“It was Caleb’s idea…” Sophie slowly starts, “to catch the halfling that’s been murdering familiars we use familiars to go undercover and lure him out. Right now we only have one familiar though, Captain Batting wanted to know about Caleb’s… about you.”

“This is what’s been bothering you at work? Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Alejandro stares at Caleb’s sad face.

“Because it has nothing to do with you.”

“If I can help though-” Alejandro starts, but Caleb cuts him off completely.

“No! You cannot leave this apartment! Not now, not ever. You’re my familiar, that was the agreement.”

“Caleb…” Alejandro pleads, but Caleb hears none if it.

“Go wait in the bedroom while I deal with this.” The vampire orders Alejandro and he hesitantly obliges.

Sophie stares at him, “You can’t erase my memories.” She argues. “Captain will know something is wrong if I don’t report anything.”

Caleb sighs and sits down in another chair, “That’s true. You know most people think our hypnosis ability is like some kind of mind control, it really isn’t. It’s just suggestion. I can’t supplement new memories, I can’t even technically erase memories, I can just make them foggy and hard to remember like half-forgotten dreams. If you have a strong enough will you can ignore my commands and drag them out. Which is why I’m not going to do that.” Caleb stands up and in the kitchen proper takes a large cutting knife before coming back. Without hesitation he brings the knife up to Sophies throat. “I’m going to threaten you instead. If you tell Fredrick about anything you saw tonight I’m going to kill you.”

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Sophie lets out a shuddering breath as fear takes hold of her. Caleb is deadly serious without any remorse or sympathy in his eyes that makes her afraid of him. “How can you do something like that?” Sophie’s trembles as she asks this question. Never had she ever been so afraid of dying then she is at this moment.

“Easy because unlike a halfbreed I won’t be caught. Benefits of being a purebred: I’m kinda above human law.”

That hadn’t been what Sophie meant when she asked the question, she had been talking about his morals, but his answer gives her enough information to figure it out herself. Caleb releases her and Sophie leaves the apartment feeling shaky and doubting her place by Caleb’s side. Caleb watches her leave unbeknownst to her also doubting his place in the world. The music continues to play on.

Caleb goes into the bedroom to find a contemplative Alejandro sitting on the bed. Caleb goes to him, crawling across the bed and moving till he’s straddling Alejandro.

“Go ahead and say it.” Caleb demands wanting to be punished for something.

“What?” Alejandro stares up at him innocently making Caleb feel worse.

“That I’m a monster.”

“You are not a monster.” Alejandro disagrees, “I know that everything you do is because you love me.” He leans forward to kiss Caleb, but Caleb turns away.

“Do I?” He questions what should be obvious, “I’ve been keeping you locked up like a prisoner for five years in this apartment.”

“I don’t mind. I’d do anything for you Caleb.”

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“Are you saying that because you actually feel that way or because I suggested you feel that way?”

Alejandro sighs, “Caleb. It’s been five years. You just got done explaining to that woman that your suggestions aren’t mind control. Whatever suggestions you’ve given me in the past have long since worn off. Now please stop feeling guilty for something that you’re not guilty of. And for the love God please drink some of my blood because you didn’t come for lunch again and you barely ate breakfast.”

Caleb smiles sadly, “You know I don’t deserve you, right?”

“I don’t really give a fuck.” Alejandro retorts before kissing him.

Sophie is starting to find Captain Batting’s office a familiar place. Unfortunately not a comforting one. She sits there with her hands twisted together, her palms feeling sweaty trying hard to not just breakdown and tell Captain the truth. Being on the wrong side of the table isn’t something she’s used to and she finds herself giving sympathy to those criminals, even the guilty ones, for having to face down officers and detectives with such a hard stare like Captain Batting.

“So your report for last night?”

“Hmm…” Sophie takes a deep breath, “he just went to his house.” She lies blatantly and unfortunately badly.

Fredrick gives her who can barely look him in the eye and is visibly sweating a disbelieving stare, “What’s his address?”

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“Umm…” Sophie tries to come up with something, anything, but her mind is unaccustomed to deceit and fails her completely so she just sits there unable to do or say anything.

“Right. So what actually happened?” Captain Batting demands of her.

‘It doesn’t feel right.’ That’s what Sophie thinks. Like at her old precinct when the officer got away scot-free and she had to transfer. It’s not fair. It feels like she’s being pinned to a cork-board like a butterfly to be examined and manipulated. Which is probably how Caleb felt last night when he found that she’d been spying on him. Why doesn’t he deserve privacy? Because he’s a vampire? The thoughts rattle around her brain until she decides what to do with them. She squeezes her fists so tight her knuckles turn white and her small nails dig into her palms.

“Maybe…” Sophie looks up and stares Captain Batting in the eyes, “Maybe it’s none of your business.” Her heart feels like it’s gonna pound out of her chest she’s so nervous, but Fredrick surprises her.

“Okay, you’re right.” He shrugs and she can feel her shoulders fall as she lets go of the breath that she realizes she had been holding. “If that’s all you have to report you can go back to your desk now.” Captain batting dismisses her. On her way out though he adds one more thing, “Miss Free, by the way, I’m glad I was right about you.”

Sophie looks back at him in surprise, “Uh, thank you.” She stammers before hurrying out and going to her desk. Sophie arrives feeling exhausted like she’d gone to battle.

“I’m glad he was right about you too.” Caleb speaks up to her without looking from his computer monitor.