"Alexandre."

Captain must be hungry...

Alexandre gave a quiet sigh of breath and bared his neck. The teeth he had been expecting slowly began skimming along his skin, making his body arch slightly in response. The captain had never gone as far as to bed him, so, surprisingly, he was comfortable showing a little appreciation. Besides, he could have easily harmed him or used his body for his own pleasure each time he'd fed, but he never had.

"The captain has made you quite obedient, Alex."

James never spoke that way...

Feeling firm hands skim along his side, Alexandre gently reached up and wrapped his arms around the man's neck, wanting to urge him down to drink so that he could get back to resting.

"Bite, please... very tired."

When he heard a deep chuckle his eyes inwardly rolled, but as soon as the man began to bite down Alexandre's body relaxed, eager to get back to sleep. However, the familiar sensation of being drunk from never came... and when James spoke again, he finally pushed through is sleep-clouded mind and realized that it wasn't his voice.

"You are well trained by that demon."

His eyes snapped open immediately as a breath hitched in his throat.

"W-Wallace?"

Alexandre should have been worried about how he had gotten into the man's bed chambers and why he was naked atop him, but his main thought went directly to something completely different.

"Why do you have me unchained?"

His brow raised as Alexandre began struggling to get away. He needed to get himself tied up! He couldn't be free around humans.

"Calm down, will you? I told you I could handle your vampire."

Alexandre stopped struggling against him but his mind was still panicking, his breath coming in quiet pants.

"Captain, I cannot be free!"

His head tilted slightly, not exactly looking afraid... or even amused, really.

"Are you hungry?"

"...no."

"Are you going to attack me?"

"Of course I am not!"

"Well then..."

Wallace reached between Alexandre's legs and grabbed his thighs, spreading them wide.

W-what... 

"What is it now, Alexandre? May I not enjoy myself with such a beautiful body in my bed this night?"

Alexandre's face burned, making the man leaning over him smile with interest.

"You blush quite easily, love. How many times has that pirate of yours bedded you?"

"...he has done no such thing."

Wallace's eyes widened, then narrowed, a flash of annoyance moving across his face.

"You sound almost defensive of that murderer," he whispered as he moved his right hand toward Alexandre's face. His thumb began to rub along his cheek before his fingers delved back into his tangled hair that was resting atop silken pillows.

"I would never defend such a man." He'd intended to yell his words, but they came out sounding quite meek. 

Wallace's smile widened slightly, then vanished as he spoke.

"Good. Now then, the trial is in five hours, but I am hungry now... let your captain enjoy himself beforehand?"

His hands roamed back over Alexandre's thighs and around to his backside, then squeezed, hard.

"I-I would not deny my captain anything he wishes..."

"Up, Alex! The trial begins in twenty minutes."

Alexandre jumped out of bed, and promptly dropped to the floor as an ache in his backside throbbed. Wallace yanked him to his feet with a satisfied look on his face, making Alexandre scowl.

"Oh do not pout, one day I may let you have me."

Before he could respond to him Alexandre had several articles of clothing thrown at him, along with a command.

"Get dressed."

There wasn't much to do besides what he was told, and pretty soon they were striding through the corridors leading out into the bright morning sun.

Wait a moment...

His head whipped towards Wallace as he calmly walked besides him, both of them adorned in dark blue and gold navy uniforms. The only difference between their dress were Wallace's medals, weapon, and tricorne.

"Are you going to have the trial right now?"

It was extremely bright outside... 

Wallace lazily glanced sideways at him, as if he was bothering him with a obvious question. 

"Yes?" 

"But they are vampires. The sun bothers them greatly." 

They walked down a long isle surrounded by hundreds of seats on either side. This was the Royal Court, and even though the judge and defendants were not present yet, most of the closer seats were already filled. A large stage was set up just to the side of the judge's podium, two nooses already strung and waiting for the next unfortunate soul to be convicted.

Next to that? Likely what would end James and Desden's lives today... the guillotine. Besides holy water, it was the only easy way to dismiss a vampire from this world, and it was stained with the blood of many previously-slain ones.

""Do you not think it is fair? After everything they had done to you and your crew, I believe a slightly uncomfortable stint in the sun is perfectly appropriate." 

Alexandre inwardly sighed but knew he would not get anywhere with the man. He was right though, the captain did not deserve special treatment, and it was true that most trials were indeed held early in the morning as to escape the mid-day sun. 

"Pardon my mistaken thoughts, Captain Wallace. I agree with your decision." 

Wallace gave him a curt nod before taking his elbow and leading him to stand in front of one of several desks at the front of the gathering.

"Stay until I come for you."

He was just turning away when he spun back around on the heels of his boots. "Do you need any blood?"

Alexandre quickly shook his head, surprisingly still sated from feeding off of him the previous night. Wallace gave a curt nod and quickly disappeared into the growing crowd that was now beginning to fill in everywhere they could manage, even though it was soon just standing room.

Hmm, everyone must always be present for such a gruesome execution.

Alexandre abruptly shook his head, clearing the image of James smiling down at him from his thoughts.

I will not stand by you! You are the reason I am now a monster and I will rid the earth of my harmful self, too, as soon as you are gone.

Please do not say such things, Alexandre...

His body startled as that soft voice trickled through his thoughts.

"Get out of my head..." 

Is Wallace allowing you to keep your life if you testify against us?

Alexandre tried to ignore him, but for some reason his question felt like one he was not allowed to leave without a response.

Yes... but I do not wish to keep it once your head rolls.

His eyes slowly opened to see James standing tall on the podium before him, his first mate silent and unmoving only a foot behind him. He had not even realized his eyes had drifted shut or that his head had tilted up so that their eyes met the moment they opened.

"I will die as soon as I witness your death." 

As he spoke Alexandre allowed his eyes one final look at the man who had kept him hostage and tortured his crew and himself for weeks. Even though his skin was pale and he obviously needed blood, he still stood like any other captain who believed in what he was doing... what he had done.

"You have no remorse for any of it. You will burn in hell for the deeds you have inflicted upon innocent lives."

".....Innocence is in the eye of the beholder, my love."

Before Alexandre could think of a response a sadistic grin spread along James' pale lips and he began to slowly walk towards the guillotine.

"Dear humans..."

The crowd suddenly got so quiet that even the slightest gasp of breath could be heard amongst the hundreds gathered.

"...I shall not repent for any sin I have committed in your eyes."

He slowed as he came to the edge of the stage, then nimbly leaped the small gap onto the hanging platform, managing it even with his hands bound in irons in front of him.

"...because you see. Throughout my many years, I have seen humans commit so many vile acts that my own, while malicious in intent, could never quite reach the level of magnitude that your kind has managed to achieve."

There was a long rift of boo's from the audience but it immediately silenced as the captain took another short leap and landed quietly on the guillotine platform. As his boots strode towards the deadly device Alexandre felt his heart stumble in his empty chest. When James finally stopped he had his eyes locked onto his with something that looked almost like... regret, dancing within his irises.

James?

I hope Wallace keeps the promise he made to you, love. I apologize for what I have done to you... but only you. You are the only human, in my eyes, that is not a monster.

Alexandre wanted to argue that he had made him into the monster, but the words refused to form on his tongue.

Good bye, Alexandre.

"W-wai—"

Fire erupted from the stage, engulfing several people as it began to swiftly spread toward the screaming crowd.

"No!"

His mind immediately reached for the energy inside of himself, pulling it out with fervor as he began to spread a barrier among those closest to him.

It's not enough!

As he looked around, Alexandre tried to focus harder... tried to get more people under his meager protection, but he just couldn't manage anymore. The fire rampaged around them for several long minutes before it finally began to lower in strength. When he allowed his barrier to fall, the thirty or so humans he had been able to keep from the flames ran, stumbling over body after body after body after... after...

Red.

Everything was red in his eyes.

"I... hate you."

The world blurred around him, colors mixing and becoming one story that he somehow navigated. A trail he somehow followed...

Jame's face...

The port...

The distance closing between them with remarkable speed...

"James!" 

His senses rushed back as he slammed into the vampire, their bodies crashing into the weather-worn planks in the middle of the long shipping dock. Several of the pieces of wood splintered and went flying into the water as they skidded along the planks, leaving them separated from the soldiers beginning to gather with rifles and holy water in hand.

James stumbled slightly as he focused on getting to his feet only yards away, discarding what little remained of the shackles he'd burned off of his wrists.

"You are fast, love." 

"Don't you dare call me such a thing! You do not deserve to call anyone that." 

James' head slowly bowed, eyes closing for one second before he smiled. 

"You know nothing, Alexandre." 

James' words made him tremble with anger.

"You are a murderer! You just killed hundreds of people, and for what reason?"

Without waiting for a response, Alexandre lunged, tired of hearing excuses that made no sense to a logical mind.

"You are a monster who cares for no one but himself! You could have escaped without killing all of those people!"

When James didn't try to dodge they collided again, but this time they flew off the edge of the dock and into an angry ocean. The water was frigid but that didn't bother him... what did, though, was that even as he struggled, his vampiric strength was doing nothing to see him back to the surface.

"Alexandre!" 

"Alexandre, wake up!" 

Someone seemed panicked. What was there to panic over?

"Love?"

A sudden urge to vomit made him gag, then cough up several large mouthfuls of salty seawater.

James' arms were tightly wrapped around his chest from behind as he heaved, but every few moments he would feel himself being jerked backward with a grunt that forced him to expel more water.

"James...?"

Why had he even saved me?

"I am still going to kill you."

James' breathing caught his attention as he coughed.

Panting? Had he swallowed seawater as well?

"No, love. I can swim."

Alexandre scowled and turned, but James wouldn't let him out of his arms as he was hugged against the man's chest. His mind was screaming at him to attack, to finish him while he was obviously weak, but as James leaned forward Alexandre found his body unable to move... and his mouth unable to form a single word as James' covered it.

The kiss ended nearly as soon as it had begun.

"I am afraid that this is where I must say goodbye to you, Alexandre. I truly hope that our paths never cross again."

Before Alexandre could even blink, James was gone, leaving behind a spreading pool of dark blood on the small portion of undamaged dock that remained.