Alek took a week to settle all his business in Wind City, while the other four returned to the cabin. David met him at the edge of the city lights when the week was up.

"Ready?"

Alek nodded. "Ready as I'm gonna' get."

The trip back to the cabin was fast, and Alek was welcomed into the group warmly when he arrived. Though Mack's version of "warm" was to nearly bowl him over at every opportunity. But Megan gave him a hug, and Jeff shook his hand when he arrived at the cabin.

"Man, I don't know when anybody was last this glad to see me!"

"Just be glad we all like you, it's getting kind of crowded here," said Mack.

"I wish I knew somewhere better to go," said David. "Particularly if we ever do expand this into Megan's vampire police. We're going to need a lot more space than this. But I don't know where to find it."

"Maybe you should keep your eyes out," said Alek. "There are a ton of old ruins out in the desert. This is practically a ruin. There might be something better than this out there."

"Good idea," said David.

"So... when are you going to... change me?" said Alek, looking a little nervous again.

David looked at him. "If you want more time, you can take it. But I know you've probably done everything you wanted to do, before, while still in the city. So if you're ready, we can start tonight."

Alek gulped. "Man." His heart rate spiked, and David and Mack exchanged glances, wondering if Alek was going to "wuss out" after all. But then Alek shook himself. "Let's get it over with. Right now."

David nodded. "Let's go outside then, where we can have a little privacy." He grabbed the little folding knife out of a kitchen drawer as he walked out of the kitchen. With Alek trailing behind him he went through the front room and out into the clearing in front of the cabin. The others tactfully withdrew, Jeff getting out a book, Mack sitting with Megan at the kitchen table, pulling out a battered card deck. He'd been trying to teach her to play various card games for the last several weeks.

Alek stood in the middle of the clearing. "Okay. What do we do?"

David explained it, as straightforwardly as he could. Remembering Megan's words about it not being magical or scary he left out anything other than just the plain facts.

"I can do that," said Alek. "I guess you have the hard part, really."

David chuckled. "It's possible."

"Do it then."

David nodded and stepped forward. It only took a few minutes for him to take Alek's blood and return it to him, changed.

"Now you get to wait," said David, "For which I apologize, but I don't want to take any chances." Then he smiled. "Come on. We'll kill time by watching a movie."

"What's a movie?"