Mine For The Taking
Spike knew Edward was there. Even if he hadn't been able to smell his cheap Polo cologne there was no way he would ever have missed that ridiculous
looking haircut. He lit up a cigarette and took a long, smooth drag, wondering all the time what the world of vampires was coming to.
"Have you found her yet?" Angeles questioned from behind him, quite as a mouse hiding from the hunter.
"No, but then again I never will if I have you always yammering in my ear." Spike bit out sarcastically while rolling his eyes. "Why don't you go find someone to eat?"
Angeles licked his lips with relish, then sighed in misery.
"Uh, there aren't any good ones around here to satisfy my appetite." He drawled out in a lazy Irish accent. "
Spike turned around in exasperation, glaring at Angeles as he flicked away the still lit cigarette.
"God will you shut your gob? Ever since we left L.A. all you've done is blather like the village idiot about how there are 'never any good people to eat'. I've got to say mate that you've gotten just a bit spoiled living it up in that law firm."
Angeles waved him off.
"Fine. Go back to ogling that school boy vampire of yours. You know Spike, if I didn't know any better I'd say you didn't like women anymore." Angeles laughed at his own quip.
Spike growled at him, his face contorting to show the demon within, fangs glistening even through the overcast.
"I'm only watching him to get the girl. Now that both the slayers are dead and Kennedy won't survive the night, you know it's only a matter of time before that little dip of a woman becomes active. I want to feel the life draining out of her even as she becomes the Slayer."
They both smiled evilly at the thought of four slayers being killed in less than a month, a cataclysmic even that they had caused. Buffy and Faith had been relatively easy; still believing that both Spike and Angeles had souls they had invited them into their stronghold, where by cover of night they had slaughtered all of the potentials, then drained every last drop of blood from the slayers themselves.
Kennedy was the only potential they had missed, since she was living with Willow, and they had not anticipated the Slayer line reverting back to one girl. She had become active as soon as Faith was dead. She had fled, leaving Willow behind in an effort to protect her.
Spike had tracked her down easily, remembering her scent from before the Hellmouth had been destroyed. He had taken his time, draining her slowly after torturing her to the point of insanity. Then he and Angeles had gone searching for this new potential with a dying Kennedy in tow, this Isabella Swan.
What they hadn't foreseen was the small detail of her dating a baby vampire. This Edward Cullen would be easily disposed of; his family however, after learning of his death would be a bit of a problem. Angeles had agreed to take out the family if Spike would see to the boy.
Spike smiled at the thought of killing Bella in front of Edward. How he relished the kill again.
Just as he was thinking of the ways that Bella could die, he caught a scent that made his blood run hot and caused him to look up with interest. That's when he saw her.
Bella had just come out of the school and was walking up to Edward, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Spike followed her movements with his eyes and licked his lips in anticipation. Suddenly, he didn't want to kill her. He wanted to do something that was far worse to a Slayer.
He wanted to turn her.
"Edward can you pass me the ketchup?" Bella questioned, holding out her hand expectantly.
He gazed at her intently before depositing the bottle into her waiting hand. Not saying a word he continued to stare at her while she poured a scant amount onto her steaming fries before placing in back on the table between them.
"So Bells, what are your plans for tonight? Gonna hang out with your girlfriends and do some...girl things?" Charlie asked hesitantly.
Bella shook her head. She knew her father was trying, but everything between them would always be strained. She thought it was a good thing that even though she loved him, they would never be close.
"I thought that I would just hang out here and watch some TV. Maybe finish up some homework." She replied after a minute.
What she really wanted to do was be alone with Edward, but her father wasn't quite at the stage to let her do that.
They continued eating in silence, the tension almost audible between the three of them. Charlie finished eating first and got up to place his plate in the sink. While his back was turned Edward quickly vanished from the table to scrape his food outside before coming to sit back down as if nothing had happened.
Charlie turned back around and stared at Edward's plate in bewilderment.
"You sure finished your food fast. I coulda sworn a minute ago that you had a full plate." He scratched his head in confusion.
"I, uh, don't like to eat in front of people. I'm afraid I might get food stuck between my teeth and nobody will say anything." He smiled to appease Charlie, but it only made him appear more odd.
"I'm finished to Dad." Bella quickly interjected. "Why don't you go get comfortable in front of the TV and Edward and I will clean up."
Bella practically pushed Charlie from the kitchen and turned around to face Edward, slight anger permiating the room.
"Getting food stuck between your teeth? I could have thought of something better than that!" She glared at him with her hands on her hips.
Edward just shrugged his shoulders at her.
"He seemed to take in just fine. It's over and done with."
Bella just turned away from him to load the dishes into the dishwasher. Sometimes Edward really exasperated her. Charlie would know something was up if Edward kept taking the risks he did. Sneaking into her bedroom at night was one thing, but using his vampire speed in the middle of dinner was another matter entirely.
"You've got to be more careful Edward. If Charlie ever finds out that you're a vampire he'd...well I don't know what he would do but I don't think it would be pretty."
Edward came up and cupped her cheek in his cool hand.
"Pretty like you?" He whispered with a grin.
Bella pushed his hand away.
"You can't always smooth talk me into forgetting why I'm angry."
She turned and sauntered out the back door, standing in the yard with her arms crossed in anger. Suddenly she felt the air stir beside her.
"Edward," she sighed and turned to face him heatedly, "I don't want to talk to you right now."
"What makes you think I'm that fop?" A British accent greeted her instead.
Bella's eyes widened in panic as she gazed at the vampire before her. Bleach blond hair, cool dark blue eyes and a face contorted into that of the demon within all glared back at her. His smile was wide, showing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. The black trench-coat that graced his shoulders swung out behind him, adding to the air of danger coming from all around him.
Before she could get a word out Spike grasped her throat and lifted her off of the ground, letting her feet dangle and effectively cutting off her air supply.
"So you're gonna be the new slayer? I have to say you aren't at all what I expected. But after seeing you with that twit earlier I know why you were chosen. Like sucking the face of danger do you? Actually I don't think it counts with that boy."
Spike licked his lips in anticipation before throwing Bella several feet away, causing her to hit a tree and bounce off like a tennis ball.
As pain racked her body Bella crawled to her feet. Rather than anger him with endless questions she did the only thing that she could think of.
"Edward!" She screamed loudly.
Spike turned and held out a hand, Edward's neck firmly grasped in it.
"Ah, so the young vampire comes to the rescue of his fair lady. How touching!" Spike laughed while squeezing Edward's throat harder.
"Let him go!" Bella screamed in terror.
"Oh better do what the little girl says, Spike. She sounds like she might have a panic attack any second." A voice laughed mockingly from right behind Bella.
Angeles came out of the darkness, rubbing his hands together as if he were a nervous little school girl.
"But you never know, that could just be a Slayer trick." He held out his hands in question.
Bella backed away in sheer terror from the man with the face of an angel who radiated waves of darkness.
"Bout time you joined us. I thought you'd gone on and found some other party to crash."
Spike's face changed to a rakish looking young man before he turned to Edward.
"Did you take care of her father and the family?" He questioned Angeles, still staring Edward in the eyes.
Edward's eyes widened in anger at the mention of his family and he tried clawing at Spike's hand to free himself. Angeles licked his fingers with relish and grinned evilly at Edward.
"Delicious."
They both laughed at Angeles's quip. Edward glared at them.
"What did you do to them?" He chocked out.
Angeles turned to Spike with a puzzled look.
"I don't think he exactly got the 'delicious' part. Maybe he needs a demonstration with his girlfriend?"
Angeles leapt at Bella, trapping her hands in one of his and jerking her head roughtly to the side, exposing the long expanse of her neck. He lowered his head, ready to sink his fangs in deep. Bella screamed loudly in terror.
"NO!" Spike bellowed, letting go of Edward and letting him crumble to the ground.
Angeles released her quickly, holding up his hands in surrender and taking a step back.
"Fine, fine, fine. I understand the whole 'Slayer Killer' complex you have." He laughed at the title he had given Spike before his gaze suddenly became dark and his face contorted to his inner demon, "But I still get Kennedy."
Edward, having recovered from his crushed windpipe, rushed at Angeles, thinking that the two vampires were too distracted to stop him. Angeles close-lined Edward just as he reached him and he slammed into the ground. Edward's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fought to maintain consciousness.
"And they fall for it every time!" He laughed while snapping his fingers. "Don't they know that the 'Oh we're so distracted by how awesome we are' act is really, well just an act?"
Spike didn't answer him, but rather walked over to Bella and picked her up roughly, biting his bottom lip as he racked his eyes up and down her body, taking in her touchable brown hair, he deep brown eyes, and the ripe curvy body of a teenage girl not yet a woman. He would take her, turn her, and enjoy every single second of it.
"Bring Kennedy here." She directed at Angeles.
Angeles laughed at the inside joke.
"Spike, you know me so well."
Angeles held up a finger to signal for them all to wait and he walked to the edge of the woods. A sharp moan of pain was heard before he dragged a near-death Kennedy in his wake. Blood poured down her body in rivets from various wounds on her body and her eyes were rolled back in her head. She was still conscious, but not strong enough to stop herself from falling as he flung her to the ground at Spike's feet.
"Let the women go! It's me you want!" Edward inserted himself between Spike and Angeles, his hands reaching out to both Kennedy and Bella.
Spike just smiled and released Bella from his grasp to let her fall beside Kennedy.
"No you're not. We really do want to kill them. But, I like you so much that I'm gonna let you in on why."
Spike motioned for Edward to take a seat on the ground. Edward glared at him and shook his head, maintaining his stance with his fists clenched. Angeles sucker punched him and then he too was on the ground with the women. Rubbing his jaw, Edward wrapped his arms around Bella and sat close to Kennedy to comfort her.
"You see, we really have to start at the beginning. I could give you the 'In every generation' speech, but I'm so tired of hearing it myself that I don't want to bore another undead individual to death. I would rather kill you myself."
Angeles interjected.
"Now Spike you're frightening the lad. I think you've lost your touch. You should be terrifying him."
Spike turned to address Angeles, once again completely ignoring Edward.
"Now Angel, don't undermine me in front of the boy. I'm getting there." He told him with relish.
Edward glared at Angeles.
"You killed my family." He murmured through clenched teeth.
Angeles smiled at him as if they were old friends.
"Well yes I did. And I must say, as far as the undead goes, your family was by far the tastiest I've had in centuries."
His maniacal, mocking laughter followed. Edward felt tears well in his eyes, but refused to let them fall in front of these creatures. He held the girls closer to him.
"I also killed her father." He continued, pointing at Bella. "Not as tasty as the Cullens."
He punctuated his statement with a wince.
"May I continue?" Spike demanded.
They all became quite once again.
"As I was saying, Kennedy, the dying girl you're clutching to for her dear life, is the current Slayer. As the saying goes 'she alone will face the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness'. She did just that and now here she...lays for all to see. When she dies, another Slayer will become active. That little slip of a girl you're so in love is next in line."
Spike grinned at Edward with understanding.
"Now we as creatures of the night can't allow that to happen. Or at least can't allow her to stay the Slayer. So once my associate here kills Kennedy, Bella becomes mine."
Edward shot up to a standing position, launching himself at Spike.
"I'll kill you before you touch her!" He snarled.
Spike punched him in the forehead and Edward sprawled out on the ground eagle-splayed.
"What are you gonna do, gum me to death with your frightening no-fangs? Honestly you Cullens are about the most pathetic vampires I've ever seen." He looked down and mocked Edward sarcastically.
"I say the time for talking is over. Let's just get to the killing."
Angeles grabbed Kennedy from the ground and hauled her up against him, ripping strands of her hair out as he positioned her neck exactly the way he wanted it.
"No!" Screamed Bella in fright. "Kill me instead!"
"Ah, darling, we'll get to that part soon enough." Angeles laughed before sinking his teeth deep into Kennedy's neck.