Well I kind of noticed no one has posted something like this yet, I'm pretty much following the Buffy: Vampire Slayer series by the fabulous Joss Wheadon but no worries, I have a few trick's up my sleeves that are unJoss-ish. So uhh yeah enjoy I guess. :D

Siy Rowling?

"Dead." I nodded. Of course. Looking down, I wondered if I was going to be able to finish my Spanish report before the funeral. The paramedics looked at one another uneasily but covered over the stiff, pale face, forever stuck in a look of horror. So it would be closed casket, I thought silently. Sighing I thanked the two men who had tried to revive the already dead woman that had once been my mother, and sent them to the hospital with the corpse.

Silently, I wondered when I had stopped thinking that the body the paramedics carried was really my mom. The one that tucked me in when I was a toddler and tried to make ends meet when I was a teenager with more needs. Closing what was left of the door behind the men, I locked it tight and leaned my head against the wood. There were still police crawling all over the place, piffing about this and that. What else could they do? My mother was dead, why? Who needed to know? Let alone wanted for that matter. I glared at the back of the policed chiefs head. For some reason it felt like it was his fault, the way he strutted around like he could do anything annoyed me. Because he couldn't do anything. He couldn't bring my mom back first of all, no matter how hard he stared at our blood-soaked couch cushions or sent things back to "the lab".

Blinking rapidly, I realized this wasn't like me. The Sora I had grown to become was kind and caring and tried the hardest she could to do her best so her mom would be proud. This was a new side of me was too dangerous; I had to lock this masochist away. Far, far away where she could never hurt anyone ever again. Or burn down any more gymnasiums filled with vampires.

'I never told Mom that I was expelled.' So maybe I didn't have to finish that Spanish assignment. Oh well, I hated Spanish. Trudging up the stairs, I abruptly felt really, really cold. Suddenly there was a blanket around my shivering shoulders and a hand that was leading me back down the dreaded staircase. I didn't even try to jerk away or anything. Staring down at this new person, I was met with a pair of sad, old, ocean blue eyes. The graying blonde hair and worry wrinkles told me more than talking to him ever would.

This was someone who'd seem a lot of crazy stuff, and maybe even cared what I was going through. Well that was my deduction anyway. A low rumble-y voice interrupted my further interpretations, "Trauma." Said the man.

"Wha-" Again he interrupted me, this time for real.

"That's what you are experiencing at the moment. Hello, I'm Mr. Ishida. Just call me Masaharu." As he spoke, Masaharu led me all the way down the wooden staircase that passed the living room; the scene of my mother's death once again assaulted me. The chief glanced at us as we slipped into the open doorway of the extremely happily yellow kitchen, he didn't look even half as happy as the cow saltshakers did. Masaharu slid the door closed behind us and then led me to the kitchen table. It seemed too odd. A complete stranger was leading me to my own dining room table. I should be leading him places, I thought, and for some unknown reason, that struck me as unbearably funny. So I did what I did when I heard or saw something funny, I burst out laughing.

Masaharu nodded for me to sit down and made himself comfortable with the teapot and sink, as well as the oven. He reached deep into his brief case and came out with two packets of something; I really didn't care what it was. After my mad laughter slowed down to a stop, I laid my head heavily on the plastic table. My insides hurt and it felt like the only thing keeping me warm was the thin blanket around my shoulders. I tugged it closer to me with both hands and looked out the window that was placed over the stove. The night sky stared back at me, and then a face.

A taunting, smiling face. First a closed mouth smile, then slowly, he barred his fangs his whole face wrinkling into what I had become accustomed to as a vampires fallen façade. Jumping to my feet, eyes wide, a silent scream ripped through me. And then, he was gone. I thought they were all gone! They were supposed to be dead! Trapped in the gym when it burned down. But there he was, alive -or maybe it was undead- and ready to swoop in for his second kill. For some reason, I knew beyond anything that he had to have been the one to strike terror into my mother's heart in her last few moments on earth. He was the one that followed me home. The sound of my chair slamming to the ground made Masaharu jerk around to face me, his eye's followed to where I was looking and only found the night sky, as I had once seen it, peaceful and untampered with. No face. No fangs. No one there.

He looked at me knowingly and all I could do was stare, and stare, and stare. One thought popped into my mind. 'I have to get out of here, I have to get out of Oregon.' And so after that, the two of us sat with two steaming cups of water, and Masaharu handed me two packets of cocoa powder, I half-heartedly poured them into my cup. And looked down at my shaking hands.

"Do you know why I'm here Sora?" The blonde across the table asked, I nodded kind of in a confused way. I had a guess at least.

"Social services." My throat was dry and scratchy. Masaharu didn't seem to notice. "I want to be far, far away from Oregon please." My eyes watered but I didn't dare let any tears fall. Mom just wanted me to be safe, not sad. The ocean blue eyes looked deep into mine and then he nodded. There was something else there, I just knew it, there was something he wasn't saying. I shrugged that thought off quickly. And out of the blue, a thought sparked inside of the secret holding eyes across the table from me, I wasn't sure how I could tell, but I was proven right when he spoke again.

"Listen, you're a good kid Sora. Am I right?" I nodded mutely and kept looking past him, out the window that I had seen the vam- maybe if I didn't even think their names, they wouldn't be real. Masaharu smiled kindly and took a sip of hot chocolate, soon he continued, "Well, since you're so young," I didn't even try to fight with him that I was already fifteen, "I was thinking, foster homes are the kind of things that really get kids off track. It hurts them emotionally and sometimes that comes out in grades and the way you interact with anyone for the rest of your life. So I was just wondering, if you would consider coming back to California with me."

What? Looking up at him through bleary eyes, he saw my question before I'd even spoken it. Brushing a large hand through his close cropped hair, I got a good look at Masharus' worry lines, deep set on his forehead and around his mouth like a set of parentheses and I wondered silently how this man could even care for these helpless children, people like me, who gave him so much grief. I couldn't handle it, I knew. The worst part was, I was seriously considering it.

My answer was just how my mother would have wanted it. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't want to impose." For some reason, something that was completely hidden from me, I felt drawn to the invitation. Like it was what I was supposed to do. "I really wish I could Mr. Ishida." Pain filled my voice.

"Masaharu," He corrected immediately, "And my sons and I would be happy to house you. I know it seems just like a foster home, but really it wouldn't be . . . Well I can't lie, it wouldn't be like having your family again. You're file said you and your mom were the only one's left of your family, am I wrong? But it would be like you had someone that understood you and was willing to talk with you if you needed it." His eyes again. They were just filled to the brink with such sincerity. I felt compelled, to accept his offer. So tempting to just let the adults take care of everything. So much easier. And why couldn't I? Why was I so against being taken care of? For once in my life, I wanted to be taken care of gosh darn it!

"Yes please." Was all I had to say, my voice was only a raspy whisper from all the yelling and screaming that I had done at prom just the night or two before. Why shouldn't I? Was my only thought. Only deep down in the pit of my throat, I got that achy feeling that always happened right before I made a really stupid decision. And that was what got me to realize . . . My mom was dead. I was leaving Kindred, Oregon. I had been expelled from school. And finally, lastly, vampires existed.

Kindred, Oregon: 12:32 AM; The Takenouchi Residence'Ratta-tat-tat'

' . . . . .. '

'Ratta-tat-tat'

' . . .. '

'Ratta-ratta-ratta-ratta-tat-tat-tat-ta-'

"I don't want what you're selling!" I screamed. Whoa, wait; did I seriously just do that? My eye's opened wide and surprise, much like the eyes of the boy on the other side of the door. Ocean blue eyes, I realized my grave mistake. "Oh my goodness, I'm sosososo sorry!" Masaharu's son looked down at me with more amusement than anything else.

"No worries, but I guess my wonderful assortment of cosmetics will be of no use to you and your . . . Bunny pajama's." His eyes looked me up and down and laughed. For some reason I blushed. I know, stupid me, I'm supposed to be sad. But for some reason, nothing felt different. Nothing felt . . . Dead so to speak. Like Mom would just walk around the corner and ask who my new friend was. But there was silence and I crossed my arms over my chest. They had been for comfort more than anything; mom had sown them herself for my last birthday. Saying we didn't have much money was kind of an understatement. Making ends meet was my only thought as my mother grew older and older. So being me, of course I had grabbed my itchy ridiculously pink p.j.'s, that was just me.

Turning on my heel quickly, I waved the Ishida inside. I had been expecting him, but more like around twelve in the afternoon, not in the middle of the next night. It had only been a mere two hours since Masaharu had left me to get some rest. I guess he was a man of action. Most of the police had left and then there I had been. Alone. In one big empty house.

Sometimes you don't realize how much just one person fills up a space until all that's left is a huge gaping hole where they used to be. I hated it. But another thing I hated more? Going anywhere unprotected in the dead of night. But it was either now or never.

For a second I almost offered for the boy to sit on the couch, but I winced ad remembered the smattering of dark red blood that mom had left behind all over the whole living room. Instead I opted for letting the blonde -much like his father- sit on my bed as I shoved necessities into a duffel bag. I really didn't want much, everything seemed to carry a memory, the stuffed bear that Mom had bargained from the guy at the carnival, the diaries all filled with pages and pages of my friends and I doing stupid or crazy stuff, friends that were never my real friends.

And then the eyes were on me again. Speed of light quick, I dashed for the window over the window seat and peered out into the dark. If one of them knew I was leaving, there would be hell to pay.

"Uhhh, so I never caught your name." Sending a confused look over my shoulder, I realized, I'd never gotten his name either. And if I was going to live with him, that was probably a good thing to know. Leaning back on the bed awkwardly, the Ishida smiled as if he owned the place. Wait . . . Did that mean, I owned my house now? So many questions. Too many possibilities. Shaking my head I glanced at the front lawn through the window and saw no sign of danger, but I did feel it, a slight prickle like someone was watching me, waiting to pounce.

"Sora Takenouchi, what about you?" It was an automatic response no matter how exhausted I was, no matter how much I really didn't want to talk. I still hadn't fully looked at him the whole time he'd been inside of my home. He was my age or older, probably older because he could drive. Or at least I hoped he could drive, otherwise we were at a loss for transportation to California. Blonde hair styled all side swoopy and the same hypnotizing eyes as his father.

"Matt Ishida, or my dad calls me Yamatto if you'd prefer." So he was polite. That was good. "So, my father couldn't exactly explain the whole situation to me over the phone, mind shedding some light on the subject?"

Pulling my least worn clothes from the bottom of my drawers, I nodded. "I guess I'll be hanging around your guy's house until I can fend for myself. No worries, I'll be out of your hair in no time." If there was one thing I hated most it was people to mooched, so long ago, I had decided I would never be a moocher. A part-time job, finish up high school, and then I would try out for a soccer scholarship, then I would play for a college team then the Olympics and the whole way there, I wouldn't have to worry about vampires. California had to be too sunny for vampires.

And it was this logic that kept me through the conversation with Matt. Pack only took me about five minutes, but it was a full half hour before I left. There was just something about leaving in the darkness of night that really got to me. I tried not to express my frustration with the situation, or take it out on the somewhat arrogant blonde. It was kind of clear that no one had knocked that guy off his high horse in a long while, and seriously with his looks and slight charm, who would want to? But there was just that feeling like he knew he would get what he wanted no matter what, that rubbed me the wrong way.

After slipping on a pair of shoes, -the only one's I would be bringing with me- we were on our way down the driveway. It was at that moment I kind if realized I should have requested that we stay the night back at my house. But by the time we were halfway down the lawn, it was already too late.

'Thud' Matt was down and confused.

'Sssssssss' There he was. The face, the fangs, the smile. It was the one that I missed. The one I should have paid most attention to. And then I was pinned to the ground and his spiky dark brown hair was all I could see. Dark ocean blue eyes seemed to laugh at me before I had the sense to try and get free. Seemingly naturally, I used all of the strength from my lower body to buck off the super-human-undead-thing from me. He rolled but then was immediately on me again, I was a little dizzy from all the blood I had lost at prom and not regenerated yet. This gave him a chance to try and pin me again, but I was already on my feet, backing up into the fresh dewy grass allowing more cushion in case he did manage to pin me again.

Matt was stumbling to his feet by the time the vampire and I were grappling for control of the situation. Seeing an opening, I used my elbow to knock him hard in the nose. Turning away in pain, he came back with the icky folds on his face that indicated his fangs were at full length, his eyes were large and cat-like and a sickly color of yellow. And just by wearing his true predators face, it seemed that he gained the power of five men. I was greatly out powered and out skilled. In about three seconds, I was being held from behind and slowly chocked to death. At least I would be drunk from. That was a plus.

But then it hit me, I usually considered it tacky for a guy to wear jewelry, but in this case I found it delightful. New found hope allowed me a brief moment of freedom, and in that moment, Matt's obsession with looking good saved our lives. Ripping the large cross from his neck, I held it to the vampire just as he came lunging at me again. Silver and flesh met with a small 'SMACK!' and there it was, forever engrained upon his cheek. A burn-mark of a hand sized cross covered the entire left side of the vampires' features.

Yamatto was silently shocked as the vampire sprawled out onto the ground and held his face, hissing and shrieking in pain. Not missing a beat, I grabbed and pulled Yamatto to his feet. Without words I almost had to propel him forward before his brain got the message of movement to his feet. Trying to stagger behind me, I found the teenager's car and shoved him into the passenger side. Just as I was rounding the bed of the old green truck, a hand reached out. Time slowed. Slowly, slowly, grabbing for my neck, then something clicked. Something let go and I was turned around with the blink of an eye.

What happened next, I will never forget. Nose to nose with the undead creature, his face no longer smiling and his new scar screaming red in pain for him, I reached out and grabbed his dark maroon/brown hair, as his face came down with such unexpectancy he couldn't pull away in time, my knee came up and met his nose half way. 'CRACK!' I knew I'd done my job. Before he could even think about recovering and going in for a better-prepared attack, I was in the truck and grinding the stick shift into submission. Then we raced out of the subdivision and elsewhere, hopefully as far away as I could get without thinking about it. A few second later I remembered the small thud that I had heard and the bumps we had encountered before streaking from the front of my house. The vampire had to be dust.

And that was my first memory with Yamatto Ishida.

"WHAT WAS THAT THING? CALL 9-1-1 SORA, YOU'RE BLEEDING! AND HE HAD FANGS WHAT KIND OF SICK JOKE IS THAT? AND AND AND-"

I did the easiest thing for me at that moment that I might have regretted later. I told him everything. It was just that simple. I needed simple in that instant. Maybe having someone who believed me would be good. Or he would think I was crazy and send me to the loony bin. Either way my voice never wavered as I became quite accustomed to the trucks gearshift.

"And so I had to burn down the entire gym just because there were so many." I choked on the next words. "I was kind of arrogant I guess. I just figured I'd killed them all right? Well the one that I missed, that was him. He was the one that killed my mom this afternoon." No tears came though. I felt heartless, like I should be mourning the woman who'd done so much for me. But I had to be strong. So far, my mother was like a forgotten memory, no tears shed, no anger gained. I was fine as long as I ignored it.

He gaped at me for about two point five seconds. Then a rush of words I couldn't understand all came out at once. Like liquid speech. I ignored him until I began to get lost. Half and hour later I was in somewhere called 'Presley Nevada' and I was pretty sure we were going in the wrong direction.

"Oh . . . Oh, shit! Dad's gonna kill me when he finds out I let you drive his car!" Yamatto said suddenly. Looking back at him, I realized that I should have probably let him drive miles ago. Turning on the turning signal, I pulled to the shoulder of the road and glanced over at Yamatto. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

"I'm fifteen." I stated without emotion in my voice.

"You're very fifteen." Was Yamatto's response before reaching over to my side of the car and unbuckling my seat belt. "Out." He commanded.

I glared up at him, I felt as if he were undermining me. You know, the girl who just kicked vampire butt for him? Yeah, I know, how ridiculous right?

"You look way older", was all he said before he began to tow me from my seat. I was comforted with the thought that I could totally kick his butt if I felt up to it, which I seriously didn't. Any other day I would have sulked even a little bit, but vampires and mothers dying take a lot out of you. So I just scooted over him awkwardly and allowed him to take the wheel from me. All I wanted was a moment to curl up in my room with my bunny p.j.'s and a book that my best friend had given me after a long hard say of campaigning for prom queen. But all I could hope was that, Sunny Dale California was better somehow. Maybe less vampire infested.

My hopes were soon to be crushed.

Sunny Dale, California: 7:28 AM; The Streets of Sunny Dale

No way. There could just be no way. Gawking at the humongous house, I pinched myself several times before Yamatto pulled my door open for me. Okay, so this wasn't a dream. A hallucination maybe, yeah that had to be it.

So basically to compare my old house to this new house would be like comparing CVS drugstore chocolate to gorment fondue made by expert hands. Yeah, that much better. Except, I still felt numb, no matter how many layers of socks I had shoved on during the hours in the car, nothing had warmed me emotionally or physically. It was kind of sad that I would have to leave so soon. I know Mr. Ishida expected me to stay well past graduation, but I really couldn't.

"Welcome home." Yamatto chuckled a bit bitterly. Hmm, emotional issues maybe? Oh who knew? I was just so happy that there was a bed in that big old gray and white mansion for me to sleep in for hours and hours. "Fresh meat!" Yamatto called, a heard several stomping feet hit the stairs, or perhaps sleeping would have to be put off again.

"Whoop whoop!" Called a couple of voice as the rest chanted 'fresh meat, fresh meat!' Feeling only slightly confused and kind of scared, I tried to stand in a defensive position, well like the one's I had seen on TV anyway, all legs spread and arms tensed and stuff. Yamatto only had to glance at me to break out laughing. In the very moment I turned on my heel to give Yamatto a piece of my mind, I was attacked head on.

Using some of my new mad ninja skills, I threw the lightweight off of me and onto the floor next to me. Looking down at the pained face of a light brown haired girl and her little sign of 'Welcome to Sunny Dale' I gasped and fell to my knees next to her.

She couldn't have been older than fourteen or maybe she just had a youthful face, who knew. Grabbing her hand I pulled her up gently and stared at her; my eyes wide with horror. She looked at me blankly for a second before facing the long winding wooden staircase that was just in front of the door.

"She passed!" the young girl called. A roar of cheers and then I was tackled repeatedly from all sides. Falling to the floor with a thud there was a chorus of laughter from all around me. A tired laugh-sigh type thing entered the mix and then the weight of –what felt like- hundreds of bodies from on top of me was being lifted. Finally being able to catch my own breath, I looked around the room. Six red faces teens looked back at me excitement clear in their eyes.

"I . . . Passed?" I asked, my voice mirrored how hard my night of driving and spilling my guts had been. I think they could kind of tell from the huge dark circle-bag things under my eyes and my slow turtle-like movements, "Are you okay? I really didn't mean to hurt you; do you want me to take you to the hospital? I could do that!" I started to get more and more nervous when no one said anything. They all just looked at me with the same, 'We let this thing into our home?' kind of look. "Or something." I mumbled at the end.

Laughter filled the entire hallway. "So you already mentally damaged her Matt?" The one I had attacked giggled. "What, twenty hours with him and he's already rubbing off? That's like a new record for you!" She just couldn't stop laughing. No one could, it was like they were just all so happy to be alive and I was just watching from the other side of a glass screen. These people were too perfect, I could already tell. It wasn't fair that they had to carry the burden of Vampire Girl. I smiled weakly trying to act like I belonged. I didn't.

"Look! She's speechless, it's okay honey, you can use your vocabulary, has this primal beast shrunken your vocabulary yet? You know, I really like the word vocabulary it just rolls off the tongue!" A cinnamon haired girl sat up and smiled at me getting closer and closer to me as she spoke, she reminded me of a lot of my old "friends" but there was also a glow of sincerity about her.

"Mimi! Don't crowd the girl! She had a rough night. Car traveling equals weary travelers." Said a dark black/blue haired boy, he pushed up his glasses and smiled at me from the corner where he had obviously not jumped on me from. He seemed more mature than the others. Like he was an older brother. I was starting to get a lock on these people. Spontaneous, funny, loving, they were very fifties; all they needed was the hoop skirts and scrunchies.

That made me laugh, they all looked at me again, I just let a real smile pop out and they were all laughing with me for no reason other than it was fun to laugh. Then it was like the rubber band of happiness had just been snapped and we all looked at one another oddly. No more laughing. There was complete silence . . . And then even more laughter.

"Come on, let me show you you're room." Yamatto said a little anxiously. I wonder why that was. Pushing myself up the stairs after the long legged blonde, I could only wonder the secrets behind this strange group. I looked back and found the rest of the party following us happily chattering. Yamatto looked back at me and whispered close enough so that only I could hear him. "You're doing really well, keep it up Vampire Girl." He chuckled to himself, as if me being "vampire girl" was a good thing. I stared at the back of his neck outlandishly. And the only thing I could think was, 'Sunny Dale, home of the strange.'

Soooooooo, yeah, that's just about it. For now! Duh duh duh. :D No worries Mr. Kimiay will appear shortly, and yes, that evil vampire that Sora beat up WAS Davis. . . Sorry, he'll play a bigger role a little bit later, and remember these are Joss Wheadon vampires not Stephanie Meyer Vampires, so yeah. I hope you like it and I'll need one review to continue. ;D PLEASE review, I'll update more often the more review I get and if you tell me I need revisions or a life and that I should quick fanfiction then I will gladly oblige. . . UNTIL THEN!

Siy Rowling - press the button you know you want to!