Lestat wandered out of the library, whistling to himself. Selena followed shortly after, rubbing at her eyes. Marius gave Lestat a pointed look, but Lestat just shrugged.

"Hey, Selena." There was a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned around.

"Daniel?"

"You want to go out or something? I know Lestat can be a pain sometimes."

"Why aren't you with Armand?"

"He went out with Louis, you know, to make sure nothing happens to him. It's got us all a little spooked."

"I know. I keep thinking 'what if I hadn't found him?' But I did, so I guess I should let it go. I don't think I really want to go out, if that's okay with you. But, could we stay here and just talk?"

"Yeah, whatever you want. You know, you sure do look different tonight. Not the same at all. I kind of like it."

She smiled a little. "Thanks. I didn't think anyone had really noticed."

"Oh, we noticed."

"Lestat didn't."

"Sure he did. Lestat just has this habit of never saying things like that." He shrugged. "You get used to it." They walked out to the end of the dock. Selena sat down, with her legs dangling over the edge, starring at the moon.

"It looked like this when I was a kid," she said. "Like I could reach up and touch it. I don't go near the ocean very often anymore."

Daniel was almost afraid to say anything. This was the first time Selena had mentioned anything about her past. He had just assumed it was still to painful for her to talk about. He knew that he didn't really like to think about his life *before*. "Why is that?" He asked, finally.

"I grew up near the ocean. At any time if the day, I could look out at that never ending expanse of blue. I could sit for hours watching the sunlight dance on the waves."

"Oh." They sat there in silence for awhile.

"Daniel?"

"Hm?"

"Have you ever felt your whole world slipping out from under you, crumbling beneath your feet, and you knew you were powerless to stop it?"

"Yes. That's how I felt when I met Armand. Here was this perfect being, and I was in paradise when I was with him. When I was alone it was hell. And I knew that I couldn't live this way, that it was all going to pieces, and there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that I could do." Selena watched as a single ruby tear slid down his pale cheek. She reached out and wiped it away with her fingertip.

"I'm sorry..."

"No. It doesn't matter now. Now I have him forever." He said with a smile. "Does this have anything to do with what you and Lestat were talking about?"

"Yes, in a way. I've known it was coming, and I guess I could have prevented it. But in a way, I want it to happen. Even though I fear the outcome, I want the weight of it off my shoulders. I just don't want to hurt anyone in the process."

"Grievances are usually forgiven quickly in our little family. Although, I don't know how little it will stay with Lestat around."

Selena chuckled. "No, I think Lestat has learned that you can't fix things by making a new companion. It never works."

"Mind if I ask a personal question? How old are you, really? Not very, I would think." She frowned a little. "Oh, I'm sorry, is that part of what you and Lestat were talking about?"

She shook her head. "Yes, but I don't mind. Not really. I'm older than you think."

"How old?"

"Older than Armand. Look, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't say anything though. I'm sure Lestat will be making a big deal out of this as soon as Armand and Louis get back. I'm starting to think that boy can't resist a mystery."

Daniel laughed. Selena gave him a strange look. "Sorry, somehow the idea of anyone calling Lestat a boy strikes me as funny."

"I guess it is." She began to laugh as well.

"Well here you two are! Come on in. We're going to have a little 'family meeting'. What *are* you two laughing about, anyway?"

"Nothing, Lestat." Daniel smirked. He looked at Selena _Boy_ he sent.

She started to laugh even harder.

"You two have lost your minds!" Lestat proclaimed. "Come on."

The pair got up of the dock, and Lestat ushered them into the main room of the house. Armand was seated on a sofa, looking at the still snickering Daniel curiously. "I'll tell you later." Daniel said as he took a seat next to him. Lestat and Louis were on the other couch, and Lestat had one arm draped protectively around Louis' shoulders. Marius was seated in a large wing chair, so Selena sat on the floor, leaning against the side of the chair.

"What is this all about, Lestat?" Armand asked.

Lestat stood up. "I just thought I should bring it to everyone's attention that our little Selena has been keeping secrets from us."

"We all have secrets, Lestat. This is nothing new."

"But we know nothing of her, Armand! She knows all about us, but what do we know? That she owns a bar in New York? That Cat is her traveling companion?"

"Our lives are know to most of the population of the world, thanks to your books, Lestat."

"That is not the same! She's completely unknown to us. And I for one, think it has gone on long enough. This charade ends here, now."

"Enough, Lestat. I won't let you sit here and accuse her like this."

"What is she to you, Marius? Don't you want to know about her?"

Marius looked over to where Selena sat, a fine trembling starting in her body. "Go, I will talk to them." Selena got up and exited the room, in the manner of an obedient child. "You've frightened her Lestat, can't you see that?"

"I frightened her! You didn't see her last night! She came into my room like some devil she-cat!"

Marius sighed. "Sit down Lestat. You wanted to hear her story, so I'll tell it to you."

Lestat made a small angry sound, but did as told. Marius looked around the room, and let out another heavy sigh. "I was hopping for a better time for this, but you've brought it all down upon us now." He paused, gathering his strength for what would come next. "Selena grew up on a small Greek island more than nine hundred years ago. The first time I ever saw her, she was sitting on a cliff near the ocean, gazing at the moon. You have to understand my frame of mind at the time. I had lost Pandora, and had moved the sanctuary to this island to further isolate myself. And yet, here she was, this exquisite creature, looking almost as you just saw her a moment ago. And she was singing, singing to the moon. She had the clearest voice I had ever heard in a mortal. I stood in the window, listening, as one of the servants came and scolded her for dawdling. Then she was gone. I almost forgot all about her, over those next weeks, so like a dream it had seemed. Then, I would hear her voice, a far away snatch of song, and I knew she was real. I began looking for her, as I wandered my home in the evenings. It was very rarely that I saw any of the servants I employed, as they tended to steer clear of me. Finally I gave in. I stopped a old woman one night.

'I'm looking for one of the servant girls. She has long red hair, very curly.'

'Selena. Has she disturbed you, Lord? She's always singing, never paying attention to her work.'

'No. She has not bothered me, but I wish to speak with her. You'll bring her to my rooms?'

'Yes.'

I went back to the antechamber I painted in nightly, and waited. After a while I heard a soft noise. There she was standing in the doorway. A tiny thing, and trembling terribly. She wouldn't look at me. Finally, I lifted her chin, forcing her to see me.

'You called for me, Lord?'

'Yes. I would like to paint you. You will allow me to do this?'

She gave a small nod. I can't really tell you what I felt, looking at her as she sat by the window. I thought that I had found a way to patch over the hole that Pandora's leaving had left in me. Eventually, I went to her parents. People were commonly bought and sold in those times, and I gave them a huge amount of money. They were happy to give her up. They would not have gotten half that amount had they married her off. So I kept Selena, rather like a pet, I'm ashamed to say. I painted her, and she would, when I requested it, sing for me. She was still young, not quite a woman yet. I could have kept her like that forever, to look upon when I wished." He stopped again, and looked around the room. Lestat and Louis were silent, as if trying to comprehend. Daniel was intrigued, and Armand was hurt. Marius could see the pain clearly in his brown eyes, and he mourned again that he could not tell what he was thinking.

"She's yours then." Lestat said finally. "Your child. I should have guessed."

"Yes. She was mearly protecting me, though I don't deserve it, after all this time."

"Why?" Came a small whisper from the other side of the room. "Why didn't you tell me?" It was Armand.

"Because I was too ashamed. I would have told you eventually...." His voice trailed off. "I have to finish before I can talk of this more. As I said, I could have kept her that way forever. But time works against us. Selena had been living with me for only two years, when she fell ill. Deathly ill. I wanted to die. Two years, it wasn't enough! No one could do a thing for her. So I had two options. Let her die, or make her one of us. There was no choice, really. It was like Lestat with Gabrielle. I couldn't let her die."

"So you changed her."

"Yes, but there was trouble from the beginning. I had drained her, to the brink of death, but her heart started to slow too quickly. I almost lost her. Finally, it was done. I had exhausted myself, and she didn't wake up! She was trapped between life and death for almost an hour. finally, she awoke."

"She was okay?"

"Yes, mostly. The transition had been hard on her, but what a miracle! Life shown behind here eyes, where for months only the specter of death had dwelled. And her deep olive skin had paled only slightly."

Lestat made a thoughtful noise from over on the couch. "So far I see nothing to be terribly ashamed of, Marius."

"I haven't finished. I had thought that Selena would be different after, that she would no longer wish to be subservient to me. I was wrong. She killed like she was in a trance. She did everything I asked of her, but nothing more. It broke my heart to see her. She didn't even sing anymore. Finally, I couldn't bear to have her near me."

"I know how you feel. It was like that with Nicki." Lestat said softly.

"Yes. Some are just never meant for this life. I sent her away, finally, to the coven in Rome. I detested the things, but what else could I to do? I couldn't leave her alone. If she did not wish to go, she never said so. That was the last time I saw her, up until recently. I did not say a word about her to anyone. Frankly, I didn't think she was still alive." Weary, Marius sank into one of the chairs. "I don't know any more. The rest she'll have to tell you."

"I will get her." Armand said abruptly. He stood and departed.

"I've hurt him again."

"I think," Louis spoke up "that perhaps he feels like a replacement."

"He's not. I suppose they do look alike, in a way, but Selena had nothing to do with my choosing him."

"You need to tell him that." ==========

Armand walked out into the warm evening. He could see Selena standing alone on the beach, waves washing over her feet. He went to her. "You may come back now."

"It's over now?" Her eyes were red with crying. Tears stained her cheeks.

"Yes."

She gazed at him. Then smiled a little. "I'm glad I have such a handsome 'brother'." She said.

"And now we must go and tell our father we do not hate him."

"Yes." ============

Armand and Selena entered the room together. Marius stood, and looked at them nervously. They both smiled. "You're not angry, then."

"No. I am...upset, but it will pass. And I believe Selena forgives you as well."

"Do you?"

"Yes. You had no choice. Who knows what would have become of me had you not sent me away? I would probably not be here now. What you did, you did out of love."

"And I owe you an apology, Selena. It was rude of me to pry. I did not think about who I might be hurting. Do you forgive me as well?"

"I have to. You've given me my family back, Lestat. For that I'm grateful."

Daniel stood now. "Let me be the first to officially welcome you to our little family, dysfunctional though it may be."

Selena laughed. "God, it feels good to be home!"

They had all talked on and off the rest of the night. Selena had dragged Armand off so that they could get better aquatinted, much to Daniel's dismay. They were sitting in front of one of the large windows, the moon making a luminous backdrop, and Marius was content just to watch them.

"They really are quite beautiful, Marius." Lestat had come up behind him without his noticing.

"They are, aren't they?"

Dawn was approaching, so Selena headed to her room. It was over. She was relived that the burden had finally been lifted, and that she had finally found the family she had searched so long for. There was a noise behind her, and she turned to see Lestat watching her.

"You will tell us the rest of your story, won't you?"

"Tomorrow." She said wearily. The rest was a worry for tomorrow.

End Part III