Two of a Kind

Pushing her hair back from her face, Cordelia felt for the round surface of the lock, her key gripped loosely in her hand.

"C'mon, c'mon." She groaned, fumbling until the key slid into the lock, twisting easily, the door of her apartment swinging open easily as she turned to close it, tugging the key from the lock, her hand resting lightly on the handle.

Spreading her hands on the back of the door, she exhaled a slow sigh, grateful for some rest after the chaotic day she had just had at work, her forehead brushing against the wood, traces from her vision still lingering in her aching temples. Or it could just be a coming migraine.

"So tired." A soft voice from behind her made her eyes snap open, her body tensing, as a cool hand traced down her loose hair. "You need someone to look after you, kitten."

Spinning round, she snatched her crucifix from her throat, raising it, the shadowy figure recoiling with a whimper. "How did you get in here?" She demanded, her hand shakily reaching for her stake in her purse. "What do you want?"

"Miss Edith told me you were lonely." The childlike voice responded, sounding almost tearful. "I was lonely too."

"Dennis? Can you put the light on, please?"

Bright light flooded the living room, revealing the vampire that Cordelia had already unwillingly identified standing sadly in the centre of the room, her eyes downcast, her hands twisting together.

"Who let you in?" Demanded the brunette, tightening her grip on her stake, trying not to see the miserable stoop in the vampiress' thin shoulders.

"Your friend." She gestured to a spot beside the light switch, a small smile curling on her lips. "He said you were very lonely, just like Miss Edith said."

"You can hear and see Dennis?" The stake was lowered a fraction of an inch, dark brows furrowing in concealed interest "What else did he say?"

The vampiress looked at the space again and covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle. "He told me not to tell that you look very nice when you sleep." A contrite look crossed her face, as she apparently was yelled at by the ghost. "He told me I could come in and look after you. He said you needed someone to talk to properly."

"Thanks, Dennis." The girl mumbled under her breath. "Just invite a bloodsucking fiend that tried to kill all my friends into my apartment to look after me. Good work!"

"He wanted to help you." The vampiress looked from the empty air to the girl, her expression desperately sad. "I didn't want you to tell him off. He wanted your soul to sing, not cry anymore."

Still holding the stake tightly, Cordelia, gestured for the vampiress to sit. "Why would you want to make me feel better?" She enquired harshly, sitting down on the arm of the couch. "Why should I you don't just want to kill me?"

"If I wanted to eat you up, my dear." The vampiress smiled coolly, a sinister look crossing her delicate features. "I would have finished already. You would be getting cold on the floor."

That thought chilled the former-May-Queen to the bone, a shudder passing though her. "I still don't get it. Why would you want to talk? Last time I saw you, you wanted to kill my boyfriend."

"We are the same." The vampiress explained softly, twisting her fingers into the tangled skirts of her dress. "We are both like the moon, pretty and quiet, distant from everyone we love."

**Great...riddle...just what I need.** "We are not at all alike." She replied firmly. "You - Drusilla bloodsucking fiend and bad guy, me - sun-worshipper, Cordelia Chase and good guy."

"We both see things that we don't want to." Drusilla raised dark, age-old eyes to the girl, eyes gleaming with sorrow and understanding. "We both love someone we don't want to love. We are both alone."

Cordelia tried to the voice to argue with the dark vampiress' lucid argument, but couldn't. Drusilla knew she was a seer, knew she was in love with her employer, despite all the protest of her common sense, knew that all she did every night was curl up in a lonely ball in the vast expanse of her bed.

The stake fell from her slack fingers, clattering on the smooth floor, her emotions that she had forced away for so long rising to the surface, hot tears spilling down her cheeks.

Immediately the vampiress took the sobbing girl in her arms, cradling her, holding her tightly to her breast, stroking the long, dark tangle of her hair with slender fingers.

"There, there, kitten." Drusilla whispered gently, her cheek pressing against the top of Cordelia's bowed head. "I'll take care of you. You can cry, sweet. I'm here."

And cry, she did.

Clinging to the dark-haired vampiress, Cordelia let all the hurt and loneliness she had bottled up for so many years pour out of her, the soothing stroking of a slim, cool hand gently calming her, the chilly embrace warming her somehow.

Finally sitting up, she wiped her cheeks with trembling fingers. "I think...I need to sleep..."

Nodding, the vampiress bent and picked up the porcelain doll from the table, sitting it carefully in her lap. "Miss Edith said I should stay here, in case you get sad again."

Cordelia gave her a reluctant smile, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Pull the drapes." She replied quietly. "You can stay for as long as you like."

Drusilla nodded, watching the brunette girl recede into her bedroom, a frown of concern crossing the vampiress' face. Miss Edith was right. The girl was so sad, Drusilla could hear her soul weeping and dying from loneliness.

Caressing Miss Edith's curly hair, she made her way to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator, her eyes wandering over the bags of chilled blood with a tiny smile. Her friend had known she was coming to pay her a visit.

Retrieving one of the mugs, she carefully poured the cool plasma into it, wrinkling her nose.

It wasn't fresh and it wasn't warm, but it was there for her from her friend, so she wasn't about to refuse it. After all, when she had kept that human pet, in China, she had given him cold food that wasn't fresh and he had still eaten it, to be polite.

Or to make sure she - his mummy - didn't eat him all up.

And she hadn't. Grandmummy Darla had done that, tearing his throat out and getting blood all over the carpet. Such a mess.

Sitting down at the table, her face morphed as she sipped at the blood, watching the door of the brunette's room, listening to Miss Edith's words intently.

The ghost was sitting on the other side of the table, watching her drink the deep, red liquid. He looked tired, but happier now than he had when she had arrived.

A soft sound from beyond the door made both the vampiress and ghost turn, a concerned look crossing Dennis' pale face. Miss Edith seemed to agree with his concern and - naturally - Drusilla couldn't ignore her guide's words.

Making her way to the door, she pushed it open and peered around it, into the bedroom.

"Are you hurting, kitten?" She didn't need to ask, the scent of the girl's tears reaching her where she stood. "Oh, kitten..."

Cordelia gasped with fright, as cold arms wrapped around her, gentle hand stroking her cheek. The vampiress seemed to have been at the door one moment, then beside her in the bed seconds later.

"Hush, my dear." Drusilla cooed, spooning her body behind Cordelia's, her slim fingers pulling the girl's dark hair back from her temples, soothingly tracing patterns on her skin. "I'll take care of you, my little Princess."

Rolling onto her back, the brunette girl stared up at Drusilla, her brown eyes brimming with tears. "You won't leave me alone, will you, Dru?" She pleaded, her voice full of loneliness, like a little lost girl, all on her own.

"I'll stay with you." The vampiress laid a gentle kiss on the girl's temple, a tiny smile of pleasure on the vampiress' face as Cordelia nestled against her, holding her like a security blanket. "Night night, sweet." She murmured, settling comfortably on the wide bed, as Cordelia's breathing grew soft and even.