Disclaimer: I do not own Jean-Claude, Richard, Anita, Edward, or anything else that belongs to LKH.

 

Author’s notes: This is set after obsidian butterfly.

 

Sociopaths and Serial Killers

By: Montana

[][][]::::1::::[][][]

 

The place was at the Circus of the Damned. The time was sometime after 9:00. And the mood: I was pissed. I sat on the couch in Jean-Claude’s living room, at the far end. As far away as I could get from the vampire sitting at the end of the couch, and the werewolf sitting on floor in front of me.

         

“But Anita--”       

 

          “But ma petite--”

 

          “NO! The answer is no. No. No. No.”

 

          “Anita,” Jean-Claude used my first name, I was in trouble now. “If you do not take the fourth mark, if we do not marry the marks, we all will be in great danger.”

 

          “What else is new? There’s always something trying to kill us. So far we’ve come out all right. I don’t know why that would change.”

 

          “You never know, Anita. What about in Albuquerque? You almost died,” said Richard.

 

          “But I didn’t. In fact, I kicked that monster’s ass pretty sufficiently.”

 

          “With our help,” said Jean-Claude.

 

          “You guys helped me heal. Great. I boost your power. Great. We don’t have to take it any further.”

 

          “But think of the advantages, ma petite. We all will gain so much power. You will be able to sustain even more damage than already. You will have eternal life!”

 

          “I don’t want eternal life! I don’t want to live forever! I want to hold on to as much humanity as I can!”

 

          Jean-Claude sighed, covering his eyes with one hand, and slouching back on the couch. “Then what do you want, ma petite? I think we can offer you anything you could possibly want. Do you want the high life? Sophistication, expensive dinners, the ballet, silk, and fantastic sex? That I can give you. Or do you want a white picket fence, with two point whatever children, a dog in the yard and a garden in the back? This is something Richard can give you. Or we can give you both, whatever you desire.”

 

          Both the vampire and the werewolf looked at me in earnest. I frowned. “I don’t think you guys are listening to me. I don’t want either of those. I don’t want to do this. Quite frankly, I just want to be left alone.”

 

          “We cannot do that, ma petite.”

 

          “I bet you can.” With that last remark, I stood from my seat, and headed for the door. Suddenly two hands restrained me on both of my wrists. One was cold as the grave, and the other was all hot electricity. “Let me go.” My tone was empty, calm, cold. I had gone to my killing place. I felt nothing. Jean-Claude released me. Richard, however, was not so smart. He drew me to him. I let him, and with my other free hand, I drew the browning. Richard pulled me to his chest, and was surprised when he felt the cold metal of the barrel of my gun pressed against his abdomen. “Let me go, Richard.” He did, no arguing. I backed out of the room, eyes trained on the vampire and the werewolf, but gun trained on the ground. When I reached the door, I turned and fled up the stairs, into the parking lot, into the jeep, and away from the Circus.

 

***

 

I pulled into the driveway, and shut the engine off. I sat there for a few moments with a sigh. Could my personal life get any more complicated? I would un-complicate it. I was seriously considering breaking it off with both of “the boys.” The frustration just didn’t seem to be worth it anymore. I got out of the car, and walked into the house after unlocking it. Coffee. I needed coffee. I immediately started up the coffee machine as soon as I walked into the kitchen. After I poured myself a cup, the damn phone rang.

 

          “Hello?” I almost growled into the receiver.

 

          “Hi Anita.”

 

          I mentally sighed, and rolled my eyes. “What do you want, Richard?”

 

          “We need to talk.”

 

          “No, we don’t! The fucking answer is no!”

 

          “You can’t just cut us off like this Anita! You need us!” Richard was angry too. Goody.

 

          “I am just beginning to realize I need you two like I need a hole in the head. In fact, I don’t want either of you at all. And you can pass the message on to the vampire.” With that, I hung up.

 

          I tossed my empty coffee cup into the sink. I leaned against the counter, trying not to see red. But I should be happy, shouldn’t I? Things would be a lot less complicated now.

 

          “Very good, Anita.”

 

          The Browining Hi-power materialized in my hand, pointed in the direction of the voice I knew all too well.

 

[][][]::::2::::[][][]

 

          “And what the hell do you think you’re doing, Olaf?”

 

          Olaf leaned on the doorjam leading into the kitchen nonchalantly, all seven feet of him clad in black. “The gun is not necessary, Anita. I am just here for a visit.” However, the gun did not waver. “Very well, do as you wish.”

 

          “I will.” He made a move to step forward. “No no no, stay where you are.” He decided not to move. “Why are you here, Olaf?”

 

          “I came to invite you to go hunting with me.”

 

          I frowned. “No thanks.”

 

          He smiled. “Very well. Then I will hunt you.” Something banged into the kitchen window, making me jump and turn my attention for just a second. When I turned back to Olaf, he was gone. Shit. I looked back to the window. There was nothing there. But Olaf was out there. Somewhere. Hunting me. Double shit.

 

          There was one thing to do that came immediately to mind. I went to the phone, and dialed up the number Edward had given me. A beep sounded, and I left my message. “Edward, its Anita. Olaf is in town, I might need your help. Please call soon.”

 

          The phone rang thirty seconds after I left my message. “Anita.”

 

          “Edward.”

 

          “How do you know Olaf is in town?”

 

          “Because he showed up here. I was pointing my gun at him about two minutes ago.” There was a silence over the phone. “Edward?”

 

          “What did he say, Anita?”

 

          “He asked me to go hunting with him. When I said no thanks, he said he would hunt me.”

 

          “And why didn’t you shoot him?”

 

          “Because he disappeared, in the span of a few seconds.”

 

          There was another silence, but a shorter one that he broke himself. “Are you sure he’s not in the house?”

 

          It was my turn to freeze. I suddenly hated having such a large house, with a large ground floor, upstairs, and basement. Shit. “I think so,” I said shakily.

 

          “You’re not sure.” It wasn’t a question.

 

          “I don’t know, Edward.”

 

          He sighed shakily over the phone. “Then just get out of the house, Anita. Don’t even try to sweep it, there are too many hiding spots. I’ve seen your house. Just get out, get into your jeep, and go to a hotel. Don’t even bother to pack. I’ll be in St. Louis in about six hours, and I’ll find you. Just hang tight.” There was real emotion in his voice, something I never hear from Edward.

 

          “You’re scared.” He laughed harshly.

 

          “Aren’t you?”

 

          “Hell yeah.”

 

          “What weapons do you have on you?”

 

          “The browning, firestar, back knife, and wrist knives.”

 

          “Ok, that should be good for now. Don’t even go up to your room to get more ammo or weapons. I’ll provide toys. God, I’ll provide everything. I’m so sorry Anita.”

 

          “For what?”

 

          “For introducing you to that monster. Do you have your cell phone?”

 

          “In the car.”

 

          “I’ll call you in about ten minutes.”

 

          “Ok.”

 

          “Anita?”

 

          “Yeah?”

 

          ”I,” there was a pause over the phone once again. I waited for the next words, curious if they would be as deepseated with emotion as his others. “I’ll see you soon. Stay alive.”

 

          “Roger.”

 

          We both hung up. Which left me with the task at hand. Getting to the car alive.

 

[][][]::::3::::[][][]

 

          I drew the browning, and started for the front door. My ears were open, my eyes darted around. Never had I been so scared in my life. Not even hunting vampires. Not even while facing Serephina, or Nickolaos. Not even when Richard shifted on top of me at the Lupanar. This great suspense, the terror in my heart might kill me before I ever get to the car, or before Olaf ever gets to me.

 

          That one door jam, that one corner. I just had to walk through the kitchen door, and the rest was virtually right there. My car keys were in my pocket. I was ready to go. I stopped about a yard away from the door jam. The adrenaline was rushing. Olaf could be right behind that wall, waiting for me. I got up my nerve, and I dove, lower than anyone would expect or aim a knife. I skid across the linoleum, to see that no one was there behind the wall. My eyes traveled up the stairs, scanning the doors up there. The adrenalin rush doubled in amount. There he was, his head peeking out of the doorway of my room, watching me. I was frozen, too surprised and too scared to move. Edward had been right. He was still in the house. He had been in my room waiting for me. He tossed something down at me, and disappeared back into my room, out of the way of a bullet. It bounced down the stairs, and landed a few feet in front of me. It took me a few moments to make sense of what I was seeing. It was a hand. Petite and pale, it could have been mine. He had already killed someone, someone who looked like me.

 

          I didn’t scream. I didn’t shriek. I didn’t squeal. I ran. I got up and ran out the door. I hit the button on my key chain that unlocked the doors with a little bleep bleep as I ran. I slid into the driver’s seat of the jeep, and locked all the doors once again, and started up the jeep. I glanced up at my bedroom window. There was Olaf, just standing there, staring down at me from my window. He had one of my penguins in his hand, and an evil smile on his face as he watched me back out the drive, out of sight.

 

I would not be going back there for a long time. A very long time. At least, not without Edward at my side. He was the only one good enough that I would trust.

 

[][][]::::4::::[][][]

 

The car phone rang, scaring me half to death. I picked it up. “Hello?”

         

“Anita, its Edward.” It had only been five minutes, not ten. Edward was getting a little jumpy.

 

          “Hi.”  

 

          “You sound shaky. Are you alright?”

 

          “Physically, yes. Mentally, I’m about to have a breakdown. He was in the house, Edward. He was waiting for me in my bedroom.”    Once again, that silence. “Edward?”

 

          “I’ll say it again, Anita. I’m so sorry.”

 

          “As long as I make it out of this alive, you’ll be forgiven.”

 

          He laughed. Short, abrubt, harsh. “I suppose that’s good to know.”

 

          “He’s already started killing people, Edward. He threw me a hand. It was small, pale, about what my hands look like. I think he killed someone who resembled me.”

 

          “You’re probably right.”

 

          “Should I call the police?”

 

          “No.”

 

          “But then that hand is going to rot on my carpet. Someone will find it, and get a little suspicious.”

 

          “Anita, I doubt you will even have a house come morning.”

 

          “What do you mean?”

 

          “Olaf will probably burn it to the ground.”    My eyes widened. I said nothing for a long time. “Are you still there, Anita?”

 

          “Yeah, I’m still here. Do you really think he’ll burn the house?”

 

          “Yes. Don’t call the cops, let them call you when they find your house in ashes.”

 

          I sighed. “I really don’t want to lose the house,” I said absently.

 

          “Its better than losing your life. Just think, Anita. If you call the cops, they’ll go down there, and Olaf might possibly kill them. He’ll be gone in the morning. All will be safer.”

 

          I sighed. “Until he takes his next victim.”

         

Edward sighed as well. “I don’t know what to do about that, Anita.”

 

          “Neither do I.” There was a long silence over the phone, before Edward asked, “What hotel are you going to stay in?”

 

          “What what? No investigative work? You’re just going to ask? That’s almost as bad as you using a key to open a door and not picking the lock.”

 

          “Please don’t push it Anita. Its just easier this way. Do you have a hotel in mind?”

 

          “I was thinking the Holiday Inn Express.”

 

          “No, too small. Too easy. Go for a bigger one with more security.”

 

          “Any suggestions?”

 

          “I know a place.”

 

[][][]::::5::::[][][]

 

          That place turned out to be the biggest and most expensive hotel in the St. Louis area. Leave it to Edward. He said he would pay the bill. Which was fine with me, even though I could have afforded it.

 

          It didn’t take long to settle into the room, considering I hadn’t packed anything. I had my cell phone situated on the nightstand, waiting for Edward or the police to call. It was only a matter of time.

 

          I couldn’t sleep, so out of boredom I turned on the TV. “REAL CRIMES” flashed across the screen. That male voice that all TV shows seem to use said, “Five women of different backgrounds, from all different parts of the United States. But what do they have in common? Quite a lot, actually. All petite, pale skin, brown eyes, dark hair, and…all dead.” I shut my eyes tight. Five dead. Probably not counting who ever the hand had belonged to. Shit. I turned off the tv, sickened, not wanting to hear it. I had six hours to pass, and not a whole lot to do. I was very tired, but didn’t want to fall asleep. But still, sleep pulled at the world. I laid down, telling myself it would only be a nap as I fell into a deep sleep, with weapons and all.

***

          A strong hand shook my shoulder gently. “Anita.” My eyes opened immediately at the sound of Edward’s voice.

 

          “Did you just get here?”

 

          “No, I watched you sleep for about an hour. You were muttering about Richard and Jean-Claude a lot in your sleep.” He didn’t seem too pleased about that. I knew he wanted to kill both of the monsters in my personal life. Maybe the only reason he hadn’t done it yet was that I might die too.

 

          “I don’t know why. They’re not on my mind in a positive way lately.”

 

          Edward raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”       I nodded. “And why not?”

 

          I sighed. “Because I broke it off with both of them.” Edward grinned like the Cheshire cat. “This just makes your night, doesn’t it?”

 

          He shrugged with a smirk. “Seeing you alive and in one piece is the best, but that news runs a close second,” he said, sitting down on the bed next to me. I scooted over so there was room. There was only one bed in the room, I guess we would be sharing. If Edward slept at all. And I surprisingly found that that didn’t seem like such a bad thing at all.

 

I sat up and swung my feet around the side of the bed. “So are we in for the night?”

 

“For the night, yes. But I want to leave as early as possible tomorrow morning. If you don’t get a call from the cops before 10:30, we’re gone.”

 

“Fair enough. Where are we going?”

 

“Back to my house. If Olaf wants to start this, we’ll do it on my turf.”

         

I looked up into Edward’s eyes. They were cold icy blue, but they were cold with emotion, and not lack of it. I nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

 

          I started to peel off my various weapons, starting with the knives at my wrists. “So how are things with Donna?”

 

          Suddenly Edward’s eyes went cold, this time with lack of emotion. It was his Death mask, the unfeeling expression. “She left with the kids, not long after the Riker incident. She got too close of a look at what I really am, and decided she didn’t want to marry me.”

 

          I touched his hand. “I’m sorry.”

 

          He shrugged. “Its probably for the better.” I nodded in agreement. “I can let go of Donna, easily enough. But I will miss the kids. Peter. Becca. Especially Becca.” I nodded once again, and squeezed his hand.

 

          “But I suppose its good Donna found out what kind of a person you are, before things went too far. Imagine getting a divorce over this.”

 

          “Very true, Anita. People like us, we don’t fit in well with innocent people.”

 

          I drew my hand away to take off the rest of my weaponry. The firestar. The browning. I shrugged the straps of the long knife at my back off of my shoulders. I could feel Edward watching me. “Is that all?” he asked teasingly.

 

          “I know you’re carrying more.”

 

          “Yes I am.”

***

Edward let me borrow one of his oversized “Ted” T-shirts for a nightshirt. He slept in his boxers. I found myself noticing his well toned chest and his sculpted ab muscles. I had never noticed before. Was it the celibacy, the fact that both the boys were out of the picture, or maybe both?

 

          Edward had actually picked me up and put me on the other side of the bed, furthest from the door. Normally I would have protested, but with Olaf in town, not tonight. Tonight I wouldn’t mind having Edward between me and the big scary things. Because he was a damn fine man to hide behind, in more ways than one.

 

[][][]::::6::::[][][]

 

Edward woke up before I did. I woke to the ringing of the cell phone I had resting on the nightstand. It was seven o’clock. I scrambled for it, and picked it up. “Hello?”

 

          “Anita.”

 

          “Dolph.” His voice sounded a little distraught.

 

          “I don’t know how to say this Anita, but I’ll just say it.” He took a deep breath. I was ready for the news. “Your house has been burnt to the ground. We have suspicions that it was an arson.” I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing. “You still there, Anita?”

 

          “Yeah, I’m still here.”

 

          “Do you have any idea who might have done this?”

 

          I looked to Edward for a clue. He shook his head. “No, I don’t,” I said. It appeared Edward wanted to keep the police out of this as much as possible. Fine with me.

 

          “Are you sure?”

 

          “Yes.”

 

          “Where are you? Why weren’t you at your house.”

 

          “I’m in a hotel. An old friend came to town.” Hey, I wasn’t lying.

 

          “Oh. I need you to come down for a statement.”

 

          “Can’t I just give you a statement now?”

 

          “Don’t you want to come look at your house?”

 

          I sighed. “Not really, but I guess I have to.”

 

          “You sound like you’re going somewhere.”

 

          “I might. I haven’t decided yet.”

 

          “And will you be telling me where you’re going?”

 

          “Nope.”

 

          “That sounds suspiciously like you’re running from something, Anita. What aren’t you telling me?”

 

          “I’m telling you everything, Dolph.” It was so easy to lie to him when I didn’t have to lie with my eyes.

 

          “I don’t believe you, Anita. But I know its all I’m going to get. How far away are you?”

 

          “Thirty minutes.”

 

          “See you then, then.” He hung up.

 

          I got out of bed, and picked up my clothes from yesterday to change into. “I can

pack some more stuff at home. Wait, I have no home!” I said cynically, as I walked past Edward.

 

He grabbed my arm, spinning me back around. His eyes were blank and cold, I couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. “But you’re alive, Anita. That’s worth more than clothes, or a house, or anything else.” There might not have been much in his eyes, but his voice held emotion. His fingers dug into my arm, I might have a bruise later.

         

I sighed. “I know Edward. But its still hard.” Then a thought hit me. My penguin collection probably went up in the flames too. Sigmund, and all the rest. Gone. All gone. That brought a tear to my eye. Several tears, actually. Enough that I looked away from Edward to the ground. His grip on my arm loosened gradually until he wasn’t holding me at all. I wiped the tears away. “I can’t believe I’m crying about a penguin,” I grumbled, heading for the bathroom to change. Edward let me go, but I could feel his eyes on me as I walked to the bathroom.

 

          I changed back into the clothes I was wearing, dark blue jeans, black polo shirt, black belt, black nikes. I thought about what else I might have lost in the fire. Some of the ammunition might have exploded, but my guns were in a safe that was supposedly fire proof. I would be able to get those. My credit cards were in my car, along with everything else in my wallet. Thank god. That was what I really needed. I had access to my accounts, it was all good. I didn’t like the house anyway.

 

          I walked out of the bathroom, tossing Edward the oversized black t-shirt. “Thanks.”

 

          “No problem.”

 

          I picked up the phone, and dialed Bert’s number. “Hello?” I could hear the million dollar smile. He thought it was a customer.

 

          “Bert, its Anita.”

 

          “Anita. How pleasant to hear from you at this early hour.” I could instantly tell he was frowning.

 

          “I need a vacation.”

 

          Silence over the phone. “How long?”

 

          “A month.”

 

          More silence. “I can’t do that.”

 

          “Yes you can.”

 

          “I could fire you.”

 

          “I make you money, Bert. You don’t want to do that.”

 

          “Oh yes I do.”

 

          “Then do it. I don’t care.”

 

          “Are you calling my bluff?”

 

          “No. Because I quit. Good bye, Bert. Its been semi-pleasant knowing you.”

 

          I hung up. “You just quit your job?” Edward asked.

 

          “Yep.”

 

          “Why?”

 

          “Why not? Its been more of a hassle than its worth. This just seems to be the week for new starts. My house is gone. The boys are gone. My obligation to animators inc. is gone. Yeehaw. Isn’t that what Ted would say?”

 

          Edward raised one eyebrow. “No.” he simply answered.

 

          “I need to go see my house. Dolph is waiting for me. Are you coming?”

 

          “Yes.”

 

[][][]::::7::::[][][]

 

          We ended up taking the jeep. Edward took a cab to the hotel, so I was the only one with permanent wheels.

 

          Around thirty minutes later we pulled up to the house. There were two fire trucks, about five cop cars, and hella lotta people tramping about my yard. The fire trucks and men were packing up, the cops were standing around, finished as well.

 

          Dolph found me. “I’m sorry Anita.”

 

          I nodded. “So am I, Dolph.”

 

          Dolph glanced at Edward. “Mr. Forrester.”

 

          “Sergeant Storr.” The two men nodded at each other. We all looked to the charred remains of my house. In fact, there weren’t many remains at all. It was mostly just charred. But I saw my gun locker. That was a good feeling. I decided not to open it yet though. The sawed off shotgun inside was illegal. Didn’t want the cops to get into that, now did I?

 

          “And you’re sure you don’t know who did this?”

 

          “I have no clue.”

 

          Dolph studied me, looking for clues that I was lying. He didn’t find any. “We’re done here, Anita. There wasn’t anything to find.”

 

          “Ok.”

 

          The fire trucks and police cars all left, leaving me, Edward, and my poor house alone. I walked the remains of the house, Edward followed. His hiking boots were perfect for this. My nikes weren’t really, but they made do. I found the charred piece of a stuffed fuzzy penguin wing, and part of a head. One glassy half melted eye stared up at me accusingly.

 

          I went to the gun locker, and opened that with a key on my keyring. I drew out the sawed off shotgun, and uzi, both gifts from Edward. I would guarantee all the ammunition had exploded. There were some shells here and there. And I couldn’t see anything else that was worth salvaging. Absolutely nothing. “Ready to go?” I asked Edward.

 

          He nodded. I loaded up my guns, and we went back to the hotel. I sat down on the bed, watching Edward zip up his suitcase, which he had left extra room in for my extra weapons, which were now inside. I felt very numb, like this wasn’t really happening. If only.

 

          The sound of sirens bleeping turned my attention to the window. I walked to it, and peered down to the sidewalk in front of the hotel. I was on the fourth floor, but I could still make out the shapes of the people down below. There was an ambulance and a cop car. A crowd of people stood around something, I didn’t know what. The cops cleared the crowd away. It was a body. A very bloody body. Even from up here I could see that there were parts missing. But I could see something more disturbing. She was petite, pale, dark hair. Olaf knew I was here.

 

          “He knows we’re here,” I said.

 

          Edward turned to me, just finishing zipping up the suitcase. “What?”

 

          “There’s a body down there that fits Olaf’s victim profile. He knows I’m here.”

 

          Edward glanced down from the window. “Then that means its time to go.”

 

          He picked up the suitcase, and we went down the stairs, not taking a chance with being caught in the elevator. We got outside to the back parking lot, and began to walk out to the jeep. Then suddenly, a giant explosion. Edward hit the ground, taking me with him, his body half covering mine, shielding from the blast. As soon as the initial blast was gone, he dragged me to my feet. Car alarms were going off all over the parking lot, from cars more expensive than what my Jeep had been. Damn.

 

          “He’s watching us, trying to terrorize us. He didn’t want to kill you in the blast, but he wanted you to know he could have,” Edward said, walking at a very brisk pace towards the main road, one hand on my arm. His eyes darted around the parking lot, looking for more threats. Looking for more targets.

 

          “He didn’t want to kill me with the blast, because he wants to cut me up, up close and personal.”

 

          “Probably.”

 

          Edward flagged down a taxi. We were on our way to the airport.

 

[][][]::::8::::[][][]

 

          Edward had already had the return flight scheduled, for Ted Forrester and Katherine Schumaker. He had the fake id and everything. I remembered the last time we did this, I was Anita Lee. But I guess he didn’t even want to risk my first name being on a paper somewhere, that Olaf could follow. But he did use my middle name, which semi-helped with responding to the right name.

 

          Somehow, he got the weapons onto the plane. I had no clue how it passed the scanners, especially after September 11^th. Actually, it was darn right scary. Luckily, Edward wasn’t into high jacking planes. Here’s to hoping other people who were aren’t as good as Edward.

 

          I had grabbed my wallet with my real id and credit cards and stuff out of the car before Olaf blew it up. But my spare browning and spare uzi were toast. Damn it.

 

          The unpleasant flight seemed to last unbearably long, but eventually that hellish experience was over with. Edward had parked Airpark, so he had the hummer. We flew into Santa Fe, so it would be a shorter drive than the last time I flew into New Mexico. But that time had been on business, when I owed Edward a favor. And after all this was over, I wondered if I would owe Edward another favor. I certainly hoped not, it was his fault Olaf even knew me. And I knew he was feeling the guilt.

 

          But, I was still feeling numb. So I wouldn’t make him feel guilty just yet. He threw the bag into the back hatch of the Hummer, and unlocked the doors. We climbed inside, and as soon as the Hummer was started he fired up the AC. It was freaking hot in Santa Fe. And I didn’t CARE if it was supposed to be a dry heat. When its over 90 degrees, it just stops mattering. And something else surprised me that turned on automatically, when the power went on. The radio. The radio not only had been on when Edward was last in the Hummer, but he had been listening to country music!

 

          I smiled. Grinned, actually. “Ted listens to country music?”

 

          Edward paused when he realized I might make fun of him for this. “Yes,” he simply answered.

 

          “And does Edward?” He smiled slightly.

 

          “Sometimes.”

 

          “And was Ted or Edward driving this thing last?”

 

          Edward finally turned his blue eyes to look at me. There was slight amusement on his face, sparkling in his eyes, his lips curved in a smile. I had never noticed how fascinating his lips were, when curved into a smile. “Edward was.”

 

          I shook my head with a smile. “It is just too weird to ask you about Ted and Edward, and know I’m pretty much talking about two different people.”

 

          Edward smiled again. “You’d be surprised, Anita. I’ve played Ted for so long, he almost seems like a part of me now. A distant part, to be sure, but still a part.”

 

          I nodded. That would explain the increased display of emotions this trip so far. Edward reached for the dial to turn the radio off, but I caught his hand. “No, keep it. I kind of like it.”

 

          He nodded with a slight smile, and put the Hummer into gear, pulling out of the parking lot. We drove down the highway a little while. As we approached an exit, he turned to me, as if breaking out of a trance. “Um…do you want to go shop for some clothes or something? I don’t have anything around the house that will fit you.”

 

          I nodded. “Yeah, that would be nice. I don’t think I can wear these for TOO much longer,” I said sarcastically, looking down at my dirty clothes. They felt dirty. Not really from dirt, but from sweat, and just wearing them in general.

 

          Edward pulled off onto the exit. I was going clothes shopping with Death! Yipee! Or Edward. Or Ted. Or maybe all three. I thought about what Edward had said. Were he and “Ted” really beginning to meld into one person? That wouldn’t really be a bad thing. But it would be odd, because Edward seemed like such an unchanging rock at times. But humans aren’t rocks, and even Edward is human.

 

[][][]::::9::::[][][]

 

After four hours of shopping and lunch, I had a new wardrobe. We had to make several trips to the car during intervals of shopping there were so many bags. Its hard buying a new wardrobe in one day. It pretty much resembled the one I ONCE had at home, but…much newer. I ended up with new polo shirts, all different colors, but mostly dark colors. Black, dark red, purple, green, and surprisingly, white. I got doubles of all these colors. I also got some other styles of shirts. Some sleeveless colored shirts, and plaid shirts to go over for colder days. I got a jacket too, or rather, a flannel pull over. I didn’t really think we had the time or the patience to really go jacket hunting. I knew I didn’t right now.

 

And then there were the jeans, all dark blue except for one black pair, and some jean shorts. No khakis for me. They’re hard for me to mix and match, I just don’t get khakis. Bras and underwear were essentials. I thought I was good with one pair of nikes, but I did get a pair of hiking boots. You never know, they might come in useful. I even had to get a new hairbrush, shampoo, toothbrush, etc. It was just hard to get over that I had absolutely nothing material, except for my money. Edward offered to pay for everything, just as he said he would previously, but I declined.

 

As we walked out from the shopping center, storm clouds hung heavily above us. It started to rain, the soft pitter patter of big drops that told you a downpour was on its way. And downpour it did, as soon as we got inside the Hummer. “Well, I think its time to go home,” Edward said.

 

“Oh come on, that little shopping trip wore you out?”

         

Edward turned to me, a slight smile on his lips. “Little shopping trip? The back of my Hummer is filled with shopping bags, Anita.”

 

          I spread my hands wide. “Hey, I’m sorry, its not my fault.”

 

          Edward sighed. “I guess its my fault then.” His eyes fell, and he turned to the steering wheel. Damn it. I hadn’t meant it like that. I reached over to touch his shoulder, to turn him back to me.

 

          “No, Edward. Its not your fault. Its no one’s fault, except for Olaf’s. I didn’t mean it like that, please don’t take it that way.” He turned back to look at me. The emotion in his eyes was almost frightening. This was a whole new animal to get used to, this emotional Edward.

 

He nodded, once up, once down, and turned back to the steering wheel, starting up the Hummer. We were on the road once again. The rain pummeled the wind shield, the wind shield wipers could barely keep up. “This sort of rain isn’t normal.” It wasn’t a question.

         

“True, it’s a rarity. But it happens.”

 

          I nodded, curling up against the door, resting my head on the window. I noticed the lyrics to one particular song that came on the radio, that just seemed to be put on for me.

 

*Another day has almost come and gone

Can’t imagine what else could go wrong

Sometimes I’d like to hide away somewhere and lock the door

A single battle lost but not the war, cause

Tomorrow’s another day

And I’m thirsty anyway

So bring on the rain

It’s almost like the hard times circle round

A couple drops and they all start coming down

Yeah I might feel defeated, I might hang my head

I might be barely breathing but I’m not dead

I’m not gonna let it get me down, I’m not gonna cry

And I’m not gonna lose any sleep tonight

Cause tomorrow's another day

And I am not afraid

So bring on the rain

 

A tear rolled down my cheek. Bring on the rain indeed. It was a beautiful song too, the woman’s voice was very pretty.

 

          I caught Edward glancing at me from the corner of my eye. His expression was somber, deep in thought as he drove down the road. Some people are tense drivers, and grip the steering wheel like a life line. Some people are normal, they take the wheel with two hands and just go, like me. But Edward was a casual driver. He relaxed in the seat, one foot on the gas. One hand loosely controlled the wheel, resting on the top. His other hand rested on his leg, one thumb occasionally used to steady the wheel. He had pulled his white cowboy hat from somewhere, it looked at home atop his head. And I would admit, he looked quite good in a cowboy hat.

 

          Curling up against the door was beginning to crick my neck. So I ditched the chest belt, and curled up on the seat. At my height, I fit perfectly. The seats were cloth, and good sleeping material. Edward and I glanced at each other at the same time. We both had somber faces. Maybe it was the rain that set the mood, but neither of us felt like smiling right then. I closed my eyes to try to sleep a little. I felt Edward’s hand rest on my shoulder. I didn’t know if I was dreaming or not, but I could have swore I heard Edward murmur, “Don’t worry Anita, I’ll take care of you. I always do.”

 

[][][]::::10::::[][][]

 

          “Anita.” A hand gently shook my shoulder, waking me up. I sat up in the seat.

 

          “I’m awake,” I said with a yawn. I saw we had pulled up to Edward’s house.

 

          “Good. You can help me carry all these bags into the house,” Edward said, only half jokingly.

 

          I nodded, sliding out of the hummer with a yawn. I reached into the backseat, grabbing most of the bags lined up on my arms. There was one left for Edward to grab. “Damn, isn’t that heavy? I can carry more than that.”

 

          I shook my head. “I’m fine, just open the door.”

 

          Edward opened the door, and I walked in. “Am I in the same room again?”

 

          Edward shook his head. “No, I want you right next to my room this time.” He showed me to a room right next to his, but furthest down the hall. Someone walking down the hall would have to cross his room first, to get to mine. He was taking this really seriously. Which was a good thing for me.

 

          We set all the bags down on the bed. “Damn. Now I have to unpack all this. Edward smiled slightly, and meandered out of the room. I guess he didn’t want to help with that. Funny, I didn’t want to do it either.

***

 

          An hour later, all my clothes were de-tagged and in drawers and on hangers. I laid down on the bed, kicking off my shoes, and kicking the paper shopping bags off my bed. I fell into a dreamless sleep. I woke up once briefly as covers were being pulled up over me. It was cold in the house with the air conditioning going. I didn’t mind the cover. It was comfy. I fell back asleep without a second thought about who had covered me up.

***

 

          The night air was cool, the stars shined down, diamonds spread across the velvet blanket of deep black above. I was on a large balcony, facing a large house. It wasn’t a house. It was an estate, maybe even a castle. Ivy climbed up the sides, adding a tasteful green to the white walls. “Ma petite?”

 

          I turned around, to see Jean-Claude sitting on the balcony. This was definitely a dream. “I am so out of here.” I began to stretch the dream.

 

          Jean-Claude reached out urgently, “No, Anita, please,” he pleaded. I stopped and listened. He had used my real name, which caught my attention.

 

          “What do you want, Jean-Claude?”

 

          His hands fell to rest in his lap. “Richard and I are worried about you. I came to check if you are alright. Are you?”

 

          I sighed and nodded. “Yeah, for now.” I was glad Jean-Claude had come, and not Richard. Jean-Claude could be more reasonable. Sometimes.

 

          “We could feel your stress through the marks, but not much else. You blocked us out. We were so worried. Your house burned to the ground, your car was blown to pieces, and you were no where to be found. Sergeant Storr came to us asking where you were. We had no idea.” There was a true strain of worry in his voice. I sighed again, suddenly not so angry at him, as I had been before. I didn’t want to jump his bones though, so there was hope.

 

          “I’m sorry, Jean-Claude. But I had to leave, and I couldn’t tell anyone where I was going.”

 

          “Is someone trying to kill you? Again?”

 

          I nodded. “A very scary psychopath that seems to have developed a crush on me. His fantasy seems to be dismembering me. He’s been killing women all over the country, that look like me. Short, dark hair, pale skin.”

 

          Jean-Claude’s eyes widened. “Mon Dieu, ma petite!”

 

          I nodded. “Yeah, you could say that. And what bugs me is I might have had the chance to kill him and stop it all.”

 

          Jean-Claude raised an eyebrow. “Why did you not, Anita? I have never known you to hesitate pulling the trigger on such a foe.”

 

          I stopped to think about that. “I don’t know,” I said slowly. “I guess…I guess I was just too scared.” I told him about how he had been in the house while I called Edward, and about the hand.

 

          Jean-Claude nodded. “I can see where having a small dismembered hand tossed in your direction would…how do you say? Freeze you in your tracks.”

 

          I laughed harshly. “I guess you could put it that way.”

 

          “Where are you now, Anita?” I stood still and silent. Did I want to tell Jean-Claude where I was? Surely I could tell him. He certainly wouldn’t give it away, he was on my side. Even if he was pissed at me. Was he pissed at me really? It didn’t seem like it. But how could he not be? “Anita?”

 

          “I’m near Santa Fe, with Edward.”

 

          Jean-Claude’s eyes widened. “Have you forgotten all about Obsidian Butterfly? You are trying to stay alive, ma petite, not run into another enemy’s trap!”

 

          Hmmm. “To be truthful, I haven’t given her a whole lot of thought. I don’t think I have to worry about her, I didn’t really make an enemy of her.”

 

          He sighed, covering his eyes. “You are my human servant, Anita. You cannot just barge into such lands as this without politics.”

 

          “Can it, Jean-Claude. Don’t even start, because guess what? I just did!” I was

starting to get angry again.

 

          Jean-Claude spread out his hands. “Please do not get angry, ma petite.”

 

          “Then don’t push me.”

 

          “Very well, I will try not to. But there is one more matter I wish to discuss, that perhaps will not bode very well with you.” He glanced up at me. “I received your message from the angry ulfric. Is this true, Anita? Are you truly abandoning us?” It sounded so mean when he put it like that. But that was what’s going on. I nodded. Once up, once down. He laughed harshly. “I never thought you would leave both of us, Anita.”

 

          “Neither did I for a long time, Jean-Claude. But I am. I love both of you. But I’m no longer IN love with either of you.”

 

          Jean-Claude looked down to the ground, to the toes of his expensive boots. He licked his lips. He turned those midnight blue eyes up to me, they were glittering with unshed tears. Damn it. Hell no. He wasn’t allowed to cry. I bit my lower lip to keep it from trembling. I found myself walking to him, one step, another, until I was standing in front of him, looking up at him. I wrapped my arms around his torso. He was actually shorter than me sitting on the railing. He wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my hair. I realized he was trembling slightly. “I love you, Anita.”

 

          “I’m sorry, Jean-Claude.”

 

          He drew back, hands on my waist. “You feel that to ever have a half normal life, you have to break away from the triumvirate.”

 

          I swallowed hard. “There might be some truth to that.”

 

          “You want to settle down. But not with a white picket fence.”

 

          “No, not with a white picket fence.” I knew the white picket fence resembled Richard.

 

          “Perhaps with a sage brush fence? And perhaps a sun bleached cow skull hanging above the door?” His eyes were questioning. He was asking about Edward.

 

          “Hmmm. The cow skull sounds so cliché.” I tried to crack a joke. Jean-Claude didn’t smile.

 

          “Are you in love with monsieur Edward?” I immediately opened my mouth to say no, but Jean-Claude placed fingers on my lips gently. “Be honest, ma petite.”

 

          I paused to think. Did I? God, I didn’t know. And I couldn’t honestly just say no anymore. “I don’t know, Jean-Claude.”

 

          He nodded and sighed mournfully. “Very well, Anita.” His thumbs moved in small circles at my sides. But for once I didn’t think he was trying to seduce me. He just wanted to touch me, because it would be the last time in a long time, possibly ever. “May I have a good bye kiss, then?” he inquired.

 

          I leaned in, and gently kissed his lips. He didn’t push in to make it more. He probably didn’t want the memory to haunt him.

 

          “Well isn’t this a pretty picture. Why do you always make up and make out with the vampire first?”

 

          I frowned, turning slightly. “You know Richard, you just have a knack for ruining a moment.” I turned back to Jean-Claude, ignoring Richard for now. I kissed his forehead. “Go back to Asher, Jean-Claude. It will make you both happy.” I looked down at him. There was relief in his eyes. Some sort of release. It was a confirmation that I wouldn’t come back to St. Louis pissed if I found he and Asher holding hands.

 

          He nodded. “As you wish, ma petite.”

 

          I smiled grimly, and stepped away. My arm slid through Jean-Claude’s reluctant hands all the way to the fingertips. “Good bye, Jean-Claude.”

 

          “Good bye, Anita.” He closed his eyes. A single blood tinged tear ran down his cheek.

 

          I turned around, to find my nose in Richard’s chest. I craned my neck up. “And what do YOU want?” I asked angrily.

 

          “Don’t I get a goodbye kiss too?” he asked bitterly. He was pissed. Good. Because suddenly, so was I.

 

          “No.”

 

          With that I shattered the dream, waking up. It was morning outside, the sunlight

said maybe 8:00. I got out of bed, changed into new clothes and weapons, and followed my nose to the smell of bacon frying in the pan.

 

[][][]::::11::::[][][]

 

          I walked into the kitchen. “You’re up early,” said Edward.

 

          “Early? Its 9:00.”

 

          He shrugged. “I know you like to sleep though.”

 

          I nodded, and turned to the kitchen table. There at where I assumed was my plate for obvious reasons, was a little fuzzy stuffed penguin, with a little blue bow around his neck. I picked it up with a grim smile. “Something to restart your penguin collection,” he said, his back still turned to me as he made breakfast.

 

          I closed my eyes. Damn it to hell. Why was I tearing up so easy lately? That alone might have been a death sentence for Olaf.

 

          Edward turned back to look at me, the smile on his face quickly faded. “Damn, Anita. It was supposed to make you happy. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

 

          He set down the spatula on the stove, and walked over to me. “No, I like it. I…It’s just…” I hugged the penguin to my chest. Edward touched my shoulder. When I didn’t flinch or move away he wrapped his arms around me.

 

          I let him hold me, and cried, sobbed. I wrapped my arms around his torso and held him too me. I cried for me, and for the women who fell victim to Olaf’s sick obsession. I cried because I didn’t have a home. But as I stood there in Edward’s arms, strangely, it did feel like home. It was the closest thing I had to it.

 

[][][]::::12::::[][][]

 

After a few moments I pushed away from Edward. “Thanks. I needed a good hug.” Edward held my arms lightly, just above the elbows.

 

          “Are you ok?”

 

          “For now.”

 

          We sat down to breakfast. The bacon and eggs were good, and the coffee was great. I realized it was the first real breakfast I had had in a long time. But the breakfast made me think about Richard’s homemade breakfasts after spending the night at his house after a full night’s festivities. Which made me think of Jean-Claude. Which made me think of the dream, and how…cheap it was to say goodbye through something so intangible as a dream. Which made me push around my eggs.

 

          Edward, seated at the other end of the table, asked, “What’s got you down now?”

 

          I shrugged. “I was just thinking about the boys. Jean-Claude invaded my dreams last night.”

 

          Edward frowned. “I thought you had broken everything off with them.”

 

          “I have, I did. Through the dream.”

 

          “You’re having second thoughts.” I shook my head as an immediate response. I hate second thoughts. To me second thoughts are indecision, which is weakness. I can’t afford weakness. “Yes you are,” Edward insisted. I might be crazy, but I thought I heard a thread of anger in his voice.

 

          I really stopped to think about it. “Not about Richard. But maybe, just maybe Jean-Claude.”

 

          Edward growled. “The vampire. Always the god damned vampire. The one who’s the worst of them all!”

 

          I frowned at Edward. I stood up from my chair at the opposite end of the table, and leaned on the table so I could look down at him. At his scowling face. He was truly pissed. “I’m not going back, Edward. It doesn’t matter how much second thoughts I have. They’re gone for good.”

 

          Edward stood as well, and leaned down so we were eye to eye. “But when you do have second thoughts, they’re always about that damned vampire.” His eyes were cold. I saw anger, and…a flash of jealousy. Yes, jealousy. It came and went, surfacing and diving back down fast as Edward tried to hide it.

 

          “You’re not my father, Edward.”

 

          “No, Anita. No, I’m not your father. But after all we’ve been through, I would think my opinion would at least have some weight with you. After everything we’ve been through, after all the times I’ve saved your life.”

 

          “I’ve saved your life too, you know. Lots of times. Enough times that I would say we’re equals.”

 

          “Equals.” Edward stood there, a terrible storm of emotions, and seemed to roll that word over and over in his mind and on his tongue. “Are we equals, Anita? Truly?”

 

          “Yes.” And right then, I believed it.

 

          He stared at me. Took in every bit of me. The look wasn’t sexual, he was sizing me up. We should have been long past this stage, he knew me well enough. He knew size had nothing to do with it. “I have to know, Anita.”

 

          “What?”

 

          “If we’re equals. I have to know who’s better.”

 

          “You’re calling out the draw down, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question. Not but ten minutes ago he was comforting me. Now he was challenging me to what was the equivalent of a dual between us. Like a tame leopard, you never really knew when he would strike out.

 

          “Yes.”

 

[][][]::::13::::[][][]

 

          We went outside. “I’ll give you a fifteen minute head start, Anita. Then the hunt

begins. We’ll find out once and for all who’s better.”

 

          “You’re crazy, Edward.”

 

          “Maybe.”

 

          With that I fled into the mesquite thorns, chaparral bushes, and other various underbrush. How many god forsaken plants with thorns growing on them could there possibly be in one state? Because I must have stepped on or brushed up against about half of them. I jogged on for about five minutes until I realized I needed a plan, if I wanted to survive this. Spotting a patch of big green leafy yucca plants, the inspiration hit me.

 

          The yucca plants were growing in a flat creek bed that I had wandered into. It looked familiar. There was some clear space. Lots of it, actually. I jogged down the creek bed a ways, farther than the eye could see at just a glance from the yucca plants. Then I climbed up the bank and back tracked up to the yucca, walking in the grasses where my tracks wouldn’t be so visible. I hid in the yucca plants, which happened to be spiny too, and I waited.

 

          Edward walked by my bush. I had a split second to decide if I would shoot him, or stab him. I did something totally different. I sprang from the yucca plant, tackling him to the ground, hoping he didn’t shoot me. We rolled around, trying to get the upper hand. In the end I ended up on top sitting on his rock hard abdomen. I had drawn my knife, I held it at his throat lightly. The threat was there, just resting against the skin, but not cutting. Not even dimpling the flesh. Similarly, he had drawn his knife from somewhere as well. Lying down on the ground staring up at me with those cool blue eyes, he held the tip of his knife just against the skin between my ribs.

 

          My lower lip trembled, and only partly with anger from how stupid this whole thing was. “There, we both win. Happy? I could have killed you, you could have killed me. We would have died together, equals, but one big waste.” I tossed away my knife, it landed a few feet away in the sand.

 

          I looked into those ice blue eyes, and I didn’t see anger. Or disappointment. I saw pride. Pride that I hadn’t slipped, pride that we were equals. Still, Edward didn’t move. “Are you going to kill me, Edward?”

 

          With a flick of his wrist, the knife thrummed in a nearby tree. “We’re equals. Anita, I just had to know.”

 

          “Well now you know.” I began to stand up, but Edward grabbed my legs behind the knees, making me fall on top of him again, and he sat up quickly as he pulled me down, so we were face to face in seconds. It must have hurt to have my sitting body weight grinding him down into the hard desert gravel, rock, and sand of the creek bed, not to mention the various cacti he could have been sitting on. But he showed no sign of pain. Being this close to Edward was taking an intoxicating toll on my body. And I was beginning to think it wasn’t just the celibacy.

 

          “I’m glad you didn’t cut my throat, Anita.”

 

          “Oh really,” I said sarcastically. “And why would that be?”

 

          He leaned in, and whispered above my lips. “Because I wasn’t going to stab you between the ribs.” He pressed his lips to mine in a semi-gentle kiss. He drew back to look at me, to see my reaction. Which was to lean into him, kissing him back.

 

[][][]::::14::::[][][]

 

Then as abruptly as the kiss had started, it ended as Edward jerked back. I caught a bewildered look in his eyes, before he schooled his face to his mask. We were back to the mask again. Damn. His breathing was still heavy though, almost as if he had lost control of it. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he studied my face. And at that moment he saw surprise. Surprise that he had kissed me, and surprise that he had drawn back just as quickly when I kissed him.

 

          He stood in a sudden fluid motion, setting me down gently on my feet on the pebbly ground of the creek bed. With a final glance at me, he turned and headed for the house. If I didn’t know any better, I would have said he was running away. But he didn’t run, he walked calmly away. The only thing that gave him away was the barely visible tension between his shoulders. I watched him go as he disappeared into the chaparral. I almost called out to him, but something stopped me. A lump in my throat.

 

          I soon followed Edward back up to the house. He somehow managed to avoid me the rest of the day, those stony walls erected high and strong once again around his emotions. But even while avoiding me, I knew he was keeping an eye on me. Watching over me. Still my body guard. A confused body guard. Is that what this was? Confusion? It may have been. Because he finally let out his softer side, his need with me, once.

 

          It wasn’t like when he was kissing Donna, then he was playing Ted. Even though Ted was becoming a little part of Edward, Edward was still Edward. And when we kissed in the creek bed, Edward had been Edward. He wasn’t playing a part, it had been really him allowing himself something we had never done before. And I had concluded that that was what scared him. What confused him. What bewildered him. It was apart of Edward that he had never had to deal with himself.

 

          And truthfully I would admit, I was pretty confused myself. Why had I kissed Edward back? Until a few days ago, I had never had a romantic thought about Edward. I had often said we might kill each other, but we would never kiss. Well now we had just had the option to kill each other, and kissed instead.

 

But now I found myself watching him reading on the couch from my chair, even if it was out of the corner of my eye. He was very handsome. My God, was he. But that wasn’t the only reason I was attracted to him, we were way past that. Every time he had ever saved me flashed in my mind. Every time I had ever woken up in the hospital, and he had been there. And put a gun under my pillow for me, no less. How many times had he shown up with an Edward smile, to give me a new toy? A new weapon, our toys. And how many times had he ridden to the rescue, so to speak, for me when I needed him? I trusted Edward, wholly and completely. Now that I think of it, he was the only person I did trust that much. To be at my back, or to keep my secrets. So then there was the last huge question. Did I love Edward? Well if I didn’t, I should have. Because he was my soul mate.

 

Darkness fell. We had fajitas for dinner, cooked by Edward once again. He was a good cook. More than I can say for myself. I can do bagels and coffee, and that’s about where it ends. I went to bed early. All the thinking must have exhausted me.

***

 

“And this is your liver. Can you feel that?” Was the joyous gleeful question that parted Olaf’s lips. I was sliced open, he was enjoying himself immensely. He plucked something out of my insides, and held the small green thing up to the light. “This is your gall bladder.” He smiled. He raised his hands up for me to see. They were bloody, slick with my blood. He put one red finger into his mouth, sucking it clean. Then he kissed me. There was nothing I could do about it. I was tied down naked on an examiner’s table. It disgusted me, my stomach turned. He picked up his knife, and sliced a thin line down my cheek. “Do you know where the phrase ‘pay through the nose’ came from Anita? The Vikings would cut notches into their hostages noses after pillaging a village. Like this.” He began to cut a notch into my nose. The pain was sharp and deep.

***

 

I sat up in bed fast enough to make me dizzy, a shriek left my lips. Damn dreams. My heart was pounding in my chest. I was covered with sweat, even in the cold air conditioning. With one glance to the open door way I knew Edward was watching me from the shadows of the halls. I had left my door closed, he must have opened it. “Edward?” As soon as I called his name I knew he began to retreat farther into the hall. “Edward, come back, please.” Maybe it was the please. Maybe it was the frantic note in my voice. He came back.

 

He peeked his head in the doorway, showing himself. He must have seen something on my face, because he walked further into the room, closing the door behind him. “Bad dreams?” he asked, standing by my bed. He was wearing loose sweatpants, black as far as I could tell in the dark. And no shirt. His blond hair gleamed platinum in the moonlight. I couldn’t see his eyes, they were shadowed out. He held his Berretta 9mm loosely in his hand.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Olaf?”

 

“Double Yeah.”

 

He stood there looking down at me. He still didn’t let go of the stony expressionless countenance. “Can I help?” There was absolutely no emotion in that word, and yet there was for the lack of it.

 

I let my breath out, long and slow. “Will you stay with me, the rest of the night? I…I don’t want to be alone.”

 

“You want me to sleep with you?”

 

I nodded, remembering how safe I had felt in the hotel when we had shared a bed. He stood there in silence for so long I thought he was going to refuse. But instead he said, “Then move over.” I was in the spot closest to the door. Apparently that was his spot. I did, no arguments. He moved the firestar from under his pillow to mine, and placed the berretta under his pillow. He paused for a moment, but climbed under the covers with me, lying down on his back, looking up at me. I studied him, still sitting in the bed. And then I settled down under the covers, and rested my head on his shoulder. He stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed, wrapping one arm around my waist. The other hand moved in soothing gestures on my back. “Go to sleep, Anita. I will protect you.”

 

The last words I said before falling asleep again were, “I know.”

 

[][][]::::15::::[][][]

 

Cold.  Alone. That’s how I expected to wake up. Because really, why would Edward stay with me once the sun came up? I shouldn’t be scared anymore as soon as the light hit that window.

 

But instead, something else greeted me in the morning. A warm body, spooning me at my back, one protective arm wrapped around my stomach. His warm breath tickled my hair. I could feel his pulse throbbing against my back. Alive. Something I would never have when Jean-Claude held me in the morning. He was warm. Not Richard warm, there was no electricity or power to it. He was human warm. And I was grateful for that. I moved my hand to touch his that was so effectively resting on my stomach. I laced my fingers in his, and he squeezed my hand.

 

Was he awake? Or was that a convulsion of his sleep. I had to know. I turned my head slightly to look at his face beside me. Two ice blue eyes stared into mine. “Sleep well?” he asked, totally awake.

 

I nodded.  “Um hmm. Thank you.”

 

”Don’t mention it. Did you know you kick in your sleep?”

 

I smiled. “No, but it doesn’t surprise me.”

 

“I’ll be carrying that bruise for a while,” he said, a teasing note to his voice.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“You’ve been awfully loose with the pleases and thank yous and sorries lately.”

 

“Oh. Ok. Um…you bastard, I hope you carry that bruise until the day you die,” I said sarcastically, without enthusiasm. “Better?”

 

He raised one blond eyebrow with amusement. “It sounds more like you.”

 

I nodded. “I guess it does.”

 

“You also talk in your sleep.”

 

“What did I say?” He shook his head, a secretive smile curled on his lips. “You wont tell me?”  He shook his head. “Why not?”

 

“Because it’s another secret I can keep from you.” His eyes sparkled with amusement. It was half Ted, half Edward. Tedward? I smiled at the thought. I  pressed my lips together, trying to keep from bursting out laughing. “What?” I shook my head, and tried to get out of the bed, a slight giggle escaping my lips. Edward, however, would have nothing of that. He tightened his grip, and pulled me close once again. I wasn’t going anywhere, unless we really wanted to fight. I didn’t. I was hoping he didn’t either. I stared up at him innocently, a small smile on my lips. “What is so funny?”

 

“I’m not telling. You wouldn’t like it.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“I just do.”

 

“Why wont you tell me? It’s not like I’m going to shoot you, at this point.”

 

“Because it’s another secret I can keep from you.” I simply answered. He raised that eyebrow again. Slowly he loosened his grip on me, I was free to go now. How disappointing. But I slipped out of the bed anyway, and into the bathroom for a shower.

 

[][][]::::16::::[][][]

 

I walked out of the shower, wrapped only in a fluffy white towel, surprised to see Edward still in my room. He was standing, leaning on the window trim, looking out the window, his back to me. “My name, Anita,” he said in a quiet, but serious tone.

         

I was suddenly confused, and my expression showed as much. He didn’t turn to face me. “What about your name?”

 

          “That’s what you said in your sleep. My name. Edward.” He turned back to look at me, his eyes intense.

 

          “Oh. I did?”

 

          “Yes.” He walked to me, moving as lithely as any predator. “Why would you call out my name at 4:07 at night, Anita?” His voice was hushed. He was searching for answers now.

 

          “I must have been dreaming. 4:07? You were still awake?”

 

          “Yes.”

 

          “Why?” Stupid question. He was keeping watch.

 

          He paused, but then answered. “I was listening to you breathe,” he whispered, and walked out of the room, running a finger across my bare back just above the towel as he exited the room without looking back. Gooseflesh raised on my skin. I quickly changed. Black bra, matching panties. Black polo shirt, black leather belt, dark blue jeans with black nikes. I put on my weapons too, the browning in the shoulder holster, firestar in the uncle mikes at the small of my back. Knives at my back and wrists. Life was good. I glanced at the clock. Holy shit! It was twelve o’clock! I had slept in really late this time. I was surprised Edward had stayed with me that long.

 

          I walked down the hall to the kitchen, hoping lunch was in order. I was frickin’ hungry. I didn’t bother to put on any makeup. Somehow I thought Edward would like me better that way. I walked into the living room to find Edward fully dressed. Pity. He leaned against the wall nonchalantly. He was wearing dark blue jeans, and a white button down short sleeve shirt. I was glad it didn’t have any of those corny cowboy designs on the pockets or anything. I would have made him change. He was wearing his well used hiking boots, and his belt had a medium sized gold and silver belt buckle on it. When I looked closer I saw it had an eagle flying in the middle of the intricate designs on it. Appropriate, I guess, for Ted. How patriotic. What did you expect, a skull and cross bones? Or maybe a confederate flag… That thought made me smile, once again trying not to giggle. I lost, a small burst of laughter escaped me.

 

          Edward furrowed his brow. “You know, for someone who’s the target of a psychopath who wants to cut you up, girl, you sho’ laugh a lot.” He put the southern drawl into it.

 

          That made me smile too. “Well, I’ve already cried enough, don’t you think? Besides, why shouldn’t I laugh? I’ve got Death on my side, he wont let Olaf kill me.” I found myself talking about yet another one of Edward’s personas in third person. I saw something flash in his eyes, an emotion that appeared suddenly, and disappeared just as quickly.

 

          “Do you want to go to lunch?”

 

          I nodded. “Food sounds good.”

 

          “Then let’s go.” I nodded, starting for the door. Edward cleared his throat with a loud ahem. I furrowed my brow, then it hit me. The browning was in plain view. I knew that was how you were supposed to pack heat in NM, but I still didn’t like going around with the big gun in plain sight. The knife sheaths too. There wasn’t any way in hell I was going to wear a hot jacket in this heat. It was only noon, and I could feel the heat pressing against the house. It was starting to get stuffy in here. Where was the frickin’ air conditioner now? I was almost freezing last night. Of course, the nights did get really cold around here anyways. I wasn’t sure if I liked New Mexico a whole lot.

 

          I growled, heading back for my room. “Now I have to change my whole fucking outfit because of this God damned New Mexico heat,” I grumbled under my breath. I heard Edward laugh softly behind me.

 

          I ended up putting on an over shirt that was short sleeved. I strapped one of the knives to my ankle, and left one behind. Now I was ready. So I guess Edward just had to grab his cowboy hat, and we would go.

 

[][][]::::17::::[][][]

 

Lunch was good. I got a choice between Mexican food, Mexican food, more Mexican food, or American. Guess what I picked? The cheeseburger was good, they didn’t slip any chili peppers into it.

 

I had some questions to ask. Halfway through lunch, I decided to ask them. “Olaf knows where your house is. What makes us so safe there?”

 

Edward smiled his good ol’ boy smile, playing Ted in public. “Well, I know Santa Fe better than St. Louis. It’s an advantage. If and when he comes to town, we can get rid of him here.”

 

“Yeah, great. I wonder how many more women will die until we can get this resolved.”

 

“No more have died, since we left St. Louis, Anita.”

 

“How do you know that?”

 

“I have my sources.” He smiled that knowing smile. That news didn’t surprise me.

 

“Ok, you have everything under control. Good to know, as usual. So what about Itzpapalotl. We haven’t heard a peep out of her. I thought we’d here something, I kinda invaded her turf uninvited.”

 

Once again, that smile. “Itzpapalotl? What Itzpapalotl?”

 

I raised an eyebrow. “You killed her?”

 

He took a sip of water. “Let’s just say I’ve started a butterfly collection.” He looked at me over his glass. There was triumph in his eyes.

 

“An illegal butterfly collection.”

 

“Maybe.”

 

“And how much were you paid for that butterfly?”

 

“Enough,” was his simple answer. Did I really expect to get much more? Not really. But a girl can dream, can’t she?

 

We paid for the meal, and went outside. Everything was rather quiet on the little street. We were a little bit on the outside of town, there weren’t that many people. But this was ridiculous. A man brushed by us, accidentally bumping into me. “Excuse me,” he said, and walked on. After walking on a few steps, he suddenly turned and swung out at me. Edward pulled me back with one arm, drawing the gun with another. A loud bang rendered the man dead on the ground, but not before he had done his damage. A red slice wound was on Edward’s right shoulder, bleeding. I had drawn my gun, but didn’t get off a shot. I didn’t need to, it only took one with Edward.

 

Both of our eyes darted around, looking for threats and targets. And boy did we find them. About 20, to be specific. They all stepped out of the alleys between the buildings, and made a wide circle around us. They were all dressed in black, like the dead man on the ground. “It’s a little hot for that monochromatic scheme, isn’t it?” I said loudly. They ignored me. Edward and I stood back to back, slowly making our way towards the hummer. “We can’t kill all of them before they rush us,” I whispered.

 

“I know.”

 

“So what do you suggest.”

 

“I would suggest we get in the car, NOW!”

 

We sprinted towards the hummer. As soon as we burst into motion, so did they. Edward had one of those door unlocker beep beep thingies on his key chain that unlocked just the driver’s side door. I opened the door, crawling into the passenger side. Edward was right behind me. He started up the Hummer, and we started off down the street. The guys jumped out of the way, they weren’t suicidal.

 

“Now who else is trying to kill us?” I growled, buckling my seat belt. “And buckle up,” I demanded as the click of my belt sounded. Edward obeyed, his eyes fixed on both the road, and the rear view mirror.”

 

“You want to know who else is trying to kill us?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well look behind you, because we’ve got company.”

 

I looked behind us. Three black cars were tailing us close behind, and gaining. One pulled up to the side of the hummer, ramming into the side. It was a little car, like a VW jetta or something. But it still pushed us over, almost into the concrete barrier of the highway. But, the driver didn’t count on the fact that the Hummer would push that little bitch ass thing further. Edward turned the wheel sharp to the right, sending the car off the side of the road. It careened into a telephone pole. Sucks to be them. There might have been survivors, but by the look of the front of the car, I doubted it. Crashing into telephone poles while going 80 miles an hour was not agreeable for one’s health.

 

“One down, two to go.” Edward murmured. They both advanced. One from behind, one on the side. We were just exiting the municipal highway, continuing out to the long desert stretch that would lead to the next town, eventually. And also Edward’s house, although that was closer by. The highway was raised up here, about 5 feet above the land. Edward eyed the desert along side us. “Have you ever been four wheeling, Anita?” he asked, keeping an eye on the two black cars and the road at the same time. It appeared there were two more cars behind those two, that just showed up. Fuck. Edward noticed them before I did.

 

I looked down at the dry desert that stretched out below and to the side of us. I got an idea of what he was thinking. Shit. No, double shit. “Edward,” I warned. He smiled.

 

“Hold on.”

 

“I think this is a bad idea, Edward,” I said, grabbing the door handle.

 

“I think it’ll be fun,” he said sarcastically, his eyes gone cold and empty for the cars surrounding us. “Watch this,” he said under his breath. I suspected he was talking to himself.

 

Edward put on the brakes, hard, smashing into the smaller car behind us. It hit with a big jolt that rocked my neck. The car to the side of us zoomed on, out of our way for the window we needed. Edward hit the gas, and we veered off the side of the road in a mini-impression of Evil Kinevil. My eyes widened, but I didn’t scream. We landed hard on the ground with a huge bump, but the shocks held out, we were still in one piece. And the little cars couldn’t follow us out here, even if they could get off the highway without rolling all to hell and killing themselves.

 

I let out a deep breath as we sped across the desert. “Damn,” was all I could say for a while. “Who were they?”

 

“I have no clue,” Edward answered. His expression told me he was deep in thought.

 

“Were they after you or me?” I asked

 

“Well, the guy tried to stab you. By the way, there’s a first aid kit under the seat. Could you do something about this arm for me?” I nodded, retrieving the first aid kit while listening to Edward. “It couldn’t be Olaf. He works alone. And he wants to kill you up close and personal, not in a fiery crash or walk by slashing.” I nodded, tightening the bandage on his upper arm. “Riker’s gone. Itzpapalotl’s gone. And then…” Edward’s voice trailed off in thought. I watched his eyes go from perplexed to the “no one is home” look. “Edward?” He glanced at me, then back to the desert. “You know who it is, don’t you?”

 

“I have an educated guess.”

 

“Who.”

 

“Not telling yet.”

 

“Damn it, Edward!”

 

“I said YET. Don’t get your feathers too ruffled.”

 

Oooo. Yet. Which meant he might tell me, and he might not. Yeah! Can you feel the sarcasm? “Where are we going?” Switch of subjects.

 

“Back to the house.”

 

“I take it you know a back way.”

 

“Yes I do.”

 

 

[][][]::::18::::[][][]

 

          Taking the back way, we made it back to Edward’s house in one piece. Oh joy. Can you feel my sarcasm? We entered the house with extra caution. But there were no intruders. “Where’s your first aid kit?” was my first question, as soon as we were sure the house was safe

 

“Under the sink. Why?” I grabbed it from under the kitchen sink.

 

“Because we need to really bandage that arm, and not just throw a cloth over it.” I opened the first aid kit on the kitchen table, next to Edward who was leaning against the table. I took the bandage off his arm.

 

“The cut isn’t that bad,” he said as I finished putting the butterfly closures on the cut, and wrapping it with gauze.

 

“It’s bad enough,” I said. “You didn’t have to step in front of me, I would have gotten out of the way.”

 

“And what if you didn’t?” he demanded, his voice suddenly…I didn’t have a word for the emotion. Stressed? Strained? He turned to me, his blue eyes vibrant. “My shoulder…” he said softly, and traced a line across my neck, very lightly. “Is at the exact same height as your neck, Anita. I can take this deep of a cut in my arm. You can’t in your throat.”

 

I frowned. “I would have gotten out of the way.”

 

His hand moved up to touch the side of my face. “And what if you didn’t?”

 

I sighed. “I would have, Edward. I always do.”

 

“What if?”

 

I reached up to touch his face lightly with both hands. “Don’t what if me, Edward. I get enough of that with Richard at home.” He furrowed his brow at that, his eyes freezing over. He firmly grasped my wrists, pushing my hands back down to my sides.

 

“Don’t compare me to the furball.” Shit. Had I pissed him off that much? He must have seen my wondering in my eyes, because he shook his head, eyes suddenly softer blue. “I’m not angry, Anita. Please don’t look at me like that.”

 

“Why? So you won’t feel guilty?” I asked, my hands still pinned to my sides by Edward’s strong arms. I could have kicked him, but I didn’t want to get away that badly. He wasn’t hurting me, he was just holding me still.

 

He leaned down, his forehead resting on mine. “Because I might do something like this,” he said, pressing his lips to mine in a gentle but demanding kiss. I didn’t fight to get away, but I tried to get closer. Still, he held me fast. When I tried to raise up to meet him, he kept me grounded. I realized this was a dominance thing. He couldn’t hunt me and prove we weren’t equals, so he would try to dominate me like this. I didn’t mind that much, he could have his fun. Because it was certainly fun for me, to feel his lips on mine in a deep kiss. Kiss of Death. Sounds deadly. But damn, did it feel good. However, still, there was that part of me that just couldn’t let this dominance thing completely go.

 

I bent my knees, making Edward strain his neck more to keep our mouths pressed together. He could keep me from raising up, but he wasn’t strong enough to hold me immobile from falling down. Not standing like he was. Edward broke away, and with that irritating little smile of his, he quickly swept my feet out from under me. I hit the kitchen floor, but not as hard as I could have. He was still holding me a little. He straddled me, leaning over me. “I knew you couldn’t just stand there,” he whispered, the smile still in place.

 

I answered with a smile of my own. “You aint seen nothin’ yet,” I said, flipping us over. Judo has many uses. Now I was on top, sitting on his abs again, leaning over him. “Equals, remember?”

 

“Then we might have to do this sideways,” he countered, sitting up, pulling me closer with hands behind my knees. Our eyes met. I studied his face. The banked heat in his eyes was matched by a fire of my own.

 

Then I noticed something. A lot of things, actually. His hair was tousled, a few tufts of blond hair stuck up here and there. Hat head. He had a slight scar, not even an inch long, on the hairline of his scalp. And one of his blond eyebrows was slightly higher than the other. He was so human, and I cherished that. After spending so much time with perfect werewolf and vampire, I can not put into words how much I appreciated Edward’s humanity right then. And I couldn’t put into words how much I NEEDED that right now. He noticed me staring at specific features of his face.

 

“What are you staring at?” he asked softly, not sounding angry or pturbed at all.

 

I touched his eyebrows, smoothing them down with my thumbs gently. “You have hat head, a scar on your hairline, and one of your eyebrows is slightly higher than the other,” I said with a gentle smile. He seemed confused, and opened his mouth to say something, but I hushed him with fingers over his lips. “And I cherish that, Edward. You are so human, and I cherish that.” I knew there were tears glittering in my eyes. But they weren’t tears of grief this time.

 

Edward grabbed me around the waist, crushing me to him in a tight embrace that I returned. “You have been hanging around the monsters too much, Anita,” he murmured into my hair.

 

“But I’m back now, Edward. I’m back.”

 

That only made him tighten his hold on me. “You have been gone so long, Anita. Its about damn time you’re back.”

 

I laughed. The laugh turned into a sob. Edward pressed lips to my forehead. “Shhh, baby, don’t cry. It’s alright. Everything will be alright.”

 

“I’m not crying,” I said, wiping the tears away.

 

“So can we kill the monsters now?”

 

“No.”

 

“The vampire?”

 

“No, Edward. I would die too, remember?”

 

“I don’t think you would, Anita.” I was beginning to think not too. Bad Anita. Bad thoughts. And with that last thought, something disturbing happened. A door slammed in my head, leaving a cool leak of power in my aura. Jean-Claude. Jean-Claude had been inside my shields, inside my head. Spying on me. He had gotten up early, and would be one cranky vampire for everyone at the circus.

 

“What, Anita?” I realized the surprise was plain on my face.

 

I shook my head. “Nothing.” Edward didn’t believe it, but he let it go. Shit. How much had Jean-Claude heard? Enough to make him totally and thoroughly pissed. As if I didn’t have enough damned problems in my life.

 

“Anita.” The sound of Edward’s voice turned my attention back to him. “As much as I would love to stay here like this,” he kissed me lightly. “We have to pack.”

 

I raised an eyebrow. “Pack?” He nodded. “What now?”

 

“We’re going into hiding again. I have a feeling those guys in black know where Ted Forrester’s house is.”

 

“It’s YOUR house, Edward.”

 

“You’re right. It is my house. And I bet they know where it is. But they probably don’t know where my secluded mountain cabin is,” he said, mischievous glee in his voice and in his eyes.

 

“How many different hideouts do you have, Edward?”

 

He smiled secretively at that question. He wasn’t going to answer. Go figure. What else is new? I stood up, and so did Edward, so lithely I might have thought he was a shape shifter if I didn’t know any better. I put away the first kit. Touching his arm, I said, “Thank you, Edward.”

 

“You’re welcome, Anita.”
 

We both went back in our rooms to pack. Clothes. Weapons. What else could one possibly need? Don’t answer that.

***

We packed four suitcases between the two of us. Two for clothes, two for weapons.  Hell yeah. The hummer was parked back behind the house, where Edward had left it from our little short cut. You had to walk through lots of brush and that dry creek bed to get to it. It was a bitch to carry the suitcases through.

 

Just as we finished packing up and were ready to go, it was late afternoon. And four black cars pulled up into Edward’s drive way, we watched it through the underbrush. Looking at the cars while they were standing still, I noticed the cars weren’t cheap Japanese cars as I originally thought. They were BMWs. Interesting.

 

Edward gestured for me to get into the hummer. I did. We watched them from the windshield. Then Edward started up the hummer, and pulled away. “What what? No guns, no shooting, no defending of the territory?”

 

Edward smiled and shrugged, as we drove across the desert towards the highway. “Can’t leave too many bodies behind, now can we? We’ve got places to be. Besides, they wont hurt the house too much. I think they’re looking for you, not me.”

 

Oh, well then. Does it sound too corny to say we drove off into the sunset?

 

 

[][][]:::19:::[][][]

 

We drove for a few hours through the seemingly endless desert. Darkness fell. I decided to take a nap. Why not? I was tired, and from all those years with Bert, I had a lot of sleep to catch up on. I laid down in the seat, and quickly drifted off. And that was my folly.

 

Black. All black. The carpet was thick black, up to my bare ankles. The wall paper was black, with tiny silver fleur de lis on it. They were so minute they just added a silver tinge to the wall paper. There was a single chair, black leather upholstered. And then I looked down, to see I was wearing white, of all things. A white silk negligee. It screamed Jean-Claude. Then finally, the big man himself showed up, wearing all black. Oh goody. I had a bone to pick with him. He was not happy, I could tell. And he was trying to intimidate me, putting me in white in an all black room. It was all psychological.

 

“Ma petite, you have been a very naughty girl.”

 

“And you have been spying on me.”

 

“I was merely worried.”

 

“And lying. I would call it jealousy.”

 

He furrowed his brow. “And how would you have me? The woman I love, my human servant, no less, has left home and is in the arms of another man, who is not our third, whom I have agreed to share you with.”

 

“I am not your human servant.”

 

“You are.”

 

“I am not. AND—” I continued, before he could, “You have no right to spy on me.”

 

“Your shields were down. I was curious how you were.”

 

“My shields were not down. You must have torn a hole for yourself.”

 

He shrugged. “Fair enough.”

 

“Don’t ever do it again.”

 

“I will do as I see fit. Do not forget who is master here.” He was so arrogant, so…so one of them suddenly. Is this the monster in Jean-Claude I had ignored, turned away from? How could I have missed it? My shoulders trembled with anger.

 

“You are not my master. I am servant to no one.”

 

“But me.”

 

I snapped. I tried to punch him, but he caught my hand. “Sloppy, ma petite. I would have expected more. Perhaps your weak shields has something to do with Itzpapalotl.”

 

“She’s dead, Jean-Claude.”

 

“Oh?” There was a note of humor in his voice that gave him away. I looked into his eyes in time to see the glint of amusement, there and gone suddenly. But that was all it took. I knew he had been the one who contracted Obsidian Butterfly’s life. I tried to tear my hand away, but he wouldn’t let go.

 

“You had her killed.”

 

“I did.” He said it matter of factly now.

 

“Then why caution me against her? What would you get out of it?”

 

He shrugged. “Just keeping you on your toes, ma petite.”

 

Then a thought occurred to me. “You’ve always seen Death as a threat, haven’t you, Jean-Claude.” His face went blank.

 

“I do not follow, Anita.”

 

“Bull shit. You put Edward up against Itzpapalotl, hoping she would win. Hoping she would kill him.”

 

He frowned. “Death is always looking for a new challenge, Anita. I simply gave him one. And paid him quite well for it, I might add.”

 

I frowned as well, and tore my hand away. The lie sounded good, but his eyes… When I looked into Jean-Claude’s eyes, the angry midnight blue gave it all away. He was disappointed Death had won this time. He was jealous. He had been jealous, even before I broke it off with him and Richard. And that was not allowed. “I’m not buying that, Jean-Claude, and you know it. You were jealous, even before you had a reason to be.”

 

“Do I have reason to be now?” Jean-Claude countered, acting amused.

 

“Don’t stray, Jean-Claude.”

 

“If you insist, ma petite. Yes, I was jealous. And it was a win/win situation for me. If Edward died, then oh well. Life goes on. But if he lived and Obsidian Butterfly died, then that would be acceptable as well.”

 

“Why were you jealous?”

 

“Who wouldn’t be, ma petite? You were convinced it was all platonic, but any man could see Edward plainly was in love with you.”

 

“You couldn’t see it, he hid it too well.”

 

“He hid it so well that it was obvious. It is a…guy thing, ma petite. You would not understand.”

 

“I guess not.”

 

“So you now know Monsieur Edward is in love with you?” I shrugged, not wanting to give anything away. “I will take that as a yes.” There was a thread of anger in Jean-Claude’s voice.

 

“Don’t start this, Jean-Claude.”

 

“Do you love him?”

 

“That’s none of your business.”

 

“I will take that as a yes as well.”

 

“Damn it, Jean-Claude!”

 

“You cannot lie to me, Anita.”

 

“Aint life a peach. I think I know why you’re so pissed.”

 

“Pissed?” Jean-Claude raised an eyebrow.

 

“Yeah. Pissed. You’re pissed because for once, you don’t have the upper hand and control over everything.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah. You can’t blackmail me again, like you did with Richard. Edward is the one man you cannot mess with, and win. You know it. And it pisses you off.”

 

“Think what you will, Anita. But it does not make it truth.”

 

“But it is truth.”

 

“When are you coming back to St. Louis?” Jean-Claude changed the subject.

 

“Honestly, Jean-Claude, I don’t know if I am.”

 

He raised an eyebrow. “But ma petite, you cannot leave us so permanently. We need you.”

 

“No you don’t. You need my power. And I’m not willing to give it anymore. I’m tired of being used.”

 

Anger flashed in Jean-Claude’s eyes. “You are my human servant, Anita, and you WILL come back.”

 

“Don’t order me around, Jean-Claude. Don’t even try.”

 

“It is for your own good.”

 

“I’m out of here.”

 

“I will be in touch.”

 

“I am sooo blocking you out. We’re on my time now, buddy.” And with that, I shattered the dream. I sat up on my elbows, shaking my head. Edward was staring down at me.

 

“Bad dream?”

 

“Oh yeah.”

 

[][][]:::20:::[][][]

 

“Olaf again?” Edward asked.

 

I shook my head. “No. Jean-Claude.”

 

Edward narrowed his eyes, staring at the dark highway. “So can we kill him now?”

 

I sighed. “No, Edward.”

 

“I had to ask.”

 

“I know.” Silence ensued for some time. “So Jean-Claude was the one who put out a contract on Obsidian Butterfly?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“He was hoping she would win, you know.”

 

“I know. And she didn’t win.”

 

“You know?”

 

“Of course. The vampire wouldn’t care if I died. It would just be one more nuisance out of his hair. One less man to be jealous of.”

 

“You knew he was jealous of you?”

 

“Of course, Anita.”

 

“How?”

 

“It’s common sense. Richard too. Because when you’re in trouble, who’s always there for you? Who are you almost always with?”

 

“You.”

 

“Exactly. Wouldn’t you be jealous if you were them?”

 

“I guess. It’s white knight syndrome. They want to be the white knight, but instead they have to watch you ride to the rescue time and time again.”

 

“You’re beginning to get guy psychology, Anita.”

 

“I think I should be scared.”

 

“Probably. So why can’t we kill Jean-Claude again?”

 

“Because I said no.”

 

“Ah, but he wanted to kill me. So that’s self defense, isn’t it?”

 

“Edward. No. You won, Obsidian Butterfly is dead.”

 

“Yeah yeah.”

 

I decided to change the subject. “So what’s the plan? How are we going to get rid of Olaf and the guys in black?”

 

“I’m going to run my lines and try to find out who these MIB are, and Olaf’s where abouts. He hasn’t killed anyone lately, so either he’s gone back to Germany, or he is keeping a low profile.”

 

“But I’m the bait, right? And if no one knows where this cabin is, then how are we going to get Olaf?”

 

“I want to get rid of the BMW men in black first. Then Olaf. We’ll try to take it a step at a time.”

 

“Ok.” Silence ensued for a few minutes. “Will catching Olaf include using me as bait?”

 

Edward sighed, glancing over to me. “Probably.” I nodded, but didn’t say anything. “It’ll be alright, Anita. I wont let him hurt you. You know that. He wants to kill you up close an personal, and that gives us an advantage. True?”

 

“True.”

 

“How much longer of a drive?”

 

“About three more hours. You can go back to sleep if you want.”

 

“No, that’s ok. I think I’ll stay awake until count chocula goes to sleep.”

 

“That will be dawn.”

 

“I know.”

 

[][][]:::21:::[][][]

 

We approached the old cabin. Edward hadn’t lied, it was up in the mountains. It was elevated, but still on a flat plateau. It looked like we were still in the dessert, about a thousand feet below us. We drove through a wooden gate, it had some sort of large antlers mounted on the top of the wood. Probably elk, maybe a very large deer. There was a barbed wire fence that went on for a large way around the cabin, I could see the out line of it in the moon light. And there was a barn, and another fence circle. It was bigger though, probably made out of metal, or larger planks of wood. I couldn’t tell for sure in the dark, but it looked suspiciously like a corral. Edward’s mountain horse ranch? Damn, what did I miss?

 

Edward pulled up to the old cabin, shutting down the engine of the hummer. Before we walked inside, Edward paused, looking up at the old wooden house. His expression was totally blank, but I knew he was thinking hard about something. Or remembering something.

 

In the moonlight it looked like it was about to fall apart. But once we got inside I was surprised at the nice condition of the house. Edward flipped a light switch, and set the suit cases down on the floor. Lights? I didn’t see any power lines coming way out here. I looked to Edward, and as if he knew what I was about to ask, he answered simply, “Generator.”

 

I nodded. “Oh.” There may have been a generator, but there certainly wasn’t an air conditioner. It was cool outside, but with the closed windows the heat of the day hadn’t leaked out of the house.

 

“God, Edward, its hotter than hell’s mouth in here.”

 

He walked over with a glass of ice water. He set the glass down on a table after  fishing out a single ice cube. Standing in front of me, he traced the ice cube over my lips. I sighed, standing completely still, closing my eyes. The chilled water from the ice cube ran in rivulets down my hot skin, melting against my body heat. Edward traced the ice cube down my jaw line, my neck, and collar bone. “Chill out,” he whispered above my lips. I didn’t have to see the small quirk of lips that was his smile, to know it was there. Then he did something so sudden and cruel, I had no clue it was coming. He dropped the ice cube down my shirt, it got stuck in my bra.

 

I squealed at the cold ice being so close to my skin. Edward pressed his lips to mine, muffling my squeal, swallowing it, transferring it into a moan. Still, my hands fumbled to remove the ice cube. He caught my hands, lacing his fingers in mine. Using my hands as leverage, he pulled our bodies together. I squirmed as the pressure of our bodies pressed together, and pressed the ice into my skin. My body was screaming at me to pull away, and to never pull away as Edward’s skilled lips claimed my mouth for his own.

 

When the ice cube completely melted he pulled away, that devilish smile on his lips. I swallowed, hard. “That was mean.”

 

He chuckled. “Maybe. Shall we open some windows?”

 

I nodded. “That might cool things off.”

 

“Maybe,” he answered. The meaning wasn’t lost on me. He kissed my forehead, and wandered off. Probably back out to the hummer to get the rest of the bags. I wandered around the cabin, opening windows. I found the bedroom that I assumed was mine. I shook out the sheets. We were in the real country now, I didn’t want to fall asleep on a scorpion.

 

I went back into the living room to get my suitcases Edward had brought in. He was sitting at the kitchen table, a laptop glowing in the dark. “Goodnight, Anita,” he called as I walked out of the room.

 

“Good night Edward.”

 

I changed into pajamas, and situated my weapons in the room. Knives under both sides of the mattress, firestar under the pillow, browning in the bedside table drawer. I didn’t want to fall asleep with Jean-Claude still at large, but I was so tired. Screw Jean-Claude. I fell asleep. I noticed I had been more tired more often lately. I was also betting it had something to do with Jean-Claude draining me.

 

Later in the night I felt a presence in my room. But it was familiar, I didn’t go for my gun. My eyes still closed, I held out my hand as an invitation that I knew he had been waiting for. Edward crawled into bed behind me, draping one protective arm over my waist, spooning me. I fell asleep once again, reassured by Edward’s presence.

 

***

 

I woke up to the smell of fresh coffee. It was enough to draw me out of bed. I got dressed; jeans, polo shirt, nikes, browning, knives. I wandered into the kitchen, pouring myself a cup of coffee. I looked over through the window to see Edward on the porch, leaning on the railing. He was staring at something, I couldn’t see what though. The wall was in the way.

 

I walked out to the porch, coffee in hand. He had already had a cup, it was sitting empty on the railing. He didn’t even glance my way when I leaned on the railing next to him. I followed his gaze to where he was staring. He was staring at what I had guessed right last night to be a corral. It was metal gate work, rusting. The gate hung funny, only one hinge working the right way.

 

“There used to be fifteen,” Edward said mysteriously, still staring at that corral.

 

“Fifteen what, Edward?”

 

“Horses. Fifteen horses. Out there, in the corral and stables.”

 

“Do you like horses, Edward?”

 

“Ted does.”

 

“Do you?”

 

He paused. “Yes. I shouldn’t, they’re just animals. But THEY never broke me of that. They tried. They would punish me when they caught me drawing them on scratch pieces of paper. But they never broke me.”

 

I looked up at Edward. There was something in his face, in his eyes, that told me this house meant more to him than just a hideaway in the mountains. Had he lived here once? Did something bad happen here? “Who are THEY, Edward?”

 

“Van Cleef. Van Cleef and his camp. His school.”

 

I was tired of the mystery, the suspense. I wanted to know who Edward really was. I wanted to know his story, how he had come to be like this.

 

“Tell me about it, Edward. Tell me about Van Cleef. Tell me why there aren’t horses here anymore.” There was no answer. Edward kept looking straight ahead. I set down my coffee and hopped up on the railing, so I could look Edward in the eye. “Tell me about the Undertaker, Edward.”

 

Then Edward looked to me. His ice blue eyes were cold and intense. He moved to stand in front of me, leaning in so my jean clad legs straddled his body. He leaned into me on the railing, our faces not but an inch apart. “If I tell you, Anita, I can never take it back. You’ll know, and you’ll be in danger if any one else ever knows that you know. Do you still want to know how I came to be like this, Anita?”

 

I met his eyes, and answered truthfully. “Yes.”

 

Edward nodded, and looked back out towards the stables. “Then I’ll tell you. Listen carefully, because I don’t want to have to repeat any of this.” I understood. He was going to tell me some things that were painful to think about, much less talk about. But despite of it, I still wanted to know.

 

“I told you about the horses that use to live out there. All of this, used to be a horse ranch. I lived here when I was little, with my mother, and father. My mother was petite, like you. And she was dangerous. Like you. They called her the Angel of Death. She was an assassin, the best money could buy, for a long time. Sometimes on a rare occasion when an assignment was especially dangerous, she worked with her brother, Otto Van Cleef. They both worked for the CIA mostly. Not officially, but they were the first ones called when there was a job to be done. Mom enjoyed her job, and was happy killing. Until she met dad. Then she wanted out.

 

“She and Dad got married, and moved out here. He was a New Mexico native, he grew up on a ranch. It was his dream to have his own horse ranch, so he and mom started up one. She had the money, and he had the know how. In 1968 there was a son born.”

 

Edward stopped to turn those blue eyes to back me. I did the math in my head. “You’re 34 years old.”

 

“Yes, I am.” Wow. Death was telling me all of his secrets. Score.  “We lived in this house, my family and I. We ran this small horse ranch, there were rarely more than 15 horses, sometimes only ten. But we all loved it, it paid the bills. See, Anita? I had a normal life once. We were the happiest little family in New Mexico. We were happy, until Van Cleef got malevolent. He didn’t think it was right for one of the most dangerous women in the world to play Susie homemaker.

 

“He had always been bossy, in control. He demanded that mom leave us, and go back to killing with him. She refused. So he came to the house, with some of his best students. He had just started a school for assassins in the military. They were the first graduated class, the cream of the crop. They tried again to get mom to go back to her dark life, one last chance. She refused, but made a proposal. A draw down between she and Van Cleef. It had been one of his fantasies, for as long as they had been in the business of death. If she won, then she would be left alone. If Van Cleef won…well, you get the picture. I remember the look in her eyes when she put up the idea. She was confident that she could win. That her life would be hers.

 

“Van Cleef accepted. But fearing he would be killed, right before the time for the draw, he signaled one of his men to shoot my mother in the back. Then they shot my father. Both of my parents were killed before my eyes. I was nine years old. I remember looking up at Van Cleef from the dust. I couldn’t get up, they had broken one of my legs. There was nothing I could do, I was helpless, and I hated it. I vowed never to be helpless again, if I survived that day.

 

“Van Cleef almost killed me, but then decided to keep me. To put me in his school, to make me a tool for the government. He tried to break me in all those years. But I rose above it. I became his best student. I became his worst enemy. I went through the early years with zeal and determination, because I knew if I became the best, then this would never happen to my family, to my loved ones. But then slowly they killed me inside. They killed my emotions, they conditioned me into a killing machine. As dead on the inside as my targets. I became the Undertaker in the school. And when I left to live outside the school in the outside world, I became Death. So here I am.”

 

I knew my eyes were wide with astonishment to his story. It was sad. It was terrible. And sadly, it was something that I expected to hear. “So Van Cleef is your uncle?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What is your real name, Edward?”

 

“Edward Forrester, call me Ted.”

 

“But people know you as Theodore Forrester around here.”

 

“Yes, they do.”

 

“So you just legally changed your first name?”

 

“No. I had to set up a new identity for myself. Van Cleef totally erased my existence. My birth certificate, all traces of identity. So that was the name I chose for myself. Van Cleef laughed at that. That I wanted to go back to who I was, when I had become a totally different person. He laughed even more at Ted, the persona I chose to adapt. Do you know why I chose Ted?” I stayed silent, assuming he didn’t really expect me to answer. “Because Ted is who I would have been , had there been no Van Cleef. I didn’t do it consciously, but I’m just now beginning to understand why. I never sweat the why, Anita. But here I am, analyzing things.”

 

“Sounds to me like Van Cleef needs an ass whooping.”

 

“If he ever tries to harm me or mine again, that is what he will get.”

 

“Why haven’t you done it already?”

 

“I don’t know.” Then a cynical smile crossed his lips. “I guess I don’t want to kill him until I absolutely have to. He comes in useful every once in a while. Like getting rid of Riker’s house. That would have been a terrible mess to explain to the police. True?”

 

“True,” I agreed. “How can you stay in this house, Edward?”

 

He shrugged. “Some of the best times of my life were here, Anita. When the biggest thing I had ever killed was a coyote, that was terrorizing the horses. When the worst scar I had was only about a few inches long on my back, I got it from falling off of a surly mount, and landed on a cactus. I love it here, even though…” He left the rest unsaid. And I understood.

 

“What is your worst scar?” I asked, truly curious. He took my hands, placing them at the small of his back, guiding them upwards on the line of a jagged scar. My hands then moved on their own accord, following the scar all the way up his back to his shoulders. It branched off here and there, and there were other smaller scars. Edward closed his eyes as I traced them with my fingertips. “How did it happen.”

 

“Long story short, I got thrown through a window.”

 

“How old were you?”

 

“Fifteen.”

 

“I’m surprised you let someone do that to you.”

 

Edward smiled sardonically, opening his eyes again. “The graduates tend to get pissed when you dislocate their knee.” I mentally cringed. That must have hurt like a bitch. I kissed Edward’s forehead.

 

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that.”

 

He sighed, a tremor running through him. “So am I,” he answered.

 

[][][]:::22::[][][]

 

Almost a minute passed in silence, our eyes locked. “I found out who the MIB are,” Edward said, his eyes never leaving my face.

 

“Who are they?” He smiled that irritating smile. The one that said, ‘I know something you don’t, and I like it.’ “Oh hell no, you are going to tell me.”

 

“I am?” Edward questioned, laughing at me.

 

“I should think so.” I glared at him. Which made his smile widen.

 

He leaned into me, a sensation that made my heart beat faster. “Are you going to make me?” he asked, teasing.

 

“Maybe.”

 

“How?” he whispered.

 

“I have my ways,” I whispered back.

 

“Oh really? I never thought you much of one for torture.”

 

“I dabble here and there.”

 

“You’re going to torture m—” I kissed him gently, running my fingers through his hair. Just as he began to lean into me, I leaned back, out of reach. He made a frustrated sound low in his throat, leaning in even more. I moved my whole body back, trying to hop off the railing backwards, out of reach. But Edward placed his hands on my thighs, fingers slightly digging in. I couldn’t hop backwards off the railing now without hurting myself. In fact I rather doubted Edward would let me do that at all. So instead I pushed forward. Edward let me hop down, because if he didn’t, me pushing on the old porch railing would have probably broken the old wood.

 

I took a step forward, and Edward didn’t budge. I didn’t expect him too. This was still a dominance game. And I didn’t know about him, but I was having fun. I stood up on tiptoe, so our faces were close once again. An inward breath would have drawn his lips to mine. “Tell me,” I demanded in a hushed whisper.

 

“No,” he answered. “Kiss me,” he demanded in the same tone.

 

“No,” I answered. I licked his lip, one quick flick of the tongue. And then I walked into the house. This had turned into another game. Not just a dominance game, but a control game. We were playing now to see who broke first. At this point, I knew we would break. It was just a question of who would break first. There was no going back. Neither of us wanted to go back.

 

Edward followed me into the house. I turned around to face him. He was standing just in front of the door, I was a good ten feet away. I smiled innocently. “Is it just me, or is it hot in here?” I asked in an exaggerated voice, slipping off one of the knife sheaths, tossing it to the wind. I was standing on the line between the living room and the kitchen/dining room. There was no wall, just a definition between wood floor and carpeting. The sheath with knife landed on the carpet a few feet away.

 

Edward smiled his lazy good ol’ boy smile. “You are so right, Anita. It is getting very hot in here.” Both of us were lying flat out about that, the cool of the morning was enough to raise goose bumps on my skin. Edward slipped out of his shoulder holster, setting the gun down on a nearby table. I pulled off the other knife sheath, dropping it beside the other one. Then Edward pulled out the big guns, so to speak. Not fair, I thought I was supposed to be the one torturing you, I thought as he slipped his shirt over his head. “In this sort of heat, I certainly don’t need that,” he said, still in the exaggerated tone of voice. Humor and other emotions in his eyes.

 

Oh God, I thought as I looked at his bare chest. There was a twitching in my fingers to touch him, to slide my hands over every inch of that well toned plane of muscle and skin. He began to walk towards me. Oh no, I am not going to loose. I am not going to be the one to loose control first. “Good point,” I agreed, shrugging off the straps of my shoulder holster. I slipped my shirt off over my head, standing before him in my black lacy under-wire bra. “After all, it’s nothing either of us haven’t seen before. We managed to behave ourselves then.”

 

“Maybe,” Edward said in a more serious tone. “But you didn’t want to touch me like that then.”

 

“You didn’t want to touch me either,” I pointed out, running my fingers over my chest suggestively.

 

“Are you so sure, Anita?” And by the look in his eyes, the tone in his voice, I suddenly wasn’t. “I know that for the longest time this has all been platonic for you, Anita. But do you remember the time you were bitten by the lamia? Right before Richard picked you up for your little date? You stood in front of me in just your jeans and your black bra, and it almost killed me. I had to sit there, and act like the most beautiful woman in the world was NOT standing in front of me without a shirt on. I had to act like I didn’t care, because…because I did.” His voice was almost tortured. And I felt bad. If I had any idea that he felt that way about me then…I would have never done that. I didn’t think it would be teasing at the time. It just didn’t occur to me.

 

“I’m sorry, Edward. I didn’t mean to tease you like that. I didn’t know—”

 

He shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. I didn’t want you to know. There was no way you could have known. And if you had somehow figured it out by some flaw in my acting then, I probably would have been angry.”

 

He said he didn’t want me to know. But he never specified what he didn’t want me to know. He never used the word love. Honestly, I didn’t know if he could say that. If he was capable of saying it at all, even though he could feel it. But I knew, all the same. From the tone of his voice, from his words, I knew. And I loved him too.

 

Edward took another step forward. His hands hovered a quarter of an inch above my skin. I could feel his body heat, pressing against my skin. His hands ran up my waist, without actually ever touching my skin. His eyes never left mine, but I could feel his hands like a heat wave over my skin. They moved up over my breasts, tracing the outline where fabric met skin. I closed my eyes, a soft sigh escaping my lips. I stood on tiptoe, leaning against him. I kissed his lips, gently. His hands moved to my waist, kneading into the skin. “I win,” he whispered with a small smile.

 

“Congratulations,” I whispered back. “You will receive your prize in the mail within 5 to 10 business days,” I said sarcastically.

 

“In the mail? But I have my prize right here,” he pointed out, pulling me against him. His hands slid down to my belt, unbuckling it. “But it needs to be unwrapped,” he said quietly, drawing my belt out of the belt loops. He dropped it to the ground. His thumbs slid inside the top of my jeans, tracing around my waist. He let out a slow breath, closing his eyes. I kissed him, tracing the line of his teeth with my tongue. I took his lower lip into my mouth, gently sucking on it.

 

His hands moved up my body. I gasped as his thumbs brushed against my nipples, even through the fabric of my bra. “Your prize needs to be unwrapped where there is a softer horizontal surface than a hardwood floor,” I said, my voice gone husky as Edward nibbled at my neck.

 

Without another word Edward scooped me up, carrying me to my bedroom. He set me down on the edge of the bed, and kneeled in front of me, one arm on either side. “Are you sure you want this, Anita?”

 

I reached out, tracing my fingers over his collarbone and down his pecs to his abdomen. “I want you, Edward.”

 

He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. I realized he was taking in my scent. “I have wanted to hear that, for so long, Anita. I have wanted you to feel this way, for so long.”

 

I pressed my lips to his forehead. “I’m sorry that I didn’t before, Edward. But I do now. And I’m not going back. I’ve been places I shouldn’t have gone, and I’m not ever going back.”

 

A small smile spread across his lips. “So can we kill the vampire?”

 

I smiled wide at his persistence. “No, Edward.”

 

“Later?”

 

“No.”

 

“Damn it. But I really would like to.”

 

“Me too sometimes. But as of now the answer is no.”

 

“Ah. I’ll ask again later.”

 

“How much later?”

 

He pretended to think. “Oh, in about an hour or so,” he answered, picking me up and moving me to the center of the bed, leaning over me on all fours. “Or maybe in about 30 minutes,” he said between kissing intervals. “If I can catch you at an opportune time, you might finally say yes.”

 

I reached for the belt buckle of his pants. “Maybe.” I unbuckled the belt, and unbuttoned the top button of his pants. “Maybe not.”

 

“We’ll see,” he said, kissing me again.

***

 

We made love the whole rest of the day. He never asked about Jean-Claude again. I fell asleep in his arms, and woke up around 1:00 in the morning. He wasn’t with me, but there was a note on the night stand. It said, “I’ll be back in two days. Be careful.” He didn’t sign a name, but I knew it was from him. And he didn’t leave a rose with the note. He left a new gun. A seacamps .32, the type he had let me borrow the night I killed that lady assassin in the bath room of Danse Macabre. He must have ordered me one. Sometimes Death can be so sweet. I didn’t know where he had gone, but I suspected after the MIB.

 

[][][]:::23:::[][][]

 

 

I woke up again around 9:00. The house seemed empty without the silent shadow of Edward moving about. I wasn’t mad at him for leaving, but I was annoyed. And I wasn’t annoyed at him for leaving me, although that was in there, but I was pturbed that he had left me out of the fun. I walked to the kitchen for breakfast in sweat pants and a t-shirt, wearing my knives but not the guns yet. Now that Edward wasn’t here, I was a little bit more on the edge. Every bump on the side of the house was something out to get me.

 

It finally got to the point where I had to sit down on the couch to calm my nerves. “Shit Anita, there’s no reason for you to be this jumpy,” I scolded myself. But I had this feeling that raised the hairs on the back of my neck, that I didn’t like at all. Suddenly two hands clamped down on my arms, pinning my arms to my sides. I didn’t waste time screaming or squirming or going for a weapon. I knew I couldn’t reach them anyway. I kicked up and behind me, landing a kick in what felt like a shoulder. I had bare feet and no leverage, it didn’t do much but make my aggressor grunt. “No no, Anita. That will not work with me,” said Olaf, heaving me up and over the couch. I screamed, kicking my feet, trying to break free.

 

I knew I was good at struggling, I had done it enough. But it didn’t do any good. When I tried to drop all my weight to the ground, Olaf just held me up, seemingly effortlessly. “You are such a coward, Olaf. You had to wait for Edward to leave before you could try to kill me again.”

 

“I am not a coward. But I am cautious, like you.”

 

“Coward.” I landed a kick in his knee with my heel. Olaf quickly changed his hold, so his one arm was wrapped around my torso, holding my arms dormant. His other arm went around my neck, slowly cutting off my air and my circulation. My vision slowly started to black out, like looking through a tunnel.

 

“Sleep, my sweet. We have a big night ahead of us,” I heard Olaf say in a malicious tone. His voice sounded far away, and I passed out to the sound of his laughter.

 

***

 

Gritty. Hard ground. Sand. Dark. Cool breeze on my face. Couldn’t feel my hands. I opened my eyes, to look up at the night sky, stars dotting the dark velvet blanket. There was a hot orange light off to the right, I could see it out of the corner of my eye. I sat up. My hands were tied, as were my ankles. Olaf sat to the right of me, staring at me across from a fire. He stood up, and I tried to roll away from him, trying to find a big enough rock to smash him with that would do some damage. The knife sheaths were of course, gone. Why are people always taking those away from me? Don’t answer that question.

 

“Don’t roll away too far, Anita, you might have a nasty fall,” Olaf said, laughing. I glanced in the direction I was rolling. I couldn’t see what he was talking about. I sat up again, craning my neck. There was a drop off, and drop off was putting it lightly. The edge dropped, a good thirty feet at least. That was as far as I could see in the night.

 

Olaf stood, looming over me. He smiled, and I was suddenly very very afraid. He then turned his back on me, walking to a table I didn’t notice before. Lined up upon it was a row of knives and other various sharp implements of destruction. There was even one that looked like an oversized corkscrew. This was a fucking kit for fucking torture. But I did not scream. Heap big vampire slayers do not scream. And they do not wait around for anyone to save them. I had to get out of this.

 

[][][][24][][][]

 

“How did you find me, Olaf?” I questioned. I was trying to buy time, and I really was curious.

 

“A tracking device on Edward’s hummer proved most useful,” he answered, his back still turned to me. When I craned my neck more I could see a black box, a faint green glow coming from it. A tracking device. “I would not count on him saving you. He is in Santa Fe.”

 

Olaf turned back to me from his little table. Those black eyes shot a jet of fear through me, more effectively than any vampire’s fangs ever could. He twirled a knife in his hand. He smirked, and threw it at me. It stuck in the ground next to me, buried in the earth. Shit.

 

Then he picked up a large basket from the table, and knelt in front of me. I was trembling with fear. Stop it, Anita. Stop it. I couldn’t though. Olaf was the most fucking scary thing in my life, and especially when I had my hands tied behind my back. “Do you know what fascinates me almost as much as blood, Anita?”

 

I didn’t answer. I didn’t think I was supposed to. But I guess I was, because he cuffed me across the cheek. Then he laughed. “You are so helpless without your little gun, Anita. Now do you have a guess?”

 

I smiled slightly. “Do I know what fascinates you almost as much as blood?” He nodded. “Masturbating,” I answered. I was rewarded with a twisted expression on his face, a cross between surprise and anger. Then he frowned, his two bushy black eyebrows pushing together. He reached into the basket, and threw something at my feet.

 

“I would not move if I were you. They are very poisonous. Or so Ted says. I found him sunning on a rock, not far from your little ranch.” I looked at my feet. There was one of the biggest rattlesnakes I have ever seen. It sensed my small movement, and curled up into a coil, its angry rattle warning me. There wasn’t really much I could do about it but stand still. And it didn’t matter if it bit me anyhow. With the third mark the poison couldn’t hurt me. I would just have a nasty pair of fang marks. But maybe Olaf didn’t know it wouldn’t hurt me. That might get him over here again. Then I could kick him or something. I had no clue, but he needed to be within leg’s reach.

 

I kicked some gravel towards the snake, making the rattle go even faster. It struck out, biting me once on the calf. Then it began to raise up higher. Shit, this snake must have been at least 6 feet long. The next strike might be at my face. I really didn’t want fang marks on my face.

 

Olaf turned back to the snake and I with the sound of the angry rattle. When he realized it was going to bite me again, he picked up a knife, swiftly pinning the snake to the ground by the back of its neck. The knife and pinned snake were incredibly close to my hand. Closer than I wanted to be. The snake’s long body writhed, and then finally stood still. Olaf pulled out his knife. “I see what you were trying to do, Anita. And the snake’s poison will not cheat me out of this. You WILL live until I can have my fun with you.” He didn’t’ know the snake had already bitten me once.

 

Then he went back to his little table. I realized he was sharpening his knives. Shit. I felt something hot and wet on my hand. A tingle of power flared through me. I looked down. The snake’s blood had pooled out to me, flaring my necromancy. Then I felt the rest of the power, in great waves. The ground was swimming with it. Alive with it. Once upon a time, some powerful death magic had been dealt here. Then I remembered the Native Americans that had once inhabited these areas. There might have once been a village here, off to the side of the cliff.

 

I was struck by a sudden idea, the magic coursing through me my inspiration. I reached out to the snake with my power, wrapping it with my power, calling it back to life. “Live,” I whispered. The snake’s knife wound sealed over, the scales once again in place. It really was a beautiful animal. A lovely killer. Like me. “Bite Olaf,” I whispered.

 

It slowly made its way towards the psycho with a knife fetish. Olaf didn’t notice it, until it was too late. The snake struck, high up on his leg, the femoral artery. And once it bit, it didn’t let go. I hadn’t told it to. It kept pumping poison in, with Olaf squirming, pulling at it, trying to get the snake off. A string of German curse words left his lips. Finally he got it off with one big jerk, and tossed it down the canyon. But it was too late. That snake had pumped enough poison in to kill five of Olaf. He leaned on the table, his vision probably swimming, possibly blacking out. “I do not know how you did that, Anita.” He grabbed the nearest knife. “But we will die together. I will not be cheated out of this.”

 

 With the knife in his hand, he lunged towards me, clumsily, falling. He was losing all the feeling in his body, it was probably all the control he had. Rattlesnake poison attacks and dissolves the nervous system. He lunged with the knife, and I had a split second to roll away. Instead, a bullet took him full on in the chest, knocking him backwards and away from me. I never heard the report from the gun. Edward had joined the party. It’s about damn time.

 

Olaf teeter tottered on the edge of the cliff. A breath could have pushed him over. I kicked some gravel at him, and sent him over the edge. He never screamed. But I heard the bones crunch as he hit the bottom.

 

If anyone ever found the body, they would probably find that rattlesnake attached, still biting Olaf. I never revoked the order, it still stood. And the snake was dead, it had all the time in the world to find Olaf again.

 

I cut my bonds on the knife Olaf had so conveniently stuck into the ground next to me. I stood up, then staggered. My feet had gone numb from the circulation being cut off. And from me being so scared. I stumbled over to the little table. The array of various weapons spread across the table top was scary. The thought of them being used on me was scarier. I kicked the table into the ravine with an enraged shout, knives and all. I had started to tremble again.

 

I had no clue where I was. I would wait for Edward to come and get me. Yeah, that sounded good. I sat down in the gravel again, trembling, hugging my knees. I heard the hummer pull up, but didn’t see the headlights. Maybe Edward didn’t use them. He rushed over to me, dropping to his knees, and pulled me into the biggest bear hug I have ever experienced. I wrapped my arms around his neck, glad that he was here now. “I’m sorry, Anita, please believe me.”

 

You better be, I thought. But I loved him, and I didn’t want to make him feel guilty. He had never failed me before. Actually, come to think about it, he didn’t even fail me this time. I was alive. Olaf was dead. That’s all that counts. I hid all my worries, and put it all into a smile. I pulled back to look at Edward.

 

“For what? Saving me?”

 

His eyes went wide with surprise. I surprised Edward! It was possible! “I was almost too late!”

 

“But you weren’t. I’m alive. That’s all that counts,” I assured him, willing him to believe me. He sighed, long and desolate.

 

Kissing me on the forehead, he said, “Ok, if you say so.”

 

I leaned my forehead on his. “That was a good shot,” I complemented.

 

He smiled that irritating little smile that I had grown to love so much. “Thanks,” he said, drawing me to my feet.

 

“Let’s go home, Edward. We don’t have to hide from Olaf anymore.”

 

 “I assume you mean my house?”

 

“Yeah.” He nodded.

 

“Then let’s go get the bags, and get gone.”

 

:::::25::::::::

 

We got our stuff, and drove home in the Hummer. Funny, that I was calling Edward’s house home. And in a way, I suppose it was home. We arrived around 11:00. I went to bed immediately, and fell asleep.

 

///

 

I wandered into the kitchen, up later than Edward, as usual. I sat down to a plate full of bacon and eggs, with milk. Nice. Edward remembered not to put chili peppers in mine. Thank you.

 

“So who the hell are the men in black,” I demanded, as soon as Edward sat down to eat.

 

He smiled that irritating smile, secretive, keeping it to himself. I knew he liked his secrets, but damn it, I had a right to know!

 

“They worked for Xander Riker, Riker’s younger brother, he wanted you dead, because he believed you killed Riker.”

 

“So when are we going to go get him?” I asked, taking a sip of milk. 

 

“I’ve already taken care of it.” He popped a bite of egg into his mouth, smug.

 

I raised an eyebrow. When the hell had he done that? And he left me out of the fun! Not fair. “When?”

 

“Last night. But Ted was with you, if anyone asks.” He smiled at me from across the table. I loved his smile..

 

I shook my head, failing at my meager attempt to hide my smile. “Awww. I didn’t get to play.”

 

“I thought you don’t do murder, Anita.”

 

“It would have been self defense. He was trying to have me killed, remember?”

 

“What ever you say.”  He took a sip of milk, grinning like the Cheshire cat. I took it with a grain of salt. I knew he liked to tease me.

 

We sat in silence. There was a topic on my mind though, that I had to bring up. “Well, Olaf is dead. Riker #2 is taken care of. This is usually the part where I go return to the safer home front.”

 

“Do you want to go home?” he asked. I didn’t. I wanted to stay down here in NM, with Edward. But I had stuff to do in St. Louis. I had to take care of Jean-Claude. I had to tell Richard to find another Lupa. I had to find a suitable leader for the pard. I had to hand in my resignation to the squad. And then, my life could finally be my own once again.

 

I shrugged. “I don’t want to leave you. And I don’t really have a home, per se, in St. Louis, anymore. But I need to tie up loose ends with the triumvirate, and the Pard. And I’ll bet the cops are missing me. Lord knows what cases I’ve missed, being gone this long.”

 

“You’ve been on the squad so long, you’d think that they’d be able to solve a damn case by themselves.” There was a bitter note in his voice, that took me by surprise. 

 

I frowned at him. “You’re mad. What gives, Edward?”

 

He shrugged, and went back to his eggs, pushing them around his plate. I sighed. Only children and grown men pull this shit. I stood from my chair, and walked over to him, kicking the leg of the chair until he was facing me. I straddled his lap, kissing him gently. I loved kissing Edward. Even a small chaste kiss like that.

 

He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me even closer, burying his nose in my hair. He took a deep breath, I knew he was taking in my scent. “I don’t want you to leave,” he murmured.

 

“I don’t want to leave either. But I’ve got stuff to take care of back in St. Louis, before I can come back down here.”

 

He pulled away to look at me, and odd astonished look  on his face. Had I stepped too far? Did he not want me around here? “Did you say come back down here?”

 

I looked away. “I’m sorry, it was assuming. I didn’t mean—”

 

He hushed me, placing a finger over my lips. “I want you to come back, Anita. If we have to live miles and miles away for too much longer, I might go insane.”

 

I smiled. “Well, we can’t have that.”

 

///

 

I stayed for three more days. They were the most wonderful days of my life.

 

I kissed him farewell, before walking through the metal detectors at the airport. He had to tip his cowboy hat up so he wouldn’t clock me with the brim. He looked quite handsome in that well worn white hat. I promised I would be back within a month. I hoped I wasn’t lying. I didn’t know how the boys would react to my permanently packing up and leaving for Santa Fe. But as they say, there’s only one way to find out. And I wasn’t looking forward to it.

 

 

 

 

To be continued, in a sequel…Expecting the Unexpected

 

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