Patricia Evans and Charlotte Winters sat in silence in their small apartment. Charlie didn't talk much anymore. Not since Jaleen's death. For being a supposedly soulless monster, Charlie was unable to shake off the death of that young girl, her friend. Jaleen had had an ability to bring out the best in people. She had loved the world so much that it had spilt over into the lives of those around her, making their lives brighter as well, even when she was sad, just her presence had made the world a better place, especially improving those closest to her. Charlie missed her, so much. The world seemed a darker place without Jaleen Rosario, and Charlie didn't think that it could ever get better. Patty on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the dark hole the world had become since Jay's death, if anything, she seemed happier, as she blissfully gave herself a manicure.
Two weeks had passed since Jay's funeral, but neither of them were in any hurry to get back to their master, just to tell him they had failed and his evil accomplice, Chase Collins, was stone cold dead, and his other minion, Jason, had disappeared without a trace. Patty seemed to enjoy Ipswich and showed no interest in leaving, Charlie on the other hand couldn't bare to leave Jay behind, even though she knew her young friend was dead. So, they stayed at Ipswich for the time, the Slayer didn't know their secret, so there was really no pressing reason to leave. Patty was content to stay, and Charlie was content to grieve.
Patty began to hum a cheerful little tune. Charlie glared at her, hating her sadness being interrupted.
"I could have saved her, you know." Patty said suddenly to Charlie as she casually filed her nails.
"What?" Charlie asked, unsure what her best friend was talking about.
"Jay." Patty clarified with an evil smile. "I could have saved her, the Master gave me the potion he'd promised could cure her."
Charlie sat up straight, anger burning inside her. Patty had to be joking, but if she was, it wasn't funny.
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked, her voice dangerously calm.
Patty smiled malevolently at Charlie as she slouched back into her chair.
"I had the power to spare Jay's life, but instead, I chose to watch her die." Patty looked innocently into Charlie's eyes, but she was anything but innocent. "Pretty evil, huh?"
"You… you let her die?" Charlie asked, her voice shaking, her hands gripping her seat so tight her knuckles were white.
"She was just a human." Patty said coldly.
Charlie jumped up from her chair and grabbed Patty's throat, squeezing tight.
"She was not just a human!" Charlie yelled, slamming Patty's head against the wall. "She was my friend, you bitch! And you're telling me you stood by and let me watch her die, when there was something you could have done to save her?!?"
Patty threw Charlie off of her and into the opposite wall with unnatural strength, and massaged her throat reproachfully.
"She was going to die eventually, anyways!" Patty justified, "I just let it happen sooner. I really don't get why you're so mad. I did have the right! She stole Reid from me!"
Charlie stood up, brushing drywall off herself.
"Is that what this is to you?" Charlie asked, her voice shaking, her eyes murderous. "Getting even? All because Reid loved her? So, because she got the guy you couldn't have you had the right to let her die? I hope Sloan finds out what you are and tracks you down. I hope she sends you to hell, where you belong. You're a soulless bitch. Jay was our friend, and a good person! What gave you the right to decide whether she lived or die?"
"I'm a vampire , Charlie!" Patty snarled. "You'd do well to remember that you're one too!"
"I don't kill innocent people!" Charlie said, her voice cracking.
"I do!" Patty whispered heartlessly. "And I like it."
"You bitch!" Charlie growled, shaking her head. "I swear to God, you're going to go to hell, and I'm going to watch, and I promise, I wont do a thing to help you."
"Do you really think God can stop me?" Patty said wickedly.
"Don't know about God," Said a voice from the doorway behind them. Patty and Charlie spun around. Sloan stood before them, stake in hand..
"Slayer!" Patty hissed.
Sloan hurled the wooden stake with perfect precision, Patty had a moment to realize what had happened before she disintegrated into ash.
"But I sure can." Sloan said with a grim smile. She turned to face Charlie. "I'm sorry it has to end this way. I always did like you."
Charlie nodded, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at the stake laying on the floor.
"I know," Charlie whispered, "I'm sorry too. I wasn't a bad person. I just didn't want to die. He made me an offer. Eternal life, eternal youth, I wish I had known then what I know now."
"What's that?" Sloan asked, trying to hold her stake steady as she shook.
""It's not worth it." Charlie whispered. "Killing innocent people, because we can? It always seemed wrong, but now I really understand. Jay was like a sister to me. I loved her, so much, and to have her ripped away when she could have been saved. How can I live with myself for eternity? Knowing what I am? Knowing what creatures like me do? Knowing what I've done? There is no other way."
"I'm sorry Charlie." Sloan whispered. Charlie nodded and walked to her dresser, pulling out a picture.
"I took this picture of them a week before she…" Charlie whispered, handing a photo of Reid holding Jay in his arms, both of them smiling, both happy, but the impending doom for their love visible in the shadows beneath Jays eyes and the many tubes attached to her. Sloan choked back tears.
"They look so happy." Sloan whispered, Charlie nodded,
"Can you give it to Reid?" Charlie asked, Sloan closed her eyes, looking away from the happiness long lost, and nodded. "Oh, and tell Pogue. Tell him I died in a car crash or something. Don't tell him what I really am. He was one of the best friends I ever had, I don't want him remembering me as a monster. I want him to remember me as I was."
Sloan shook her head, visibly shaking as she held back her tears.
"I can't do it. You're not like the rest of them." Sloan whispered.
"Just think of it this way. If you don't do it now, I'll turn full vampire when the sun goes down, and who knows who I'll hurt then."
"Charlie, I can't kill you." Sloan pleaded.
"You wont, I've been dead for a long time. You'll just be killing the thing that killed me. Avenging me, saving…" Charlie looked down, a wooden stake stuck out of her chest. "Thank…"
Charlie exploded into ash. Sloan collapsed to the ground, sobbing, clutching the photo to her chest.
"I'm sorry." She wept. "I'm so sorry…"
Sloan took a while to get a grip of herself, but once she did, she was back to business…
Fulfilling Charlie's last request. She staged a car accident, with a fire so hot there would have been no remains.
When she was finally finished, she got back into her car and drove home. Dazed and upset by Charlie's death, she slowly walked into her house, sitting her car keys on the table by the front door. Clearing her throat she called out. "I'm home!"
Caleb appeared a moment later, a tiny pink bundle in his arms.
"Look who's home, Evelyn." Caleb crooned to the small infant in his loving and protective arms. "Look, Mommy's home."
Sloan smiled, her chest loosening slightly. She reluctantly placed the photo on the table by her keys and walked to her husband, her wonderful Caleb, and rested her head against his chest, gazing at the baby in his arms.
"How's my little angel?" She asked shakily.
Caleb kissed the top of her head in the comforting way he did so well and whispered in her ear, jokingly, "Angelic."
AN: Please review!
Midnightfarie