DARKNESS'S VENGEANCE

Vampire.

***

"Miss Morgen, did you hear me?"
"What?" Lita turned to look at the lawyer, her minded foggy.
The lawyer, Jenkins, smiled sympathetically. "I was saying that your parents have left insturctions for a guardian."
"Guardian?" Who would they have left that job too? Her mother used to say that she was a handful.
"He's right outside. Would you like me to go get him for you?"
Lita nodded turning toward the window. Mrs. Brown was sitting next to her, holing her hand and patting it. Lita really wished she would stop, but it seemed to give the older woman some kind of comfort. She had been staying with the woman until the day of the funeral, and she had been fussing at Lita for days. Mrs. Brown always wanted to know if she was ok, if she were hungry, if she needed or wanted anything.
Lita looked at her reflection in the mirror. Long curly black that came to the middle of her back. Her mother once called it true black because of the blue highlights in it. Her skin was pale, her reflection looked almost ghostly, and large blue eyes. The blue was so dark, they too looked black. She wore her mother locket around her throat.
Jenkins came back in followed by Charles, the man Lita met in alley the night her mother died.Clean and shaven, Lita took a good look at him. He had shaggy dark brown hair, and warm blue eyes. His teeth were still white and perfect, and Lita wondered what he used to get them so white. He really didn't look as if he were that much older than her, but he must be older to be friends with her father. His suit was nice, it didn't look like something a bum would wear, and he didn't smell bad. In fact he smelled like some expensive cologn.
"You!" She gasped.
"Hello, Lita." He said smiling shyly. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother."
Lita didn't remember seeing him at the funeral, yet he was dressed all in black. Even his trench coat was black.
"Have you met?" Jenkins asked. "It was my belief that you hadn't."
"Well we kind of bumped into each other, a few days ago." Charles said. "We didn't really get a chance to talk."
Mrs. Brown looked up at Charles as if he were a snake. He stood there looking around the room, like he didn't really want to look too long at anyone. His eyes came to rest on Lita and he smiled. "I told you I knew you're parents."
"I've known Rana Morgen for thirteen years," Mrs. Brown said. "She never mentioned you."
"She wouldn't." Charles said, giving the woman a level gaze. "I was a friend of her husband's."
Lita looked at Jenkins. "Do I really need a guardian? I mean, I am sixteen."
"You'll be sixteen until the end of the summer." Charles said.
Jenkins looked from one to the other. "I'm sorry, Miss Morgen, but that was your parents wishes. They stated it in the will."
Lita fought the urge to pout.
"It'll be alright." Charles said cheerfully. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk with Lita." He looked at Jenkins and Mrs. Brown pointedly. "Alone."
Jenkins left telling them to take all the time they needed. Mrs. Brown sat stoically.
"Mrs. Brown?" Lita said.
"I'm not going to leave you with that man," Mrs. Brown said. "Not until I know waht his intentions are."
"Mrs. Brown," Charles said. "I am Lita's guardian. I really wouldn't do anything to harm her."
"Besides," Lita said. "If he tried anything I'd just kick him in the-"
"Lita!" Mrs. Brown frowned at her.
"I was going to say shin, Mrs. Brown." Lita looked at her innocently.
She saw Charles cover his laugh with a cough.
"I'll be fine, really." Lita said.
"I'll be right outside." Mrs. Brown stood. She looked at Charles. "She's like a daughter to me."
"I understand." He held the door open for her. "This won't take long."
He closed the door with a firm click before turning his full attetion to Lita. She studied him. He was actually kind of attractive, she thought.
He removed his coat, and sat on the edge of the desk. "How are you holding up?" He asked.
Lita shrugged. "As well as can be expcected."
Charles nodded. "Well, I guess this has come as a shock to you, huh?"
"Yeah. What were you doing in the alley that night?" she asked suddenly.
He smiled. "Straight to business I see." He cleared his throat. "Well I knew your parents. Did your mother ever tell you anything about what she and your father did before you came along?"
"She said they were international real estate agents."
Charles smiled as he looked at her.
"What?" Lita demanded.
"Real estate? That's the best that Rana could come up with?" He laughed then.
Lita frowned. "Are you saying my mother is a liar?"
"No," Charles said, sobering. "I would never say that about Rana."
"Then why are you laughing?" Lita glared at him.
"There's something I want to tell you, Lita." Charles said, suddenly serious. "Something that you may not want to believe, but I have to tell you anyway."
"What?" She asked. What could this man, this stranger possibly have to tell her? Lita figured it had something to do with her parents. What else could it be about? She didn't know anything about him anyway.
"Is this about my parents?" She asked. She saw how distressed he looked.
"Something like that. It's about you as well." Charles straightened his shoulders, looking very uncomfortable. Lita couldn't think of what it was he wanted to say to her. She tried t be patient, giving him time to organize his thought or whatever it was he was doing.
"JUST TELL ME!" she cried, tired of waiting.
Charles looked at her. "I guess I should just start at the begining. I know your parents becuse we used to travel together."
"So you were in real estate too?"
"Not exactly. Your parents and I used to hunt together."
Lita thought of the night when she was attacked by the vampire. She looked at Charles, not really believeing where this was going.
"You mother, Lita, was a vampire Slayer. Your father was a Tracker. I'm a Tracker too, in fact, your father was the one who trained me."
Lita shook her head. "Slayer? My cookie baking mother used to slay vampires? Like Buffy?"
Charles smiled. "Something like that only vampires don't really die so dusty. They usually bleed."
"Yeah right." Lita said. "My mother wouldn't even hurt a fly."
"Yeah, after you were born. It's a rough life, living practically on the road, coming close to getting killed half the time. When she found out she was pregnant, she decided to give up that life, not wanting you to know anything about it. Rana said that she couldn't bear it if she left you because of a vamp attack."
Lita just stared him. This guy obviously didn't know Rana Morgen. "So what do you know about my father?"
Charles smiled to himself. "He was a very good man. Saved my neck a few times." "What's a Tracker?"
"A person who can see vampires for what they really are. A Tracker can't be bespelled or drawn to a vamp the way noraml people are. Your dad was one of the best, top of his field."
"How did you meet?"
"Well, he wasn't married at the time, but we met at a bar in Mexico. He was tracking down some vamps, trying to slay them himself. The difference between a Slayer and a Tracker is that a Slayer relies on their physical strength, while a Tracker is more mental." He smiled at her.
"You're a rare breed, kiddo. Got the best of both worlds."
"Why should I believe you?" She asked.
"Well you were attcked by a vamp weren't you?"
"Yeah, but you killed it."
Charles waved his hand dismissively. "He was a young one. The point is he didn't even notice you until you walked into that alley. You've got skills, kid."
"So what? What does that have to do with anything?" She said, getting angry. " It didn't stop my mother from getting klilled by that thing. And stop calling me kid." She felt the tears come to her eyes. She hadn't thought she had any left. "If Mother was such a great Slayer, how could she have been killed?"
"I don't know. Maybe he broke in and caught her by surprise?"
The tears fell freely as Lita shook her heaad. "There was no struggle. There wasn't anything broken or taken. Just Mother hanging from the damn ceiling!"
"Well what do you want me to do?" Charles asked helplessly.
"Train me." Lita said. She said so softly, that Charles wasn't sure he heard her. "Train me to be just like you." she looked at him.
"Look, your folks wanted you to stay with me if anything happened to 'em. Your mother didn't even want you to know about it. I'm not gonna do it. That's all there is."
"So why bother to tell me all this?" She screamed. "Why tell me if you're not gonna do anything about it?"
"Keep your voice down." Charles said. "Not many people know what I do."
"Why not?"
He gave her a look. "Come on. How many people really believe in vampires? Attacks are usually called murders and rapes on the news. Police never give out too much information to the public. Only those trained to know what a vamp attack is know it when they see it."
"I want to know! If it's in my blood then I should be trained too!" Now her tears were falling freely. They wouldn't stop. Lita wouldn't look at Charles, she didn't want him to see her crying. She had no one now. Both her parents are gone, and they were entrusting her saftey with a man she didn't know. Now to have him tell her that her parents killed vampires for a living, this was all too much. She let the tears fall keeping her back to him.
How could this have happened? How could her mother keep such a big secret from her?
Anger filled her. Why would she have Charles tell her, and not tell Lita herself. She would have understood.
Maybe.
"Damn it!" Lita cried in furstration. She slammed her fist hard on the desk.
Her anger caught Charles by complete surprise. Seeing her hit that desk startled him. But not as much as the crater Lita's hand had left in the hard marble surface. There were cracks as if she had almost split the damn thing. He smiled in spite of himself. The kid really did have skills. She most definately had the blood of a Slayer in her veins, and from what he saw the other night, untrained as she was, she make a hell of a Tracker too. He looked at Lita, who was still staring at the desk. She looked up at him, her tears drying on her face, her eyes wide. She flexed her hands.
"I didn't even feel that." She said, her voice filled with wonder.
Maybe he should train her after all. She'd be an unstoppable force. Something to be reckoned with in her anger. If she could almost split a desk in anger, he couldn't possibly imagine what she could do if trained.
Charles studied her. He always liked a challenge.
"All right." He said. "I guess some promises are made to be broken."

***

Lita looked at the large house as Charles pulled into the driveway. A single man wouldn't need a house this big.
"Do you live alone?" she asked. She noticed that there wasn't another house for miles, no nieghbors to bother them.
"I live here with Bridget. She's a Slayer." He said.
Lita got out of the car and went to get her bags, with Charles's help.
"Sometimes," he said. "Other people come to visit. Others of our ilk. This is kind of like a safe haven."
"Does being a Tracker pay very well?"
"Depends on the job." Charles led the way up the steps. "But actually, this house is yours."
"Mine?" Lita frowned.
Charles dropped her bags on the couch in the livingroom. "Yep. This belonged to your parents."
"I can give you a tour."
Lita dropped her bags and looked around. She couldn't believe her parents actually owned this huge house. The living room was sparsely furnished, on a couch and with two end tables. The windows brought in most of the light.
Charles smiled. "Unless you want something to eat."
"How did they pay for this? Mother and I never had anything really extravagant."
"Rana didn't tell you that either? Honey, your folks had a lot of money. More than you could possibly spend. I told you Rana wanted you to have a normal life. Even before you came along, she didn't live like she was rich."
"Where'd the money come from?"
"Your dad. Dimitri was born into money."
Lita laughed. Why would they not want to live like 'The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'? As if to answer her question, Charles said. "They have really expensive weapons. It's the only thing they didn't mind going all out for."
"Weapons?"
"Downstairs. Come on."
Lita followed Charles to what had to be the basement. There was a workout bench and punching bags. There were even stuffed dummies with painted on fangs. Charles walked across the room coming to a large door.
"This is the weapon closet." He opened it with a flourish.
Lita stared. She had never seen a gun in real life but there had to be hundreds on the door. She turned on the light and saw knifes, from small daggers to large sweeping swords. All were shiny and very well taken care of. They almost looked new. To one side there were stakes, all looked hand made. On the floor was a velvet case.
"What's that?" Lita asked.
Charles smiled. He bent to pick up the case, holding it as it were the most precious thing to him.
"This is yours. Your father and mother left it to you."
Lita touched the velvet case gently. She quickly opened it and saw a beautiful sword. The hilt was black and shiny with the words 'Darkness's Vengeance' engraved on it.
"It has the highest silver content allowed." Charles said. "It looks really heavy right?"
Lita nodded and reached to remove it from the case.
"It was never opened after your mother left it for you."
She looked at him. "This was Mother's?"
Charles nodded. "I've seen vamps tremble when your mother wielded Vengeance. She was impressive."
" Why Darkness?" Lita asked.
"Well, you father used to say that when Rana used this, she looked like a dark angel bringing down vengeance. He also used to call you his Darkness." He shrugged. "Guess he'd figured you'd need it sometime, even though your mother didn't want you to."
Lita had vague memories of her father. She could barely remember the sound of his voice, much less any nickname he might have called her.
"Darkness' Vengeance," She said softly. "Sounds kind of like a superhero." She took the sword from the case finding it unbelievingly light. She held it in her hands running her hand across the flat side of the blade. The blade gleamed in the light, almost blindingly so. Lita placed it back inside the case. This beautiful weapon was hers. Mother had used it to kill many vampires. She still couldn't see her Susie Home Maker mother even knowing how to hold such a thing. It almost made her laugh and cry at the same time.
Charles replaced the case inside the closet and firmly shut the door. "You're not to go in there with my knowing." He said. He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and locked the door. "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."
Lita nodded.
"Why don't I show you the rest of the house, then we can have something to eat." Lita followed behind Charles watching as he walked up the stairs. He wasn't really all the bad looking.
Espeacially from this angle.
The rest of the house consisted of five bedrooms, the master room belonging to Charles. "But we can change that if you want." He said to her.
Lita shook her head. Just because the house was hers, didn't mean it was her home. It would be from now on, Charles had promised, but Lita didn't feel like it was her home. Not yet anyway. Lita chose the second largest room, mainly because it had the biggest closet. The window looked out into the huge backyard, and she liked the window seat that was there. There four bathrooms; two downstairs, and one in the master bedroom and the other across the hall from her room. Charles showed her the attic last.
It was larger than she would have thought from looking at the house. It wasn't dusty as most attics were, and there were more weapons here. They were clean and new looking just like the ones in the basement, but not as much room for practice. Charles told her it was just storage space, like any other attic. They went downstairs to the kitchen and Charles began making sandwiches.
"Charlie!" A voice cried from the backyard. The back door opened and slammed shut and Lita saw a beautiful blonde standing there.
Her hair was cut in a short bob, and Lita could tell her clothes were expensive. Her eyes were on Lita in an instant.
"Who is this?" She glared at Charles.
"Bridget," He said calmly. "This is Lita, Dimitri and Rana's daughter."
"Really?" She said, even though it sounded as if she didn't really care. "So your mother finally croaked, huh?"
"Bridget," Charles voice was a warning.
"Sorry, honey." She said. "I missed you. I wondered why you took so long to get back when you said it was only a normal tracking." Bridget went over to Charles and kissed him.

Thoroughly.

After sandwiches and juice, Bridget really needed to talk to Charles, so they left Lita alone to do what she wanted. She decided to unpack, after all she noticed there wasn't a TV in the whole place. Lita took her bags up stairs to her new room, thinking of everything that had happened. She was glad that Charles agreed to train her. He seemed confident that she would do well working with both of her new skills, even though his girlfriend didn't. It was obvious that Bridget really didn't like Lita and she wasn't sure if she cared or not. She hadn't done anything to the woman to make her feel that way. Maybe it was because there was another female in the house. Maybe she and Charles had uninhibited sex all over the house and now that Lita was here, Charles was trying to be more reserved. She really shouldn't be thinking about anyone's sex life.
Lita passed the window in her room and saw Charles and Bridget talking in the backyard. She didn't plan to snoop, but then she heard her name. What could they possibly have to talk about her for? She had already opened the window earlier to let in the breeze, so she quietly went to the window and watched them.
Bridget was definately mad about something. Charles leaned against the tree, the sun giving his hair a lighter color, smoking a cigerette calmly.
"Why Charles? Why do we have to train her? She's just a kid!" Bridget said.
"Because she asked me to." Charles said. "I couldn't say no to her."
"Yes you can! We don't have time to train some silly girl!"
"It's best to get ' em while they're young," Charles took a long drag. "And right now she needs something to help her deal. I told her everything."
"Everything?" Bridget looked at him closely.
"Yes, everything. What's your problem? I told you what would happen if Rana died. You said you were ok with that. Are you?"
"I just don't think she should be trained. How do you know she's even ready for it?"
"I know." Charles sounded very sure. "I've seen her track a vamp without even realizing it. It's in her blood, and you should have seen what she did to that lawyer's desk. Thank goodness I had the money to pay for a new one."
"Why didn't you just spend Rana's money?"
"It belongs to Lita. She'll have full access when she's twenty one. Right now I'm supposed to take care of her and that's what I'm gonna do."
Bridget threw up her hands. "You just think you can take care of a child?"
"She's sixteen, Bridget." He said. "I'm sure we won't have to hire a babysitter."
Lita smiled, happy that Charles was defending her. She watched as Bridget paced back and forth shaking her head. Charles looked so relaxed, he always did no matter where he was. Lita wondered if he ever got tense about anything. He really didn't look angry with Bridget, just patient. Like a parent who keeps explaining the same thing over and over again to a child who doesn't understand.
What was he doing with her anyway? He is so cool and she was so mean. What does he see in her? The more Lita looked at him, the cuter he seemed to get. Yeah he was older than she was by at least fifteen, maybe twenty years, but that didn't mean she couldn't look.
At that moment Charles looked up at her window. He smiled as he took another drag on his cigerette. Lita ducked, hoping he hadn't seen her watching. He couldn't have, the curtian had concealed her. But the way he looked up and smiled. She was sure he saw her. Lita peeked back out the window and saw that Charles wasn't looking up anymore. He couldn't have seen her. He was probably smiling at some thought he'd had. That had to be it.
"Ok," Bridget said. "When do want to start the training?"
"Tonight." He said. "I want to start as early as possible."
"Fine." Bridget said with a nod. "I'll make dinner."
Lita saw her walk into the house, but Charles still leaned against the tree. When her eyes went back to him, she saw him looking at her again. This time she was sure of it. He smiled again, tossed his cigerette, and went into the house.

Lita lay in her bed that night, wondering what she was going to do now. Charles was now her guardian. What about her friends and school? How would all that work out? Would she still be going to the same school? She knew she couldn't tell her friends about her parents being a Slayer and Tracker. They'd never believe her, they'd think she was crazy or something. Lita sighed, turning over. What about Avery? How would she explain everything that had happened? She knew when school started everyone would be talking about her. Funny, her mother had just taken her school shopping. She was never embarrassed to go clothes shopping with her mother. She was cool about a lot of things, and Lita never dressed like a slut or anything, so she and her mother never really argued about clothes, unless it was the price.
A large bumping noise startled Lita. She sat up, trying to listen. Another sound then muffled sounds followed by more of the bumping. Lita frowned and laid back down. She guessed it was Charles and Bridget getting it on. What was with those two anyway? How could anyone want to live tracking vampires and killing them? It had to be very dangerous if her father got killed doing it. She wasn't sure if she was up to learning the tricks of the trade, but she was determined to kill as many vamps as she could. Hot tears pricked her eyes. She would kill everyone of those bastards if she had to. They robbed her of her mother and her father. She hated them.
Lita brushed away the tears as they fell down her cheeks. There was another sound then silence. Lita waited, hoping they were done. When the silence continued, Lita went to sleep.
The soft sound of someone knocking on her door woke her. Lita looked up not sure where she was for a moment. Then she remembered. Her new home with Charles and Bridget.
"Who is it?" She called.
"Charles."
Lita's heart began to thump in her chest. Why would he be coming to her room in the middle of the night?
"Come in."
Charles opened her door, wearing a robe. "You ok in here?"
"Yeah." Lita frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Charles shrugged. "I know it must be strange sleeping in a new place."
"I'm ok." "Good. Hey, Lita, I just want you to know that you'll be very well taken care of. I won't let anything happen to you."
"I know." Lita smiled, wondering if he could see it in the dark. "If you're such a good friend of my parents, I know you'll be good to me."
"I just don't want you to worry." He came over to the bed and sat down. "And don't let Bridget get to you. She has to get used to you, just like you have to get used to being here."
"Yeah."
"If you need anything, anythig at all just ask me. I'll get it for you, or I'll try my best."
Lita looked at him. His robe had opened enough that she could see his chest. He was very muscular from what she could see. She wondered if he was completly naked under there. She turned away, hoping he didn't see her blush. He must have, because he chuckled.
"It's ok." He said. "I know you're not used to living with a man in the house. Truth is I'm not used to wearing too much of anything."
Lita looked at him, eyes wide. Thankfully his robe was closed.
He laughed softly. "I'm just kidding."
Lita blushed again. Damn, she was doing that a lot.
"I just wanted to say goodnight." Charles said.
"Goodnight." Lita said softly.
Charles leaned toward her and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Sleep well. Tomorrow we'll talk about your school and stuff."
Lita's cheek burned where his lips had touched her. She knew it was just her imagination, but she could still feel him there. Suddenly she didn't want him to go. He was...nice. And Lita needed to be with someone now. Thoughts of her mother were still too fresh and she didn't really want to be alone.
"Can we talk about it now?" She asked.
"You sure?"
Lita nodded.
"Well what do you want to do? We could get a tutor for you if you don't want to go back to school."
"I want to go to school."
"God, I'd give anything to have someone offer me a tutor. You may not believe this, but I wasn't very popular in school. I was actually kind of geeky. A big nerd."
Lita tried to picture a younger Charles wearing glasses and a pen protector. It made her laugh. "I was really." Charles said. "One day I'll have to show you a picture."
"What about my friends? I mean even with this whole Slayer and Tracker thing, I can still have a normal life, right?"
"Well yeah. You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Just say the word and we're done." "I want them dead." Lita's voice was cold. It surprised her and when she looked at Charles she saw the shocked look on his face as well.
"If that's what you want." He said.
"It is."
"You looked like your mother at that moment." Charles said, standing. "Damn."
"Don't go!" Lita reached for him. "I really don't want to be alone."
"I see." Charles sat down again. "Well, you have to sleep sometime."
"Can't you just stay? Until I fall asleep?"
Charles couldn't say no to the pain he saw on her face. She was truely alone in the world, and scared all to hell. He remebered that feeling. His own parents had died from a vamp attack. If it hadn't been for Dimitri, he might have been wandering around forever.
"Alright." He said.
Lita laid down and Charles lay next to her. She sighed then placed her head on his shoulder. Charles lay motionless, wondering how long it would take her to fall asleep. He didn't want to stay here all night. Not while Bridget was in the next room thinking he was up to no good. That woman. He didn't know what he was going to do about her. Right now, he had to make sure that Lita was ok.
"Charles?" Lita's soft voice came to him.
"Yeah?"
"Tell me about my dad. Mother would never talk about him."
"Well Dimitri was the nicest guy you'd ever meet. He saved my life."
"How?"
"My folks were killed, I couldn't handle it. I went wanderng around the country, not sure if I wanted to live or die. I think I perferred to die. Then one day I was in Mexico at a bar and I met your dad. He was tracking some vampires, had been for maybe two or three months. This was before he met your mother. Not too long before that though. He saw the same things in me that were in him. He trained me to be a Tracker. That's how we met you mother. She had been slaying for a while, and she killed the vamps we were tracking." He smiled at the momeries.
"When he first saw Rana, he told me he was going to marry her. She was in a club in California. At first she didn't want anything to do with him past work. We got paid for our little jobs. There are more people who know about vampires than you think, Lita."
"Really?" She said. Her voice was soft and Charles knew she was almost asleep.
"Yeah." Charles gently moved from under her and eased out the bed. "Goodnight"
Lita soft breathing let him know she was far off in some other world. He hoped she was having good dreams.
Charles closed the door softly.
"Took you long enough." Bridget snapped. She stood in the hall wearing a sheer robe with nothing underneath.
"She didn't want to be alone." Charles turned to her.
"And I'm sure you were more than willing to help her."
Charles sighed. He didn't want to deal with this. "Her mother just died, Bri. Have some
compassion. Besides she's just a kid."
"You looked at Rana the same way you were looking at her, Charles."
Charles shrugged. "I had a crush on Rana. So what? I wouldn't touch Lita no matter how much like her mother she looks."
Bridget snorted. "I bet."
"I'm sick of your jealousy, Bri. No matter what you think, Rana Morgen and I were only friends. I never did anything with her."
"Why are you getting so defensive?"
"Why are you jealous of a sixteen year old?" Charles shot back. "I'm going to bed." He walked past her without looking at her.

Lita stood facing Bridget. They were in the backyard and Lita was very nervous. She had been here a month and her training was going well according to Charles. Her slaying skills needed work and while Charles was gone, it was Bridget's job to get cracking on her slayer skills. They stood out in the back yard, a practice dummy in the middle of the yard. Bridget had taken some of the weapons and placed them on the porch.
"You're too young for a gun," Bridget had told her, "So we'll use stakes and practice with a sword."
Lita nodded.
"The first thing you should know, is that even though a vamp is quick, most of them are stupid. They'll go for the neck without a care in the world. The older they are, the harder they are to kill. You probably won't meet a vampire who is over 500. They usually send out lackeys. If you ever get to a lair, you're in for a treat. Older vamps are very protective of thier life, they don't usually feed in the open. That's why it's so hard to kill them."
"Have you ever been to a lair?"
"Once." Bridget said, her voice full of pride. "I didn't get the master though."
"Master?"
"The one in charge, usually the oldest one there. A master vampire controlls all the other ones. Like a parent with a bunch of kids."
Lita nodded. "Now staking a vamp in the heart is one way to kill 'em," Bridget held up a stake to t he dummy where the heart would be. "Or you could slice off thier head. Other than that, they're still alive, as much as they can be anyway." She smiled grimly. "I've had a vampire's hand come after me til I chopped off his head."
Lita grimaced. "Gross."
"Yeah, well that's how it goes sometimes." Bridget tossed the stake at Lita, who caught it one handed. "Nice." She said, even though to Lita she didn't sound like she meant it.
"Throw the stake. The end is pretty sharp, so be careful." She stepped away.
Lita took the stake in her hand and concentrated. She sighted down her arm, then bending her arm, she threw the weapon, giving a little flick of her wrist. The stake flew into the air, flipping. Lita wasn't sure if it would make it. She had been practicing late at night in the basement when she couldn't sleep, or when Charles and Bridget got too loud to handle. The stake went squarely into the center of the fake heart of the dummy.
Lita gave a whoop, jumping up and down excitedly. "I did it! I did it!" she cried.
Bridget looked at Lita then the dummy disbelievingly. "What the-" she said.
"I'm back!" Charles voice called.
"Charles!" Lita ran into the house, almost knocking the man down in her excitment. "I did it!"
Charles smiled. "Did what?"
Lita grabbed his hand leading him outside "I threw it perfectly, even doing that wrist thing you told me. Look!"
Charles looked at the stake then looked at Lita. "Good job." He looked at Bridget. "Guess you're hard work is paying off."
"I guess so. Good work, kid." She walked over to Charles and kissed him. Lita looked away then. It always seemed Bridget was trying to prove something everythime she kissed him. Like she was staking a claim. Charles had told her that Bridget was jealous and to tread carefully around the woman. Lita had taken his words to heart.
"What'd you get?" Bridget asked Charles when she finally let him up for air.
"Food and lots of it. Seems someone around here eats like a horse." He gave a pointed look at Lita.
"I'm a growing girl." She shrugged. "I'll help you put away the food."
"No. You ladies keep up the good work, I can handle it." He gave Bridget a quick peck on the cheek before going back into the house.
"Ok, kid." Bridget said. "Now let's do a little sword play."

Charles put away the food and had begun making dinner when the phone rang. Ever since Lita moved in the phone rang all the time now.
"Hello?"
"Is Lita there?" A male voice asked.
Charles knew who it was. Avery Johnson. He called almost everyday, but Lita didn't seem too interested in him anymore. She had told Charles that he wasn't her boyfriend, just a guy who she went out with sometimes. Charles suspected the boy wanted more than friendship from Lita, and he didn't like when the boy called.
"She's busy." He said sternly. "Call later." He hung up before the boy had time to say anything else. He turned back to the sink to start making the salad when Lita came into the kitchen. Blood was running down her arm.
"Charles?" Her voice was shaky as if on the verge of tears.
"Damn it!" He said when he looked at her arm. Quickly he took out the first aid kit and sat Lita down. "What happened?"
"We were practicing with swords. I told her I wasn't too sure about it, but Bridget said if I can throw that well after only a few weeks then I should be able to handle a sword with no problem. I accidently cut her shirt and she cut my arm." The tears fell free now.
"It's not deep, you won't need stitches." Charles said grimly, cleaning the wound and wrapping it with gauze.
"I didn't mean to cut her shirt, Charles, honost."
"I know. She still out there?"
Lita shook her head. "She left. Why would she do that? It was just a shirt."
"Not to her it wasn't. Bridget likes to buy expensive things. That shirt was probably a couple hundred dollars." Charles finished wrapping her arm, then kissed it. "All better now."
Lita laughed. "I'm not five, ya know. You don't have to kiss my boo-boos."
"I know." He smiled back.
Lita realized then that Charles was shirtless. She had never really seen his chest, but now she had a clear view of it. Smooth, hairless, and more muscular than she had thought from the one night she had seen it.
She must have been staring, because Charles said, "It had gotten hot in here while I was cooking. I was just about to make the salad. Go wash up for dinner while I make myself more presentable."
Lita nodded then quickly left the kitchen.
Charles chuckled. She was so cute.

The years passed quickly. Lita became better at handling a sword, almost better than Bridget. Charles still thought she shouldn't go on any hunts with them, no matter how much she begged. So while they were out, Lita had slayed the vampires that crept around the house. There had been nights when she would have dinner alone, because Charles and Bridget hadn't gotten back. When they didget there, and neither one looked very happy, Lita knew they were fighting on the way home. It was a good thing they didn't go on hunts often. The tension around the house was so thick it could be sliced with a knife.
It was on one such nights that Lita found Charles and Bridget. She didn't want to say anything, as the two just glared at each other across the table. It was Lita's eighteenth birthday, another night that she would remeber, probably for the rest of her life.
Lita had made a quick dinner, unsure whether either of them would return. Charles dug into his food, obviously ignoring Bridget. Bridget did the same, and as Lita ate her gaze kept darting from one to the other, hoping one of them would say something soon.
She had wanted to go out with friends, but she was too scared to ask Charles or Bridget. Niether seemed to be in a mood to talk, and the silence was going to kill her. Her friends from school had made plans with her. She could just leave and tell Charles where she had went later.
Finally she decided to break the silence. "I'm going out." She said.
Charles looked at her then. The anger slipped away from his face as he spoke to her. "Where?"
"Does it really matter?" Bridget asked. "The kid wants to go out, let her."
Lita raised a brow at that. She had never expected Bridget of all people to say something on her behalf.
"I need to know what her plans are, Bri."Charles said calmly. "Otherwise what if something happened to her?"
"The kid can take care of herself. Aren't you always saying that?"
Charles sighed. "I know she can. It's just-"
"Can you please stop talking as if I'm not here?" Lita said. "Jeeze! I'm eighteen today, the last thing I wanna hear is your fighting!"
Charles blinked at her. "Today is your birthday?"
Lita hid the small pain that went through her. How could he have forgotten her birthday? "Yes." She said.
"And you must really, really want to go out with your friends, huh?" He asked.
Lita nodded. She'd rather be anywhere than here. How could Charles have forgotten her birthday? She had only been talking about it for, like, a month! She had told Charles that she didn't want a party. If she could just go out hunting with them, that would be enough. Charles had laughed at her then, saying that she wasn't quite ready. Lita had pouted and begged, but still the answer was no.
"Well," Charles said with a shrug and a long deep sigh. "I guess I'll just have to wait."
"For what?" Lita asked, frowning.
"To give you your gift." Charles smiled and reached under the table. He pulled out a white heavy looking box that was tied with a red ribbon.
Lita smiled. She knew Charles hadn't forgotten. From the corner of her eye shw saw Bridget sit up and frown.
"When did you get that?" She asked, her voice was kinda harsh.
Charles handed the box to Lita. "Last night. I hid it in the weapon closet." He looked at Lita. "Go ahead and open it."
Lita shook the box hearing nothing inside. There was some weight to it, and she quickly opened it. Inside Lita saw a gun. it was the shiniest black sh had ever seen. She loved it.
"We'll have to get you certified of course, I think you're still a little young though." Charles said. "There's more."
Lita smiled, taking out the gun and tissue paper that was under it. Beneath that, she saw a pair of wrist and ankle sheaths, complete with knives. She took out one admiring the blade. She looked at Charles. "Silver?"
"Highest content allowed." He said.
Lita reached over the table and hugged Charles. "Thank you! I can't believe you remembered." She slipped on the wrist sheaths to see if they would fit. The leather of the sheaths were soft, they almost didn't feel like leather at all. They also fit perfectly. He must have ordered these weeks ago, maybe even months ago in case they were late.
Bridget glared at Charles."I bet that cost a pretty penny."
"A little." charles said. "You never got me anything like that before." She said. "Who knew that all it would take is some weapons to turn the pretty girl's head?"
"Bri, not tonight. It's Lita's birthday. Let's at least be happy for her."
Bridget glanced at Lita who was avidly staring at her gifts. She had taken off the sheaths and was placing them back into the box. Bridget snatched one of the sheaths from the box and studied it. "This is nice, Charlie, real nice. She's just a kid, why the gun?" She tossed the sheath back in the box.
Charles turned to Lita. "When do your friends get here?"
"Soon."
"Why don't you go get ready? I'll handle the dishes, you go have fun, sweetie."
Lita hugged Charles again before quickly going up stairs.

Lita's friend, Rachel, took her to a new club called Santane's Hellfire. She said it was the hottest place with the cutest guys. For some reason, Rachel didn't like the fact that Lita was single.
It only made Lita laugh. She couldn't understand why Rachel didn't believe her everytime she told her she really didin't need a boyfriend. Rachel would always roll her eyes and say, "Yeah, yeah, but I'm gonna find the perfect guy for you, you'll see!"
Lita wasn't sure she wanted to meet the guy who Rachel thought was "perfect" for her. They really didn't have the same taste in men. Since she wasn't old enough, Lita didn't drink, even when guys offered to buy her one. Rachel looked at her as if she were crazy.
Lita looked around the crowded room. There wasn't much to the place. It was mainly a dance floor with a bar. There were a few tables and chairs here and there, but they always seemed to be occupied. Lita looked at the people there, the place was packed. She couldn't believe how many people were here. The women looked like they pop right out of a music video, they were wearing next to nothing.
"Let's dance!" Rachel said, pulling Lita onto the dance floor. Lita laughed shaking her head. She could still have a good time, she thought, even this wasn't really her scene.

***

***

Lita looked again at the man at the bar. He had been looking at her most of the night. It was getting hot dancing with so many people in so close a space. She had to get some air, if only for a minute. She looked for Rachel who had somehow gotten lost in the crowd. Lita saw her dancing with some guy. Although from where Lita was standing, it looked like sex with clothes on. She waved her hands to get Rachel's attention, then pointed toward the bar. Rachel nodded then turned back to the guy. Lita sighed as she pushed her way through the throng of people.
Lita looked around for a place to sit, and conveniently, there was a seat at the bar next to the guy who had been watching her. He was cute, she guessed, so she went to sit next to him. He seemed to be in a deep conversation with the bartender, and Lita could guess why. The woman's shirt looked like it was ready to split in two at any moment. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know they were fake. No real woman would have boobs that big. The bartender asked if she wanted anything and Lita ordered a Coke. The guy next to her raised a brow at that.
"It's not a school night. Why don't you get something...stronger?"
Lita looked at him. Up close he was definitely hot. His was longer than she would like on a man, almost past his shoulders, in a strange shade of red. It was very dark, Lit didn't think she had ever seen a red so dark. It looked like the color of dark blood, right before it goes to that reddish brown color. His eyes were large, and a dark green to match the hair. Lita figured a girl could lost in those eyes and never know it. He looked like a rock star minus any tatoos that she could see. His clothes were expensive, though, Lita could tell. He was wearing monochrome black, like her, only his shirt was made of silk, and his pants were creaseless.
"I'm too young to drink." Lita said. "Besides, I don't like to."
"So you've drank before?" The man smiled at her.
"Once at a party. I didn't like the taste though." Lita smiled as the bartender handed her the drink.
"Another Mary, Daemon?" the bartender said.
The man turned to her "No thanks, Sam. Maybe later."
"You're the boss." Sam turned to help other customers.
Lita sipped her drink watching Rachel dance with another guy. That girl really knew how to make her way around a room.
"I never caught your name." Daemon said.
Lita turned to him, giving him her coolest stare. It made most guys get the hint, but this guy just continued to look at her expectantly.
She liked that. She didn't like guys who were wimps or backed down. "I didn't throw it." She said.
"I'm Daemon," He held out his hand. "Daemon Santane."
"Like the name of this place?"
Daemon nodded. "It's my baby."
Lita took his hand, giving it a brief shake. "Lita Morgen."
"Lita." He said. "I like that. Short and simple."
Lita smiled. He seemed like a nice guy. She knew Rachel wanted her to meet somebody, and Daemon seemed like a guy who could keep her busy until she was ready to go. Or tired of him, which ever happened first.
"First time coming here?" Daemon asked.
Lita nodded. "It's my birthday. Just turned eighteen."
"Really?" he smiled. "Then we should do something very special."
"We should?" Lita raised a brow.
Daemon shrugged. "Only if you want to."
Lita considered it for a moment. "What's you have in mind? It's not like they serve cake here or anything."
"True," Daemon said. "I'll have to work on that. In the meantime, you wanna dance?"

Lita walked through the door shortly after 2am. The house was dark, so she assumed Charles and Bridget had gone out. It would be good if they had, and hopefully not together. Those two needed to work off a little steam. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness of the room, so she didn't bother to turn on the lights.
"Have a good time?"
She almost jumped at the sound of Bridget's voice coming from the darkness. Bridget snapped on a light in the living room. She was sitting in one of the large wing chairs Lita liked so much.
"Hey," Lita said lightly. "What are you doing sitting in the dark?"
"Where's Charles?" Bridget said as if Lita hadn't spoken. Lita shrugged. "Thought he was with you."
"Well he's not!" Bridget snapped. "He left soon after you did. I thought he would be with you."
Lita rolled her eyes. "Why would he be with me? I was hanging out with my friends."
Bridget's eyes narrowed. "I bet you were."
Lita was sick of this! She was sick of Bridget and her stupid jealousy. Why would anything be going on between her and Charles? "What's your problem, Bridget? There's nothing going on between us! Can't you get that through your expensively dyed blonde head?" Lita put her hands on her hips. "If you've got a problem with me, tell me! Woman to woman."
Bridget stood slowly. "You wanna know what my problem is? You, you little bitch! Ever since you came here, Charles has been all over you like white on rice!"
Lita raised a brow at that. She didn't think Charles had been any different than when she had first met him. Well except he was carrying a sword as often. He left that to Lita and Bridget.
"I don't understand you," Lita said, shaking her head. "When I first got here I tried to be nice to you. I tried to get to know you, maybe even become friends. You were never nice to me. You treated me like...I don't know, like the other woman or something. Why in hell would I steal Charles from you? He's friend of my father's which means he's way too old for me."
Bridget snorted. "I've seen the way you two act when you think no one's looking."
"And how's that, Bridget? Like two people who actually get along? Like two people who have nothing between them excpet my dead parents?"
"You're a whore! You and your stupid mother! She wanted Charles too, just like you. Well you can't have him!"
"Don't ever call my mother a whore." Lita's voice came out in a soft tremble.
"I call 'em like I see 'em." Bridget said coldly. "And you're the worse."
Lita's body was trembling with anger. She had never wanted to hit Bridget so hard in her life. Her hands twitched with the urge to strike. She stared at the other woman and realized she was just crazy. She saw things that weren't there, twisted them around in her own sick little mind just to feed the insanity. Lita shook her head again. She wouldn't hit Bridget, that would only cause more problems.
Lita turned away from her, intent on going to her room and getting some sleep. She was suddenly very tired.
"Where are you going?" Bridget grabbed her arm, turning Lita to face her. "I'm not done talking to you!"
Lita swung her right arm at Bridget, more to dislodge her fingers than to hit her directly in the face, which was what she did. Blood came from Bridget's mouth and nose as she let go of Lita.
Lita stepped back quickly, going into a defensive stance. She watched Bridget as she lifted her hand to her face and looked at the blood. Bridget looked at her then, disbelief etched across her face.
"You hit me!" She cried.
"I didn't mean to." Lita said, even though some part her enjoyed it. "I only want to go to my room."
Bridget reached under the sleeve of her shirt, pulling out a knife. Lita's eyes widened. Hitting Bridget had been an accident, she hadn't planned it, but if the woman made a move Lita planned to hurt her. Bad.
Bridget laughed. "I know all your moves. I taught you, remember?"
"I've been learning other stuff. I'm not so stupid to completely trust you."
Bridget saluted her with the knife. Lita realized it was the one Charles had given her earlier that night. Did that mean Bridget also had the others hidden on her somewhere?
"What the hell are you doing?" Charles's voice boomed in the room.
Lita didn't turn to look at him. Her eyes were all for the crazy bitch with the knife. "Stay out of this, Charlie." Bridget said. "Little Lita here wants to settle this woman to woman."
Lita gritted her teeth at the name. She hadn't liked it when she was eight, and she sure as hell didn't like it at eighteen.
"Stop both of you!" Charles said.
Lita shook her head. "She comes at me, I'm hittin' her."
Bridget waved the knife at her. "Ya think so?"
Lita smiled, she knew the humor didn't reach her eyes. "Oh, I know so," She said with quiet certainty. "Bring it, if you got the balls."
"I'm not going to let either of you do this." Charles said firmly.
"She started it," Lita said. "She thinks I'm trying to take you away from her. She called my mother a whore."
"Bri, we've talked about this." Charles said.
"Tell me I'm wrong! Tell her how you used to be with her mother."
"That was a long time ago. I was just a kid. Come on, you two, this isn't the way to handle this."
"I don't see any other way." Bridget said. "You chose her over me."
Lita didn't have to look behind her to know Charles was giving Bridget a dumbfounded look. "What are you talking about?"
"Rana! You loved her in a way you never loved me!"
"What does that have to do with me?" Lita said. She getting tired of holding the stance.
Bridget turned her eyes to her. "You look like her. Everytime he sees you he'll be thinking of her. I wanted you gone! I still do!"
Lita raised her brows. She had been keeping that in for years, Lita could tell. There was nothing but venom in her words. She really meant to kill her, only because she looked like her mother. Lita relaxed her stance, stepping back until she bumped into Charles. She shook her head wondering how she had gotten into this mess.
"I'm going to my room." She walked around Charles and headed toward the stairs.

***

After the incident on Lita's birthday, things between Charles and Bridget got wrose, which meant Lita was living in hell. She had to suffer through Bridget's accusing stares, and watchful eyes whenever she and Charles were in the same room. Lita rarely spoke to either of them, taking her meals in her room, and making sure she wasn't alone with either of them longer than a few minutes. Charles had once told her that the house belonged to her. She wondered if she could just kick Bridget out. Lita stayed out late, making up any excuse she could think of to not go straight home.
Conveiently, the guy at the club, Daemon, became her main excuse. She went out with him almost every night. He never asked why she seemed to never want to go home, and she never offered an explination. He simply said he enjoyed her company, and would hang out with her anytime she wanted. He even gave her his cell number which, he said, he rarely did.
One night, Daemon had cancelled, saying it was a family emergency. Charles and Bridget were going out on a hunt so she went downstairs before they left. "I wanna go." She said before the two got to the door.
Bridget looked at her then looked at Charles, waiting for what he would say.
Charles seemed to consider it. "Your date call off?"
Lita nodded. "Besides, you never let me go. I'm ready, Charles. I can do this."
Charles sighed. He looked at Bridget, who really didn't look too happy. Then again she never really had. "Meet you at the car."
Bridget's frown deepened, if that were possible as she headed outside. Lita whooped with joy, finally going on her first vampire hunt. She ran upstairs to grab a coat and some weapons. She wouldn't let Charles down, she knew it.
Bridget looked behind her at Lita, seeing the girl was totally immersed in the music she was listening to, eyes closed, head moving to the music. "Why'd you bring the kid?" She asked.
Charles glanced at her, but mainly kept his eyes on the road. "This will be good practice for her. Besides, do you really want her to stay at the house by herself?"
Bridget gave him an irritated look. "This was supposed to be our time, Charles. Ours. The kid was supposed to stay home."
"I think she's ready." Charles said.
Bridget made a snorting sound. "I bet you do. She's never done anything this big."
"Then it's time that she started, don't you think?"
"You just can't keep her out of your sight for a minute, can you? You always have to be at her side."
Charles's hands tightened on the wheel. "Bri, for the last time, there's nothing-"
"I know what I see." Bridget snapped. "Maybe she thinks you're just some nice guy helping her out, but I se the way you look at her, Charlie. You want the little girl."
"She's not a little girl anymore. She's eighteen."
"I bet you couldn't wait for her to get legal, could you?" Bridget mumbled. " I''m sure you're just waiting for the right moment."
Without warning, Charles swerved the car into the brake lane. Anger etched on his face he looked at Bridget. "Out of the car." He said.
Bridget looked at him in shock. "What?"
"Out, now!"
"No!"
Charles raised his hand as if he would smack her. "Bitch, what I say?"
Bridget opened the door and got out.
Notcing they had stopped, Lita removed her earphones. "We there yet?"
"No, sweetheart, just listen to your music." Charles stepped out of the car.
Lita watched as Charles and Bridget walked a short distance away. She knew they were having another argument. It had to be about her. She had heard evey word they had spoken. She had never known Charles to look so angry. Bridget had deliberatly taunted him though. If it had been her, she would have smacked Bridget and felt good about it. She knew Charles would never have hit her. He didn't seem the type. He never had before in all the years she's been with them.
Their argument was over just as quickly as it began. They came back to the car, both looking extremely pissed, and Charles drove on to Brenton.

The building was nothing more than an abandoned warehouse. It was probably used for raves or whatever the teens used it for in such a small town. It was old and looked ready to fall down. Why would anyone, even a vampire, want to call this place home?
Lita stood between Charles and Bridget, looking at the run-down building.
"This is it?" Lita asked, the disappointment clear in her voice.
"You were expecting the Ritz?" Bridget scoffed. "Honey, these vamps are only a few years old. They haven't got the smarts to live it large."
Lita continued to stare at the building. "What's the plan?"
"You don't have to do this if you're not ready." Charles said. "I don't want you to feel pressured."
"She can do this. Isn't that what you're always saying, Charlie?"
Lita looked at Charles. He wasn't looking at her. He took a long drag off his cigerette before he said, "It's up to you, Lita."
"I can do it." Lita said. "I know I can. After all, you guys trained me. How could I not be ready?"
Charles looked at her then and smiled. "Guess you got a point. Did you do a weapon check?"
Lita nodded. She wore a long duster coat to keep her weapons from being seen. She hadn't had much time like the other two to choose clothes that would best conceal them. She wore the wrist and ankle sheaths Charles had gotten her, and had Vengeance in a sheath down her back. She hadn't really thought about how good the sheath felt as she had put it on, or how it seemed to feel...right. Like she should have always had it. Like Vengeance had always been hers.
"Good." Charles said. "This place is going to be condemed in a few days, so be careful. The ceiling looks like it can cave in at any moment. From the tracking, I found five vamps, but there could be more. Maybe ten at least."
Bridget flexed her hands, and moved from one foot to the other. "There a master?"
Lita watched her, looking like a boxer preparing for a fight. Her stomach did a little flip at the thought of having to face ten vampires, even though Bridget was with her. She could also see that Bridget was looking forward to going in there. If she had gone in alone, Lita was sure she would have come back out with only a few wounds.
"No master that I saw." Charles said.
A hand on Lita's shoulder made her jump. She turned to see Charles's worried eyes on hers. "You can wait in the car." He suggested.
Lita shook her head. She wanted to prove she could do this. She wanted Charles and Bridget to see her in action so they would know that all the training she went through wasn't for nothing. Lately she had doing nothing but training, and she wanted to put her skills to use. She needed to. If not for them then at least for herself. For her mother and father.
"Ok, ladies." Charles said, tossing the cig. "Let's get to work."
Bridget pulled a gun from a hloster at her shoulder. Lita knew they had silver bullets in them, made in the garage. Lita had helped make some of them, even though she wasn't old enough to use a gun. Sometimes Charles would let her practice in the back yard, but he promised he'd get her certified.
Bridget looked at Lita. "You ready?"
Lita nodded again, trying to calm her stomach. She could do this, this is what she had been training for, wasn't it? She had to her best, that was all. No one would blame her if she chose to wait in the car though.
No! Don't think that. Think about mother and father. Think about how they were taken away from you because of these creatures. That's what they are. They may have a human shell, but they're monsters. Nothing more. Nothing less. Lita fingered the hilt of one of the knives at her wrist, feeling the anger course through her. She had wanted this. She wanted to get back at the bastards that destroyed her family.

She wanted vengeance.

Bridget went in first, since she had the most experience. Lita didn't mind. If a vamp suddenly jumped out of the woodwork it would go for her first. Lita certainly wasn't going to volunteer for that job.
Gun in hand, Bridget went into the large room of the warehouse, Lita closely following. Charles had been right to tell them to be careful. The place was practically falling down around them. Debris was everywhere, the support beams rotted, and looking ready to fall if someone blew hard enough on them.
And the smell. Lita had never seen a dead body rotting, but this had to be what it smelled like. It clung to the air like some cheap perfume, chokingly thick. She was trying not to gag when Bridget suddenly stopped. She looked left, then right. "Go there." She said to Lita, pointing to the left. "I sense movement."
Lita went in the direction Bridget pointed to. There was a brief sound, like wood breaking, then something large and heavy came crashing down on top of them. Lita managed to dive out of the way, banging her arm on one of the beams. It shook violently, but held still. She turned to see where Bridget was when a pair of arms came up out of the debris at her feet. She was dragged to the floor before she had time to react. She landed on her stomach, putting her arms out in front of her, hoping she wouldn't bang her chin on the cement floor. The vampire scrambled on top of her. He didn't seem to be much older than herself, and everything in her told her he was new. Maybe barely a few months old. Lita filed this away to the back of her mind as she heard a gun shot. Then another.
It seemed Bridget was holding her own. Lita knew she wouldn't have to worry about her. She threw a glance over her shoulder. The vampire on top of her smiled at her. His breath was something more to be feared than anything else.
"You smell good." He rasped. "Kinda pretty too. Maybe I should just turn you. I'd still get some blood, and maybe a little action too."
Lita kept her hands under her body as she tried to get one of the wrist knives. Damn, she wanted Vengeance. She fingered the hilt of the knife, but with the vamp on top of her it was gonna be hard to use it. The vampire leaned down, sniffing her like a dog in heat. "I could really use some action," He said. "How 'bout it, baby?"
Lita tried to push him off her back, and managed to get her hand free. Quickly, before he knew what she was about, Lita shoved the knife behind her, hoping she stabbed him. The vampire made a gurgling sound, and Lita took that moment to throw him off. She turned quickly, and saw she had successfully stabbed him in the throat. She reached and pulled out Vengeance. The blade gleamed in the light, it seemed as ready for this as she was. She brought down the blade, slicing him cleanly at the neck. Lita picked up her knife, not wanting to leave such a valuable weapon on the ground.
"How 'bout not." Lita said to the dead thing. She turned to find Bridget. The woman was fighting a vampire. Bridget seemed to have her on the defensive. The vampire, Lita saw, had long red hair. Lita could have sworn she had seen her somwhere before. Before she had time to think of where, another vampire jumped on her. This time she turned as she fell, taking most of the impact on her side. Vengeance flew from her hand as she struck the ground, but she held tight to the other knife. Unfortunately, that on was pinned between her body and the of the vampire on her. This one wasted no time. Quickly it sank it's fangs into her shoulder.
Lita screamed as pain went through her body. The bite wasn't as bad as it could have been. The cloth of her duster and the strap of her sheath kept it from being vital. That didn't seem to stop the vampire though. It worried at the bite like a dog with a bone. Through the blindness of pain Lita look toward Bridget. She had just sliced the throat of the vampire she had been fighting.
"Bridget!" Lita called. "Help me!"
Bridget turned to her, taking only a moment to assess the situation.
"Please!" Lita cried.
Bridget waved the gun at her. "Sorry, hon, no more bullets." She said with a smile.
Lita looked at her in disbelief as Bridget went after another vampire.
She couldn't just leave her here! She wouldn't! As Lita saw Bridget disappear from sight, she knew she that the other woman could and would leave her. Lita tries to throw the creature off her back, but it was no use. It hung on for dear life. Vengeance was too far away, if she could just turn her hand with the other knife! She didn't want to stab herself, but it seemed like a risk she would have to take. Blindly, Lita thrust her hand, hoping the blade wouldn't stab her. She screamed as the vampire once again dug its fangs into her. She stiffened, hoping she had hit her mark. Warm, thick liquid filled her hand.
Blood.
It wasn't hers, she hadn't even nicked herself. She pushed again at the vampire. Obviously she hadn't made a fatal wound, just enough for the vampire to take notice. It loosened its grip enough for her to push it off her. Lita quickly stood looking at the vampire. Its mouth was smeared with blood, her blood. Lita went to plunge the small wrist knife into the vampire, but before she could even move, it was done for her. Charles stood there, Vengeance in his hand. She looked at him, surprised. He may not know it, but he seemed to pick up a few Slayer skills as well.
"Where's Bridget?" He asked.
Lita turned and went toward the direction Bridget ran to. Charles followed, wordlessly. There was a brief creaking above thier heads, then Charles grabbed her, pulling her toward him. Lita felt herself falling with Charles's arms around her. Her shoulder protested as she fell on top of him, making her cry out. She looked behind her, seeing a part of the ceiling had caved in.
Both of them stood quickly, and ran to find Bridget. Lita stopped, causing Charles to run into her. Bridget lay underneath some rubble, a beam impaling her through her chest. Blood was falling from the corner of her mouth, her eyes sightless. Lita covered her mouth and turned away.
"Let's get out of here." Charles said.

Lita woke up to see that she was in her own bed. Charles was next to her window, smoking. She stirred and he quickly threw the butt out the window.
"You're up." He said.
"Yeah." Lita's voice sounded rough even to her. She cleared her throat and tried again. "How long have I been out?"
"The whole night and most of the day. It's almost four in the afternoon."
Lita groaned, feeling that her body was a little stiff, but nothing that a good shower couldn't take of. She sat up, seeing that she was in a black tank top and blue pajama pants, her shoulder wrapped in thick gauze. She looked at Charles. "You changed my clothes?"
"Yeah." he wouldn't meet her eyes.
Lita let her mind drift to the other night. She remembered being bitten by a vampire and Bridget getting killed. The pain of the Holy Water and getting sick before passing out.
She remembered Charles saying he loved her.
She looked at him then, trying to figure out what it all meant. Did he mean he loved her the way a parent loved a child, or was it...more? Charles stood from his seat near the window. "You must be hungry," he said. "Why don't you get dressed and we'll go out to eat?"
Lita nodded, getting out of bed. "I'll take a shower." she went toward the bathroom, her mind filled with many things.

Charles couldn't believe how much he missed talking to Lita. The past few weeks had been rough. He had tried to get Bridget to see a doctor, but she wouldn't until he threatened to have her locked up. He made sure she went every week, whether she wanted to or not. Plus giving her a few sleeping pills helped, especailly at night. Now she was gone.
It seemed to him Lita had grown more and more beautiful. He had been afriad that when he had told her about her parents, that she would become a recluse, never wanting to see the world again, wanting to not live again. Instead she had surprised him, and became one hell of a Tracker, and a decent Slayer. He should have known she was tough.
He liked listening to her talk about school, asking for advice on boys, whatever popped into her mind. It was one of the most enjoyable meals he had had in a long time.
"Listen," He said. "There's something I want to tell you."
Lita paused in spooning her ice cream to look at him intently. "What's up?"
"About the other night," He said hesitantly. "When I said I love you."
Lita stopped with the spoon halfway to her lips. "Oh." She looked down. "I was wondering when you'd mention that."
"I don't want you to think that I-like it was a heat of the moment thing."
"How did you mean it?" she asked softly.
Charles frowned. "What do you mean?"
"How did you mean it?" Lita asked again. "Do you love me, or do you love me?" She put emphasis on the word.
"I love you." He said. "I love you like a man loves a woman."
Lita could feel the smile tugging her lips. "Really?" She couldn't believe he was saying this. She had a major crush on him, and she even loved him, but she hadn't thought he would feel that way about her. Plus he called her a woman, not 'girl' or 'kid'. "I love you too." She said. "I just couldn't tell you, with Bridget and all."
"I know. I don't know if this is right, feeling this way about you. Do you think it's right?"
Lita looked at him, smiling. "Does it matter as long as we both feel the same?"
Charles smiled too. "I guess you're right."

***

He had been watching her for some time now. He watched as she went to her classes around campus and went home late at night to her man. They seemed to be very happy. Daemon didn't believe it. That guy couldn't handle a woman like Lita Morgen. He knew that she needed someone strong, someone who could take her, possess her, as well as love her. He watched her every night for months wondering what she even saw in the guy. He knew that whoever this other man was, he was the reason why she had stopped seeing him. Daemon saw red. Who the hell did that guy think he was? He had cut their relationship before it even had a chance to begin! Well he could do the same thing, but not yet. He'd let Lita think she was in love with this man, let her believe that he made her happy. He knew that the only one who could do that was him.
Only him.
Daemon stood in the nearly empty parking lot watching her walk to her car. He let the shadows conceal him, knowing he wouldn't be seen. She had grown out her hair; it nearly reached the middle of her back. He smiled as he thought of that curly hair spread across his pillows as her body writhed beneath him. It got him hard just thinking about it.

Lita walked through the door asmile on her face. She had just aced her final and she wanted to celebrate with Charles. She called for him, going through the house. She found him in the kitchen. He always seemed to be there lately whipping up something.
"Charles," She said. "I got an A!"
Charles smiled. "That's great, honey."
"I wanted to do something specail tonight."
Charles leaned against the counter and smiled. "Like what, exactly?"
Lita shrugged. "Let's have dinnner at a nice resturant." She said.
He nodded. "We could do that."
Lita looked at him. "Did you have something else in mind?" she asked.
"Maybe." Charles said slowly. "I just don't know how you'd feel about it."
"Well what is it?"
"Let's stay in. I'll fix up something special and then later maybe we could..." He shrugged.
Lita was sure she knew what the shrug meant. They had talked about taking thier relationship to the physical level, but Charles insisted that they wait until Lita felt she was ready. There were so many times that they tried and then she got too nervous to continue. Charles would only smile patiently and suggest they just go to sleep. It always made Lita feel so stupid, like a kid. It wsan't that she didn't want to, it was just that she had never been with anyone in that way before. Charles understood and just left it alone. Lita would lay next to him, wide awake feeling guilty. She knew he wanted her, hell she wanted him too. She smiled thinking this time she wouldn't stop. This time they would finish what they kept trying to start.
She looked at Charles and nodded her head. "Staying in sounds good." She said. "Just make sure dinner wont take too long."

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