Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Xena, just really wish I did. ^-^

AN: A story that's been rolling around in my head for awhile… didn't know which characters to use; then it just made sense. Modern day. 3rd person.

I Own You

He was a normal man. Dark suit, short hair, walking quickly his briefcase in one hand, cell phone in the other. His voice was clipped as he barked an order to his secretary and abruptly hung up. His time was money and the new girl for his promotion was fresh out of college and a moron and wasted his time regularly. The only good thing was she was easy on the eyes and with his wife losing her youth, a regular in his fantasies; the idea of overpowering her small frame appeared in his mind on many of nights. He slipped the phone into his pocket as he passed an alley way. It seemed normal enough and no one noticed the darker spot of shadow moving.

"I own you."

A fleeting whisper that he didn't even think he heard. Only the soft voice and the warmth of someone's breath proved that it had happened. He turned his head slightly but saw no one directly behind him. Shrugging he continued on his way.

He was found dead the next day in the river, an X shaped cut along his left cheek was the only sign of harm.

She walked slowly, the only thing carrying her along was her strong legs and their wide strides. Her hair blew messily all over in the wind, blue eyes flashing behind her raven hair as she watched the people she was moving past. She was picking out her next target.

She didn't remember when she started killing random men, when she became the Belladonna, the most feared serial killer in her state. Maybe it was the thrill of not being caught. No one even knew it was a woman, though it was suspected since all the victims were men. She'd successfully avoided all detection because no one knew what they all had in common. They were all male most between 30 and 50 but even then some older and some younger ones slipped in. They were from all over the city; none so far had worked at the same place. That was pure luck on her part. It was only a matter of time before there was a connection and evidence started to point to her. By then she'd have disappeared with the money she had made off her victims. She watched a man remove his wedding band from his finger as he leaned in closer to a girl maybe half his age. She tried not to choose men in this fashion, but it was becoming more and more common to see men willing cheat on their wives and girlfriends and it seemed like a good enough reason for her anger. She noted his actions a bit longer and began her hunt. He didn't know that he was hers now.

He watched her watching him. He'd always had a fascination with the Belladonna from the first time the name was used. Deadly Nightshade. He always knew it was a woman, and always hoped she'd have nightshade hair. Pitch black and silky. And it was pure happen chance to come upon her hunting one of her prey. She was so focused on him she hadn't noticed her fan. He didn't follow every time but he began to follow her often. He had a vague idea how she killed her victims but had yet to see her in action. He was a normal guy, didn't have anyone special in his life but as soon as he heard about the Belladonna, he was entranced. He was walking along when a strand of her hair hit him in the face. It brushed his lip and for the first time ever he blushed and his heart raced. He knew it was her. And now her she was in front of him telling some man something. She ducked in front of him, he would never know it was her and this excited him. He wondered what she said to him. Hoped one day he could force it from her lips as they were tangled on his bed. This was more than a crush. This was an obsession.

She gave the man her warning and stalked off, quiet aware of the man following her footsteps. He was new to this; that was for sure. His feet slapping on the pavement where in perfect rhythm with hers. She could test him by slowing down and speeding up. It amused her. She checked his background out when she intercepted a waitress at a restaurant he followed her to. Bump into the new girl, help her pick up the check and credit card and take a peek at his name. She found him easily enough, hacked through a few databases and found him. Name, address, occupation, everything. He was simple. Seemed like the only thing worth wild in his life was her, which amused her to no end. He probably masturbated to the thought of her often and it made her chuckle. He was a shadow and she'd have to kill him if he got too close.

He saw her again a few days later watching the same man as before. And she knew he was following her. They moved together through the shadows. He wasn't aware that she was but that suited them both fine.

The prey moved slowly along his street, only a few houses down from his. He was unaware of his stalkers and even less aware that one was almost upon him. She stepped into view and he stopped. She was gorgeous. Long raven hair and flashing blue eyes. She smiled sweetly and pulled out a syringe, her weapon of choice. Pure Deadly Nightshade boiled down into a concentrated liquid of 20 CCs. She slid the needle into his neck and pushed the liquid in. There was many potential ways he could die. The hallucinating affects of Nightshade had killed many a man, but the cardiac arrest and neurosis was much more common for such a concentrated amount. As his took his last breath she whispered, "I OWN you."

He fell to the ground and she took a small knife from her boot and marked his face with an 'X' as was he trademark. She kicked him I the head and stalked off.

After she was out of sight, her fan walked forward and looked over her handy work, carefully not to touch anything. He smiled and repeated "I own you" over and over on his lips. He loved the sound of it. And now he wanted to own her.

- Three Months Later-

The Belladonna was become less and less heard of in the news. One man claimed to have escaped her but was soon seen as a hack and thrown to the media wolves. He though, had yet to forget. He was worried she might move to a different town, purely for the hell of it. Or maybe someone had gotten too close and spooked her, either way he was missing her. Seeing her name in the paper, watching her stalk her prey. It gave him chills just thinking about it. It was enough screwing around. He was going to own her.

She was wandering around town. The spark, the thrill that had come before was gone. She just stopped. She was done being the Belladonna. She was ready to settle down and just vanish. She'd lost her touch too and didn't notice when her biggest fan came up from behind her, chloroformed her and dragged her down a back alley.

She awoke to his eyes watching her intensely and tried to move, realizing she was bound with hands behind her back on a chair she hissed at him.

"You're beautiful." Was the only thing he said when their eyes met. He walked over to her and placed a kiss on her forehead before stalking off, a loud slam of a door and she was in complete darkness. She growled but leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes trying to hear to anything that she could use to kill this guy.

It was a few hours later when she heard his footsteps again. She snapped into attention and glared as he walked down the stairs a small smirk playing across his face. He pulled up a chair facing her and sat down.

"You've cause quite a bit of news my dear." He leaned in from his chair and played with a strand of her hair. She growled in response and he let go.

"I guess I could just turn you in, there's quite the price on you head." He smirked and she couldn't help but notice how nice his smile was. His dark curly hair just gracing his shoulders and his eyes playing over her body made her shiver.

"Is that what you want?" she inquired. "Money? I can get you more than the price of me."

"I want everything. Can you give me that?"

"And what constitutes everything? I am sure I have more than you have ever desired. "

"Are you sure? What if I said I wanted the President's head on a platter? Could you bring me his head?"

She snorted. "Easy."

He chuckled, "I'd thought you'd say that. And what if I wanted you? Would you let me own you?"

Her eyes narrowed and she considered her options. Maybe it would be fun. She knew this man. Knew he was obsessed with her. She could make it worth her wild.

"Okay. I will give you me. Can we undo these bindings now?" she gave him her best smile and batted her eyelashes for a bit more of the innocent girl effect.

He laughed loudly at her act and got up and untied her ropes. She pulled her arms free and rolled her shoulders before launching herself at him, knocking him down and pinning him beneath her. Her hands were at his throat, thumbs pressing down at his windpipe ready to crush it. She smiled and honestly considered to end this game now, and he knew it but the idea of her touching him, sitting on his hips, her hands gracing his pulse which was beating faster and faster by the second, brought a small moan from his lips.

She smiled and leaned down licking up his neck between her fingers. He shivered and she reeled at his reaction. It was kinda hot how turned on he was by her actions. She lost herself in his reaction and soon was pinned herself.

"Remember my dear, I OWN you."

And stole her lips in a kiss he had been waiting for his whole life.

It went well for the initial period. But soon she missed her bachelorette life style. She was ready again to disappear. But he kept her on a tight leash. Literally. He was taking the "I own you" too far and it was making her violent and angry.

It was that night she decided enough was enough.

She was riding him after he got home from wherever he went these days. Her hands were pulling on his shoulders and he pulled her down bringing her ear to his lips.

"I own you. I love you."

She slid the syringe from under the pillow. It was now or never.

"No, I own you."

She stabbed it into his neck and his eyes bulged. She knew he was aware of his death and she relished in it. He reached out to her and his fingers brushed her lips as he came for the last time. She pushed his face to the side and got up off him and walked to take a shower.

His body was found on the police office steps the next day, a note stapled to his chest and the trade mark 'X' across his cheek.

"I tried to own what you cannot capture. I tried to keep what was meant to be free. And like the wind she slipped away. I told her I owned her and this is the price I paid. She owns me, she owns us all. We are not safe."

They never did catch the Belladonna.

AN: I have been wanting to write this for a very long time. I am so glad I finally finished it!

It is true that Deadly Nightshade can cause hallucinations (making you think you can breathe underwater and then you drowned.) Along with cardiac arrest and neurosis. Of course it is a bit of a stretch, but isn't that part of the fun? :D

Well I hope you enjoyed this one-shot!

Please review!

-Dess