"Jane, it's Jerry and Dinah from next door," he called through the closed door. "We really need to talk to you." Don't let 'em in! came Charley's hushed voice. Please, whatever you do, mom, don't invite them in. "It's about your son. He's been harassing us ever since we moved here."

Charley, what…? Dinah was quickly losing patience with these people. "Jane, he broke into our home. We don't want to go to the authorities, but we will if we have to."

"He's sick. He's deluded!" Jerry ignored the side-eye Dinah gave him for his dramatic proclamation.

A long pause hung between the vampires and their prey. No doubt some kind of wordless argument was taking place between mother and son. "Go call the authorities!"

That was all they needed to hear. Neither spoke as they went to their garage for a few things, then back outside and into the Brewsters' backyard. Dinah had lost her tolerance for dancing around the issue and the games they wanted to play. Jerry quickly dug up the gas line in the yard, sod and dirt flying everywhere, and Dinah yanked it up to saw it in half. They both smirked at their neighbors through the window before igniting the gas and closing the pipe. Seconds later glass and plaster exploded until the wall was nothing more than a distant memory.

The vampires approached the burning ruins ready for a (short-lived) fight. "Don't need an invitation if there's no house." As the three tried to run, Jerry nodded to Dinah, silently telling her to circle the other way while he headed to what was left of the garage. Dinah kept her eyes wide open, her hunter's senses on full alert. She'd expected to hear screams of terror, not the squeal of tires. She hurried to the front of house in time to see her mate strolling casually towards what could almost be called a scooter. "Get on," he called.

"Busted wheel," she informed him. "That thing's not going anywhere."

"Sure it is." More out of rage than anything else, he picked the bike up and hurled it at the fleeing vehicle. The satisfying sound of glass smashing and a feminine scream brought a wicked smile to Dinah's lips. That smile faded as she watched the SUV speed on down the road. "New plan."

They quickly hopped into the Tahoe, Jerry's foot even on the floor. The red taillights ahead grew bigger and brighter as they got closer. She licked her lips in anticipation of the kill, adrenaline pumping through her body, and willed the truck to go faster. Within seconds they were nearly bumper-to-bumper. "Swipe 'em!"

Dinah started rolling her window down after the first hit (a mere tap), intent on leaping onto the SUV and tearing the metal and plastic apart. Jerry's grip on her arm kept her still, though. "Not yet, babe. I got this." He sideswiped their prey again and sped forward. The deserted road became a deathtrap for Amy and the Brewsters when he turned the truck sideways and blocked their path. Jane wouldn't dare try to hit them if there was the slightest chance that Amy or her son might be injured.

Confident that the woman wouldn't try anything stupid, they sauntered out of the truck and took a moment to stare down their dinner. Dinah especially enjoyed this power play when she didn't need to resort to her hypnosis; she just liked seeing the fear in her prey's eyes right before she tore their throats out. Unfortunately, this night was not going to go the way she wanted it to. She just barely dove out of the way when Charley stepped on the gas and crashed into the Tahoe.

She stood and hissed at the fleeing vehicle only to find herself alone on the road. "Jerry!" He'd been hit! What the actual fucking hell?! She forced her anger down and climbed into the driver's seat of the damaged truck (thankfully it was big enough to take a beating and still be operable). The sight of the trail of blood on the pavement enraged her further, but she told herself he was alright, that he was on top of things. If he's dead I'd have felt it. And I would have to find a way to bring him back just so I can kill him again myself. Bastard. She shook her head to clear away the unpleasant thoughts. Anger she could handle; fear she refused to tolerate. She hadn't had any use for fear in almost a century, and she sure as hell didn't need it now.

Although she tried to remain calm and rational, each moment she didn't see a single sign of her mate or the SUV that had rammed him her anxiety grew. Finally, after what felt like decades, the tell-tale red glow of taillights came into view. The truck screeched to a halt behind not the Brewsters' SUV, but another small car that looked like it had failed all its safety tests. She jumped down from the cab and took in the scene as quickly as she could.

A totaled car. A dead man in a suit. The charred remains of what looked to be a cross. Glass and blood all over the asphalt. Fuck that! Where is he?! A low growl gave her her answer. She hurried to the sound and found Jerry, broken and bloodied with a…real estate sign in his back? If she didn't know how close he'd come to death (the permanent kind), she'd have found the sight hilarious. As it was, she was just delighted he was still moving. She pulled the stake out of his back and pulled him off the road to finish healing. The sounds of his bones snapping back into place and muscle re-weaving itself made her cringe in sympathy. He would come through it without a single lasting scratch, but she knew it still hurt like a bitch. She stared down the road as if she could force the Brewsters to come back so she could deal with them.

"Ahh, fuck," Jerry groaned. He sat up in the ditch and took a couple of deep breaths to hurry the last of the pain away. "And where the hell were you?"

His aggressive tone took her by surprise. "Hey, don't get an attitude with me. You're the one who didn't move out the way."

"So you just let me get run over by a fuckin' SUV?" He stood and paced up and down the side of the Tahoe.

Dinah was now beyond worrying. She was pissed. "Don't you dare try to blame me for anything. It was your own damn fault they hit you, and apparently yours that they're still breathing when they should be grease stains on the pavement!" The clawed hand that latched around her throat held the whole of her temper back. "Jerry, calm the fuck down. What the hell is wrong with you tonight?"

His eyes darted to his hand as if just realizing what he was doing. He released her and let out a harsh breath through his nose. "It's that fuckin' kid. I knew I should have eaten him and his mom when we first met." That wasn't good enough for Dinah. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Something about that kid just gets to me."

"He's smart. Been a while since we came up against a smart one. But he's just a kid. He'll screw up, and when he does we can take him and Jane out and keep Amy for ourselves." He didn't respond. "Right?"

"Yeah, sure." He deliberately softened his voice and slowed his movements when he saw she was still irritated. "Babe, I'm sorry I snapped at you." He put his hands on her shoulders and trailed them down her arms. "Let's just get your girlfriend and maybe take care of some old business then split this town."

"Alright, alright. Don't go all girly on me." She opened the driver door and climbed into the seat. "Not a word, Jerry. You pissed me off, so as punishment I get to drive. Now get in."

He smirked as he got in on the other side. "You know I like it when you boss me around, Di."

She couldn't quite stop the smile that forced its way onto her lips. "Quit lying and shut up."

"They took Jane to a hospital. She hit her head after she staked me, the bitch. We can track 'em down after we find out which one they took her to."

"Won't be hard; there's only one nearby." She floored the gas and headed straight for Sacred Heart Memorial, three miles away. "We can't just barge into a hospital and start ripping people apart."

"Why not?"

She half-heartedly smacked at him. Why can't I ever stay mad at him even when he's a douche? "We'll find 'em, then head back home and regroup. They can't stay in there forever. Are any of the pawns ready?"

"One is."

"Aw hell," she groaned when she realized who he meant. "Does it really have to be him? Hell, the stoner would be better. Or at least less annoying."

"He can get closer to Charley. Besides, he's been wanting some payback."

Dinah groaned again. "Fine. But I swear to God if he takes a shot at me I'll rip his fuckin' head off."

I am soooo sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I really have no excuse other than constantly getting distracted by other stories. I'll hopefully have this whole story wrapped up in a few more chapters and they won't be months apart anymore. I love you guys!