No Need To Be Human

Cody shrugged his shoulders, moving away from the doorway a little before responding. "Um, I guess so." He said, slowly turning to look at the screen where the game was sitting on the title screen.

"Are you sure that's a good idea though?" Colt asked quietly.

Louis smiled and finished his granola bar before sitting back on the couch and cuddling close to Cody, "You pway for me. You beat da boss, otay?"

Nolee smiled as she watched the interaction between the two, "You two are adorable next to each other. A kid and a little boy.
************

"Death is a real bastard for taking you from me as far as I'm concerned," Dia shrugged, "we'll cheat him, or her, and then we'll be happy together again. Why? You can't tell me you're chicken about this."

Cody nodded, smiling as Louis sat beside him before he looked up at Nolee. "Hey, I'm not...whichever of those you said I was..." He said, pouting immaturely at her. "I'm older than you."

"I'm not chicken, I just..." Colt started before pausing, trying to think of a way to word what he wanted to say. "What if you change your mind about fixing this Cody kid...?" He asked, looking worried.

"Yes, yes you are," Nolee giggled as she curled up in the chair to watch Cody play Zelda, "So what do you boys have on the agenda? I was thinking about going into town and getting something to eat at some point. As much as I love carnival food, it makes me fat."

"Carnivaw food no make you fat," Louis said as if what Nolee had just said was a personal insult.
********************

Dia looked at him, "Are you seriously worried that I'll fall in love with him?"

She took a deep breath as she thought of it. It was definitly a possibilty.

"You'll still come around if I do...right?"

"I don't know," Cody said, shrugging his shoulders. "I never really thought about it..." He looked down at Louis and frowned slightly as they talked about food. "I guess if you weren't careful about how much of it you ate, you probably would get fat on the food here...but I wouldn't know." He said quietly.


"Of course I'm worried, why wouldn't I be? I mean...even if he's a vampire, he's still more alive than I am..." Colt frowned. He stayed quiet for a minute before answering Dia's other question, giving a small smile. "Of course I would."

"Why you sad now that Miss Nowee hewe?" Louis asked, sitting on Cody's lap, "she a nice pewson."

"He might be hungry," Nolee replied, "why don't you get Cody to the boss room while he and I get some food."

She knew Cody had to feed and had been through this before. Her blood was more nourishing than an average persons and she knew it was from the angel side of her.
********************

"He's dead, same as you are," Dia replied in a rather cold fashion, "he doesn't have a heartbeat. No pulse to warm his body."

"I had some earlier, I'm fine..." Cody said, focusing on the game, hoping the game would help him convince Louis that he was; though he couldn't help but tense slightly as Louis sat on his lap.


"Still closer than what I am," Colt sighed. "You can actually touch him..."

Nolee took Louis' hand and led him off of her lap, "Why don't you play for a bit Louis? Me and Cody have to talk about something."

"Mistew Cody hungwee," Louis replied, like he knew what was going on. "Mistew Cody need bwood."
*************

"But it's not the same as if you were still alive," Dia replied softly.

Cody frowned at what Louis said, slowly shaking his head before speaking. "No...I don't, I'm fine." He mumbled, looking away from them as he worried whether or not they'd actually believe that considering he was struggling to do so himself, which only set off his paranoia again instead of helping at all.


Colt pulled a face at what Dia said, a pained look on his face as he looked away, sighing quietly. "Dia..."

"Cody," Nolee admonished, "it's better for you to feed off of me than for you to maybe...you know..." She didn't want to say attack Louis because she didn't want to scare the boy but she knew that by the look in her eyes, Cody knew what she was going to say.

Louis nodded, "Momma wouwdn't be vewy happy if you fed on me...."
********************

Dia teared up and looked away, "I know, I know, I can't say things like that...."

Cody suddenly went tense after hearing what Louis said, frowning at the idea.
"I know she wouldn't be..." He muttered, slowly moving to get up, taking a few steps away from Louis as if he didn't trust himself. He'd known he hadn't fed enough off Dia, but he had been too busy trying not to hurt her at the time and had been trying to ignore the fact that he was still hungry since, though it had become harder with the others talking about it.


Colt moved closer to Dia, looking like he was going to hug her before quickly stopping and sighing, looking away. "Sorry..." He said quietly. "I can go if you'd like..."

"You stay in here Louis," Nolee smiled as she took Cody by the hand and led him into Dia's room. Once safe inside she locked the door and gave Cody a look that conveyed her disappointment. "Dia? You have a constant supply of blood from me and what I can get you from blood banks and you still go hunting. Cody, you promised me that was over..."
**********

"Well," Dia replied as she put down her fire hoop, "maybe you should go talk to the Barrow family. See how they can be alive, kinda, and what you can do to try that. I'll go talk to Jacen about getting the poor kid outta my leech like grasp."

"You weren't around..." Cody mumbled, hanging his head. "...and I hadn't fed for a while...and I didn't know what she was." He added quietly, trailing off, his eyes on the ground.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew he'd promised not to go hunting, but having left it longer than usual he hadn't been able to help himself.

"I'm sorry..." Cody said as he looked back up at her, a guilty look on his face. "She...she said she'd try and fix this..."


Colt nodded. "And what if the Barrows can't help me?" He asked. "...or if Jacen can't help you?"

"I know Cody," Nolee replied in a soft manner, "I know you don't mean to do it but you can't help it sometimes."
She softly sat down in the chair, bearing her neck. "Go on," she encouraged, "I know you need to feed."
************

Dia looked determined, "Then we find someone who can."

"I shouldn't have left it so long..." Cody said, sighing. "It was a stupid thing to do." He frowned, standing there looking guilty instead of going over to Nolee.


"I don't think there is anyone else in the circus who could help..." Colt frowned.

"Not for someone trying to ween themselves off blood," Nolee replied knowingly. "So c'mon Cody, feed."
**************

"We have to find someone," Dia replied, sounding like she was nervous and just a tad of upset.

"Even if I said I'm doing that it's not really true ...it's not working." Cody said before sitting facing Nolee.

He glanced at her with a guilty look in his eyes before leaning close, hesitating barely inches away from her neck with his fangs bared, trying to fight his instincts for a few seconds before sighing and deciding to just get it over and done with. Sinking his fangs into her neck, Cody pulled a face at first at the taste of blood before giving into his hunger, slowly drinking.


"What if we can't though Dia, what then?" Colt asked softly.

Nolee closed her eyes at first, a bit in pain over the bite to the neck like anyone would be. She put a hand on the back of Cody's head, telling him that it was okay what he was doing. She knew that some angels didn't like mixing with the children of the damned, her own brother included occasionally. But this was different. This was her best friend and had been since they met.

"It's okay Cody," she let him know with an almost etheral quality to her voice, "you aren't hurting me."
***********

Dia looked at him, eyes full of tears, before shaking her head, "I won't let you go Colt...I can't let you go..."

Cody froze as if sensing Nolee was in pain, but went back to feeding when she put a hand on his head. He was still worrying about what he was doing and if he was hurting her until she spoke, slowly relaxing at the sound of her voice. He fed until he was full, knowing with Nolee he could do so without hurting her. He slowly pulled away, wiping his mouth as he sat up, frowning; still not liking having to feed.


"But what if you don't have a choice...?" Colt asked quietly. "I know you don't like to think about it, but what if one day you have to?"

Nolee blinked her eyes a few times, shaking the feeling from her head. It made it hurt but at the same time, she always felt more alive after Cody fed. It was something to do with adrenaline, of that there was no doubt. Standing shakily she gave him a smile, "See, that isn't so bad..."
************

"I...I should always have a choice," responded Dia though she felt a little sad, "But...but if I had to...I would..."

Cody shrugged his shoulders, frowning as he watched Nolee get up. "Are you alright?" He asked, partly out of habit, though he'd noticed she was shaky. "You should probably stay sitting for a bit..." He added, getting up and reaching a hand out, gently putting it on her arm, worried.


"I know you should," Colt said. "But that doesn't mean you actually will..."

"I'm fine," Nolee nodded in affirmation that she was feeling okay, "you don't have to worry about me. I'll be just fine. It's you I'm worried about. You're not gonna snap in there with Louis are you Codes? I'd hate for it to happen."
************

"Stay here with me while I practice?" smiled Dia, trying to distract herself from the conversation.

Cody stayed silent for a minute, thinking about it before responding, shaking his head. "I should be fine now," He said. "I haven't had any problems at all after feeding from you..."


"If you want me too." Colt said, smiling and nodding.

Nolee put a hand to her neck, healing herself before nodding. "And now I don't have any problems after being fed from. Though, I'd make sure to wipe the blood from your mouth. We don't want the poor kid to be scared now, do we?"
******

"I'd love you to," Dia replied softly as she began to practice.

"No...that's probably not a good idea." Cody answered, quickly shaking his head before wiping his mouth. "Dia probably wouldn't appreciate it either."


Colt grinned and stood nearby, quiet as he watched. He would have sat down, but obviously being a ghost, he couldn't; he was hopeful though that the ghosts Dia had mentioned could help him.