"Where do you want to go stay?" Kaylee asked after Vanessa and Faith were dressed. Kayleb was still gone dealing with the sub demons. Vanessa looked down at her daughter and then up at Kaylee.

"I don't know." she replied honestly. Her parents had died when she was eighteen in a car accident and she was an only child. If she had aunts, uncles and cousins she didn't know them.

"We could go stay the night with daddy." Faith said brightly. Kaylee noticed the look of dread that passed over Vanessa's face and she was happy to see it. If Vanessa was Kayleb's mate, Kaylee did not want another man to be standing in his way because she already knew he would stand in his own way just fine.

"No baby, your daddy is busy." Vanessa replied.

"The station can put you in a motel until we get your house clean." Kaylee replied as she ran her hand through her shoulder length, curly red hair and smiled.

"Okay." Vanessa bit her lip and leaned closer to Kaylee so she could whisper without Faith overhearing her. "Do you think he'll come after us?"

"I don't think so. We've never had survivors before so we can't promise you that he won't but I'll make sure there is an officer stationed outside your door tonight just in case."

"Okay." Vanessa replied. Kaylee looked behind her.

"Tyler!" she called loudly. A young male officer dressed in uniform stood up straight.

"Yes ma'am?" he said respectfully, bringing snickers from some of the other officers.

"Relax Tyler." Kaylee said with a smile. "Can you carry their suitcases out to their car?" Tyler nodded and quickly grabbed the suitcases and walked out the door with them. "That boy is in love with me. I could tell him to go clean the bathroom with his tongue and he'd probably run and do it with a smile." Kaylee said and Faith made a face as she stuck out her tongue.

"Yuck! That's icky." Vanessa nodded in agreement. Kaylee just laughed lightly.

"That's men. If they like you good enough they'll do just about anything." Vanessa shook her head and gave a sarcastic laugh.

"Well I've never had that luxury." she said. Kaylee shrugged and led them to the door.

"There's still plenty of time to find it."

"I don't want it." Vanessa replied matter of factly as she opened her car door to let Faith in and Faith giggled as Scout climbed over.

"Why?" Kaylee asked as she opened the passenger door. She had decided to ride in their car with them and then just dash back to the station.

"I was married once and learned that men let you down. I can take care of my daughter just fine on my own and I don't need another man ever." Kaylee nodded and then pulled out her cell phone and called the motel to make sure they had a room she was happy with. She thought about her brother as she made her phone call.

Kayleb had never once talked about wanting to find his mate but Kaylee knew that he needed a mate to make him appreciate life. Her brother never acted truly happy and having a mate and falling in love could change that. But if Vanessa refused to give Kayleb a chance then her brother would be more miserable than ever because he would need to have her around and she wouldn't be there.

Vanessa looked around the tiny motel room and sighed. It sure wasn't home sweet home but then again home would never feel like home sweet home again after what had happened there.

"There's a patch of grass in the back that they said you could use for the dog to go to the bathroom." Kaylee said looking around the room. She checked the closets and bathroom and found them all empty. "Before dusk there will be an officer out here to stand guard at the door just in case but I doubt you'll have any more trouble out of the vamp. I'm sure he's already moved on to someone else."

"Thank you." Vanessa said as she and Faith sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Here's my cell number in case you need anything." Kaylee laid a piece of paper on the nightstand. "And here is your gun. I reloaded it for you." Kaylee pulled the black pistol from the waistband of her pants and handed it to Vanessa who held the reassuring weight of it in her hands for several seconds before setting it down on the nightstand.

"Thank you. You have been wonderful." Kaylee shrugged as she opened the door.

"Just doing my job." she replied with a smile. "You two take care of yourselves." she added and then she walked out and shut the door.

"Mommy, I'm bored." Faith said with a whine. Vanessa smiled down at her but inside she agreed with her daughter. She was bored too.

"Let's see if we can find some cartoons." she said picking up the sticky remote control.

***

"Here." Kayleb said handing Kaylee a big canvas bag. Kaylee looked inside the bag and saw that it was full of paper, crayons, dolls, books and even a small princess tea set. She looked up at her brother and raised her brow.

"I'm a little too old for tea parties but thank you." Kayleb snorted with irritation and shook his head.

"There for that girl... uh.. Fannie? Farrah?"

"Faith?" Kaylee suggested and Kayleb nodded.

"Yeah her." he replied. "I figure a kid would get pretty bored in a motel room without toys." Kaylee pulled out a romance novel and laughed.

"I think this is a bit old for the girl. She's only five."

"That's for the apple woman."

"Vanessa?"

"Yeah sure, her." he mumbled. When he had been at her house he had noticed several books like the one he had bought for her lying around and so he figured she liked them.

"You aren't turning into a big softie on me are you?" she teased. She knew what was bringing this caretaker instinct out of her brother. He was drawn to this woman and her child even if he didn't understand why yet.

"Shut-up." Kayleb said while shaking his head. "I'm off the clock, I'm heading back to the house. I need a shower." He said looking down at the sub demon blood and gore covering his clothes.

"Did you go to the store looking like that?" Kaylee asked. Kayleb looked down at his stained jeans and his ripped, bloody t-shirt and nodded.

"Yep. I got through the line quick too because nobody wanted to be around me. Sub demon guts stink." Kaylee wrinkled her nose.

"I noticed." she said. "Go home and get cleaned up and then I need you to stake out the motel tonight and make sure that vamp doesn't come back at Vanessa and Faith."

"Nope." Kayleb said with a quick shake of his head. "I am done. I played errand boy today. I went through women's underwear which is not as fun as it sounds, I had to stop ten sub demons by myself, because you know how mortals run screaming away from them, and let me tell you sub demons taste like sewage. I went to the store and bought tea party supplies and a romance novel and had the cashier look at me like I was some kind of sexual predator... I am done for the day."

"Kayleb..." Kayleb covered her mouth with his hand and she nearly gagged at the smell of sub demons.

"I am going home. I'll be in in the morning." he repeated and then he removed his hand, the air shimmered and he was gone.

Kaylee cursed under her breath and looked out the window. It would be getting dark soon.

"Kaylee." Chief Michael's called from his office door.

"Yes sir?" she asked.

"You have patrol duty over in Haggerty tonight. We've had reports of some young wolves vandalizing property over there."

"I have something else I needed to do." Kaylee replied thinking of Vanessa and Faith. Chief Michael's shrugged.

"Not anymore you don't. I suggest you go downstairs and try to get an hour of sleep because you're going to have a full night tonight." Chief Michael's closed his office door and left the station. Kaylee looked around the nearly empty office. Only a skeleton crew stayed on at night. She had to find someone to watch the motel tonight but who?

"I need help." she mumbled as she flopped down at her desk. Tyler walked over and cleared his throat to get her attention. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Hi Tyler." she said.

"Hi ma'am." he replied. She rolled her eyes.

"Kaylee."

"Hi Kaylee." he amended and she swore that he blushed just a little. "I heard you telling Kayleb about that woman and child and I heard the Chief say you were going to be busy tonight so I'll help you out. I'll go to the motel for you."

"Are you sure?" Kaylee asked. She knew the young rookie wouldn't be any match for the vampire but he could radio her at any sign of trouble and she could dash there in seconds.

"Of course I'm sure. I really like you." He admitted and then his cheeks turned blood red and he shifted his feet. Kaylee smiled and stood up before patting him on the shoulder.

"That's sweet, Tyler, and I think I'll take you up on your offer to watch the motel but I've told you before that I don't date." She had made the decision a long time ago not to date anyone until she found her mate. What was the point in getting attached to someone she would have to walk away from?

Tyler stuttered but couldn't seem to say anything so she handed him the bag.

"Give this to Vanessa and Faith and let them know that you'll be out front keeping an eye out. If you see anything even remotely suspicious you radio me and I'll dash there right away okay?" Tyler nodded and Kaylee walked away toward the back stairs to go down and get a little rest before going on patrol. She cursed Kayleb for being able to tell the boss to go to hell and do what he wanted... That was a talent that she had never mastered.

***

"Yay, I have toys!" Faith said as she poured the bag out on the bed. Vanessa assumed that Kaylee had gotten them these things and she made mental note to tell her thank you whenever she saw her again as she picked up the romance novel and sat down in the small, uncomfortable chair in the corner.

She pulled the curtain aside and cast a nervous glance at the darkness outside. She could see the young officer, Tyler leaned against the wall beside the door to their room and then looked over at the gun that was sitting on the table within grabbing distance.

She didn't know if the vamp would hunt them down but she was going to be ready if he did. She read her book for a while. It was a romance about a werewolf finding a mortal mate and like always in romance novels, sparks flew. Vanessa didn't understand that. She knew that most immortals were good and she liked them well enough but if she ever had one claiming to be her mate she would probably kill him on the spot. There was no way she would ever be mated or fall in love with something that wasn't even human.

She stood up and walked to the bathroom, grabbing the gun as she went. She closed the bathroom door and as she sat on the toilet she thought about her job at the hospital. She had called this morning to tell them she wouldn't be there and her boss had told her to take all the time she needed but she knew she had to get back to work soon.

Steven certainly wasn't going to help put food in Faith's stomach or clothes on her back. Hell he didn't even do any of those things for himself. Every dime he ever got his hands on went toward a fix.

Vanessa was just standing back up when she heard Faith talking out in the room and smiled. Faith liked to have tea parties with imaginary kings and queens. The girl had a great imagination.

"We're close to the cop station daddy and there is an eight on the sign." Vanessa's heart dropped into her stomach and she ran from the bathroom.

"Who are you talking to?" she demanded. Faith's eyes widened and she bit her lip nervously.

"Daddy. He says he wants to come see me." Vanessa held her hand out.

"Give me the phone." she said sternly and Faith quickly put the phone in her mother's hand and covered her head with pink blankie.

"Steven?'

"How dare you not tell me that this was going on!" Steven's angry voice came over the line. "I'm her father, I have a right to know when she's in danger."

"I took care of her Steven and I will continue to take care of her. Just like I always have."

"The way you took care of Matthew?" Steven sneered and Vanessa felt her heart break at the mention of her son's name.

"You don't need to worry about her." she said, working hard to keep the hurt out of her voice.

"I'm come to see my daughter." he replied and Vanessa could hear the slur in his voice. He was either drunk or high or both.

"No you're not." she said firmly.

"Yes I am. You're at the Super 8 on route two and I'm on my way there." He hung up and Vanessa sat the phone down on the receiver and closed her eyes.

She would rather have that bloodthirsty psychopathic vampire walk through that motel room door than her drug addicted, woe as me, always the victim, ex husband.