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She nodded at his instruction, keeping her hand on his back, "Cinnamon. Cici for short." She always found it was best to give her first name in full before telling them her chosen name. When she could see the house she felt better. She kept her eyes peeled, looking for something or someone about to attack.

She was sure she would never see it coming, but maybe, just maybe she would.

They weren't far from the house, but it would be foolhardy to think they were safe from harm. Quite the opposite, he figured the vampires were tracking them.

"Cici," his voice was quiet but just as earnest. "We're going to head to your house. But please ready your keys now. We're going to walk fast, but not run, directly home."

Sterling's hands were busy already, checking the crossbow for any mechanical failure, then checking the lining of his trench coat for stakes. He made sure to uncap the canteen slung over his shoulder. The last thing he felt for were the daggers at his boots. They would be a last resort against vampires.

"Are you ready?"

Cici nodded. She had slipped her keys out of her pocket, the main house key between her fingers. She watched him finally getting that he was serious about the vampire. She was now spooked, hoping Dawn was okay.

Was it like in Buffy? Did a vampire have to be invited in? She'd have to ask the man later.

"Let's go." He switched their positions this time, with Cici going first; his hand rested firmly on her shoulder to keep her moving forward while he kept the crossbow ready in his other hand. He kept an eye out for shadows and as soon as they were halfway across the street, he saw it. A flicker of a shadow that, if one didn't pay careful attention to, would never have been seen.

He released Cici's shoulder for a moment, "Keep going," he told her, as he turned and fired. Ka-chak. The vampire sprinting for them turned to ash. And then Sterling was back behind Cici again. His canteen was ready, and a stake in his hand--for he didn't have time to reload while on the move.

Cici nearly stumbled at the sound. She was focused on her door. Her front door. Her baby was inside and she needed to be there to protect her. She found a great comfort when Stirling's hand was on her shoulder. Normally she shied away from male attention of any sort, even just shaking hands.

She could see her door. It was so close. She wanted to break into a run, but she knew. Running was dangerous for many reasons. It brought attention to you and made it easier for you to fall. To stumble. To be lost.

"Don't ever run unless you know you're not going to fall. Never."

They were at the door now, he turned his back to her, shielding Cici from view as he took a moment to reload his crossbow. He had a moment now, to see two shadows coming forward. He brought the bow up and fired at one--turning it to ash as the second continued to run towards them.

As soon as the door opens, he'll be shoving her inside and closing the door to keep her in and him out. Until he can take care of that second vampire.

Cici stumbled and got the alarm, calling up for her daughter, going to her room to peer through the window. She didn't say anything, but Dawn knew she shouldn't be in the room - whatever was going on.

He didn't have time for the crossbow, so he let it clatter to his feet, using one of the bolts instead of the stakes. The vampire pounced on him, teeth aiming for his jugular. But Sterling was ready for it. He drove the bolt into the creature's neck and then found a stake which he drove through the creature's chest. It poofed into ash and Sterling looked around once more.

Everything was quiet. No shadows flickered. He poured some holy water against the door that was shut behind him and then sighed, leaning heavily against the solid wood door. He was alive, the women were fine, and they'd gotten the backpack to its rightful owner. It seemed those were the only vampires in the neighborhood. Or the others had gotten wiser and learned to stay away. That was fine too.

He gently knocked on the door before calling through it: "If you two are fine, I'm going to head out. Keep the door locked and don't answer for anyone until tomorrow morning."

Dawn was the one who heard, rather than Cici who was upstairs. She looked at the door for a long moment, "I don't think my mom's gunna be okay. She's pretty freaked out. She was clutchin' the curtains pretty hard. I... think... nevermind. I'll take care of her."

Even at ten, Dawn was starting to learn that people didn't always help out to the full extent of their ability. She was especially starting to learn that it was just her and her mom - there was no one else to rely on, and she had to be strong for her mom.

Sterling sighed. Cici was freaking out? But she'd held it together so well.

"I can stay if that makes you feel any better," he said through the door. It wasn't like he had anywhere he needed to be. And if Dawn was going to be looking after her mother, he could do that.

He would wait a few minutes to see if Dawn unlocked the door for him.

He could hear the click of the lock opening and the door opened. Dawn looked up at him, a bit of anger in her eyes. She was too young to explain it properly, but his initial idea of desertion has too much for her to handle right now.

It was another sign to her about how men didn't reall care about women - only their egos and their, ahem. She opened her arm to let him in, "Welcome back. Thanks for getting my bag."

He saw the anger in her eyes and knew it for what it really was: hurt. That he'd almost left them? It was a new thought to him. Surely they wouldn't want a hunter around... No one else seemed keen to have him stay long.

"I'm sorry," he offered, "I just figured with what had happened, you would want me to leave as soon as possible." He nodded at the thanks and then set down his pack near the door. "Where's your mother?"

He wasn't entirely sure what he planned to do, but if his presence would help calm things down--ironic given that vampires usually stirred things up--he would stay.

"She's upstairs. I know without looking that she's got my baby blanket and my first teddybear with her. She always holds those when she's stressed out." Dawn looked down, "Do you drink tea?" She couldn't help thinking her mother wouldn't hold those things if she had never gotten pregnant with her.

After all, if it weren't for Dawn, Cici would still have parents and maybe have gotten married and had other kids. Instead she stuck it out by her daughter and never dated or even really had a life, beyond school.

Sterling blinked at the description of Cici holding a blanket and bear. "Tea would be...wonderful." He said, attempting a smile at Dawn. "I'll see if can bring your mother down in a few minutes."

He quickly climbed the stairs, leaving his crossbow behind, and listened for the sounds a distressed woman like Cici would make. He finally found the right door to the room and knocked.

"Cici? It's Sterling. Can I come in?"

Cici nodded, not realizing for a moment that he couldn't see, "Yeah..." She was, in fact, wondering what her life would be like without Dawn - but she didn't see some wonderful alternative world where everything was perfect.

Instead she saw herself as lonely and missing something beautiful.

She turned to look at the door, "Come in." Her bedroom was big, with on en suite bathroom. Her bed was big, but it looked lumpy, even with the covers on it. There was a rug under it with stains and holes - everything, in fact looked second hand and stressed, like it had been in dozens of homes before coming to this one.

Cici had changed and was now in shorts and a tank-top. Sleep wear, but it wasn't the kind a woman like her would ever be thought to wear. While it did show off her strong legs and flat stomach it didn't make her look any sexier than before bed. It was obvious she didn't care about looking good for anyone, only herself.

Maybe Dawn too, if she was going to be around the school or her friends.

"What are you still doing here?"

Sterling let himself in when she told him to come in, and he automatically scanned the room for threats. Finding it clear, and taking a brief interest in how those who didn't roam lived, he noted the lumpy bed and then turned his gaze upon Cici. She was...fit. And he was suddenly aware of the fact that it was just the two of them in the room, with Dawn downstairs.

He cleared his throat. "Well, Dawn seemed to think that you needed looking after...and I didn't think it would be good for her to do it alone. I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I just wanted to check to make sure you were okay. You and Dawn."

He stopped talking, mentally kicking himself. One moment he's slaying vampires, the next he's tripping over himself because of a woman in shorts and a tank-top? What was he, thirteen? He was forty and resigned to singleness; not that she would ever see him as, well, anything else--just another source of protection or safety.

Cici for a moment gave him a look up and down, taking in his form. She quickly shook her head. She hadn't dated, that much was true, but recently she had taken up the horrible one-night-stand mentality.

She didn't want a relationship, but a warm bed, even for a few hours was better than a cold, uh, ahem. She shook her head again, trying not to focus on how handsome he was for his age. For any age. She suspected that he was just going to improve, like a wonderful bottle of wine.

Yes, improve murmured the annoying voice in her head, I'm sure Jordan improved with age. Maybe once he grew up his personality might have been worth noticing!

She looked at his eyes, studying them, "I'm fine. I just needed a bit of a cuddle. Me and Dawn don't need anyone." Now she was mentally kicking herself. Grammar went right out the window. She wiped her eyes and stood up a bit taller, "Umm..." she didn't want him to go yet. She was stalling, "Why would vampires attack Dawn? Shouldn't they be taking sexy girls in tiny red dresses who are a little too tipsy to realize it's a bad idea to let anyone suck your blood?"

Sterling let Cici look her fill, wondering what she saw. An armed lunatic, perhaps? Although he'd left his crossbow downstairs, he still wore his trench coat, which looked slightly lumpy due to the stakes he'd sewn into the interior. Definitely an armed lunatic.

But her comment of not needing anyone was familiar enough and brought him back to the present in time to hear the rest of her question out.

"Unfortunately, a vampire who hasn't fed for a while will take any target they can find. Most of the time they linger in back alleys outside of bars where it's easy to...overpower their victims." He censored himself for Cici's benefit. "But they don't get along with each other, competing for the same resources does that. So it's likely that once a vampire is found and dealt with, there won't be any more problems." There. Short and sweet, and hopefully calming for Cici. He should stop there.

"Dawn just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." Dammit. He'd been doing so good! "It happens to the best of us," he added, hoping he hadn't just gotten Dawn in trouble. "And if it's the difference between losing a backpack or one's life, the latter is easier to replace." Yes, he should definitely stop talking now. "Er, Dawn is downstairs making tea--would you like some?"

Cici's head cocked to the side and she raised one brow. Why was this man getting flustered? He seemed so collected outside. Wait! That was it. He didn't do well with people, he had been so far removed.

That set her mothering instincts in. He needed to be nurtured, "Come on, lets get some tea." She offered her hand to him, smiling at him.

Downstairs the kettle began to scream. An old metal contraption that settled on the glowing red element comfortable steaming. The kitchen looked lived in. The cabinets were worn, but well cared for. The counter top had a few stains, probably from koolaid. The fridge looked like it should be replaced, but it was covered in school reports - both from Dawn and Cici.

Dawn was making up some cups, "Are you staying, Mister?" She looked at him as she poured sugar into one cup and a little cream into the other one, "What is your name, anyhow?"

He hesitated briefly before gingerly taking her hand. He didn't know what he expected, but her skin was soft, slightly calloused from house work, but nowhere near as calloused as his own. He hoped she wouldn't find it uncomfortable.

"Alright then." He followed half a step behind her, down the stairs to the kitchen and flinched badly at the scream of the kettle, releasing her hand to grab for a stake before remembering that there weren't any vampires in the house. He took a calming breath and steadied himself.

"Sorry," he muttered, trying to shake off the sudden adrenaline rush. He wouldn't need tea to stay awake; the teapot would do just fine.

"Ah, sorry, Dawn. My name is Sterling." He hesitated as though he might say more and then shrugged. He didn't have a last name; not one worth recalling anyway. "I'll stay for as long as I'm welcome. If that's alright by your mother." He looked at Cici.