Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Okay King stay strong, don’t look at her, stay strong,” King told himself as he paced his room.

Zoe is going on her first date tonight and Abby is getting her ready. Not that they even bothered to tell King about this whole “so called” date. That is until they came home today with bags full of clothes from the mall. That was only a few hours ago. They knew he would say no if they had asked.

Zoe’s an 18-year-old now, and Abby had talked King into letting her go her senior year to public school.

He’s mentally kicking his own ass right now for letting her talk him into it. He should have known this would happen.

Zoe had never dated. They have been hiding from the public for so long. And for that, King was eternally grateful. However, he knew Zoe would date eventually. And he couldn’t really tell her that she couldn’t grow up.

He didn’t even know what he’s getting bent out of shape about. It’s not like Zoe’s his kid or anything. King’s sooo not the fatherly type. Hell he’s not even the Uncle type. It’s just that he and Abby have just kinda watched out for the little demon since her mom died when she was little.

Abby says that Zoe has King wrapped around her finger. King’s response to that was…”That's bullshit! Well maybe I am, but just a little, shut up!”

But when they told King that she was going out on a date, he threw a huge fit and Abby and him got into it…

“NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! SHE’S ONLY 17!” King yelled standing up from the table, abruptly knocking his chair backwards while he was at it.

“She’s 18 King” Abby said, while rolling her eyes and keeping her cool.

“I haven’t even met this little punk! He could be only out for her body, or even worse… her blood,” King said this looking at Zoe sadly.

As he looked at her, he knew she was going on this date. Zoe’s growing up and there is nothing he can do about it. He dropped his head and spoke as calmly as he could…

“I want to meet this punk, and I want to talk to him before you go anywhere with him.”

King looked at Zoe with clenched jaws and intense eyes doing everything in his power to not scream at her and send her to her room. Instead he went to his room.

************

Mean while in King’s room…

King sat down on his bed scared to death. Scared of Zoe being out of his sight tonight. Scared of Abby dressing Zoe up so provocatively that this little punk gets fresh with her. Scared of her growing up. But most of all, scared of how he is going to feel when he sees her all dressed up tonight and out with some other guy… Letting him hold her, kiss her, love her, and hopefully not fuck her.

He thought… to hell with all of these confused and mixed up thoughts of not knowing if he felt protective because he loved her like her guardian like he always had… or more.

He was scaring the hell out of himself! And suddenly he heard a soft tap on his door. His heart started pounding so hard that he thought he would’ve a heart attack right there!

“Come in,” he said with a voice so low and calm, that was so eerily different and cold. He saw the door open.

First Zoe’s head popped in and she had her hair scrunched with some bangs over her left eye. She walked in and King had to laugh because of what she was wearing…

She was wearing her skater shoes, black jeans, and a white muscle shirt.

Totally unexpected!

He was so relieved that he let out a deep breath he didn't even know he was holding.

“How do I look?” Zoe asked looking shy as fuck.

He replied, “Much sexier than I expected.”

Before Zoe had a chance to react to the outrageous compliment, he decided to joke…

“I just don’t have the hips for that outfit,” King said in a womanly tone and flipping invisible hair over his shoulder.

Zoe gave him a playful shove with her hands landing at his pecks and he grabbed her hands and wrapped them around his neck. He hugged her and let his serious side show as he whispered in her ear… “You look so beautiful Zoe, but if this guy tries anything… you fight like hell like I’ve always trained you! Don’t give in! Ok?”

This sent shivers up and down her spine and she was beginning to hate herself for feeling these damn feelings again.

Zoe had a crush on King ever since she saw him chained to that floor. The looked in his eyes was a look of a wounded animal. She had never seen King as anything less than a big funny beast. She didn’t know he could be hurt. But that day seeing him chained to the floor and beaten, she knew, she wanted to always protect him and to take care of him.

But someone like King would never conceive of it. He never wanted to feel helpless ever again. And if he did ever start to feel helpless, he would go off by himself for a while and have Abby and Zoe worried to death about him.

He loved them and never wanted them to think of him as weak. Because if they thought of him as weak, then they wouldn’t feel as safe. And if they didn’t feel as safe, then he hadn’t done his job.

However, Zoe knew better. She had once seen his vulnerable side before. And even when she did see it, she never felt like he was weak. She remembers it like it was yesterday…

Flashback in Zoe’s pov…

These chains hurt, and my wrists are stating to bleed. They told me I would be able to see King soon after they took me, to shut me up. But it didn’t work.

Strangely enough, I didn’t cry for my mom that they had just murdered. I cried for King like there was no tomorrow.

I lay there on the floor where I was chained, and cried myself to sleep.

Sometime later I heard the door open and in walked someone they call Drake. He started to unchain me and I started to fight him like hell! I had stopped though after Dracula informed me that he was taking me to King. But the way he cackled afterwards took that comforting feeling of getting to see King away.

He took me down a long hallway and stopped in front of a door where I heard King yelling and some other people were talking. It started to get quiet whenever Drake opened the door and took my hand. He led me into the room where I saw King chained to the floor.

He was on his knees, and leaning over him whispering into his ear was the woman that told me earlier to shut up because I would be seeing King later. I think I heard her brother call her “Danika.”

After I had walked in and made eye contact with King, his mouth dropped open and his chin began to quiver!

Danika said something to him, stood up, and left. (I still haven't been able to get King to tell me what she whispered to him that day.) As she left, she looked over at Drake and motioned him to follow. But before he did, he knelt down behind me as I was facing King. Drake used his hands to pull my hair behind my shoulders and down my back.

King had already been shaking with anger and clenching his jaws! He was kind of scary to look at when he was angry. I knew he used to be a vampire. And I knew that he didn’t lose all of his vampire strength whenever he took the human serum to become human again.

I saw the beast in him start to take over at this point. The sight of some of the old vampire traits that still lived in him was starting to rise to the surface and it caused me to shake.

However, when Drake pulled my hair back, King started to lunge forward! His knees were bent because

he couldn’t fully stand on account of being chained to the concrete floor. Coming toward us he was using all of his strength in his body! His muscles ripped even harder as he used his strength against the chains!

Then he let out a murderous roar…

“DON’T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!”

That’s when the bolts that screwed the chains down started to come loose and the chains started to come out of the concrete floor! Then suddenly the chains broke lose and I heard Drake gasp at the sight!

This house of a man that was bound in chains five seconds ago just happened to be standing up right in front of us now!

King dropped his eyes down to me and simply told me to duck.

As soon as I dropped to the floor, King whipped back an arm and swung the chain on his right arm as fast and as hard as he could! I saw that chain loop around Drake’s neck! Then King pulled Drake with all of his strength against the concrete wall! I actually saw the wall crack! Then King whipped the chain back, bringing Dracula across the room landing on his knees. That’s when King roared!…

“YOU LIKE TO TOUCH ZOE’S HAIR, ASS HOLE? WELL LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS TO PIECES OF SHIT LIKE YOU!”

Before Dracula could answer, King took out his special, made for vamps handgun out of a secret compartment of the bottom of his boot! King yelled for me to shut my eyes! As soon as I did, I heard an animalistic scream come out of Dracula!

I soon opened my eyes to find only King and I were the only ones left in the room, except for a pile of ashes on the floor, where Dracula had been.

That’s when I realized that King killed that vampire!

King’s chest was rising and falling from his rapid breathing, and he looked over at me. I wondered… (If he had the weapon the whole time, then why didn’t he just go ahead, use it, and get out of here before now?) This was something I always wanted to know. But every time I would bring up that day, he would just cut me off and leave the room.

After King looked at me, that’s when the water works came! When it came to King I couldn’t help but to cry. Just like when you get hurt when you’re a little kid and you don’t start crying until your mom sees you and looks at you with compassion.

Dragging the chains behind him fiercely walking up to me, he swooped down and picked me up! He had one arm holding me, and his other hand was cradling my head! He soothed me saying…”SHHHH Zoe, I’ve got you. No one can hurt you now. Did you fight like I always taught you? Did they hurt you,” he asked looking back into my face.

I nodded my head to tell him I did fight and shook my head no to tell him they didn’t hurt me (I lied) but he sighed with relief. If I had told him that they hurt me, that would mean I didn’t fight hard enough and it would be my fault.

So with that said he shifted me to his hip. And with me in one arm and a simple special vamp gun in the other hand he started to consider how we were getting out of there, when suddenly Abby and Blade showed up!

So, with Abby fighting in front of us, Blade fighting behind us, and King fighting off the vampires with one free arm, I was untouchable. And we got the hell out of there!

End of Flashback…

Back in King’s room…

King and Zoe were still hugging. However, when Zoe didn’t reply to him, he got worried.

“Oh no, she hasn’t givin in yet has she,” King wondered worriedly. And Zoe finally replied.

“Of course I’ll fight King. But I don’t understand why you’re so worried! I mean, it’s just a movie!

King dropped his hands to her waist and unbuckled her belt. While looking into her eyes, he ripped the belt quickly and skillfully off of her.

Zoe’s eyes got as big as cannon balls! She wondered if he had lost his mind and wanted to fuck her right then and there!

She wouldn’t have said no, but she was kind of relieved when he stepped away. He walked over to his dresser and took his black belt that said “King” in metal stones on it, off of the dresser and brought it over to her.

“These things are so much harder to get on, than take off,” he said sounding halfway flirtatious with a smirk.

“Oh my Gosh King, your letting my borrow you favorite belt?!!! I can’t believe this! You’re so awesome!”

Zoe put it on and had to put it on the tightest notch. She always sneaks into his room to steal it and wear it! He doesn’t know that the reason she loves the belt so much is because it has his name on it. And for some stupid reason, it makes her feel like she belongs to him when she wears it, like he has branded her. However, what Zoe doesn’t know is that’s the reason he made her wear his belt tonight, was in fact, to brand her.

He then took her belt and laid it on his dresser. Then he turned back around to face her and leaned back on the dresser. He crossed his arms with his head hung low and stared at his boots. He crossed one leg over the other, took a deep breath, and started to speak…

“Zoe I’m not your father, but when your mother was murdered I became your legal guardian, so here it goes… Lately you’ve been growing up so much and I hardly even recognize you.”

King finally started to look up at Zoe but when he did his eyes raked all the way up, starting form her shoes, up to her eyes.

Zoe’s heart was pounding a mile a minute, and she felt herself blush! King noticed and grinned at her. He began to speak again…

“Abby told me that you don’t think you’re pretty. Well don’t go getting a big head, but you’re not pretty… you’re beautiful. And that creates a big problem for me. Because lately, I haven’t been able to take you anywhere without punks everywhere noticing.”

They broke eye contact after he said that, and he took a shaky deep breath and looked into Zoe’s eyes again…

“I guess what I’m tryin to say is… Abby and I taught you about the assholes that only want you for your blood. And I’m sure Abby has talked with you about the little shit heads that only want to get into your pants. But I figure you need a male’s point of view on the subject. So I have a few things to say…

Number 1… Guys are usually manipulative little liars that will try or say anything to sleep with you. They will pretend to get really emotional with you. And sometimes they even tell you they love you… just to get into your pants.

Number 2… Don’t sale yourself short and fall in love with the first guy that pays you attention.

Number 3… There is nothing that you can’t talk to me about, and I will always be here for you.

Now any questions?”

Zoe slumped her shoulders, and sat on his bed dropping her head.

King took notice of her inner frustration and asked…”Do you wanna talk about it?”

Zoe looked at him and replied, “Abby said you knew who my dad was… Is that true?”

“Yeah kiddo, I did.” as he said this, he grabbed the back of Zoe’s neck with his hand and forced her to look at him.

“What was he like,” Zoe asked curiously.

“Well let’s just say it’s a good thing you look like you’re mother, because he wazzzzzzz hideousss,” King joked hissing like a snake. They both laughed!

“Your dad was my best friend.”

“He was? Really?” Zoe asked excitedly! King had never opened up about her dad until now.

“Yep, you’re a lot like him.”

“Really? How,” she asked anxiously.

“You’re a little hardcore bad ass like he was!”

“You think I’m a hard core bad ass?” Zoe asked laughing, not really taking him seriously.

“Well to tell you the truth, I thought when you came in here tonight, that you would be wearing something slutty, like the other girls your age. But needless to say, I was really relieved when you walked in with black jeans and a muscle shirt on,” King said laughing.

“I’m really glad to see you haven’t let your guard down Zoe. Your father would be proud!”

“Abby says I’m a mean ass like you,” Zoe said as a matter of factly.

“Well to tell you the truth, your father was about 10 years older than I am. He taught me everything I know. I may have rubbed off on you a little. However, you are definitely your father’s daughter. Your dad really loved you. He was so excited to get to see you when you were born. However, he was also excited for you to get to see him. Because he said that it would be the way, your mother could see him for the first time, through your eyes. So in a way it was like your mom got to see him for the first time through your eyes.”

Zoe looked at King trying not to cry. Because she knew if she cried, he would get all awkward and stop talking to her. However, she couldn’t help it, a tear fell before she could wipe it off of her face, and King did something he had never done, he wiped the tear away!

They had a moment of silence, and King reminded himself not to get too emotionally involved. It was one thing to think Zoe was beautiful… but to actually start having feelings for her would be just wrong.

King didn’t have the best boyfriend record. He wasn’t really what you call “boyfriend” material. In fact, that’s how he ended up becoming a vampire in the first place. He had picked up Danika in a strip club and took her back to her to one of the club’s back rooms to get lucky. She wasn’t a stripper, but she was just there.

There was no way he is gonna hook up with Zoe and leave her hanging, like he had done with all of the other women in his past. Because Zoe’s different. She deserves the real thing. And he doesn’t have it in him to be the real thing for her. And if he does, he doesn’t know it, at least not yet.

King couldn’t take the emotions floating through the room and had to lighten the mood…

“Okay kiddo, enough of this tear jerkin shit! You’re gonna cry all of your makeup off.”

Suddenly the moniter that tells you if someone is on the premises turned green and they heard the doorbell ring. King inwardly cringed.

Zoe’s date is here.

******************

As they walked down the stairs, Zoe was first with King right behind her. Her date was apparently talking to Abby, when suddenly he spotted Zoe.

He got a big shit eatin grin on his face and licked his lips.

King automatically hated this kid. The “kid” looked as old as him! King was 28 years old, but didn’t age when he was a vampire. So he didn’t look a day over 25, and at the youngest he could pass for was 22.

The kid was dressed okay, but so help King… the kid had solid black hair and was wearing guy liner.

He was a couple of inches shorter than King and skinnier too, but he still towered over Zoe.

“Hey Trevor,” Zoe greeted excitedly as she bounced up to the kid.

“Hey Zoe! You look great,” Trevor said fawning over her.

“Thanks! Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah let’s go,” Trevor said, taking her hand, and starting toward the door.

As they started to leave…Hannibal put a hand on Trevor’s neck, “So Trevor, step into my office,” King said leading him into the living room.

Quite forcefully he sat him down on the couch and pulled up a chair! He sat in front of Trevor about three feet away, swung a leg over sitting in the chair backwards, leaning his arms on the back of the chair.

“So Trevor, what grade ya in?”

“I’m a senior?”

“How old are you Trevor?”

“King he just said he’s a senior,” Abby said butting in!

“He could have failed Abby,” King corrected her never taking his eyes off of Trever.

Trevor swallowed hard and began to speak, “I’m 18 sir, but I didn’t fail. My birthday’s in September.”

King’s blood pressure was rising and he could feel the good old vampire that he used to be, try to surface like old times. However, he decided to keep his cool.

“So Trevor, I bet you don’t even have a curfew. I mean this is your senior year! I bet you have a lot of wild times ahead of you right?” King said with a laugh testing Trevor.

Then Trevor began laughing along with him, too nervous to reply. And King stopped right in his tracks with a famous turn from sweet funny King, to fierce, intense, scary King.

Looking straight into Trevor’s eyes he began firmly, “Well Zoe still has a curfew of 11 p.m. and can’t go out on school nights. (That’s when King was usually training Zoe! And he wasn’t about to give her any slack just so little punks like Trevor can try to get his paws all over her.)

“If you touch her, you are 18, so that means you’re legal enough for me to fight you man to man. Now do you still want to date my Zoe?”

“Y-Y-Yes s-s-ir,” Trevor nervously replied, clearly sweating like crazy.

“Well then, it’s your funeral! Or not, if you keep your hands off of her,” King coldly added.

Trevor nodded his head understanding, and then stood up after King did.

King looked around and hadn’t noticed that Abby took Zoe out of there and into the bathroom to do touch ups on her hair and makeup. She wanted to keep her from seeing how brutal King was going to be.

They soon heard King yell, “YOU CAN COME OUT NOWWW!”

King smiled to him self. He wasn’t stupid. He knew he could be scary.

Abby and Zoe came out of the bathroom, and neither of them would look King in the eyes.

Zoe quickly hugged Abby and thanked her for her help.

Then suddenly and totally unexpectedly... King grabbed Zoe up into a tight bear hug! When King was hugging her, he was looking over her shoulder at Trevor giving him a little smirk! Trevor could practically hear Mr. King saying (eat shit bitch!)

Then Zoe grabbed Trevor’s hand, and they quickly said their good-byes. Finally to Zoe’s relief, they were off!

When she and Trevor were heading to his car, finally out of earshot, Abby quickly came to Zoe’s defense, and asked, “Did you really have to be so brutal King?”

King just arrogantly cocked his head meeting her fierce gaze.

And in a very lighthearted, King-like manner he replied, “Well that was fun!”

So should I make this into a story? Or should I leave it as a one shot? Please let me know! Thanks!