"No, I live and go about my day to day business just like you and I don't destroy lives unlike those who are of full vampiric blood." Mode continued to hold his stance as not to provoke the nervous woman who stood in front of him. “I’d say the victim in your arms might think otherwise if she knew what you’ve done,” Calleigh’s voice wavered as she continued to hold Mode at gunpoint. Mode knew it was now or never he had to play the one card he had been holding onto this entire time. He’d really hoped he wouldn’t have to use it. “Look, Calleigh, the lady is perfectly fine and won’t remember a thing in the morning. I even have a hotel room that I’ll check her into just down the street. That way she’ll be safe until morning. I held my tongue when you rudely accused me of taking your badge and even assisted you in finding it. The woman won't die and tomorrow it will be like nothing ever happened. Is there no way that we could find a way to end this amicably?" Calleigh paused for a moment, still very shaken, but still considering what he’d said. “How will you sneak her in looking like that?” “May I show you?” Mode watched Calleigh’s face. She wrinkled her brows and nodded. At this Mode slowly reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a handkerchief which he used to first wipe the blood from the woman’s neck and then his own mouth. He unbarred his fangs and cradled the woman in his arms so that the marks on her neck did not show. “When I enter the hotel it will merely seem as though she is drunk. Once I know she’s safely in the room I’ll leave through a window and I can tell you exactly which one it will be if you’d like to accompany me. The room is already paid for so she’ll only have to return the key in the morning.” He once again watched for signs that Calleigh may change her mind. At this point Calleigh nodded, “Alright fine I’ll follow you but once you’ve come out of the window you and I will have to talk about this.” Mode nodded, “Alright, this way then.” Mode walked toward the far end of the alleyway and after crossing the street which the alley met he walked a little further down the next alley and then turned down the next street sticking to the shadows as much as he could while making sure Calleigh was still behind him. When they came to the front of the hotel before opening the door Mode did a head motion toward a window on the far end of the building and in a low voice said, “Once I have her settled I’ll be coming out of that window. Thankfully this hotel doesn’t ask too many questions so they won’t find it strange that she’s alone in the morning.” “I see," Calleigh replied heading toward the window Mode had pointed out. 

     It didn’t take Mode long to settle the unconscious woman on the bed and he then lifted the sash of the window and slipped out, closing it behind him. As soon as he was out, he was once again face to face with Calleigh. “Well I think you have some explaining to do Mr. Operandi.” “I guess I do,” Mode replied. “I have no problem explaining what’s going on to you but I’d prefer to do so in a more…private setting if you don’t mind where there’s less chance of us being overheard.” Calleigh thought for a moment, “Well I’m about to be done with my shift. Where are you thinking we should have this talk?” Mode thought for a moment, “How about you meet me at the bookshop?” Calleigh nodded in agreement, “Alright I’ll meet you there within the hour then.” With that the two went their separate ways. 

     Once Mode returned to the bookstore he started a kettle of black tea over the fireplace and went to his desk and sat in the chair behind it leaning back putting his arms behind his head. He had been so careful but all it had taken was missing one feeding and everything he’d worked so hard to hide for the last 300 years was now blown. He thought back to earlier that evening everything had been going well but for some reason as he had been walking with the woman he was with and was in the middle of entrancing her. However, as he’d bared his fangs she’d broken out of the trance and had screamed. The only thing he could think of that could have caused it was that he had lost focus somehow during the process. He had become so starved since he hadn’t fed the month before that when she did so he’d acted much more rashly than he should have and instead had aggressively held her in place to drink from her neck until she had fainted. He held his hands in front of him loathing the monster that slept inside of him. He knew that he could not again skip a time of feeding. The only time these desires had been worse were when his vampiric powers had first awakened. That woman’s scream had been enough to bring Calleigh there. He mused to himself that he was fortunate it had been her. Had it been any other officer he was certain that he would have had a daylight round through his chest already. He balled his fists and pressed them to his eyes for a few minutes before he heard a soft knock at the door.