"About this being only between you and me."

She rested her finger on his cheek, tracing the slash of his cheekbone. "Because it's already so d.a.m.n complicated we don't need any third parties?"

He grinned wryly. "Because they'd just mess it up."

She nodded. "And we're going to do a good enough job of that ourselves."

"Yeah."

His energy pulsed around her. Weaker than normal, but still so much stronger than hers.

"I was so scared when I found you."

"I bet."

"I couldn't feel your energy. I could only feel the nothingness where it should have been."

"I'm pretty impressed you thought to trace that back."

She feigned arrogance. "I am a genius."

"Not all geniuses have common sense."

"Very true... Slade?"

"What?"

"I would love to sit and cuddle with you, but Joseph really doesn't have the time."

His head snapped up. "He's that bad?"

"You haven't seen him?"

"No, G.o.dd.a.m.nit."

"Well, I saw him a few hours ago."

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"Not that long, but-"

"s.h.i.t. Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"If you'd look in the mirror, you'd know why."

"That's an easy fix."

"You need more blood."

He glared at her. "Don't even think it."

She rubbed her hand on her thigh. "I wasn't about to."

He let the lie slide and changed the subject, for which she was grateful.

"You took Caleb's blood because you needed the protein?"

She nodded. "But what we really need is a way to synthesize it, and then maybe we can regulate the dosage and store it."

"Where are you now in the process?"

"This sounds entirely too simple. But you know how lactose-intolerant people just need to take a pill? I think that's all Joseph needs, too."

"But we have yet to make the pill?"

She nodded again. "Yeah. He's going to need it for every meal."

"That's going to be complicated."

"I know."

"I think down the road, I'll be able to synthesize the protein, but right now we're working with it raw."

"What delivery system are you going to use?"

"I don't think an injection will work. I think the protein needs to be in his stomach at the time he eats."

"So liquid."

She nodded and slipped out of his lap, heading around to the big table upon which she'd spread her notes.

"How much?"

"I don't know." She studied the percentages on the paper. "I don't even know if too much will cause other problems."

Slade stood. "He can't afford another problem."

She spun back around. "Slade, stop telling me what I already know. Okay. I realize this is life and death. I realize if I get this wrong I kill this kid. Okay? I get it. I get it. I get it."

"Jesus G.o.d, Jane!" Reaching out, Slade grabbed her and pulled her close. "Baby, you're doing all you can."

She pushed against this chest "And if it's not enough, what? Do you think Caleb's not going to blame me? Do you think Allie's not going to blame me? Do you think you aren't going to blame me?" She shook her head. "They think you walk on water and they expect me to strut right along beside you, but I've done this before. I've lost this battle before. I know how it goes. I don't want another life on my conscience. I don't want this, but I don't have a choice."

Slade's energy wrapped around her, holding her tighter than his arms.

"You have a choice." He took the notebook from her hand. "I can take over."

Jane allowed herself the illusion that that was possible while she let Slade siphon off the worst of her agitation. When she was calm again, she took the notebook back. "You can't. Not in the time frame we have."

She appreciated that he didn't argue, but what she appreciated more was the way he stood beside her. "Then we'd better get to work."

IT was different working with someone who was as capable as she was. An equal, not an a.s.sistant. Someone who wasn't afraid to interrupt her thoughts and put forth his own. Irritating, too, but good. At first she fought it, but as they worked she realized how much they complemented each other. Soon they were finishing each other's thoughts, leaping through the process much quicker than she would have on her own. Just another area in which they were compatible. Which was good. They didn't have time for trial and error. They needed a solution. And, three hours later, she held up the little bottle full of clear liquid; they had it.

"Should we call them?" she asked, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the eyedropper lid onto the bottle.

Slade looked at her. "How sure are you that this is it?"

"As sure as I can be. How sure are you?"

He leaned back in the chair, looking at the latest calculations. "Sick-in-my-gut-one-shot-at-life sure."

She took his hand and held on. They'd done all they could. The only thing left was to see if it was enough. Slade laced his fingers through hers.

"Then it's time to make the call."

SLADE led the way. By the time they got to the nursery, it seemed like half the compound was in the hall. Jane walked the gauntlet of hope-filled faces, keeping her gaze centered on Slade's back, her heart in her throat. At the door, Slade stopped.

"You go in. I'll handle the riffraff."

Predictably the riffraff had something to say about that. The attempts at humor did break some of the tension, though. She mouthed a "thank you."

She felt his smile. You're welcome.

Taking a steadying breath, Jane stepped into the room. Allie sat on the rocker by the window. Joseph was wrapped in a blanket cradled in her arms. There was no sign of Caleb. On the table beside them was the bottle of baby formula that Slade had prepared. They'd decided it'd be best to simply feed Joseph the liquid protein along with his usual diet. They did not want to introduce any additional variables-they had enough of those to deal with as it was. Everything was set to go.

Allie's smile was tremulous but with that optimism Jane was beginning to understand was so much of her personality. "We're ready," Allie said.

Jane held up the vial of protein. "So are we."

"Is that the magic elixir?" Allie asked.

"Yup." Jane forced what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "This is it."

"It doesn't look too impressive."

"Well, if you'd ever seen proteins under a microscope, you'd know they make this look fancy."

"He needs protein?"

"Not just any protein. A specific one."

"And when he gets it?"

"I think he'll have what he needs to be his little vampire self."

Allie kissed the top of her son's head. "Do you hear that, baby? Auntie Jane is going to have you smiling in no time."

Auntie Jane?

"How much do I give him?" Allie asked.

"That's the catch. I don't know. But you're very connected to your son and that gives us an advantage. So the plan is, you give him a little of the protein, and then you try the bottle. If he eats, we know we're on the right track. If not, we'll try a bit more of the protein."

Allie sighed. "Trial and error."

"I'm sorry," Jane said, kneeling down beside the rocker. How many times had she said that in the past? How many times had she stood and watched a parent's world crumple around them?

Please. Not this time.

Slade's mind touched hers. I'm here.

Yes, he was. Not with promises she wouldn't believe and he couldn't keep. But just there. Ready to catch her. Stand for her. Support her.

Thank you.

"I wish I could give you definite amounts," Jane continued, "but we're on uncharted ground and we have to feel our way."

Allie nodded. "And this won't make him worse?"

The only way Joseph could be worse would be if he were dead. "It shouldn't," she hedged.

"It'll be fine," Slade said, coming up beside her. "Jane's a genius at what she does."

"And in case no one's mentioned it yet, we're d.a.m.ned glad she is," Caleb stated, striding into the room behind Slade, looking like a warrior entering the battlefield. She tensed. Slade's fingers tightened on her shoulder.

"I'm glad you made it," Slade said.

Caleb took a protective position behind Allie. "I wouldn't miss watching my son enjoy his first meal."

Slade offered her a hand up. Jane shook her head. "I'd like to watch from here."

Mainly because she was so nervous she thought her knees would give out. Without a word, Slade knelt behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her onto his lap. And that fast, she didn't feel like a scientist out on a limb anymore. Instead, she felt like a woman who was ... loved.

Slade's lips brushed the top of her head. It'll be all right, sweetness.

"So what do we do?" Caleb asked, taking the vial from Jane and uns.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the lid.

"Give him half a dropper first. Just kind of dribble it in."

The room collectively caught its breath as Caleb slipped the tube between Joseph's pale lips. "Drink this, little man," he said as he squeezed the dropper. "A very nice lady made it. It's going to get you back to rights in no time."

Some of the liquid spilled out of the baby's mouth. The rest trickled to the back of his throat. At least he still had the reflex to swallow. Allie and Caleb looked at her. Jane nodded.

"Give him the bottle," Slade ordered.

Everyone held their breath. Even the flow of energy froze.

The same thing happened with the formula as with the protein mix. Joseph wasn't eating so much as he was trying not to choke, but the liquid was getting down to his stomach, and after a couple minutes his eyes snapped open and he latched on to the bottle. He sucked it down so hard Jane could hear it draw.