All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire
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"Of course we did." Toni gave her a hug. "We've been worried about you." "You're looking good, menina." Carlos hugged her, then sat across from her at the table. Toni sat next to her. "How have you been?" "I'm okay." Bri held up her arm to show them the blue plastic ID band around her wrist. "I got
promoted to blue today. I'm so glad not to be yellow anymore." "What's wrong with yellow?" Toni asked. "It's for suicidal patients." Bri selected a green crayon from the bin. "Not that I was suicidal." Toni swallowed hard. "That's good," she whispered. "They just put everyone on suicide watch when they first get here," Bri explained. "I wonder why," Carlos muttered as he glanced around the bleak room. "I was so lonely," Bri continued. "I had to eat all my meals alone, and I had to sit here by myself
when the others went to the gym." "Hi, Sabrina." They turned to see Teddy shuffling into the room. He cricked his head to the side. "You have visitors?" "Teddy!" Bradley marched toward him. "How many times do I have to tell you to stay in the
men's rec room?" "Okay." Teddy wandered back down the hall. "Crazy moron," Bradley muttered as he followed.
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"I'm not crazy," Teddy protested.
Sabrina went back to coloring as if everything was normal. "I met Teddy at lunch today. I think he's lonesome. No one ever comes to visit him." She smiled at Toni. "I'm glad you came." I will not cry. Toni smiled back. "I'm glad, too." "Teddy's not crazy," Bri whispered. "He's just very sad. He was in a car accident with his
girlfriend, and she died. He was driving, so he feels guilty."
Toni nodded. "It's terrible to feel like you've failed someone you love." And God help her, she was going to fail Sabrina if she didn't get her out of this place. "We want to get you back home." "I'm trying to get better. I'm having delusions." "You're not delusional," Toni insisted. "I have to admit it if I'm going to get better. That's what my therapist says. Anyway, lots of
people here are delusional." Bri smiled. "Even some of the guards. Last night, they said there was a giant black cat running around the courtyard."
Toni glanced at Carlos, but his face remained blank. Bri took a purple crayon from the bin. "I have to color Jasmine's hair purple. They took all the black crayons away 'cause they were too depressing."
Toni stifled an urge to scream. How could anyone stay at this place and not get depressed? "Bri, I did what you asked. I went to Central Park to see if any vampires would come and attack me."
Bri shook her head while she colored. "Vampires aren't real." "You're right," Carlos said quickly, then gave Toni a pointed look when she started to interrupt. "You should tell your uncle that you made a mistake. You were simply traumatized by the attack. But you're all better now, and he should let you out of here."
Toni knew that strategy wouldn't work. Bri would need her uncle's okay in order to be released,
and he would never give it. Bri dropped the purple crayon back into the bin. "Uncle Joe wants me to stay here until they get the right combination of meds for me. It might take a few weeks."
Or forever, Toni thought wryly. As long as Uncle Joe was in charge of Bri's future, she would
have none. Toni had wanted to help Bri by proving the existence of vampires, but so far, she'd failed to come up with any proof. And now she doubted Uncle Joe would acknowledge any proof. It simply wasn't in his best interest to ever let Bri out of this hospital.
A sense of panic grew in Toni as the minutes ticked by. Carlos asked mundane questions like what they'd eaten for supper. Toni was finding it hard to even breathe. "Would you like to have this picture?" Bri asked as she finished coloring. "Yes." Toni forced a smile. Nurse Bradley strode toward them. "Visiting hours are over," he announced.
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"Tomorrow we're making Christmas stockings and putting up a tree." Bri handed the picture to
Toni. "Can you come back?" "Of course. I mean, I'll try." Toni was afraid Uncle Joe would deny her access once he saw her name on the visitor sign-in sheet.
"Let's go." Bradley motioned impatiently.
The couple in the corner separated. The husband headed down the hall. The woman sank into her chair and silently began to cry. "This way, please." Bradley glared at them. Toni hugged her friend, then quickly walked away before Bri could see the tears in her eyes. She
followed Carlos back into the foyer and winced when the heavy metal door shut with a final click.
They slowly put on their coats and gathered their belongings, so the visiting husband would leave before them. A few minutes after he exited, they started across the courtyard. The cold air slapped Toni's face, bringing her a sense of urgency. "We have to get her out," she
whispered. "I know," Carlos replied. "I've been trying to come up with a plan all evening." "Her uncle will never release her." Toni's voice rose in panic. "We'll have to--" "Shhh," Carlos warned her. He motioned to the oak tree and its massive branch that extended over
the wall. "I could try to get her up that tree, but there's still the problem of getting her out of the ward. The damned place is locked up tighter than a nun in a chastity belt." "We have to do something."
"I can't see a way out of here." She grabbed Carlos's arm. "Don't say that! There's got to be a way." They just needed to get past the guards and the locked doors. "Oh my gosh, I know how to do it."
"How?" Carlos asked. "We teleport her out." "We can't do that." "But we know someone who can." "You're going to ask that vampire, Ian?" Carlos asked. "Are you sure he can be trusted?" "I think so. I hope so." He'd offered to help her. And the more Toni thought about it, the more she
knew it was the only way.
Toni insisted Carlos drive her straight back to Romatech. It was dark by the time they arrived. The guard at the entrance gate recognized her and waved them through.
Carlos stopped the car by the front door. "I know you want to talk to Ian alone, but leave me in the loop. This will require some planning."
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"Okay." She pulled her knit cap off and fluffed up her hair. She wanted to look decent for her talk
with Ian. "Once Bri is out, we'll need a safe place to keep her. We can't just take her back to her apartment."
"Why not?" Toni snapped her eyeglasses into their case, then dropped them in her handbag. Her eyesight was a little fuzzy from a distance, but it would be fine for a close-up conversation. She pulled the visor down to check herself in the mirror.
"Toni, her uncle might suspect we're behind her disappearance and charge us with kidnapping." That made her pause. She flipped the visor back up. "But Bri would come willingly with us." "Are you sure? After all she's been through, do you expect her to trust the next vampire who
comes along?"
"Well, I did." Toni winced. "But I had strong motivation. I was trying to help Bri." Tears threatened her once again. "We have to get her out of there." "I agree. I don't like what those meds are doing to her. She's lost all her fight. She's not herself
anymore." "I know." Toni dragged in a shaky breath. She was barely retaining control over her emotions. Carlos patted her arm. "It'll be all right, menina." He glanced in the rearview mirror. "What the
hell is that?" Toni glanced over her shoulder. The parking lot was well lit, and she spotted a short man, bundled
up against the cold, trudging toward the front door of Romatech. He had a large black garbage bag slung over one shoulder. "He's carrying something kinda bulky." "He?" Carlos glanced back, then shifted his gaze back to the mirror. "He doesn't show up in the
mirror. All I see is a bag floating along in the air."
"Really?" Toni snapped down the visor to look in the mirror. Sure enough, the garbage bag was moving on its own. "That looks so weird. He must be a Vamp." They sat in the car and watched the short man go through the front door. "I wonder what he's got in the bag," Toni murmured. Carlos snorted. "A dead body?" Toni swatted him. "These Vamps aren't like that." "You've known them for a week, Toni. How can you be sure what they're capable of?" "They saved me when I was in trouble. Let's just hope they can save Sabrina." She opened the car
door to get out. "I'll call you tomorrow." Carlos waved, then drove back to the entrance gate. Toni entered the large foyer with its gleaming marble floors and huge potted plants that concealed
surveillance cameras and metal detectors. She turned down the hallway on the left, headed for the MacKay security office.
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The short Vamp with the stuffed garbage bag was halfway down the hall. He stopped at a door
and punched in a number on the keypad. The door across the hall opened, and Shanna hurried out. She stopped. "Laszlo! How good to see you."
"Mrs. Draganesti." The short man bowed slightly. "How do you do?" "I'm fine." She moved closer to him. "What did you bring?" He opened his bag, and she peered inside. "Laszlo, these are wonderful! Thank you!" He blushed. "I'd better get them inside." He scurried inside the door with his mysterious bag. What the hell was going on? "What's up?" Toni motioned toward the locked door. "Toni!" Shanna gave her a hug. "Have you seen my office yet?" She pointed at the dental office
across the hall. "No." Toni suspected Shanna was trying to change the subject. "You need to make an appointment," Shanna continued. "All the MacKay employees get two free
checkups every year. Well, actually, not free. Angus pays for it. Have you met Angus?" Definitely trying to change the subject. "No, I haven't." "Hi, Mommy! Hi, Toni!" Constantine called out. Toni spotted him hovering about four feet off the floor in the room next to Shanna's office. This
had to be his nursery. The doorway was partially closed off by the bottom half of a door. The top
half was open, and Constantine had levitated so he could see them in the hallway. "Hi, Constantine." Toni peered into his playroom. It was full of toys, books, stuffed animals, a twin bed, and some comfy chairs. "Wow, you have a lot of stuff."
"You can say that again," Radinka muttered as she returned some books to a bookcase. "You two
had better hurry up, or you'll be late for Mass." "Okay." Shanna leaned over the door to hug her son. "I'll see you afterward, sweetie." She started down the hall, then stopped when Toni didn't join her. "Aren't you coming?"
"I'm sorry, but I need to talk to Ian." Toni gestured toward the security office.
"Howard's the only one there right now." Shanna moved closer. "All the Vamp guys are at the chapel, making sure it's safe. They're worried the Malcontents will try something tonight." "Like what?" Shanna sighed. "They blew up our chapel last summer. Luckily, no one was there at the time." Toni winced. "That's terrible." "Yeah." Shanna glanced toward the nursery and lowered her voice. "That's why I'm leaving Tino
in the nursery with Radinka. Just in case. Come on. You need to meet Father Andrew. He's wonderful."
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Toni followed her down the hall and into the main foyer. "I don't know if I should go. I wasn't
raised Catholic." Shanna grinned. "Neither was I. But these old Vamps are so medieval, it's all they know. Did you know my husband was a monk?"
"I didn't know that." Toni followed Shanna into the right wing. She wondered how old Ian was
exactly, but didn't want to draw attention to her interest in him. "Are all the guys medieval?" "No. Gregori's young. Roman transformed him in 1993, when some Malcontents attacked him outside in the parking lot. Poor guy was just picking up his mom from work."
"How sad." Toni grimaced. But it did explain how he managed to have a mortal mother who was
still alive. "What about Connor and...Ian?" "They were transformed after some battle in Scotland in the 1500s, changed the same night, so they've always been close. Roman changed Connor, and Angus changed Ian."
"They wanted to be changed?" Toni asked. "Oh yeah. They were both mortally wounded. It was either be changed or die." Shanna entered a
room on the right. "This is our fellowship hall, where everyone visits after church. I just want to make sure everything's ready." The room had two long tables, both draped in long, white tablecloths. It was obvious that one was
meant for Vamps, and the other one for mortals. The mortal table boasted a cheese/deli tray, a
veggie and dip tray, a bowl of punch, and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. The other table had two large bins filled with ice and bottles of blood. The microwave was in the center of the table, flanked by rows of glasses.
"Ladies, the service is starting," a male voice spoke from the hallway.
There was no mistaking that deep, lilting voice. Toni's heart fluttered in her chest. When she turned to face him, her heart did a bigger flip. "We'll talk later." Shanna patted Toni on the arm, then hurried from the room. Toni approached Ian, and her heart speeded up under his intense scrutiny. "I need to talk to you." He raised his eyebrows. "Are ye ready to finally confess yer secrets?" Her face heated. All the other Vamps had trusted her from the beginning. Only Ian had suspected