small steps to happiness

Quinn knew that he needed to make things right. He had made too many bad choices in the past and it caused too much pain. His path was finally clear and set but he still needed to clear a few last things from his conscience before he could move on. with that in mind he typed in the number he never thought he'd call again. changing his mind at the last moment he sent a text instead.
~ Brianna, I'm sorry.~

Quinn put away his phone and look out over the square. there was only about a half hour until their meeting and still no sign of Tijgerian. he walked across the square, startling some of the little 'baby bats' they were playing games in his path. he stepped into Madeleine and spoke with the manager about the room upstairs. He paid in advance for the entire evening and walked up the stairs to wait for her.

Her whole day had been one huge distraction, knowing that he wanted to see her again. What more could he possibly say or do that would make her remember the man he used to be? Rochelle was adamant about her going, she insisted she should. She offered to take Rajat to a movie, telling him that Tij had to work late. She hated being away from Raj so much, but maybe after tonight...things could go back to normal and she could go back to India when she was done on her job.

After leaving the place she was inspecting, she found the Quarter and waited for fifteen minutes. Her mind changed and she decided to take a walk to clear her mind first. Finding a nice place on Bourbon street, she sat at the bar of Pat O'Briens and had a small dinner. She was late but she didn't care, he could wait. Drinking down her Chardonnay, she watched the crowd build. It really was the place to be, even on a weeknight. One chardonnay became two, two became three....then she decided she'd have a shot...or four. Lucky for her, she was a were and burned alcohol off quickly. It was just enough to take the edge off.

Tipping the bartender and paying for her food, she grabbed her phone and began to make her way back to the Quarter. The crowd and noise of the humans walking the streets and going in and out of the different bars were loud. The music was pretty good, the food smelled good too. Cajun cuisine was pretty good, from what she had. She was still in her white button down blouse and grey skirt, walking in heels. She was used to it. Her mind was elsewhere and her guard was lowered from the alcohol.

"Hey there sweet cheeks..." She heard a voice say right before she was pushed hard against the brick of a building. Looking at her attacker, she saw him to be vampire and felt like losing her dinner. They repulsed her to no end. She curled a lip and looked down at his hand on her arm.

"Let.Me.Go.Now." She spoke between clenched teeth. His grip tightened and his fangs dropped, inhaling deeply against her neck.

"You smell...sweeet." His hand glided up her leg and she turned her head to the side as he inhaled against the curve of her neck, pinning her hard against the wall.

"I'm warning you asshole..."

Quinn growled low. She was late. He sighed....at least some things don't change. He walked out of the Cafe and started tracing the path from the Square back toward the edge of the quarter. He decided to cut through Bourbon Street to save time. He was walking by Pat O'Brien's and caught her scent. It was fresh, but fading. They must have crossed paths. He began following her scent and it did not take long for him to find her. She was in an alley and was in bad company. He saw the vampire and growled.

"You have about half a second to let....oh fuck it."

He stormed over and grabbed the vampire by the back of his head, ripping the creature away from Tijgerian. He growled as his eyes flickered, staring into the vampire's eyes. He turned around and slammed the vampire into the far wall of the alley. He grinned as the vampire's skull crushed with a satisfying 'pop'. He threw the vampire over a fenced area at the end of the alley and returned to Tijgerian. He lifted her chin, looking in her eyes, his own eyes swirling but slowly returning to normal.

"Are you alright?"

She was about to knee the son of a bitch when she heard his voice. "I have this under con--" Her words were interrupted by his own threats to the leech. She pushed against his hold and suddenly it gave and there was slack as she pushed forward. She realized John had grabbed him and pulled him off of her. The one night she decided to have a few drinks and let her guard down...now he was playing hero and she was damsel in distress. She was far from a helpless damsel. The first few buttons of her blouse had been plucked off by the bloodsucker, her bra was slightly showing. She fixed her shirt as she watched John toss the vampire around like he was a piece of lint. Her eyes widened slightly and she looked from the vampire to John.

She leaned back against the wall to gather herself and the next thing she knew, he was in front of her lifting her chin. She jerked her head away from him and stood up straighter. "I'm fine."

He smiled. Defiant as always. He would not want her to be any other way.

"You were late for our meeting, so I decided to take a walk. Looks like I picked the right path."

He let his hand fall, looking over her outfit and smiling. He stepped back, turning on a faucet and rinsing the blood off his hand, then walked back to where she was. He stood in front of her and grinned. He took her by the elbow and began guiding her from the alley.

"Hanging around a bloody scene would probably not be a smart thing, even in this town."

She watched his movements and saw where his eyes drifted to, narrowing her eyes at him. She pulled her blouse closed and shook her hair out, straightening her back out. Next, he was grabbing her by the elbow and leading her out of the alley. "Hey! Let me go. I can walk by myself thank you very much." She jerked her arm free and stumbled a bit. "John Quinn do not treat me like some little girl who cannot protect herself, I am not one of your vampire prissy girls. I am all woman, and I will be treated as such." She said defiantly and shocked herself, not knowing where the hell that came from.

He threw back his head, laughing.

"Of course, Tijgerian. I would never make that mistake. You are a woman, and so much more. I was simply making a point. It makes no sense to bother with different routes to the Cafe, so we will walk there together."

She glared at his laughter, her words coming out sharply. "I am glad I humor you, John." She walked past him and folded her arms across her chest. All her anger came out and she lost it as she spoke aloud, walking in front of him.

"Vampires think they are some kind of superior damn race, that everyone else is merely food and beneath them. How ridiculous that you cannot even walk alone without being attacked by one. And you keep their company! I will never understand you."

She stopped short and spun around to look at him, knowing he was following her. "She accused me of stealing you! Like you were some kind of prize! Did you break up with her just because I came to town? Is that it!?"

He watched as she turned to face him. He listened as she spoke and waited a moment before responding.

"Well if I knew who you were talking about, it might help. Can you describe her? Never mind, it does not matter. No, I am not with any vampires and have been actively distancing myself from them for some time. The recent dramas in Bon Temps not withstanding, I have been attempting to remove them entirely from my life, business included."

He paused to think...it has to be Brianna....Jessica understood how things worked..and had James. Brianna had her pet human, so why was she trying to bring drama into his life?

"I do not know what occurred but I promise you that I did not leave anyone just because of your returning to my life. As for keeping them in company, that is not even close to my intent. Unfortunately it is hard to find anywhere in America that they have not infected."

She sighed hard and shook her head. "That's just it John..I feel like since I have come back into your life, you are doing everything you can to please me...I don't need smoke screens. Business dealings are one thing, but to bring one into your bed..." She looked away from him and turned her back to him, starting to walk towards the area of the cafe again. She listened to what he had to say and continued to walk, her arms folded firmly across her chest. Part of her just wanted to leave, but she said she'd meet him and she did not go back on her word. That was not her.

The cobblestones of the French Quarter were not her usual type of paths and her anger caused her to walk harder than she normally did. She stepped into a small hole and her foot twisted, her heel on her right foot cracking in half. She cursed aloud and tourists and others walking by turned to look at her. She grabbed her shoes and took them off, not giving a damn. When she saw the building he mentioned, she turned to him. "Is this your damn meeting place? I rather not have all of New Orleans hear our conversation." She huffed a bit, frustrated.

He suppressed a chuckle when her heel broke. She obviously did not know how to dress for this town. He nodded when she asked about the Cafe.

"The upstairs conference room is set aside for us...and fairly soundproof."

He smiled and followed her into the Cafe. As they walked up the stairs, he slowed down, enjoying the view. He pulled the door shut behind them and locked it to prevent interruptions.

"Now...to start things off, your impression is false. The process has been slow, but it has been in motion for a few years now. You just came into the area at the time that things were coming to a close. Enough talk of the cold ones...perhaps we can find something more pleasant to discuss."

She tossed her shoes aside in the conference room and walked around, looking at the place. It would be nice to hold meetings here, large enough for briefings. Her mind was on business and barely listening to what he said until she turned to see him watching her. She moved over to a table and pulled herself up, crossing her leg over the other. Her skirt rose a little higher on her thighs and she folded her arms across her chest, looking across the room at him.

"And what is it that you'd like to discuss, John? Your travels with Rajat and I? What do you think we're some big happy family?"

He watched her climb onto the table, grinning when her skirt rose up a bit more. He walked closer and grinned.

"Actually, I have to ask...how the hell did a vampire get the drop on you back there? I know you had to have smelled him at half a block. Were you that distracted about being late?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and looked away briefly at his question. "I was distracted and I had a few." She shrugged. "I would have handled the situation myself had you not shown up. Disgusting maggot has to force things on women, obviously he cannot get it for himself." She despised vampires, had she mentioned that? Unless they were doing business and acting like normal human beings, she viewed them as waste of space and air.

"And I liked this blouse. Damn it. Do they have a bar here?" She looked over at him and asked as if she had not a worry in the world.

He walked close to her and looked in her eyes.

"Of course you would have, Tijgerian, but I happened to come across you at the right time. The little leech was not worth dirtying your hands on. I think I can safely say he will not be a problem for anyone again."

He chuckled when she asked about the bar.

"Of course, Tij. The Madeline is the only place in town you can find Singha. I asked the manager to have some on ice up here."

He motioned to the bucket in the corner of the room.

She looked over at the far table with Singha on ice. It was a beer from her home lands and much stronger than this American crap they served here. She slid her body off the table as he spoke and moved to get one. She opened him one and tossed it to him, watching as he caught it. She grinned and grabbed her own, pressing it to her lips and tilting it to take a large swig. She looked down at the floor as she walked around a table. For reasons unknown to her brain, she spoke and asked,

"Why vampires...I mean, if you prefer to press your body up to something cold and...stiff." She shrugged. "Whatever, I won't judge. I've had my hand in a pot full of what the fuck was I thinkings..." She was silent for a moment before she looked up at him. "This vampire thing may always be an issue, but you should tell your brunette piece of ass she has no idea who she's dealing with. For the record, of course."

She downed another large swig and moved over to the window over looking the Quarter. She looked down at the walking people, watching their interactions. She scoffed, seeing a couple kissing near the Jackson Monument. "I sought out a mate to ensure my bloodline would not falter from the constant poaching and vampire attacks. I was not expecting some long term commitment from you, and I stressed that." She turned to look at him. "I'm no good for anyone John. I'm closed off and have built walls for so many years, it's pointless to even try. So save yourself and me some time and just move on with your life, okay." She drank the rest of her beer and set the bottle down, passing him and walking towards the door.

He watched as she turned, trying to leave. He threw his bottle, shattering it on the door. He stormed up to her and pressed her against the wall. He inhaled her scent, letting his mind swim with it.

"I am not making the same mistakes again, Tijgerian. I am not letting you walk away on me. You deserve someone to fight for you, even if it is you I have to fight to make it happen."

He locked her eyes with his own, his face inches from hers, his breathing even, but deep. He did not bother hiding the hunger in his eyes. That little game with the vampire had woken his beast and he intended to feed into it. He moved closer, their lips almost touching, but stopped there, looking in her eyes.

She was stopped in her tracks when the bottle shattered against the door she almost grabbed. She turned to see him stalking towards her, grabbing her arms and pressing her to the wall roughly. Her first reaction was to snarl at him and do great bodily harm to him until he began to speak. Her fists balled tightly at her sides as he inched closer and closer to her. Her breathing accelerated and she looked into his eyes, seeing so much dominance there. Something seemed to dramatically change in this man in the last week...something she had missed. That dormant piece of beast within him had awoken and was now staring her in the eyes. The alpha she remembered, the man she made a child with. John Quinn.

His lips barely brushed hers and her jaw tightened, looking into his eyes. For once, she was speechless. She also couldn't move and she didn't want to. "What is it you want from me John...I have nothing left to offer you." Had he gone through so much heartache that she was his last hope? The thought alone angered her, but she didn't let it show. Instead, she continued to look into his eyes, waiting to hear his request.

Quinn reached up, ripping her shirt away, growling while keeping her eyes locked with his. He saw a look of annoyance flash in her eyes and she started to protest. He touched his fingers to her lips and spoke firmly.

"Just shut up and listen to your heart, Tijgerian."

He crushed her lips with his own, letting his arms coil around her body.

She growled in annoyance when he ripped her shirt off. She liked that shirt and what the hell did he think he was doing? Now she was just another piece of ass to him? She went to protest but was cut short by his finger on her lips. His dominant voice shut her up and she grinned. Be it the alcohol or the attraction to his dominant side, she reluctantly did as he said and shut up. His lips crashed against hers and she pulled the vest he wore apart, pushing it off his shoulders as she kissed him back. This time he wasn't stopping it, which shocked her and made her wonder why. It had been a long time since she bedded another man and an even longer time since she was in this situation with John. Her body reacted and betrayed her, no longer able to hide behind her wall she built up. She felt exposed, vulnerable. She hated that feeling.

Her hands moved up his shoulders and around his neck as she kissed him. Her own dominant side awoke and she grabbed his shirt and spun them so his back was now against the wall. A grin on her face as she broke the kiss and stepped back from him, wiping her smeared lipstick from her cheek. "I thought I said I liked that blouse." She narrowed her eyes at him and watched his movements.

As she stepped back, he followed, grabbing her and pushing her back until she was pinned against the table. He lifted her onto it and smirked.

"I'll buy you another one."

He leaned in, lowering his face to her skin, drinking in her scent and growling low as he gripped her hips. His hunger was obvious, but there was also a playfulness in his eyes. He nipped at her skin and looked back up at her, the smirk still on his face. He slid his hands up her thighs, swatting away her hands when she moved to stop him. He pressed her back, laying her down on the table, his hands followed her body down, grazing his nails across her skin and grinning when her back arched.

"Quit being so stubborn and I'll show you what I want, Sevti."

She was enjoying this game, but part of her hesitated to let her guard fully down. When he used her secret nickname he had given her so many years ago, her breath caught. Along with the sensations his nails gave as they drug across her skin. Her back arching slightly under his touches, caresses and his lips against her skin. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer to her, raising up slightly so she could look him in the eyes. She grinned and lifted her right leg so that her foot rested against his chest. She opened her mouth slightly and pressed her tongue to her top teeth, a playful look on her face. Pushing her foot against his chest to cause him to stumble back, she walked him back against the wall and looked into his eyes. She slipped her tongue out to wet her lips and looked at his chest, the form fitting shirt he wore and her eyes continued to scan his body. Meeting his eyes again, she stepped closer and cupped his hardened crotch and grinned.

"I will hold you to that, John." Her other hand went to his chest, sliding down until her fingers hooked into his waistband. "I remember you stopping this a few nights ago....why now?" She tilted her head and rubbed her palm against the bulge in his pants, enticing and teasing him. Oh yes, she was enjoying this game, much more than she should.

Quinn grinned as she pushed him back and teased him. He let his hands fall to her hips and found the zipper on her skirt. He grinned at her and slowly kissed his way down her body as he unzipped her skirt, letting it drop from her body. As he rose, he growled softly, running his hands up her thighs he unfastened the garters and moved further up her body. He locked eyes with her again grinning.

"Simple, I was being stupid the other night. That's a mistake I do not intend to repeat."

He growled deeply, the challenge in his eyes as he circled her, slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

She cocked a brow when he unzipped her skirt, letting it fall to pool at her feet. Her mind was screaming for her to run, and run fast. This was going to lead to her own heartache and she knew it, he was trouble...he was vampire trouble. Unfortunately, she was mellow from the alcohol and ignored the persistent voice inside her head. Feeling his hands move slowly down her legs as he slid her stockings off, she watched him intrigued. She stood before him in her black lace bra and boy shorts, her hands on her hips as he spoke. She scoffed and shook her head, watching him circle her, unbuttoning his own shirt.

She grinned and crouched low, sweeping her leg against his to bring him down. She quickly moved to straddle him and grinned. Moving her hips slowly against him, she finished unbuttoning his shirt and moved her hands over his bare chest. "I suppose I should show you how much better the warm blooded could be..." She said sarcastically, knowing that would get him riled up.

He laughed when she swept his feet. Tucking, he fell to her back. When she stradled him, he grinned at her. Listening to her words, he smirked. He reached up and ripped away her bra, exposing more of her. As his hands dropped, he looked in her eyes, growling a deep challenge.

"Talking is over-rated, Sevti."

He slipped his fingers under her waistband, tugging it down a bit at a time, loving every moment of their game. Without warning, he grabbed her, pulling her to him and rolled, straddling her body and grinning down at her. He reached back and began pulling off the last of her clothing, smirking. Once her clothing was gone, he slid his hand between her legs, feeling how exited she already was. He used his fingertips and nails to tease her mercilessly.