Vampire Child

Just to clear up any confusion, this story takes place after Season 1 but before Season 2. There will be AU for Season 2, mainly being that Chazz will have no part in the Society of Light, as he will not be present at the Academy during the school year of Season 2. Also, I may have messed with certain occurences to fit the storyline, but I'll mention these in the relevent chapters.

Enjoy.

It occurred to Chazz that he probably wouldn't live to see the sun rise.

He was slumped against a brick wall in an alleyway, not caring about the stinking rubbish bins on either side of him, or the damp of the ground soaking into his trousers. He felt numb, and the blood seeping from various wounds wasn't helping.

It was annoying dying so young, he mused, blood loss making him dizzy, as there was so much he hadn't done. Still, he thought, a small smile curving his lips, I helped save the world. I did that.

He was pulled back to reality by a hacking cough that hurt everywhere that still had some sensation. When he pulled his hands away from his mouth, they were stained red with his blood. Although he couldn't see it, his bottom lip was coated with blood, and a thin line of it slowly began to trickle down his chin.

He thought back to how this had happened. He was walking home, head down, far too aware of how vulnerable he was on own, when several people had jumped him. There had been at least one woman, and a few men, and they had grabbed him and dragged him away from the well lit streets. At first he had thought that it was just a simple mugging, but that thought was banished when they has thrown aside his bag without a glance. Scared and desperate to get away, Chazz had fought with all his might, but been badly wounded in the process. One of the attackers had even bitten him. The wound had originally felt like it was on fire, but even that was fading away now. Actually, everything was fading now: sight, hearing, everything. This is it, he thought. I've probably really annoyed the grim reaper with the amount of times I've cheated death.

He closed his eyes and let out what he believed could be his final breath.

The woman standing on the roof watched the boy below with a sense of indecision. Part of her wanted to save him, but the other half kept remembering being pulled into the Shadow Realm while he watched. But then, she mused, it was that little brown haired brat that sent me there. Finally coming to a decision, she leapt down into the alley and stood in front of him. After a moment, he opened his eyes.

"Carmilla," he said, the effort of speaking making him cough up more blood. "I saw-"

"Shh," she hushed him. "Later. Save your energy."

He laughed bitterly, clearly finding her concern both funny and pointless.

"Dying." he murmured, full sentences too much effort as his eyes began to close again. The vampire saw this and cursed. Pulling his torn collar down, her eyes narrowed as she saw the bite mark already on his neck. He'd lost a lot of blood, meaning that she wouldn't have to take any. She frowned, regarding both the dying boy and the alleyway they were in. She'd turn him enough to save him, then take him elsewhere to finish the process. The hardest part would be convincing him to let her help. Bringing her own wrist to her mouth, she tore it open with her teeth. Then she leant the boy back and placed the wound at his mouth. This way, gravity would work against the boy's stubbornness.

As blood began to fill Chazz's mouth, he came to slightly. Realising what was happening, he tried his hardest to struggle, and pull away from Carmilla, but she held him tight. He had no real choice - swallow or choke. Reluctantly, he swallowed the woman's blood.

The change was instant. Chazz lost all control and instinct took over. Just one mouthful shooed death away, but he needed more. Carmilla smiled as the boy began to drink of his own will, helping him sit up as he drained as much of her blood as he could. After several minutes, she pulled away. The boy made an inhuman sound, trying to reattach to her wrist.

"Not here," she murmured soothingly to the boy, whose eyes were beginning to turn a red no human's eyes could be. She pulled him into an embrace, which he struggled away from for a moment, then grudgingly allowed. "You rest, child. I'll find a better place for us to continue."

Almost before she had finished speaking, Chazz had fallen asleep, half from exhaustion, half from the compulsion of his sire's words. Smiling fondly at her new child, Carmilla lifted him easily and cradled him in her arms, before calling to her bats. Screeching, they advised her on several places she could go where few questions would be asked. A hotel a few streets away seemed like the best choice. The owner had experience with her kind, and as long as she paid her dues, he wouldn't ask awkward questions. Carrying her young charge, the vampire set off down the road, all too aware of the sun that would rise in a few hours.

When Chazz awoke over ten hours later, the combination of an unfamiliar environment and jumbled memories of the previous night made him think that he had died. Sitting up with a groan, he noted that his injuries where gone, and that someone had changed his clothing. The room he was in was highly ornate, with a four poster bed, marble fireplace and very expensive looking furniture. Survival instincts picked up at Duel Academy made him note anything he could possibly use as a weapon, and all possible exits. Standing and crossing over to the only door, Chazz tried the handle. Locked. Great, he thought sourly. Going over to where the were thick curtains covering what he assumed were windows, Chazz pulled them back. As sunlight poured through the window, he hissed, covering his eyes and dropping the curtain back into place as he backed away from the window.

"I wouldn't advise doing that again. Normally, sunlight only weakens us, but as you're already in a weakened state from almost dying and being turned, it can cause you harm." Chazz spun around. Carmilla was standing in the now-open doorway.

"So I'm a…" Chazz began, trailing off.

"A vampire." completed Carmilla. "Yes."

"Why did you save me?" asked Chazz.

Carmilla crossed over to him, raising his chin and forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"Because it seemed like a waste to let you die." she replied.

Chazz pulled away.

"Well, uh, thanks for helping me, and if I could just have my stuff back I'll get out of your hair. I should be getting home." he said, more than a little nervously.

"You don't really think it's going to be that simple, do you?" said Carmilla, moving so that she was standing between Chazz and the doorway.

"I have to go." insisted Chazz, all too aware that he was fighting a losing battle. "My friends… if I don't stay in contact, they'll come looking for me." It was only a few days until Duel Academy started again, and if he wasn't there, someone would raise the alarm… he hoped. Chazz looked at Carmilla, hoping that the doubts he had about whether or not anyone would find him if he was forced to stay here weren't reflected in his eyes.

Carmilla moved behind him so fast that he jumped when she wrapped around his shoulders.

"And if I did let you leave?" she asked. "Let me tell you what would happen. Soon, very soon, the craving for blood will consume you. Without me to teach you restraint and how to hunt without killing or being detected, how long before you kill someone? And when you return to precious school, how long before you hurt someone you care about?"

Chazz's shoulder's slumped in defeat.

"If I stayed," he started, pointedly ignoring the fact that they both knew that he didn't have a choice in the matter, "then how long would I have to stay with you? You know, before I'd be able to… hunt," the final word was said with mild distaste, "on my own?"

"It depends." said Carmilla. "When most vampires sire a child, they often keep them with them for quite a long time. Call it a mother's prerogative."

Chazz flinched and pulled away once more.

"You are not my mother!" he hissed. "And I refuse to stay here a second longer than I have to!"

Carmilla grabbed his shoulder, unamused. She pulled him towards her once more.

"Listen to me, child." she murmured into his ear. "I saved your life and turned you. Effectively, I created you. That makes you my responsibility. If you kill someone or get killed, it reflects badly on me. It's my job to protect you and raise you, so you will do as I say!"

Chazz tried to get away from her, but she held on. He struggled for several moments, then gave a pained cry, falling to one knee, clutching his stomach. Carmilla crouched beside him.

"What's… happening?" he managed to gasp out, clearly in a lot of pain, eyes turning blood red.

Carmilla made a sympathetic noise.

"You're experiencing your first bloodlust." she said. Lifting him like a child once more, she sat them both on the bed, holding him against her and stroking his hair. "Your body has finished processing all of the blood in your system, so now it needs more. You're almost completely vampire now."

"Make it stop!" begged Chazz. Screw dignity, this really hurt!

"Are you prepared to listen to me and do as I say?" asked Carmilla.

Chazz's eyes shot open. She was using this against him! He was about to tell her where to go when another wave of pain shot through him.

"Yeah, fine!" he choked. "Please!"

Taking pity on the poor boy, Carmilla positioned him so that his mouth was right by her neck.

"Bite down." she instructed.

"What?" said Chazz.

"Do as I say." she scolded. "Either drink from me, or have to wait at least an hour while I find someone you can feed from."

Giving in, Chazz did as she ordered, feeling his teeth elongate as he bit down. Immediately, blood began to fill his mouth. As before, one swallow made him feel better, but this time, he wanted to pull away as soon as he could. Carmilla place her hand on the back of his head, holding him in place.

"Keep going," she said, but this time it was an encouragement rather than an order. Having no choice, he obeyed. "Good boy." she murmured.

As he continued to drink her blood, Chazz lost all sense of time. When Carmilla pulled him away once more, he couldn't tell how long had passed. With a feeling of resignation, Chazz realised that the older vampire had been right. If he tried to run, it would a case of not if, but when he killed someone. But still, somehow he would try to send a message to his friends. The last thing he needed was for someone he knew to see him like this. As this thought passed, Chazz found himself feeling unbelievably tired again. He allowed Carmilla to lie him down on the bed once more and was asleep almost instantly.

Carmilla couldn't help but smile as she glanced back at her little fledgling from the door. He was clearly strong to have recovered so fast, and he could only get stronger. As she closed and locked the door, she allowed herself to think ahead. Her family had all been killed, so she needed another. The boy was a start. Chazz, that was his name. But there were others with the same strength of spirit needed to be turned… others at that wretched academy. She considered this carefully. It had always been her intention to turn the first boy, Zane, she had just lacked the chance. However, a trace of her magic still lay dormant in his mind… it would be easy enough to lure him to her. And the other… that little brat Jaden. What perfect vengeance for the humiliation he had served her, to make him one of her kind and be the only person who could prevent him from killing the friends he treasured so dearly. She smiled. There were others, too, people she had met on her travels. It would be easy enough to track them down, especially once her family was a little bigger… She shook her head to clear it of temptation. No, she had a fledgling to raise first, and two more to create second. Many a family had been weakened because the members had tried to do too much at once. But, then, she also considered, while she herself had all of eternity, those that she had discovered, chosen and discreetly marked to prevent another vampire trying to claim them, would soon grow old, their strength and beauty withering. She'd have to prioritise, decide which ones she was most determined to add to her family once she'd increased it by two. She smiled wider as she thought about her young fledgling. If he thought she would just allow him to leave once he had grown to full strength, oh how wrong he was.

There's more already written - say the word and I'll upload it.