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Hello!  The fourth and final...I think...story of the JQ Vampire Saga,
as promised!

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own them...honest!  And I'm broke, so don't bother
suing me!  HB owns the Quest peoples, Perriot and...someone else...oh,
yeah...Barney Cohen! DUH! own the Raven, Janette and any other FK
characters I add in.  But...Mysti, Dominic and Ryan are MINE! Mwahaha!  

WARNING:  I don't know what kind of warning to put on this story, but it
could get graphic or have strong language...just thought I'd let ya'll
know:) And...it's HR! What isn't...? :)

Every Thorn Has It's Rose 1/?


"Jonny?  Are you okay?"

Jonathan Andrews looked up at his best friend, "What?"

"Never mind, I was talking to myself...again."

Jonny managed a smile, "I'm sorry, Ryan.  It's just that..."

"You can't stop thinking about her?"

"It would've been our anniversary in two days," Jonathan said sadly.

"You're...what is it, hundredth?"

"Your attempt at humor is sadly misplaced.  Sixtieth."

"Has it really been forty years since..." he stopped, noting the hurt
look on his friend's face.

"Since she left?  Yeah."

"I know you miss her, Jon, but you have to go on with your life, as it
were.  If you spend eternity depressed..." Ryan thought for a moment,
"I'll never speak to you again."

"Never say never," Mystique sat next to Ryan, handing him a drink,
"especially when you're immortal."

"Ah, thank you, dear lady," he took a sip from the wine glass, "You
really should try it, Jon, it's quite tasty once you get used to it."

Jonny wrinkled his nose at the smell of the blood and red wine mixture
in the glass, "No...thank you."

"It really isn't that bad.  It's a house specialty."

The three friends looked up at the woman standing next to their table,
Ryan finding his voice first, "And you are...?"

"Janette Ducharme, I own this club."

"You're one of us?" Mysti asked suspiciously.

Janette eyed the wine glass in Ryan's hand, "It would seem so.  I just
wanted to let you know that if there's anything you need, I will do what
I can to help you out."

"Thanks.  We'll keep that in mind," Ryan replied when no one else spoke.

Janette gave them a quick nod and smile before turning to go.

"That," Ryan gestured toward Janette, "is one *weird* woman."

Mystique nodded but Jonny just stared at the ashtray he was fiddling
with.


"Jessica, have I ever, in the last ten years, lied to you even *once*?"

Jessica Whitman shook her head thoughtfully.

"Then why would I lie to you about this?  I know how imortant it is!"

"It's just...too much of a coincidence, Javier.  Why would Jonny be in
Canada?"

Javier Vachon shrugged in response to her question, "Couldn't tell ya,
but it was him," he nodded toward the picture on the mantle, "he was
with two other vampires, a man and a woman.  And they were talking to
Janette; otherwise I never would have noticed them."

Jessica sighed, standing and pouring herself another glass blood-laced
wine.  She'd thought it quite a good idea when she had tried it at he
Raven; and if she ever saw the ruthless bitch who owned the club, she'd
be sure to pretend it was a vile waste of blood that she couldn't even
smell without becoming nauseous.  She leaned against the edge of her
desk and sipped her drink, "I still don't understand why he'd be here,
but if he's looking for me, Hell, even if he's not, Dominic will find
out soon enough...and it won't be a happy reunion when he finds Jonny."

Vachon watched his friend's normally flawless brow crease in a deep
frown as her face took on a thoughtful look.  Let her dilude herself
into thinking that there was something she could do, Javier thought; but
if...*when* LeSabre found out her husband was in town...*he* sure as
Hell didn't want to be within ten miles of the inevitable conflict.


If there was one thing Jonny hated more than anything else about being a
vampire, it was the fact that he couldn't get drunk.  All he really
wanted to do was get so wasted that he didn't remember his own
name...let alone Jessie's.  But, with his enhanced healing abilities, it
was well nigh impossible to get, not to mention stay, sloshed.  He
sighed once more and sat down on the bottom stair of the set leading
upstairs.  He heard Ryan and Mysti upstairs and closed his eyes; only to
open them a second later when her face invaded the darkness he tried so
hard to hide in.

Leaning his head against the wall, he wondered, for the billionth time
in the last few days, where Jessie was.  She could be in Paris eating
escargot and visiting the Eiffel Tower for all he knew.  His jaw
clenched as another thought invaded his mind.  Wherever she was, she was
with Dominic LeSabre.  

Jonny supposed it was too much to hope that he'd been staked or beheaded
in the last forty years.  No, the damnable bastard would stay alive just
to keep Jessie and him apart.  

He didn't hear anything from the upper floor any longer, meaning Ryan
and Mysti had gone to bed.  It had to be near dawn, he thought; and
dismally stood and climbed the stairs to his room.


Jonny watched his wife's eyes move between LeSabre and him, knowing he
was asking her to give up her humanity...and only half hoping she would
side with him.  He could see the crimson streaks down her face where the
bloody tears had fallen and hated Dominic LeSabre with every fiber of
his being for putting Jessie in such a position.

"I..." Jessie started, "I love you, Jonny.  I always have, and I always
will.  I'm sorry."

He saw the triumphant smile on Dominic's face and the anguish on
Jessie's as she moved to stand next to him.  He didn't have the strength
to fight the elder vampire, nor did he have the heart...not after it had
been broken.  He simply nodded and turned to leave.

"Jonny!"  Jessica threw herself at him as he turned back, hugging him
tightly enough to kill any mortal man.  Her tears smeared his shirt with
blood as she buried her face against his chest.  

He held her tightly, never wanting to let go.  But he had to, "I love
you, Jess," he pushed her away and slowly began to back toward the door. 

Jessie held his hand until her fingers slipped from his and he turned
his back on her.

Jonny awoke with a start.  He swiped his hand across his damp forehead,
staring uncomprehending at the bloody sweat that came from it.  He swung
his legs over the edge of the bed and made his way down to the living
room.  He turned the TV on and proceeded to watch M*A*S*H reruns, but
not quite managing to get the memory of his dream from his mind.


Well?  Archive it, hide it, or burn it?  Lemme know, K? :8^)


~Montage~

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