Blood Moon

by Anath Tsurugi

When a mysterious creature begins killing off the local vampires in Spiral City, hunters Washington and Maine are called in to investigate. They have their suspicions about what the creature might be, but when they actually come face to face with it, they will be pitted against daemons the likes of which neither has ever seen before. (Companion piece to Hollow Moon)

(A/N) Mm, yes, because there's never been a story called Blood Moon before, like ever, in the whole history of fic writing.

So yeah, this is a companion piece to my other story 'Hollow Moon'. Not so much a continuation at this point as something that was happening concurrently, just expanding the universe. We'll get to continuations eventually, but for now you certainly don't need to have read the first story to enjoy this one. I've tried to make it as much of a standalone piece as possible. So whether you're in this universe for the long haul or you've just come for this one little piece of it, I surely hope you enjoy.

Warnings: Some gore, brief sexy times, Felix being crass, and a metaphysical assault that is basically rape.

Blood Moon

It's raining.

It seems like it's been raining a lot these last few weeks, but David doesn't really care. He doesn't care about much these days. He just goes on sitting in the rain, only vaguely aware of the swaying motion of the swing he's sitting on.

Kathryn was out here earlier, trying to coax him to come inside without much success. He knows if it keeps raining, his sister will come back out and just drag him in, but for now, he's content to sit in the rain – just feeling the cold droplets run down his back, letting them soothe him.

He'd had another nightmare last night – not just about Epsilon. The others were there, too – Omega, Omicron, Sigma…fire, pain, rage…

Shaking his head, David grips the chains tighter and squeezes his eyes shut, fighting to shake off the memory. He whimpers in misery as his tears mingle with the rain. Nothing's working this time. He can't shake the fear and the pain and the hurt. Not even Kathryn had been able to make it go away this time.

Stop crying, dammit! he scolds himself, even though he knows it won't change anything. You're too old to fucking cry. Stop being a baby!

But he can't help it. The tears go on pouring down his face – because he's weak…because he's helpless…not strong like his sister…because he couldn't stop it from happening…because he deserves to be like this!

So weak, Omega's voice snarls in his head.

David doesn't really know what causes him to look up. He didn't hear anything. Maybe he just…felt something? Whatever it is, when he looks up, he sees another boy standing at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the backdoor.

The boy can't be all that much older than him, but he's nearly two heads taller. His powerful shoulders speak more of a man than a boy, but David can tell he's still a boy. There's just something about the look in his amber eyes.

Who is he? Did he come from the house? It occurs to David he should be more worried about a person just appearing out of nowhere, but something about this boy is strangely calming, despite his threatening appearance. The amber eyes are hard and discerning, and his black hair is kept cut short. His black shirt shows off his defined muscles really well, and David imagines the pants he's wearing were white at some point, but they're now streaked with dirt and dried blood. Last of all, David's eyes alight on the fresh bandages wrapped around his neck. He can see the faint traces of a healing spell clinging to those bandages – Donald's handiwork, then. The boy probably shouldn't be getting them wet, and yet here he is, standing out in the rain with him.

More than wanting to know who he is, David wants to know what it is this boy sees when he looks at him. David sees a boy who's strong, probably fearless – someone who wouldn't wake screaming from nightmares. What do those amber eyes see when they look at him? A frightened child? A pathetic little boy? Even though he could look into his mind to see the answer, he doesn't really want to. He doesn't want to see what this boy thinks of him.

But then something in his hard expression shifts, and David thinks he sees concern there. As he begins to move toward him across the wet grass, David looks away from him. He certainly doesn't want this boy's pity.

When the boy reaches him, he just stops, standing in front of him. David still doesn't look at him. He doesn't know exactly how long they stay like that, but it feels like a long time. He has no idea if the boy's not talking on purpose, but if he's waiting for him to say something, they could be here for a while. David hasn't said anything in three years.

It's only when David finally looks up at the boy to offer him a belligerent glare that he realizes he isn't trying to do anything. The pristine white bandages around his throat are beginning to spot with blood. If his injury is still that bad, even after Donald had treated it, he must have been grievously wounded. This boy can't speak.

"Are you all right?" he's asking, almost before he realizes he's doing it. The voice that comes out is strange to him, and it feels awkward and foreign passing through his throat. He hasn't heard his own voice since that night three years ago and it's changed since then. It doesn't quite feel like his voice anymore.

The boy looks down at him, eyebrows quirking upward in a way that very much asks 'Do I look all right?' But there's still a slight smile on his face as he takes one of David's hands in his and begins to spell out letters on his palm.

D. A. V. I. D.

Then he points to him.

Your name is David.

Nodding, David quietly asks, "What's your name?"

M. A. T. T. H. I. A. S. The boy, Matthias, spells out for him. Gripping his hand a little tighter, Matthias tugs on his arm, nodding his head back toward the house. Slowly, David allows him to pull him to his feet.

"Okay," he says quietly. "Okay."

Matthias smiles at him one more time before leading him back into the house.

Wash woke from the dream with a smile of his own on his face. He loved dreaming about Maine. It had been a few years since he'd openly gone by Matthias, more still since that day they'd met, standing in the rain, but Maine would always be his Matt. Figuring it would be a good moment to reaffirm that, Wash rolled over in bed and cuddled up closer against Maine's chest, feeling the slight rumble of his breathing as he pressed a kiss to his forehead.

He felt Maine wake the moment his lips touched his skin. He purred contentedly as he wrapped his arms around Wash, nuzzling the top of his head when he pulled back.

Come back here. No way that's your idea of a good morning kiss, Maine's sleep-tinged voice came to him through their psychic link. Wash smiled at him through the dim morning light peaking through their bedroom curtains, leaning in to press a long, lingering kiss to his lover's lips. When they finally separated, they remained with their foreheads pressed together, just enjoying the calm of the morning.

"Sorry to wake you. I was just having a good dream," he said, running a hand over Maine's perfectly shaved head. "A very good dream."

What about?

"About the day we met," he said, hand trailing down to trace lovingly over the thick scars that adorned Maine's neck. "Remember?"

Couldn't forget, Maine responded, amber eyes gazing into Wash's as he reached up to catch the young witch's hand in his. Then he pressed slow, deliberate kisses to each of Wash's fingertips, quietly worshipping them. An angel in the rain.

Wash blushed lightly at the words, feeling a small flutter in his chest at the wave of love Maine sent to him through their bond. Most people who knew Maine probably wouldn't be able to believe the poetry of some of his thoughts and in many ways, he was glad it was their little secret – a hidden rose in a garden of thorns. Beneath Maine's adoration, he could also feel a thrum of desire, that need harmonizing with his own with every press of the hunter's lips against his skin.

Moaning quietly beneath Maine's attentions, Wash felt a small flare of magic shiver beneath his skin, swelling with every tremulous kiss.

I want to make love to you, Maine's heady thoughts came easily to him as the larger man began to trail his heated kisses up the young witch's arm.

"Seriously? Right now?" Wash groaned needily, just barely managing to ask the question aloud instead of communicating directly through the bond. "We'll catch hell from Carolina if I don't raise a barrier this time."

Doesn't have to be anything major. We won't raise that much power. Just…hmm…a little…Maine's thoughts began to grow just as hazy as Wash's as his kisses drifted up his arm, along his shoulder, and to his neck, taking a long moment to just suck on the pulse point there. Wash cried out softly, feeling his magic swell and break beneath Maine's kiss. He could feel his body reacting to the hunter just as much as his power was.

"Gods…fuck…yeah," he groaned quietly. "Do it. Make love to me, Matt."

As you wish, David, his lover returned eagerly, flipping them slightly so that Wash lay beneath him on their bed, already panting with need as Maine pinned his wrists above his head with one hand. The other he slipped between Wash's legs to fondle his already hard cock.

Wash moaned loudly at the touch, unable to help bucking up against Maine. With how worked up the hunter had already gotten him, he knew he wasn't going to last long, so he was going to enjoy this.

Giving a pleased purr, Maine quickly straddled him, his own erection brushing against Wash's as he got himself into position. Finally releasing the witch's wrists, Maine positioned his hands on either side of his head, leaning down to kiss him as he began to thrust between his legs.

Wash cried out at the feel of Maine's body moving against his. As the heat in his belly began to boil, he could feel his magic singing in his veins, called to the surface by his partner's every move – by his love. Wrapping his arms around Maine's shoulders, he moved his hips up to meet the hunter's, loving the sweet burn of the larger man's sex against his thighs.

"Maine…Matt…gah…huh…" Wash panted, clinging all the tighter to his lover. He couldn't really pick out individual thoughts from Maine anymore – just an overwhelming tide of everything that was roiling just beneath the surface, everything that was Maine, and everything they were together. So close…so close…

Suddenly Maine brought him to climax and the young witch actually screamed, throwing his head back as the wordless sound of pleasure and satisfaction was torn from his throat. Feeling the hunter groan as he came between his legs, Wash also felt his own power spill out from his skin, inundating the room with the scent of their lovemaking and the gray glow of his magic. In his blissed out state, Wash couldn't even manage to raise a rudimentary shield to contain that power, and he knew everyone else would be getting a taste of it, but he just couldn't bring himself to care in that moment. All he could care about was the man lying on top of him, tangled together just as much mentally as they were physically.

For a long while after, they just lay like that, breathing each other in, reveling in the aftershocks of their shared orgasm. Wash was the one to finally break the spell of the post coital haze when he happened to look out at the rest of their bedroom.

"Shit," he muttered, starting to disentangle himself from his partner. "Not again. Carolina's gonna kill me."

What is it? Maine started to ask, but the question was immediately answered when he followed Wash's gaze. The magic they'd raised had caused actual roses to sprout up from their bedroom floor, spreading like a carpet of green, red, white, and pink all around the space. Maine gave a small chuffing sound that Wash recognized as laughter.

Well, I don't mind it if you don't.

"I don't. Not in here, but it could definitely be a problem if the roses follow me."

And unfortunately, he wasn't wrong about that. By the time they'd gotten dressed and were heading down to the kitchen, they could see that the roses were still blossoming from every place Wash stepped, leaving a trail from their room through the mansion and ultimately down to the kitchen.

Not everyone was awake yet, as there were only three members of the team in the large kitchen. Doyle was at the stove preparing breakfast and Carolina and Locus were sitting at the table. Carolina was working through a plate of sausage and eggs whilst flipping casually through one of their father's old spell books and Locus was sipping his customary cup of tea while reading the newspaper. When Maine and Wash appeared in the doorway, both of them took the time to look up from their reading to glare at the pair. The only difference was that Carolina's look held more of a teasing reprimand, while Locus' was more frustrated annoyance.

"Is it really so impossible for the two of you to keep it in your pants?" the other hunter demanded in a growl, his glare made all the fiercer by the x-shaped scar that dominated the center of his face. His eyes were so narrowed, it was almost difficult to see their actual gray color instead of just black.

Maine rolled his eyes, flipping the shorter hunter off as he and Wash made their way to the table. Instead of spreading the rose carpet further, Wash sat down and let Maine go to Doyle to get their breakfast.

"I'm going to answer that with a yes. Sometimes it is impossible," Wash said. "But…we didn't really mean for it to go that far. It just sorta happened."

"Wash, I don't know why you think it can ever be anything but 'that far' when you and Maine fuck," Carolina said. "Honestly, I don't think the two of you have ever not raised power. Hell, you raised power the first time he kissed you. Forget sex. Why is it so hard to be courteous and draw up a quick barrier before things get heavy? The rest of us have to deal with it when you don't."

"Sorry," Wash said, blushing mildly as he glanced down at his hands.

"What is it?" his twin pressed as she closed the spell book. "Do you like the whole mansion knowing when the two of you are getting it on? Is it some kind of exhibitionist thing? Cuz that always seemed more like Felix than the two of you."

"No," Wash insisted as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's nothing like that. I guess I just…don't think. I get caught up in the moment."

"It would certainly serve you better to think in the future," Doyle scolded from his place at the stove, not looking back as he readied plates for the two hunters and the witch. "I truly fear the pair of you may just bring down the mansion one of these days."

Maine gave a soft growl as he took two of the plates from the older witch, carrying them back to the table. He set one down in front of Wash before sitting down next to him, digging ravenously into the large serving of sausage on his own plate. Doyle loaded a serving of eggs hot off his skillet onto the third plate before carrying it over to Locus, though he nearly dropped the plate in the annoyed hunter's lap when he saw the trail of roses leading into the kitchen.

"Really, David? Again? How bad is it?" he demanded, barely noticing Locus grumbling under his breath as the hunter settled his saved breakfast on the table.

"Don't worry. I'll clean it up…y'know, just as soon as it stops," Wash said with a sigh, starting to push his eggs around his plate while waiting for them to cool off.

"I don't believe that was the answer to the question I asked," Doyle tutted, crossing his arms as he stared down at his ward.

"Our room's pretty much covered. It's mostly contained there, but there is a bit of a trail from here to there."

"David, David, David," Doyle scolded, shaking his head as he moved toward the brick oven that dominated the far wall of the kitchen, opening the large iron door to check on something sweet-smelling inside. "A little control would suit you very well, my boy."

"Hey, my control's fine. I'm getting better every day. Maine's the one you wanna talk to, can't keep his hands off me," Wash said, smirking sideways at his lover. Maine didn't look back at him, but a matching smirk turned up the corners of his mouth as he rested his leg very deliberately against Wash's beneath the table.

"The fuck is with this shit?" Felix asked as he strode into the kitchen, still in the process of pulling on a black muscle shirt. "I thought we were hunters, not gardeners."

"Good morning, Felix," Carolina said before finishing up her last mouthful of sausage. "I think you know perfectly well what 'the fuck is with this shit.' You just want to hear someone say it out loud."

"Mm, might be true," Felix said, grinning like the cat that ate the canary as his gaze shifted to Maine and Wash. "So tell me, Wash, did you guys break the bed this time? Did he fuck you until you didn't know up from down?"

"Felix-" Wash started.

"Come on, man. Are you gonna leave a guy hangin'? I haven't had sex in weeks. Tell me how hard the big guy fucked you. Tell me every dirty, disgusting detail," Felix needled as he sat down next to Locus, staring across the table at Wash and Maine.

"Would it kill you to shut up, Felix?" Locus half snarled, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"It might. I dunno. I've never tried it before," Felix said, expression still smug as he looked at the two lovers. "Don't listen to the rest of these assholes. I love it when you two raise power. These sick fucks just don't wanna admit it turns them on when you do. Y'know, specially your sister and one of the guys who raised you," the hunter snarked, gaze shooting between Doyle and Carolina. "Me, I get off on it. Totally jacked off before coming down here."

Locus sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. "Yes, Felix. Because we all desperately wanted to know what you were doing with your dick before coming to breakfast."

"Oh, you did. I know you did. You were probably down here before they even got started. Bet you're hard as a fucking rock under there," Felix ribbed, patting his partner's shoulder in a strangely comforting fashion. "Don't mind the ladybug here. He just hasn't gotten laid in about seven years. So totally blue balls him every time you guys don't use protection."

"Some day, Choi. Someday you're not going to keep your mouth shut and I'm not going to be nice about it anymore," Locus groaned as he sat up, doing his best to ignore Felix as he finished his breakfast.

"Looking forward to it, babe," Felix said as he kicked his feet up on the table, slouching back in his chair. "Gotta say, though, I'm not the only one who enjoys it. I passed by York and North's room on the way down. They were still going at it hot and heavy. Probably have you boys to thank for that. Hope you weren't planning on doing any training today, Carolina."

"Y'know, I wish I could say the way you talk about my brother's sex life bothered me, but honestly, nothing about you shocks me anymore. Not your language, not your ink, not your piercings, not the half-shaved head. Really, nothing. You're just Felix," Carolina said with a wry smirk.

"And being Felix is fucking awesome," the hunter said, crossing his arms over his chest in a self-satisfied sort of way. "Sure you're not worried? I've corrupted many innocent men and women with my wiles."

Carolina chuckled. "Not worried in the slightest. After all, Wash doesn't need me to defend his honor."

"What do you-oh, fuck!" Felix cried out when several vines suddenly wrapped around his body, dragging him to the floor. Wash had drawn the vines up from his little rose garden, controlling them to imprison the foul-mouthed hunter and drag him over to their side of the table.

"Call it a warning, Felix," Wash said casually as he picked up his plate and began to eat his eggs. "I get that you being horny as all hell is an unfortunate side effect of me making a bad call, but the next time you feel like implying I'm anything but committed to Maine, I'll just let him kill you."

Maine backed the sentiment with a mild kick to the other hunter's side, growling warningly as he finished up his own meal. Then he flicked a look in Wash's direction.

I'll take that as permission freely given for next time, because he will do it again. Gotta say, though, you are sexy as all get out when you take charge like that. Almost makes me want to bend you over this table and take you in front of everyone, Maine thought to him, purring as he slipped a hand between Wash's legs, fingers briefly tracing over his inner thigh. Wash shuddered in pleasure at the motion, smiling, though a small blush did paint his cheeks. When Felix saw all this, his groan somehow seemed to encapsulate both arousal and disgust.

"Fucking gods, he's talking dirty to you, isn't he. Either let me in on that or let me up."

"Mm, no. Don't think so," Wash said, shaking his head. "Any objections, Locus?"

"None in particular. In fact, I rather wish we had time for you to give him the punishment he deserves, but we do have a job. Felix will need to eat before we leave," Locus said, a small smirk of satisfaction curling up the corners of his mouth.

"Aw, c'mon, Locus. You're not even gonna help me?" Felix whined. "Just gonna let me fucking twist?"

"That's the idea, partner mine," Locus said, getting up from the table to make himself another cup of tea.

"Fucking prick!" Felix snarled, not daring to fight against the hold of the vines on his body for fear of the thorns they were studded with.

"What's the job?" Wash asked, continuing with his meal.

"Something about a nest of ghouls over in Valhalla. We've been requested to check it out."

"Three bits silver for every one we axe," Felix announced proudly from his place on the floor.

"Now children, I'll not have this petty fighting at the table," Doyle said as he finished putting a plate together for Felix, passing it to Locus, who carried it back to the table with him along with his tea. When Locus had set the plate down, Wash finally released Felix from the vines. The hunter pulled himself to his feet and brushed himself off before sitting down to his breakfast.

"Those damn well better be blueberry muffins I'm smelling, old man," Felix called to the old witch as he tore into his sausages, looking for all the world like he hadn't just been beaten up by a rosebush.

"That is, in fact, what they are. Chew your food like a proper human being and maybe you'll have some when you've finished eating," Doyle advised him as he pulled the tray of freshly baked muffins from the oven.

"Let him eat like an animal. Maybe he'll choke to death and save us all the trouble of killing him," Carolina said as she got up from the table and went to her guardian, coating her fingers with a simple freezing spell before picking up one of the hot muffins. She tossed the pastry from hand to hand briefly before taking a bite of it.

Felix snarled at them as he plowed through his meal, a nasty grin on his face all the while. "Love you bitches, too," he said through a full mouth.

Doyle shook his head. "Honestly, Locus, I don't understand how you put up with it."

Locus shrugged, sipping sedately at his tea. "Except in certain…extenuating circumstances…one just learns not to listen."

"Oh?" Felix started in interest, looking up as he downed his last bite of egg. "So you won't hear me if I tell you you look really fucking hot just sipping your leaf juice like some kind of Zen master and that I'd totally blow you right now? Didn't hear that? Good to know."

That Locus did seem to hear, as his eyes widened briefly and a mild blush stained his tan cheeks beneath the scars, but Felix didn't stick around long enough to see this reaction. He was already moving toward the counter to snatch some of the muffins.

"Fuck, Doyle, when are you gonna get a proper gas oven in this kitchen?" Felix asked, eyeing the old witch's precious brick oven as he lifted three muffins from the batch. "It's not like Kimball can't afford the upgrade. Meals would definitely go a lot faster. Why do you keep living in the Stone Age down here?"

"Felix, when you're in charge of cooking and potion mixing in this household, then you can decide what should or should not be in this kitchen. Until such time, it is my domain. Eat your meal and go your way in peace, young rapscallion," Doyle said with a small huff.

Upon hearing the last word, Felix burst out laughing. "Did I just hear that? Did you seriously call me a fucking rapscallion just now? Better be careful, old man. Your Shakespeare is showing," the young hunter teased, tossing Locus one of the muffins before taking a bite of one of his.

Locus caught the muffin easily, finishing up his tea before standing from the table and gathering up his and Felix's dishes, carrying them to the sink. "Come on, Felix. We need to get going."

"Sure. See you losers in a few days," Felix called out as he followed his partner out of the kitchen. Not five minutes after they'd gone, Vanessa Kimball entered, looking both solemn and slightly annoyed. As she worked her way through the roses, her ire focused itself on Wash.

"Still can't erect a barrier, I see, David."

I don't think erect's our problem, Maine joked with a silent chuckle.

Fuck you, sweetheart, Wash snapped back.

Please do.

"Sorry…Vanessa," Wash said to his and Carolina's other guardian, drawing out of his link to Maine.

"I hope you exercise a little more restraint in the near future. I may have a Spirit case for you."

Wash, Maine, and Carolina all straightened at this, realizing exactly what she meant. Wash immediately felt a chill travel down his spine.

"Vanessa…are you sure?" Carolina asked, taking a step toward her.

"We'll discuss it later. I want to see both of you in my office with your partners in the next hour…after the flowers have stopped blooming and you've had a chance to clean them all up. And you'll have to get York out of bed and on his feet, no matter what it takes," she said to Carolina before turning to make her way back out of the kitchen. "I'll see you all then."

"Vanessa, you haven't had anything to eat yet," Doyle scolded mildly as he quickly prepared a plate for her.

Kimball sighed, not looking back at them, but also coming to a stop at the threshold. "Haven't exactly got time to sit and eat today, Donald."

"I know. I understand. But you at least ought to take a plate for the road. I won't have you working yourself to death on my watch," he said.

While Doyle carried the plate of food to Kimball, Maine turned to look at Wash, worry very plain in his gaze as he looked his lover over.

Are you all right?

I…I'm…I don't know, Wash answered honestly as he looked away from Maine, images of fire and blood dancing hauntingly behind his eyes. As his breath began to hitch and his shoulders shook, he felt Maine slip his much larger hand into his, soothingly running a thumb along the back of his hand.

Don't be afraid. Nothing will happen. If it really is a Spirit…we'll fight it together. I will let no harm come to you.

Wash couldn't really respond to this. All he could manage to do was grip Maine's hand tighter, clinging to the calming comfort his lover exuded. It had been eleven years since his last encounter with a Spirit, and that encounter had left him broken and voiceless for three years. Was he ready to face another Spirit? Was he even strong enough to defeat one?

Unfortunately, there was only one way to find out.

XxX

Exactly one hour and five minutes later, Wash, Maine, Carolina, and York were sitting across from Kimball in what passed for her office. Kimball, the witch twins, and the hunter all looked solemn. York looked slightly more at ease than everyone else, but Carolina knew the kitsune a little too well to think he was actually making light of the situation. She'd explained to him what was happening. Slouching in his chair with a casual expression was simply how the fox spirit dealt with the world.

"So," York was the one to finally break the strained silence, "just what are we looking at here?"

"The vampire clan that lives in Spiral City has contacted us. Some sort of…creature…has been hunting and killing them. They would like for us to send a witch to aid them," Kimball explained.

"Again, so? Why should we care if something's killing vamps? They're all just an inch from going blood crazy anyway," York pointed out.

"That isn't fair and you know it. The vampires of Spiral City have kept the peace since the wars ended. They feed only from volunteers. Balance is maintained, but recently something's been killing them off."

"But…if it isn't a witch or a hunter…what creature is strong enough to kill a vampire?" Wash asked, fearing the answer, but feeling he already knew where Kimball was heading.

"That's why I suspect a Spirit. Only one vampire has survived an attack by this creature to give a report on what it is we're after. She claims it wasn't another vampire. It was just a man…a man in a black cloak whose eyes burned with an unearthly fire."

Wash inhaled sharply at the description. Briefly, the memory of fiery talons digging into his soul flared to life in his mind.

"Sigma," he exhaled, gaze fixing on a random point on Kimball's desk to avoid showing frightened eyes to his family.

"That is my fear. If it is Sigma…he cannot be allowed to go free. He is a very dangerous enemy. Kathryn, David…I need one of you to go and capture him."

"I'll do it," Carolina started immediately, but before either she or Kimball could say anything more, Wash interrupted.

"No. I will."

Wash felt more than saw every eye in the room lock onto him. He didn't look at any of them, just continued to stare at the spot on the desk.

David? Maine prodded uncertainly.

"Wash, are you sure you can handle this?" his sister asked him. "I don't mind taking this one on. Last time-"

"That's nice of you, Kat, but I think we both know it has to be me. You said it yourself. Last time. I'm the only one who's ever faced Sigma," Wash said, doing his best to block out the memory of that last time. "I know how strong he is. Besides…without the need for a familiar spirit, Sigma's less likely to be able to gain power over me."

"But he-"

"No, Carolina. I need to do this," he said, finally looking up at his twin. "I can't…let them win again," he struggled to explain, hands clutching at his knees to prevent them from shaking.

Carolina leaned over in her chair, reaching a hand across to rest it on top of one of his. "You don't have to prove yourself to us. You did that a hundred times over during the wars. If you don't think you can handle this-"

"It isn't…you guys…I need to prove myself to," Wash said, shifting his hand in order to grip Carolina's. "I need to do this for me."

"All right," Carolina said after several moments of pained silence. "I'll let you have this one, but if you guys need any help, you damn well better call us."

"Don't worry," Wash said, gripping Maine's hand when he felt the larger man slip it into his free hand. "We've got this. Sigma won't get the better of me this time. Even if he does, Maine'll be right there beside me."

I will, Maine promised as he looked directly into Carolina's eyes, even though Wash was the only one who could hear his vow. I will die before I let Sigma harm him.

XxX

It took little more than a half hour for Wash and Maine to get ready for the job – Maine to prepare his weaponry and Wash to prepare a spell kit. When they were both ready, they headed to the mansion's back courtyard, Maine in his white cloak and Wash in his black, gold-trimmed cloak.

"Ready for this?" Wash asked as he took Maine's hands.

I'm ready. Just watch your landing this time, Maine warned him, eyebrows quirking upward as he smirked at him. Last time I about lost my lunch.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Wash teased as he began to thread magic through their link and through their hands, binding them tightly together. "I barely left your internal organs behind."

Wash, you are so damn lucky I adore you, the hunter responded with a roll of his eyes, but then their eyes locked together, blue to amber, and all in an instant, they phase shifted – becoming light, traveling to their destination in no more than a heartbeat.

When they resolved into two separate beings once more, the first thing Wash became aware of was looking into those amber eyes again. Then he realized he hadn't yet started breathing again, so he had to remind himself to draw in air as he collapsed against Maine, suddenly exhausted from the teleportation spell.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Maine started as he caught him in his arms. Are you all right?

"'m fine," Wash mumbled stupidly. "Guess I just…didn't get as much sleep last night as I thought."

Bullshit. This shouldn't have tired you. If you've already worried yourself to exhaustion, I think we need to call-

"No. I'm fine," Wash insisted firmly as he disentangled himself from his lover. "I just need a moment."

"May I assume the two of you are Maine and Washington?" a new voice suddenly entered the conversation.

"That's right, and I suppose I'm to assume this is the Café Blutwein?" Wash asked, looking toward their contact.

They'd landed in some sort of indoor courtyard. The central area was dominated by a large marble fountain and the courtyard was ringed by a partly covered space where several collections of tables and chairs were set up. They'd ended up in the back corner of the courtyard while their contact had entered from the front. It was a young woman and she looked…pretty much how one would expect a vampire to look. Her skin was an unnatural pale color and sharp green eyes surveyed them from a particularly angular face. Her hair was a deep red color and it was pinned atop her head, spilling down her back in long, flowing curls. She was clothed in a black silk dress that was accented by a low cut crimson bodice. If she was one of the café's hostesses, Wash imagined it was very much intended for her to look delectable for the passersby.

"It is," she answered, features schooling into what Wash supposed was meant to be an enticing expression. "Never been inside?"

"Seen it from the outside. Never much felt the need to see the inside before," Wash answered, already not much caring for the vampire. "I'm Washington. This is Maine," he introduced.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Elsie McKenna. I'm one of the evening hostesses here at the café."

"So this is where the last attack occurred?" Wash asked her.

"Yes. It was the end of my shift, nearing five in the morning. There were only three patrons in at the time…regulars who like to be in early for the coffee drinkers. They were out front," she explained as she moved toward them around the edge of the courtyard, nodding her head back toward the door she'd come through. "The rest of the staff was back in the kitchen. I was heading through here when…it came from above."

"And you don't know what it was?" Wash pressed as his gaze drifted around the courtyard.

"To make a jump like that, it certainly wasn't anything human. My first inclination was to alert someone, but it…he…came to me…put a hand over my mouth…started saying things," she said, a slightly unnerved look moving across her face as her gaze shifted away from him.

"What things?" Wash asked, focusing his attention back on the vampire.

"Things like…what marvelous creatures vampires are…how we survive by partaking in the life of another…how beautiful he thought my power was," she answered, shuddering at the memory.

Yes. That did sound like something Sigma would say. "What did he do to you?"

"I…I'm not really sure. He didn't bite me…didn't physically take anything from me. It just…when he kissed me…it felt like he was draining something from me…and I couldn't stop it. If Miller hadn't come in then, I'm pretty sure it would have just drained me dry. That…that's how all the others have been found…dead for no reason, just drained of their life force," she said, her gaze becoming unfocused for a moment before she managed to shake herself off. "So what do you think it is?"

"Too early to say," Wash said, shooting a look to Maine and nodding. "Think you could scope out the perimeter while I check around in here?"

Maine nodded, lowering his knapsack to the flagstone floor of the courtyard before heading out. Wash began to walk around the courtyard, silently sending out tendrils of magic to search for any sign of spell craft.

"So Maine's your familiar spirit then?" Elsie asked as she followed him around the courtyard.

Wash shook his head. "No. Maine's not a spirit. He's a hunter…human."

"Then where is your spirit partner?"

"I don't have one," Wash answered absently, searching for any signs of the Spirit's presence. "I don't need one."

"But…you are a witch, aren't you?"

"I am."

"Then how do you fight? How can you focus your energy without a familiar spirit?" she pressed.

"I said I don't need one. That should be enough for you," he snapped back at her, then felt a spike of anger shoot up his spine when he heard her actually inhale his scent. He gave a very Maine-like growl when she released a shuddering breath.

"Sure you're not in the market for one? I'd love to help you out with that. Really, I can barely smell the human blood for the scent of magic you've got flowing in those veins. I'd say it's been a good long while since that cherry was plucked."

"That's because it never has been," Wash growled as he came to a sudden stop, feeling Elsie stop just short of crashing into him. "No spirit has ever fed from me and none ever will," he said firmly, even though it wasn't entirely true.

"Well, no wonder you smell so enticing, Washington. You're a gushing stream of power…but still pure…untasted," the vampire hissed in his ear before circling around to look him in the eye. "I'm amazed you don't have spirits throwing themselves at you."

"What you're doing now doesn't qualify as throwing yourself at me?" Wash asked with an annoyed glare.

"Come on. Just one little taste, Washington," she pleaded with him, fingers ghosting searchingly along his chest. "Where's your hollow point?"

"Nowhere you're ever going to touch," he said, glowering at her as he wrapped his hands around her wrists and forcefully shoved her away from him. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear before, but when I said that no one is ever going to feed from me, I meant it. Back off."

For a moment, Elsie just stood at arm's length from him, eyes glazed and lips slightly parted, but then she shook herself and finally seemed to regain at least a little bit of her sense.

"Of course. My apologies. That was unprofessional and rude. I normally have much better control of myself. It really is a shame all that power's going to waste, though."

"It isn't," Wash said, picking up where he'd left off in his search. "I told you, I don't need a partner to focus my energies. I can do it alone."

"But…that's impossible," she said, not following after him this time, probably for fear of becoming enthralled again. "Only one witch has ever been able to channel power like that without the help of a familiar spirit. Leonard Church…the witch who began the Daemon Wars."

Wash chuckled bitterly at this. "That was true…but that knowledge had to go somewhere the night the old bastard died, didn't it."

After a moment of hesitant silence, Wash heard Elsie ask him, "You're not saying-"

"I'm not saying anything," Wash told her pointedly. "You can take from it whatever you want."

"Your name's not Church…is it?" she couldn't seem to help pressing.

"Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. The only name you need from me is Washington. It certainly won't affect whether or not we take care of your problem for you," Wash said, finally determining that, if Sigma had been here, he'd left no trace.

Nothing to report out here, Wash, Maine was suddenly calling out to him. Anything on your end?

Nothing, he returned. I'll be out in a moment. It's probably best to start setting up snares, maybe figure a way of slowing him down.

What about drawing him in?

We won't need to worry about that, Wash explained to his partner as he started to head out of the courtyard. If Sigma really is here…he'll come to me. I'm the thing that will draw him out.

David- Maine started, tone worried.

Why do you think I volunteered for this? Sigma said they would come back for me. If that's enough to draw him out into the open, it's worth the risk.

Not to me, it isn't. You never told me he threatened you.

Well, I'm telling you now, Wash thought to his lover as he emerged from the café, offering the man a grin when he saw him standing at the end of the block where the property came to a stop. "Don't worry about it. You and me…we can handle anything. We're gonna take this son of a bitch down."

Maine stared intently at him for several minutes before shaking his head. Fine. If you say so. But you and me are taking a long vacation when this is over.

"Deal," Wash said with a small laugh as he pounded his partner on the shoulder. "Now let's get to work."

XxX

For a whole week, Wash and Maine staked out the café without any sign of activity from their mystery target. They were permitted to stay in a small guest room above the café during the duration of their work, but unfortunately, the easiest way to observe while remaining unobserved was to intermingle with the café's patrons.

The purpose of places like Café Blutwein was to satisfy two different kinds of customers: the vampires who had a taste for certain flavors in their blood, and humans who preferred a more direct, intimate setting than simply giving blood at a hospital could provide. Or, to put it bluntly, people who had a thing for letting a vamp sink straight into their neck. Human patrons would come to the café to eat whatever meal they happened to be in the mood for, then be paired with a vampire who had a similar order. It was easy enough for Wash to mingle with the customers in the front room while Maine kept an eye on things back in the courtyard area, but that was the end of Wash's ability to blend in.

This was the only issue Maine had with the whole situation. All week, both vamps and non-vamps had been approaching the young witch, brazenly asking for a taste of him. Vampires didn't even seem to care about blood. They just wanted whatever he was willing to share of the apparently delicious energy he was involuntarily bleeding into the air. Most spirit creatures couldn't seem to help it. Wash just smelled so good to them. It had always been like that, ever since Maine had known him. Even York, the Dakotas, and Florida sometimes got a little enthralled around him.

Maine knew it wasn't rational for him to get jealous. It wasn't so much that he was afraid of losing Wash, it was more that he was jealous of these beings who didn't even know the powerful young witch being able to share in this part of his lover that he, as a human, had no access to. Normally, he didn't let it affect his work, but after a whole week of having to endure vampires, fairies, werewolves, goblins, elves, and just all manner of spirit creatures trying to come onto his David, well – his patience was starting to wear just a little thin.

After seeing Wash send away yet another kelpie, Maine made his way forward to the little table he was occupying next to one of the main windows. Wash grinned at him over the rim of his mug as he sat down across from him.

Don't suppose I should bother asking if anything's changed, he put in, raising an eyebrow at Wash.

"Nothing, except another broken-hearted spirit."

Drinking anything interesting? Maine asked, nodding at the pot at the center of the table, to which Wash grinned before taking another sip.

"Just some drinking chocolate."

Maine smirked at the witch, shaking his head. And you didn't invite me? You're horrible.

"Mm, I am, I am," Wash agreed, catching Elsie's eye to let her know he needed another mug. "But if there'd been another cup sitting here, people would've taken it as even more of an invitation than they seem to take my scent. So which is worse? A slight delay in sharing a cup of chocolate or having to deal with even more of the denizens of the spirit world treating me like a buffet? You're call, sweetheart," he said teasingly once the new mug had been set down. As he poured some of the thick, bittersweet beverage for Maine, the hunter leaned across the table and pecked the corner of his mouth.

Well, I think you already know I'd like to bash each one of them upside the head, so I guess that answers that question, he answered, sighing as he lifted the warm mug in both hands. I wasn't joking about taking a vacation, though. You need to relax and I need to not want to kill something every five minutes.

Wash laughed at this, but there was also something else in his eyes as he looked at Maine. "Does it really bother you that much?"

Sometimes, he responded after a time, looking down at the mug he held. I don't know. Guess I just wish I could perceive what it is all these spirits go crazy for.

"I wish you could, too. I'd love to share power with you…like that. I don't think I'd mind…if it was you feeding from my hollow point," he said, fingers unconsciously reaching up to trace along the pulse point in the left side of his neck – his hollow point, the place that did not bleed. It was the place on his body where his human form and his witch power joined, the conduit of direct magic that a familiar spirit would normally feed from in order to partner with him – and the place that no spirit had touched since Wash was assaulted by Sigma and his brothers eleven years ago.

But that's never going to happen, so I guess there's no point getting torn up over it, Maine pointed out, now anxious to get Wash's thoughts away from that dark place. Offering his partner an easy smile, he raised his mug. To us.

Wash managed to smile for him, raising his own cup and clinking it against Maine's. "Right. To us."

Finally taking his first drink of the hot beverage, Maine gave a soft purr as the rich flavor passed over his tongue, more filling than any stew and more intoxicating than any wine. When he finally looked back to Wash after enjoying several mouthfuls of the delicious drink, it was to see the other man smirking at him as he refilled his own mug.

"Maybe we ought to visit Spiral City more often after this job," Wash suggested coyly, running his tongue along the rim of his cup before briefly flicking it into the chocolate.

Or we could take their recipe as payment for the job. Doyle could probably make it just as well, if not better. Though…how much longer can we afford to beat around the bush here? Isn't it about time we started taking the hunt into the city?

"You can start if you want. I'm still pretty confident he'll come to us."

I'm not going to leave you alone, Maine directed back at him, maybe a little more snappish than he'd meant to be.

"What? You don't think I can handle myself?" Wash asked, a small thread of anger moving through their bond.

No. I know you can handle yourself. I'm just afraid you'll do something foolish, Maine explained, reaching across the table to take one of Wash's hands in his. You are…everything to me. The reason I fight…and the reason I live. I'm not going to let you stand against your daemons alone. It's you and me…until the very end, he promised, raising Wash's hand to his lips and brushing a feather light kiss along his knuckles.

Maine received a wash of emotion from his lover through their bond, and he saw that emotion mirrored in his rare blue eyes. He could feel how deeply David loved him – that his own feelings of love were returned at every possible level. In that moment, they were in love, and despite the fact that they were on a dangerous mission, Matt didn't think he'd ever been happier. That feeling of perfect love overflowed between them and, unable to help himself, the hunter leaned across the table, catching his witch's lips in a loving kiss.

The press of lips and the tangle of tongues was brief but intense, flavored with chocolate and the sweet tenderness of their passion for each other.

I love you. Until the last star burns out in the heavens, I will love you.

As last moments go, a better one could not have been asked for.

"My, my," a new voice suddenly interrupted their embrace. "That conversation escalated quickly…for being only one-sided, I mean."

The pair looked up to see a man joining them at the table, dressed in a tattered dark traveling cloak. Maine growled warningly and Wash threw the newcomer a scathing glare. He sometimes forgot how silent and uncommunicative Maine must appear to the rest of the world, but for this man to just assume he was welcome to butt in…

"I'm sorry, but we're not really on the menu tonight, so if you'd just-"

"Oh, no. You mistake my intensions. I've no interest in blood, though I do find vampires to be most fascinating…living by partaking so intimately in the lives of others. It's a most intriguing subject. But what I'm truly interested in tonight…what I really want…is you," the man said sharply, seizing Wash's arm and pulling him close.

"What are you-"

"Hello…David," the man hissed in his ear, breath hot against his skin, but despite that, Wash felt a chill sweep down his spine, freezing him in place.

"Sigma," he breathed in horror.

"That's right," the Spirit whispered to him, tongue darting out to lick along his ear. "I told you I would come back for you. Say my name again, David. It's been far too long since I heard you scream it."

The next sound anyone heard was the sound of the safety releasing on a pistol. Many of the patrons fled in fear when Maine suddenly whipped out his gun and pressed the muzzle directly against Sigma's head. Cocking the trigger, he snarled warningly at the Spirit.

Sigma laughed at the threat. "Bad dog," he snapped at the hunter before raising a hand sharply. Maine was immediately sent crashing through the front window, out into the street and into a passing automobile.

"MAINE!" Wash cried out, his fear for his partner instantly unfreezing him. As the café patrons screamed and ran from the building, the young witch called his power to his hand, manifesting it in the form of a sword.

"My dear David Church," Sigma started as Wash began to circle him. "You've grown into such a beautiful young man – such a far cry from the delicate rosebud I first knew. I'm sure the soul that lives just beneath that skin is grown twice as lovely," he said, licking his lips.

"That's not going to work, Sigma," Wash said firmly, sword held at the ready as he continued to circle his target. "I am not afraid of you!"

Sigma shook his head. "Oh, we both know that's not quite true, little witch. I don't think you'll ever truly be able to forget that night…what happened when your dear father's soul shattered…and you and I first met," he recounted, his vessel's dark eyes beginning to burn with unholy fire as he gazed straight into Wash's heart. "Do you remember how I felt?"

"I was a child!" Wash screamed as he threw himself at Sigma, lashing out at the Spirit in blind rage and fear. Sigma just sneered knowingly at him, easily dodging every one of his strikes. No matter what Wash did, he couldn't seem to pin his opponent down.

Then, quite suddenly, Sigma slipped between his defenses, seizing him by the collar and bodily throwing him into the courtyard. The Spirit stalked slowly toward the fallen witch, laughing all the while.

Maine, meanwhile, was picking himself up out of the wreckage on the street, completely ignoring the shock of the automobile's driver as he got to his feet. There was a fair amount of blood and he didn't doubt there were broken bones, but he ignored his own pain, forcing himself to climb back through the destroyed front window. Wash needed him.

Wash, get up. Please get up! he urged him.

Wash heard him, but he couldn't seem to make himself do anything except stare at the Spirit moving toward him, still dazed from the fall.

Get up, damn you! he shouted at himself. Fight! You can't let it happen again!

"Isn't this fun, David," Sigma taunted as he knelt beside him, leaning down to run his fingers through Wash's blond hair. "Have you missed me as much as I've missed you? I never stopped thinking about you, you know. The precious son of our maker."

"No," Wash hissed, turning away from him as best he could, unable to bear seeing those eyes above him again. "Don't…don't touch me."

"I'll do much more than touch you, little one," he said, running a hand along his cheek. "After all, we can't forget who you belong to. I didn't-"

Sigma was cut off suddenly when a bullet struck his spine. For a moment, he looked mildly shocked, but that shock quickly turned to annoyance when Wash slammed a jewel against his chest.

Working quickly, Wash used his power to draw the Spirit into the trap gem. Once Sigma was fully bled from his host and the gem was glowing red, Wash collapsed back on the floor while the dead man crumpled on top of him. Maine was standing at the courtyard entrance, smoking gun still aimed at their fallen enemy.

We did it?

Wash looked up to smile at his lover, but before he could say anything, the ugly, mocking sound of Sigma's laughter filled the courtyard, and all at once the gem shattered in his hands, bleeding a strange red energy back into the air.

It happened so fast, Wash didn't even have time to warn Maine, let alone stop it from happening. Almost before he was aware of it, the Spirit had slunk across the floor and was crawling up Maine's body, entering through his eyes.

"NO!" Wash screamed, but it was already too late. Maine fell to his knees, head dropping to his chest. Then his shoulders began to shake with laughter, the hideous sound of it filling the night air. When he finally looked up again, it was no longer Maine behind those beloved amber eyes, but Sigma, eyes burning with the fire of his power.

"What do you think, David?" Sigma asked with Maine's voice, speaking despite the hunter's ruined vocal chords. "Is this form pleasing to your eyes?"

"How?" Wash demanded as he struggled to his knees. "How did you escape that gem?"

"Heh, do you really think I've been idle these eleven years? What do you think I was draining those vampires for? Your little trap jewel is nowhere near strong enough to hold me. If you mean to defeat me, dear one, you will have to destroy my vessel," Sigma explained as he got to his feet. "But I think we both know you aren't capable of bringing harm to this body."

"No!" Wash hissed, pounding his fists against the floor, knowing that he'd already lost. He could sooner destroy this city than he could hurt Maine.

"Your Maine is mine, David…and soon…you will be, too," the Spirit said as he walked toward him, a predatory leer that was completely out of place on Maine's face twisting his features.

"Let him go!" Wash tried to demand as he began to retreat, crawling backwards across the flagstone.

"Let him go?" Sigma repeated mockingly as he drew closer. "Just what do you think you can do to make me? You have nothing to threaten me with."

"Please," Wash begged, moving back until Sigma had backed him against the fountain, leaving him nowhere to run. "Don't make him do this."

"Heheh, I can hear him. He's fighting so hard," Sigma told him as he moved to his knees, trapping Wash between his legs and pinning him to the fountain with his massive hands. "He's screaming…threatening…he will do anything to have me not hurt you…anything at all. But he has nothing to fear, does he, David. After all, I think we both know you're going to enjoy this very much…especially now I'm in this body. No one else has tasted you since that night, have they. Have you been waiting for me? Have you been longing just as deeply as I have?"

"No," Wash whispered, struggling briefly, even though he knew he was no match for the combined strength of Sigma and Maine. "Don't do this. Please…please!"

"You simply can't imagine how torn up he is right now. After all, he wanted this…to be able to share your power this way. But to have it happen like this, well…oh, wait. You don't have to imagine it," Sigma growled gleefully just before letting Wash back into the precious bond that tied him and Maine together – the bond that was now twisted and violated.

Immediately, he felt Maine's anguish wash over him, his despair at being so utterly powerless against this enemy. He could feel his lover's horror rushing through his very soul.

David…David, I'm so sorry. I can't fight him. I don't know what to do. He's too strong. I can't stop it. David! Maine cried out.

"It's all right," Wash whispered, hands briefly soothing and gentle against Maine's skin. "It's all right. It's not your fault. I love you."

David! he heard Maine scream one last time before Sigma cut him off again. Then the Spirit's tongue was tracing along his neck, lapping at the drops of magic that flowed from his hollow point.

"Ah…the sweet taste of divinity," Sigma exulted. "I've waited so long to finally drink of you again…my sweet David."

Then the Spirit pressed his lips against the young witch's hollow point, opening the floodgates and drinking directly from him.

The gush of power leaving his body was so intense, Wash couldn't help but react to it physically. He whimpered shamefully as unwanted pleasure seized him. He hadn't been fed from in so long, it was impossible for the outpouring of energy not to bring him to climax. Wash cried out helplessly, tears pouring down his face as Sigma continued to drink from him.

Sigma held him close as the orgasm rode his body, Maine's form molded perfectly against his own. And while Maine was forced to be complicit in his defilement, all Wash could do was remember the last time Sigma had taken him like this, drinking from him a long time before he was ready – burning secrets into his soul and carving agony across his heart.

Helpless – all this time, all his training – and he was still powerless against this nightmare.

Matt, he pleaded unknowingly in his fevered state. Please help me.

Wash was vaguely aware of Sigma groaning in pleasure when he'd finally drunk his fill, leaving the young witch drained, exhausted, and violated. As he lay helpless against the fountain, Sigma pressed a hand against his chest, burning a mark into the flesh above his heart.

"You're even better than I remember," the Spirit hissed in his ear. "So rich and sweet. I knew Alpha left something worth taking in that lovely soul of yours."

"A- Alpha?" Wash mumbled uncomprehendingly.

"Yes, David. The secret has been with you all along. With this power, I will be able to get back what was taken. You and I are going to do incredible things. I promise you," Sigma told him before pressing his lips to Wash's.

Maine…

No, his partner's voice suddenly came to them through the link, in pain and enraged. You won't- use me for this!

"Impossible!" Sigma snarled, a look of anger twisting his features as he backed away from Wash. Staring at his hands like they weren't attached to his body, his fire-like magic suddenly began to dance along them.

"Maine?" Wash whispered as he slowly sat up, mesmerized by the display.

"You think you're in control here, boy?!" Sigma hissed, hands beginning to tremble.

You…hurt David…and you did it using my hands! Maine cried out in anger and anguish. I won't let it go on!

Then, using the Spirit's own power against him, Maine took control of one of his hands and plunged it straight into his chest, right through his own heart.

"MATT!" Wash screamed in horror as Sigma's expression faded from his lover's face. Then he collapsed to his knees while his hand fell to his side. All the while, Sigma's fiery energy bled out of him, drifting away to coalesce into a smoky, indistinct figure on the far side of the courtyard.

"It seems you've won tonight, David, but don't think this changes anything. You won't be able to hide this time. I will come back for you, and next time your little hunter won't be around to protect you," Sigma warned him, laughing as he slipped out of the café like a leaf on the breeze.

"Matt," Wash whispered as he crawled to his partner, forgetting about the fact that they'd failed in their mission, forgetting what had just happened to him. All he cared about in that moment was Maine.

The hunter drew a few shuddering breaths before collapsing into Wash's arms, carrying them both awkwardly to the floor. As Wash held him, he sent several tendrils of magic into Maine's chest, desperately attempting to heal him. But nothing was working. He could see into the deep wound in his partner's chest, past shattered bone and torn muscle, to the crushed, blackened heart within. This was more than just physical injury. It was Sigma's magic – and there was nothing he could do to heal it.

David…

"It's all right," Wash tried to insist, pouring even more power into his love. "It's going to be all right. I'm going to fix you up and it's going to be all right and we…I can't just…I can't…Matt-"

David…please stop, Maine urged him, bringing up a shaking hand to rest on one of Wash's.

"No…I can't…I won't…Maine…I can't let you die!" he sobbed, clutching the hunter tightly against him, pouring what little energy he still had into his dying body.

I'm dead already, Maine returned, blood beginning to paint his lips. Even if you give all of your strength…it won't keep me here. You have to live…David.

"No…Matt…no! Don't die, damn you! Please don't die. I need you! You can't just fucking leave me!"

I'm sorry…I couldn't protect you…sorry, Maine struggled to get the words across, his vibrant spirit falling ever faster into oblivion. Wash could feel him slipping away from him. Leaning up as best he could, Maine caught his lips in a last bloody kiss. I love you…so much…but you have to let me go.

"NOOO!" Wash screamed as Maine's eyes slid shut, unable to maintain consciousness anymore. His body was dead, but Wash was still cleaving to his soul, holding tightly to the last spark of life that remained, but he knew he couldn't do it forever. Eventually the effort would exhaust what little magic he had left and they would both die here.

But he couldn't let Maine die.

"Washington?" another voice suddenly called out to him. Wash looked up to see Elsie climbing through the ruined café front. "There is a way…to stop him from dying."

"What? What way? Tell me!" he demanded.

"A vampire could survive this injury," the hostess said quietly as she approached them. "If he were to drink my blood…and become like me…then he would heal."

"You mean…turn him into a vampire?" Wash asked quietly.

"Yes."

"And…and he would live?" Wash pressed.

"Yes."

Wash trembled as he looked down at Maine. He would do this. For him, there was no question, but…would Maine be able to live with this? Would he be able to live life as some sort of monster? Would he even still be Maine? Would he ever forgive him for making this choice?

"Washington, if it's the bloodlust of the newborn vampire you fear…there is a way you can control it."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a process that's sometimes used…to bind newborns to a single source of food. If we feed him your blood along with mine…then he would only be able to feed from you. You would be able to take sole responsibility for his life…and not involve anyone else."

"Okay…okay," Wash said softly, mind made up. He didn't care if Maine forgave him for this or not. He just couldn't let him go. He needed him to be alive. "I just…I have to talk to someone first."

Gently laying Maine on the floor, Wash pressed a kiss to his lips before crawling back to the fountain. Laying a hand on the trickling surface of the water, he urged it to be still, forging a connection between the fountain and Vanessa's office. He didn't have much time.

For several minutes, all he could see was the bottom of the white marble basin, the reflective surface slowly starting to turn red as Maine's blood dripped into it. When the image of his guardian's office was finally reflected in the water, Wash breathed a sigh of relief. Vanessa was standing at her mirror with a look of worry on her face.

"David, why haven't you been reporting in? What's happened? Where's Maine? You're not-"

"You were right," Wash interrupted her. "It was Sigma. I trapped him in a gem, but…I underestimated him. He's gotten much stronger. He escaped…and he…he used Maine to feed from my hollow point," he said, forcefully blocking out the memory of it as he glanced away from Vanessa.

"Oh…oh, gods. David, are you all right? What about Maine?"

"I'm not dead, but...he will be soon. He drove Sigma out…but he's dying. I can't let that happen," Wash said, his voice firm with his resolve.

Vanessa narrowed her eyes as she stared suspiciously at him. "What do you mean you can't let that happen?"

"I meant what I said. I can't lose him, too."

"David, what are you thinking of doing? You know better than anyone what happens when you try to cheat death. I don't know what's going on, but you…you have to let him go. You saw what happened to your father."

"You know…I think, for the first time in my life…I understand him. I understand why he did what he did. So I guess…even after everything…in the end, I'm still my father's son," Wash said sadly. "If this works, we'll see you soon. If not, well…I don't know. Goodbye, Vanessa. I'm sorry."

"David, don't-"

Whatever she'd been about to say was cut off when Wash broke the connection, shattering the still surface by twirling his fingers through the blood-streaked water. Already he could feel the cables of his soul straining to support both him and Maine. There wasn't any time left.

Crawling back to Maine and Elsie, Wash bent low over Maine, pressing his lips to his ear as he slipped a dagger from the hunter's belt.

"I won't let you die. I won't. No matter what it takes," he cried softly in his lover's ear as he slit his palm with the blade. When enough blood had welled up from the cut, he lifted Maine's head with his uninjured hand, dribbling the sustaining fluid into his mouth. Not looking up at Elsie, he muttered, "Do it."

Nodding, Elsie drew a sharpened nail across her wrist, splitting the skin and allowing her own blood to flow into the hunter's mouth.

The transformation began almost instantly. Maine's eyes shot open and he threw his head back against Wash, body convulsing horribly as he began to scream in agony. As Wash watched in shocked amazement, the wound in his chest began to close over and the scars on his neck faded away, leaving behind new, unblemished skin.

Maine clung to him, in horrible agony every moment, and Wash felt that pain through their bond, suffering through it with him.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know it hurts, but it'll be over soon. I promise, Wash soothed, clinging just as tightly to him. Just don't let go. Don't you let go.

When Maine finally fell still in his arms, Wash looked down to see sick, exhausted eyes gazing up at him. More than this, those eyes were no longer the amber color he knew so well. Now they were an eerie ruby red color. As the hunter drew breath after shaky breath, his lips fell open and Wash saw the glint of lethal fangs in his mouth.

"Matt?"

"David?" he said softly, eyes briefly widening in shock when the two simple syllables of the witch's name escaped his throat.

"He needs to be fed," Elsie reminded Wash gently. "It will cement the transformation."

"What…what's happening?" Maine tried to ask, but Wash didn't waste time explaining. He held his bleeding hand to Maine's mouth and the newborn vampire immediately latched on, drinking greedily.

Already drained of magic, it didn't take Wash long to become exhausted being drained of blood. It was a different experience than Sigma feeding from his hollow point, but at the back of his mind, that memory still lingered, forced away to prevent him from outright panicking.

Maine, for his part, had no hope of understanding what was happening to him. He'd fought so hard against Sigma to stop him hurting Wash, but he hadn't been able to muster his strength until the damage was already done. After being forced to watch that, he was certain there was no worse pain in all of creation. Not even death itself could compare.

But then death had been reversed.

He'd been drawn back to suffer in pain and fire all over again. Fire had surged through his veins, burning away his weak humanity and leaving pure power in its place. He could do nothing but scream, nothing but scream and cling to the only light he knew as he was rebuilt from the inside out.

Then, when it was finally over, he was vaguely aware of speaking Wash's name. Speaking. Then his senses were overwhelmed with the sweetest wine he'd ever drunk.

No. It was better than that. Better than wine, sweeter than chocolate, even, and as he drank, he felt a heady sense of David flood through him, nearly mirroring the way it felt when they made love. And when it all finally came together in his head, he jerked himself sharply away from that font of rich sweetness.

"NO!" he shouted, the feel of it harsh and raw in his throat. The taste of Wash's blood was cloying on his tongue as he looked up at his lover, who looked down at him with both joy and heartbreak in his eyes.

How…how could you do this to me? he asked through their bond in the few moments of consciousness he had left, desperately clinging to something that was familiar. As he collapsed in the witch's arms once again, he felt his response come to him through a haze of exhaustion, anger, and…relief.

I couldn't let you die.

Then he was gone, borne away on a cloud of weary sleep, and though he wasn't aware of it, Wash was only moments behind him, drained of all possible avenues of energy and sustenance.

XxX

Fire.

Even though he's trapped in darkness, all he feels is fire – burning pathways through his soul and stealing control from him.

"Did you think you could keep him from us, Matthias?" a voice like smoke and ash croons in his mind. "Did you think yourself stronger than Desire itself?"

He sees David, lying helpless on the floor. He needs him. Matt tries to go to him, but he can't make his body move.

"He was never yours, Matthias, and he never will be. He is marked. He belongs to us," the voice hisses, burning through him. Then, without his permission, his body kneels beside his lover, gathering the young witch in his arms.

"No…no…please!" he cries out in his sleep. "Don't…don't do this!"

David!

He can see it happening, but he can do nothing to stop it. Cradling David tenderly in his arms, he lowers his head to his partner's hollow point and bites through the delicate skin, feasting on the sweetness of his blood and his magic.

He can't let this happen! He has to stop it! He has to save David.

"Poor, poor little creature. Still trying to be the hero? It doesn't yet understand that it's the monster."

No! I'm not! I'm going to save him! He will find a way. He refuses to believe that he can't.

"David is ours. No one else will have him!" the voice snarls, forcing Matt to bite down harder – to take even more away from David. And as the witch screams in agony, Matt screams with him.

Maine awoke screaming from the nightmare, barely registering Wash's arms around him or his voice in his ear.

"Maine, it's all right! It's over! We're safe now! Calm down."

It wasn't until Maine realized that Wash had to calm his screaming that he started to remember. He was screaming. He could scream now. When Wash was finally able to release him, he slowly reached up to touch his neck, amazed at the feel of smooth skin there. Slowly, he looked up at Wash.

"I…I'm…"

"A vampire," Wash finished softly, looking away from him as he sat down at the foot of their bed. "I'm sorry. I had to."

David…why? he asked, specifically choosing to speak through their bond, if only to delay the inevitable reality of the situation just that little bit longer.

"The same reason you tried to throw your life away in the first place," Wash snapped at him.

Didn't throw it away, Maine responded with a glare. To say I threw my life away implies that what was gained in return wasn't worth the sacrifice. It was worth it to me.

"And me?" Wash pressed. "Do you think I threw your sacrifice away for not wanting you to make it in the first place?"

No, Maine admitted, sighing grudgingly. I can't blame you for that. But…Wash…living like this…I'm a danger to everyone around me. I could endanger everyone in this house. I just about bled you dry when I first turned.

"No…you aren't. You aren't a danger to anyone else," Wash began to explain slowly.

What do you mean? the hunter asked, staring suspiciously at his lover.

"When Elsie…gave you her blood…it was mixed with mine. You're basically…coded to me now. I'm the only person whose blood you can drink."

Oh, gods, Wash! he shouted at the witch through the bond as he buried his face in his hands, growling in frustration. How is that supposed to make me feel better? If regular feeding is anything like that first time, I could easily kill you.

"Elsie said it isn't. She says you'll get the hang of it. And in case you're forgetting, I'm not your average human. I'm a witch…and you're a spirit creature now. It isn't just blood you can take from me. You can feed from my hollow point. I can share my magic with you now," Wash said.

Again, Maine looked up to glare at him. So just how am I different from Sigma, then? he demanded. If I have to drain away your life in order to survive…how is it any different from what that monster's done to you?

"It's different because you're my partner," Wash insisted firmly, scooting a little closer to him on the bed and reaching out a hand to rest it on his knee. "What Sigma did to me, it was no less than r…rape. He took what he wanted without my consent. But I'd share my blood and my power with you because I want to. That's my choice. Don't ever compare yourself to Sigma."

Maine smiled sadly at this, shifting a hand down to brush against Wash's. But I-

"No buts," Wash argued back. "Not a damn one. Sigma will mess with your head if you let him. You were a victim last night just as much as I was. You didn't hurt me. You would never hurt me. I'm the one who wasn't strong enough, and I'm the one who made the decision last night. So if you need somebody to blame, blame me. You are not a monster."

Maine shook his head, sad smile still in place as he drew Wash closer, resting his forehead against the younger man's. Don't blame you. I'd never blame you. It happened. Nothing to be done, he returned, hand tracing up over Wash's chest, briefly resting on the place beneath his shirt he knew Sigma had branded, and he couldn't help but notice the way Wash winced. What is it? he asked, nodding down.

"I don't know," Wash answered calmly as he pulled back from Maine to pull his shirt collar down, revealing the ugly burn. It was Sigma's symbol – a crude and hastily burned Σ. "I mean, I know what it is. I recognize the symbol. What I don't know is why."

Brand you, Maine suggested as his fingers skirted around the mark, tone calm, but laced with latent rage. To mark you as his.

"Probably, and before you ask, I have tried to remove it. Nothing's worked so far. I'll probably have to ask Carolina about it when they get home."

Where are they?

"Interestingly enough, all the other teams are deployed right now. Three other potential Spirits have appeared since we've been gone. Carolina and York are checking one out up north of Sidewinder, North and South are following up a lead on the Western Isles, and Felix and Locus are on the trail in a village south of Charon."

Vanessa sent Felix and Locus after a Spirit without a witch?

"No one else was available at the time. Donald and Florida are going to join them now. I think…something might've happened to them, but Vanessa won't give me any solid details. Guess she doesn't have the full picture either."

Four Spirits show up all in one week? That's not good.

"No…it isn't," Wash said, looking away from him again. "Things are starting to happen again…like they did eleven years ago."

And how's Vanessa taking the whole…

"Vampire thing?" Wash finished when Maine couldn't. "Still adjusting, but mostly I think she's just relieved I didn't do something really crazy."

And isn't it a sad commentary on the state of affairs when turning your lover into a vampire is the not really crazy option, Maine replied with a small smirk.

"True enough," Wash said with a small chuckle. If he said anything more, Maine didn't quite catch it, because he suddenly found himself tilting his head back, listening for a faint but familiar sound he'd just picked up on.

It's raining, he finally told Wash, hearing the pattering of raindrops overhead.

"Really?" Wash asked, tilting his head to the side to listen for it. When he finally picked up on the sound, he offered Maine a tired smile. "Guess I'll have to get used to that. The sharper senses, I mean."

Maine nodded as he climbed out of their bed, padding into the hallway. No one can say it won't be useful on hunts.

"Where are you going?" Wash asked as he followed after him.

Outside.

Neither of them really spoke after that. Wash just followed Maine down to the side door that led out to the small garden area where he and Carolina used to play as children.

No one was really sure why Vanessa kept the old metal swing set around. Perhaps it was just a reminder of better times. For Maine, it was a reminder of the day he'd met Wash, undoubtedly one of his best memories – even though it had come right after his life had been torn apart around him. After everything that had happened in Spiral City, it seemed like the place to go now.

As the newborn vampire sat down in one of the swings, Wash taking up the one next to him, he slowly sorted through all of the new input from his newly sharpened senses. The way he could feel individual rain drops pounding against his skin, or the individual blades of grass he could feel beneath his bare feet. The scent of dust, rain, dirt, metal, Doyle's rose garden, and Wash all distinct to his nose. He could hear the symphony of each drop of rain and the different surface each one struck, all with their own harmonies and melodies.

He could feel the power now contained within his limbs. He could crush this swing set into dust if he really felt the need to, though of course he never would. He'd heard the legends about vampires being immortal or undead or some such nonsense, but being a hunter, he was already aware of the true lore. He wouldn't live forever, probably just a few decades longer than he might have as a human, or, in his particular case, as long as Wash lived. Other than that, he was damn near impossible to kill now, which would be useful in their fight against the Spirits.

And of course the thoughts of death and damage brought him back to the set of scars he no longer had – the marks that had been left on him when a redcap had attempted to claw out his throat. He felt like his throat was much lighter than it had been in years – like it was open and breathing again after an eternity without oxygen. And now, listening to the song of the rain, he was reminded of the one thing he'd truly missed about his voice, that one thing he'd never been able to share with Wash.

Back before the attack, he'd been a very good singer. He would sing his sisters to sleep most nights. Even before losing his voice, he hadn't been much of a talker, but singing? He could sing all day. In the months, and even years, following the attack, he would feel that urge to sing rise up in his chest – only to have it painfully crushed when it couldn't travel past his ruined throat. Over time, that ache had diminished, if not gone away entirely. But now he felt it rising again, feeling almost afraid when it wasn't stopped at a tangled mass of scar tissue, when it made it to his mouth. He was afraid, but he let it go anyway.

Some say love, it is a river

That drowns the tender reed

Some say love, it is a razor

That leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love, it is a hunger,

An endless aching need

I say love, it is a flower

And you, its only seed

Wash felt his breath catch in his throat when he heard the quiet sound of Maine's voice drifting through the rain. Of course he knew Maine had loved to sing when he was younger, but a mere memory of that voice was a vastly different experience from actually hearing it – quiet and powerful and passionate, singing words of love.

It's the heart afraid of breaking

That never learns to dance

It's the dream afraid of waking

That never takes the chance

It's the one who won't be taken

Who cannot seem to give

And the soul afraid of dying

That never learns to live.

Reaching across the space between them, Wash tangled his fingers in the chain of Maine's swing, pulling them closer together. As the hunter continued to sing, he wrapped an arm around his lover's shoulders, feeling something in his heart swell when Wash rested his head against him. That feeling almost couldn't be contained by the words of the song alone.

When the night has been too lonely

And the road has been too long

And you think that love is only

For the lucky and the strong

Just remember in the winter,

Far beneath the bitter snows

Lies the seed that with the sun's love

In the spring becomes the rose.

When he'd finished singing, Maine turned his head slightly, pressing a kiss to the top of Wash's head. He knew things were bad, and they were probably only going to get worse, but to whatever end they were heading, he was happy they were still here together – that Wash hadn't let him go – that he was worth hanging onto. Even though it had been on the worst day of his life, he was happy they'd met here in the rain.

"I love you," he whispered against Wash's hair, finally able to say the words out loud after a lifetime of believing he'd never be able to.

Wash sighed contentedly against him as he took Maine's hand in his own, holding it palm up. Then, slowly and deliberately, he began to trace the letters out.

I.

L. O. V. E.

Y. O. U.

That done, the pair of them twined their fingers together, just holding each other and swinging as they watched the rain fall.

XxX

(A/N) So, for anyone who doesn't know the song lyrics, that's 'The Rose' by Bette Midler. You should go have a listen if you've never heard it. It's beautiful. And if you've any interest in seeing just what it was that happened to Locus and Felix, you should go check out 'Hollow Moon'.