

Soon the bell chimed as they entered and Alice was gone. Disappeared into the maze of shelves and racks. Every so often Liza would hear a squeal of delight as Alice came across something particularly satisfying. Moving with a dancer's grace from selection to selection the woman picked and preened examining fabrics and ribbons against each other and a variety of sequins. Every so often discarding something with a off putting comment of 'too large', 'too small', 'too far', 'too close' and the one that was most common 'not quite'. If the woman was capable of growing bat like wings to help her speed from selection to selection she would have and the shop would have turned into a tornado of Alice's quest for the right material for the dress she had in mind. For the second she was puzzling over two different fabrics, though both were the same shade of green and had the same general design upon them for all the untrained eye could see.

Liza couldn't help but smile as Alice scurried through the little store, like a bee in a hive.

Or a kid in the candy store. Liza thought wryly.

Liza didn't do much looking around, but instead hung around by the front door.
When the clerk up front asked if she could help, Liza informed her she was just waiting on her friend who was here off a ball dress.
Liza hadn't been exaggerating when she had revealed her disinterest in dresses and skirts. They just weren't her style. She would choose leggings or jeans over a ball gown any day of the year. She had barely payed any attention to Alice's little rant about the different kinds of dresses there were.

Liza hung back by the front door, her gaze idly drifting over the separately hanging dresses and the shelves of material and supplies as she waited on Alive to choose a dress or materials one.

Alice sighed in bliss as she selected the correct supplies for the gown she was planning on making. Something with a bit of a mysterious edge she thought. Something that would blend into the background yet still maintain her level of artistry. Slipping over to Liza with a arm full of green and black cloth with a bit of dark lace that wasn't quite the color of coal. It was modest, but Alice could make modest look good. She had with Liam's jacket she thought with a sadness that hung in her emerald eyes.

That coat had taken days to design and make, everything had been perfected on it. Alice shook her head and gave Liza what she hoped was a cheerful smile. "I got the basics. It won't make anything jaw dropping, but I can work something decent at least." She commented with a aloof air. Typical of her status as a well-to-do tailor, or what had been her status before the attack that had nearly killed her. Sometimes she wished it had. It would be so much easier at times... But no! Liam had been a selfish, insensitive bastard when he had preyed upon her and Alice Lynch was a woman with a vengeance.

Liza stood by the counter, her arms crossed patiently and her face neutral as she continued to swathe her eyes over the crammed shelves, looking at all the different materials and supplies.

Material and cloth were all wound up and spread across the shelves in a kind of order. To the left was a bright, brilliant white, and far to the right was a black so deep the separate layers could barely be seen in the rolled up material. From left to right it was placed from brightest to darkest.

Liza also noticed the different boxes and shelves of assorted "tools" or utensils. Pins, needles, thimbles, spools, scissors, staples, thread, and more.

Several dresses were also hung on racks nearby the counter. The particular rack Liza was idly looking over was filled with sun and spring dresses.
Simple knee or mid-thigh dresses with an open back and lower trimmed front.
Most of them were simple colors; scarlet red, ocean blue, sun yellow, and white for example. Some had simple designs, such as checkers, stripes, or spring related things such as flowers, bees, birds, or suns.

While Liza did think of them as nice little dresses, she wouldn't be caught dead in one of them still. Again, dresses just weren't her vibe.

Too much of a tomboy. She thought jokingly.

Though Liza was being patient with Alice, she hoped she didn't spend over an hour in this place.
It wasn't that Liza hated it here, she was more concerned about the sun.
As the day passed and the sun burned brighter, it would prove more taxing and draining on them if they were exposed too long.
The worst time of day for a Vampire was noon in fact, when the sun leered straight down to earth with it's burning golden rays.

Liza checked her phone, the time was eight thirty-seven.

She's got about thirty more minutes, then we leave. She thought firmly.

It was five minutes and a great deal of whirling about when Alice appeared before Liza. Black and green fabric with a dark lace, and several shades of green, black and oddly enough gold thread. All from a discount bin. Which Alice had argued even lower with the cashier of the shop, tossing in a few comments about a supplier who was selling a extremely desirable velvet wool for a 'lovely price, I wouldn't miss the deal but I don't need entire bolts of it!'. Something the shopkeeper had seemed all to pleased about. Agreeing to toss in the three needles Alice requested and a small box of pins for free. Another comment about where to get excellent spider webbed cloth that was woven for cheap, got Miss Lynch a packet of beads for free.

Giving a raised brow to Liza she gave a charming smile. "I know things, and sometimes information is better payment than actual money. Now the shop can have a cheaper and steady supply of those two cloths for the cost of some measly pins and needles." Her green eyes were dancing as Alice winked at Liza with obvious glee. "Money saved, my dear, is sometimes better than money earned." Her face screwed up in a dour expression. "Or that's what my father said, but he was much more insidious about it. That's what you would expect from him. Insidious to the inside and immaculate to the public."