Disclaimer: Look at Chapter one 'cuz I ain't writing it again. ^.~

A/N: I love all of your reviews! You all are very kind to me. Be mean! ::grins:: Demand I get the next chapter out or something. I have a habit of leaving a story chapter less for a while when I get an idea for another story. It happened to one of my other stories, Love of a Mortal and Braids of a Feather. But no worries, eventually I will get chapters out for stories.

Just without a lot of fan support I don't feel as inspired. But I like this story I think, it's turning out well. I hope you all are enjoying it as much as I do while writing it. Hope you like this chapter! Bye!

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As soon as I realized just what the boy who saved me was, I think I was better off dead. I didn't want to end up as some vampire's dinner! Now I knew what that food was for that I had been given during the day, it was to fatten me up so I was nice and juicy for the bloodsucker. There was no way that me, Ranma Saotome the best martial artist of my generation, was going to be a meal.

All these thoughts ran through my mind as attacked the vampire boy that saved me from committing suicide. I ran at him as quickly as a could and got ready to used the Amazon technique called 'Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire' so I could get past to run out. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the vampire could move much more quickly then I could and therefore couldn't stop the cold arms wrapping around me from behind. His arms were like cold stone!

My eyes widened and I struggled trying to get free from the undead arms but the vampire, Armand, was much stronger then I'd ever hope to be in a human body. I guessed even Ryoga would never been able to break out of Armand's vice-like grip, and that scared me.

The lost boy was much stronger then I was since going through the Breaking Point technique and if he couldn't break out the grip, I had no chance. I know I don't get scared often unless its a ca-ca-ca--feline, and when something does scare me it must be really bad. I felt a shudder go through me and I couldn't help but squeeze my eyes shut when I felt Armand's mouth move closer to my left ear over my shoulder.

"Relax child," Armand said in a soothing tone that only caused me to tense up further. "You will not be my meal. You are not evil and therefore won't be my victim. I only hunt the evil-doers of mortals."

I snorted, "You expect me to believe that?" I felt Armand paused as if to consider answering that question. I felt the cold arms let me go gently and I spun around to glare at him as I slipped into another attacking position. I was ready to attack the vampire again even if I didn't stand a chance. I'll go down fighting if it came to that.

But I'm sure this wouldn't come to that since Saotome Ranma never loses! At least, I always told myself that, I don't know if I believed in that anymore. My mind was still spinning from the depression and stress of my life; most of my beliefs have disappeared already.

One belief was that life couldn't get any worse; I believed that right after the failed wedding. Well, it did get worse. After the wedding, the fiancée bargaid and their suitors left me alone for a while at the Tendo dojo. I thought I was safe, that they would leave me alone. But after a few months, Shampoo came back with a vengeance tagging along Mousse and the old ghoul.

Then Ucchan came back with her battle spatula and the Black Rose ripped her way through with her ribbon while her brother the True Blunder came rolling in with his stick. Of course the old pervert started panty thieving again while Pantyhose Taro still chased him for a new name. Oh and I couldn't forget about Ryoga either, even though he was with that other girl that owned a farm for Sumo pigs, he still chased after Akane.

And where was I? I was back at the beginning again. No matter how much I strive to fight for the right reasons and to protect my 'friends' they still wanted to kill me/marry me/date me. It didn't matter I had killed for the first time to them, that I had done the impossible and killed a god. No, to them it was just another battle I won and they could go back to what they were doing before.

I swear, I would have broken down long before this but the love I thought I had for Akane kept me going. So much for that, I still ended up almost killing myself.

"I meant what I had said on the bridge last night, Ranma." The vampire said gently, almost in a loving voice. "You are the most unique individual I have seen in a long time. I don't wish to hurt you in any way and I won't let anyone hurt you."

I could feel that love flowing off him again and I almost melted under it before I hardened myself trying to block those emotions. It would cloud my judgement again like it did that night when I should have been listening to my instincts. I didn't want to be some pet to be studied, I've seen the movies and I know vampires like human pets. Well guess what? I wasn't going to be one because no one forces me to be tamed. I'm as wild as my name!

Armand chuckled low, and I saw his facial features shift into human-like positions. I saw some color go into his cheeks as he smiled at me amused. "I don't take human 'pets', that is just in movies. I want you to travel with me Ranma," the vampire's tone seemed to ask me slightly pledingly. " As for you being tamed, I don't wished to be the one to quench that beautiful fire in your eyes. I like you as you are, the wild stallion of the island of Japan."

Armand mysteriously looked at me with those deep brown eyes and I could feel myself loosing grip on my stubbornness as those eyes pulled me in with their alluring gaze. I looked away so as not to be pulled into the trap of the hypnotic stare of the wise eyes of a man trapped in a boy's body. "Let me show you the wonders of the world, I'll protect you from your crazy life if you want me to."

"I don't need no protection!" I narrowed my eyes. "You ain't gonna hurt any of my friends."

I think the vampire felt genuine hurt by my accusation, my senses could pick up the slight sadness radiation off the old one that caused me to shift slightly on my feet, a little unnerved. Although Armand wasn't a girl, he looked enough like one with his petite frame and curly hair to make me feel bad about hurting him. I always was a sucker for sad girls.

Armand sighed, as if he made up his mind about something before he started to walk out the door of the bedroom I was in. "Follow me Ranma, I know of someone that can phrase what I'm trying to explain to you better then I could."

My eyes followed him out the door and realized that it was open and that I could escape now. That I could leave if I wanted to and I could see clearly that the vampire had left me this way. He was giving me a choice, something no one else had done for me before. I thought of it some more, what did the vampire want with me? With that question in mind, another seemed to pop into my head. Why did he save me?

I searched through all the vampire knowledge I had in my mind from the movies I had seen on my travels and from the old stories I've heard. I wondered if he hated garlic or if he died if I staked him in the heart. I don't know why but the thought of killing Armand, even if he was a bloodsucking demon, made me cringe in horror. I wasn't getting attached to the guy was I? I pushed away the thought, not wanting to dwell on my growing affection for the vampire.

I decided to follow him for now, I still didn't trust him but I realized I wouldn't be his meal--tonight anyway. I soundlessly walked out the door using the kung-fu slippers to my advantage as I caught up to the vampire that puzzled me very much with his love and refusal to suck me dry.

At first, all I stared at as we walked down the hall was the vampire's back. But then, little things caught my eye. I looked around the hall with wide eyes as I took in all the things that I was seeing. There were tapestries from feudal Japan along the walls, genuine samurai armor, Chinese pots and plates and other things I couldn't put name to at the moment. I'm sure all of it was worth a fortune that Nabiki would kill to have. Knowing her though, she would never use something as crude as killing to get what she wanted. Blackmail was always here way.

All of this stuff looked like the real thing, hell they might even be the real thing! Some of the plates I saw, I think were the original 'china' plates from the first plates made with porcelain. I soon couldn't keep my eyes off the walls as I looked left and right at the old relics of ancient history.

I thought in awe; The things this vampire must have seen!

It was unnerving to know the boy in front of me was really a man. A man that had lived for a very long time and had seen many things I've only read in books. I wondered if he hated his immortality? Does he despised not being able to go into the sunlight? Does he like drinking blood or is it used to keep him alive?

Millions of questions filled my mind about the boy that saved me. Like, if he didn't drink blood, would he die even though vampires are immortal? I never understood that in the movies and old stories I had heard. But one question really stood out from the rest of them in my mind: What does he want from me? I knew he wanted something, everyone wanted something from me; from my body to my abilities, to the heart I have or the natural ability to pick up any martial art style with ease. They all wanted something, why should he be any different?

We turned down one hallway that actually had electricity lighting it up which seemed to help relax the tense muscles in my shoulders. I adjusted the green hat on my head in my nervousness. I hadn't exactly calmed down since my discovery of what the boy was but being in familiar unnatural light made me feel a little calmer. But hadn't calmed me down much; I still didn't trust Armand since he was a vampire, even if he did save me from ending my life at the bridge by the Tendo dojo. 'Trust no one' was a new belief I had picked up from the life in Nerima I led. It's help me out many times so I detached myself from Armand's wise eyes and loving aura so not to trust him.

The hallway opened up into a large comfortable-looking room. To my right was a fireplace that gave off a warm glow and atmosphere in the room while the chairs sitting in front of it made felt like an invitation to sit down at fireside. Of course I didn't sit down. I busy looking for something because I wasn't sure, but I felt something in the room like Armand. I turned my head to the left and to the right trying to find the thing I felt but I saw nothing. I strained my senses trying to figure out what I felt. I grew frustrated. The presence was very unnerving because my senses couldn't pick up anything but a dull sense of being 'here'.

Suddenly a figure walked out from one of the shadows of the walls and my eyes widened. The beautiful figure of a man with curly blond hair, walked with the grace of a soldier. Not a martial artist, but a real battle fighting; killing type of soldier. The kind of soldier that had seen hell and gotten back alive through a war. I've seen enough WWII Japanese soldiers that are still living to know the look in his eyes.

I looked up at his well-sculpted face. His eyes were a startling blue that looked far older then Armand's and he moved more human-like then Armand did. It relaxed me some more; this man even though he was like Armand, he moved more like a human and not like a vampire. But he gave off that alarming powerful aura as Armand did.

"Old tricks," Armand muttered as he stared up at the man with a slight smirk.

The man's mouth twisted into a smile as he stared at Armand with a loving look before his gaze returned to me. I hadn't realized but while I was staring at him, he was staring back at me. Kind of freaky if you ask me, but I tried not to shiver under those intense blue eyes. They had the same depth that Armand's did, they drew you in them like a magnet. The blue was like the ocean and under-toe of the current; it was trying to pull me under the surface. I mentally shook those suicidal thoughts from my mind; I tried not to picture drowning as it reminded me of the bridge too much. Oh, and of cold water too.

His gaze seemed to soften and I relaxed all the way for a reason unknown to me. I kept staring at him until he smiled at me again, reassuring me like he had read my thoughts and he said softly, "My name is Marius, it's a pleasure to finally meet the one Armand is so fond of."

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Whew, I didn't expect to get another chapter out so soon! Well, I hope you like this chapter because I tried hard to keep Ranma from going OCC. This chapter was revised at least twice on my computer because I wanted to get it just right. To keep the semi-angsy atmosphere that was in the first chapter. But you will see changes to Ranma as time goes on.

Now don't think I forgot about the Nerima crew, they might make an appearance next chapter as a scene. Don't worry! ^.~ Please review and tell me if you all liked this chapter, okay?

-AlantisB