A stalemate

Stella and Den said goodbye to Simon and headed to the front door of his house.

"How are we going to get back?" Stella asked.

"We're going to run." Den replied.

Stella was really ecstatic upon hearing this. She was a sucker for physical activity and the thrill of speed. And running combined both of them.

Stella's bubble suddenly burst when Den crouched down in front of her. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Get on." Den replied, "We're going."

Stella crossed her arms, "I thought 'we' were going to run?"

"Let me rephrase my words. I'm going to run. And you're going to climb on my back." Den replied, not moving an inch from his position. "Now get on!!" he urged.

"No." Stella's voice was definite.

"What." Den asked, getting up this time to face Stella. He looked down into her eyes and spoke, "Don't tell me you're scared?"

Stella rolled her eyes, "Don't try this. You know I love running."

"Then why? Why the hell do you have to be so stubborn now!!" Stella could see Den's temper flaring up now.

"I feel like running." Stella replied with a shrug. Normally, she would have complied with whatever Sharp asked of her without any questions, but she had realized from today's conversation between him and Simon that maybe she had gotten too attached to Sharp. And the best way to push him away was to make him hate her. Which, quite frankly, was very easily done.

"I'm not letting you run." Den's voice was dangerously low as he spoke.

Stella stared straight into his light maroon eyes and spoke, "It seems we've reached a stalemate then."

"What?" Den actually growled these words.

Stella shrugged, "You won't let me run, I won't climb on your back. We've reached a stalemate."

Den said nothing as he stared at Stella. Stella looked back into his eyes without backing down. Neither of them blinked for a few minutes before Den suddenly grabbed hold of Stella's good arm and picked her up.

Stella cursed herself for being taken off guard as she struggled to break free.

Sharp started to run, with the struggling Stella in his arms.

As Stella made a particularly violent effort and shrieked, "Let me go!!!!!!!" Den forced her to look into his eyes and spat out the words, "Shut up." before resuming his run.

Stella froze in place in Den's arms, eyes wide with the realization that had just hit her. Looking into Sharp's eyes right now, she had suddenly figured out what was so human about Simon's face.

It was his eyes. Not that his eyes were any different from the rest of the vampires, they were the same sick red color, but it was the light in them that was different.

Like he didn't believe that he was any different, any better than humans.

What Stella had just seen in Den's eyes, what she had been seeing in the eyes of every vampire she met, was a thinking that they were different, better, superior to humans.

Even in the eyes of. . . . . . Stella struggled to acknowledge the fact even in her mind.

Even in the eyes of June. Of Allen.

Stella was so shocked by this realization that she didn't notice when they reached their destination and Sharp put her down.