Irredeemably Me

"Careful, you sound like you care."

"You believe I have a humanity to be redeemed?"

"Honestly?" Camila raked a hand through her hair. "I think you're evil. I think you're one of the worst people I've ever met and every day since I've met you...I wish I hadn't. But I don't think I know the real you, I think I know the you that you turned yourself into after becoming this...demonic creature. But Lucy knows you; the real you, so for her to love you...there must be something worth loving. I hope you one day show it...the good I believe Lucy thinks is hidden in you."

"But you do not."

"No," Camila shook her head. "No, Lauren, I don't think you have much good in you at all."

Their eyes met for a moment, the vampire masking any emotion Camila's words had stirred within her and the brunette refusing to show sympathy for what she knew to be the devil. She'd meant every word, she knew Lauren would always lead to death. She knew Lauren was cruel and cold and...she was pain.

Any good feelings Camila felt towards Lauren were instantly overpowered by the memories of being drained of every drop of blood in her body, of having her neck broken by the hands of the malicious vampire. So no...Camila couldn't find redemption in Lauren's eyes no matter how much she searched.

Lauren led them to the motel's small restaurant and Camila was surprised to find it completely empty aside from them, the vampire ushering them to a table near the window that looked directly out to the road with the woods lining it on the other side.

"I took the liberty of ordering for you." Lauren took the menu from Camila's hands. "I assure you, you will not find a meal in there that you will enjoy. I may have coerced the chef into attempting a new recipe, I came across it once in a village in Italy."

"You-" Camila frowned. "Why?"

"You offered me a meal that was both satisfying and...enjoyable, I am simply returning the favour."

"I wish you wouldn't call my blood a meal."

"Camila," Lauren smirked. "Is it truly impossible for you ignore the depths of my words and simply...say thank you?"

"Why are you being like this?" Camila's frown didn't let up.

A waitress approached the table and placed two drinks down before leaving the pair once again.

"Would it be too...forward to simply state that I do not want you to hate me?" Lauren swirled the drink around in her glass, her eyes watching the liquid. "I fear if you hate me, Camila, you might one day strike me in the very same way you did that witch."

"So you figure if I, what? Like you, I'll be able to keep a level head when you piss me off?"

"You don't have to like me, my dear," Lauren tipped the glass back, the liquid flowing through her with ease. "But I surely do not want you to hate me."

"I need to be able to trust you, Lauren," The waitress returned with a plate and placed it before Camila, the brunette eyeing the pasta before her with fascination before picking up her fork and tasting it, surprised by the flavours that erupted in her mouth but masking her emotions quickly. "I don't hate you." She put her fork down for a moment. "But I don't trust you and I need to."

"Pray tell, is there a way for me to earn that trust?"

"How do you die?" Camila took a sip from her drink, the bourbon burning down her throat. "I know how another vampire can kill you, but if you can trust me with your weaknesses, I think I can find a way to work up some trust for you."

"That's quite the ask," Lauren ushered the waitress over once more, ordering another drink. "For you see, I know nothing of your own weaknesses and you wish for me to expel my own upon you."

"Lauren, I don't even know what can kill me, I think we're both in the dark for that one."

"A silver stake to my heart," Lauren swirled her drink in her hand again, watching Camila from above the rim. "Decapitation, sunlight...my skin would be scorched if I were to enter holy ground. Wolves have a tendency to rip my kind apart, a witch could very likely take my life...and you. You have now become one of my weaknesses as well, you can kill me if you wish to."

"I don't," Camila spoke after swallowing. "I wanted to, I really wanted to...but I don't want to kill you, Lauren, not anymore. I think...I need you...if I'm gonna figure this out."

"Well that settles it then," Lauren smiled, that sinister one Camila loathed. "I shall kill you and you shall not kill me. My, how far we've come."

"You're insufferable." The youngest of the pair rolled her eyes. "So have you fed yet?"

"And leave you unguarded in a motel that resembles a serial killer's hunting ground? That would be truly unwise of me, would it not?"

"Lauren, I can't die."

"We do not know to what extent your immortality stretches," The vampire tipped back her drink once more. "I, for one, was not willing to take the risk."

"Careful, you sound like you care."

"Careful, you sound like it might matter to you if I did." She smirked, placing her glass down and allowing Camila to finish her dinner. "Now that you've woken, I need to find my cousin."

"Where do you think she went?"

"On a murderous rampage," Lauren shrugged, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her chair. "It's precisely what I would do after tasting blood for the first time in over a century."

"Lucy wouldn't-"

"The creature we've allowed to be awoken...is not Lucia. It make look like her and speak like her, but it is dark and cunning and will very likely kill again."

"She's strong," Camila met Lauren's eyes. "I remember you trying to pull her away...but you couldn't."

"My cousin has been a vampire longer than I and in that respect, she is stronger." Lauren nodded.

"I can come with you, I can help."

"My dear, you will do no such thing," The green-eyed girl shook her head. "You may very likely kill my only living relative without intending to, I cannot risk that."

"But you can risk your life."

"Even as she is, Lucia cannot find it in her to kill me."

"That's not a guarantee." Camila scoffed, rolling her eyes at the arrogance the girl before her displayed.

"Your blood would be too great a temptation for her, Camila. She cannot fight the beast when it's very life source would be standing no more than a few feet away."

The vampire stood and offered Camila her hand, helping her up with that devious smirk still settled upon her lips.

Lauren walked the younger girl to the door of their motel room in silence.

"Thank you, by the way," Camila stopped in front of the room, a half smile playing on her lips. "The food was good...and you made the company tolerable for once."

"I suppose with the life you're about to lead, we ought to strive for normalcy whenever we can. Whether it be drowning our sorrows in a bottle of bottom shelf tequila...or simply being still for a moment and having a meal." Lauren looked up at the night sky, a certain type of peace surrounding her. "I shall return before the break of first light."

"Hey Lauren, I didn't ask," Camila decided that in this moment, she could catch small glimpses of the person Lucy spoke so highly of. The person Lucy was fighting to get back. "How did I get here?"

Lauren smirked, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets and spinning around. "Why, Camila," She tossed over her shoulder. "I carried you, of course."