Disclaimer: I don't own Moonlight. If I did…………then I would be a lot richer.
A/N: Thanks to all for your patience and reviews!
I looked at my watch. It was 6:58.00. In one minute and sixty seconds, we would go in and take out the Occisors. I looked at Mick.
"Check again." I whispered.
"Beth isn't here, Heather." He said patiently.
"Mick!" I hissed. He rolled his eyes and sniffed the air.
"No Beth," he reported. I sighed with relief, nodding at Josef. While Josef did like Beth, if she showed up here tonight, he'd probably kill her. No one wanted this mission to be ruined because of a human technicality. My watch hit 7:00.00 and we all stood up as one. Josef and James leading, we walked down the slope towards the Occisor's mansion. When we reached the front door, Josef rang the doorbell. As before, it was opened by the giant, who looked confused and annoyed at seeing so many people on the front lawn.
"We need to speak to the family." Josef said calmly. The giant arched an eyebrow and shook his head. Josef sighed and stepped aside. Instantly, Marlon shot up the steps, bulling into the giant. Now, Marlon is kind of like my brother. He watches people deal out pain instead of doing it himself. But he's still a vampire. So we all watched as the giant slid across the floor of the foyer, Marlon on top of him. The giant's fist came up, slamming into Marlon's picture perfect face. There was a crunching noise, a gasp of pain, and the giant's howl of agony. Eugene roared at the sound of his brother being hit, but some of the older vampires restrained him from helping out. The giant's howl did not go unnoticed. Winnie ran in. She saw us and her eyes narrowed threateningly.
"Vampires!" she growled, drawing a huge sword from her side. Where do they get these things? "Which one of you wants to die first?" Bea stepped forward.
"Pick me." She said dryly. Winnie snarled and swung the sword at her. I heard one of the female vampires behind me gasp in horror at the thought of Bea getting decapitated, but Bea was suddenly standing behind Winnie. "Nice sword." She commented casually. Winnie cried out in surprise and then turned to face her. Josef cocked his head to one side, listening.
"The rest are retreating further into the mansion." He said calmly. "Go to your assignments everyone, and remember the rules." We nodded and then we all shot off, rapidly disappearing in the many hallways of the manor. I passed the room where Leopold and Erik had been earlier and glanced inside, seeing James and Leopold circling each other. I kept going. It was one of "the rules": You don't try and help a vampire fight his foe. It was a bad idea. I was heading for Erik's room when I caught a familiar smell: Tall, blonde, blue eyed, warm blooded……and curious. I stifled a groan. Beth, do you want to get yourself killed?! I leapt over the banister, landing on the steps leading down. As I got closer and closer to Beth, I detected another scent: Erik. I poured on the speed. It was time to kill two birds with one stone; or in this case, two humans with one vampire. I burst into a basement room. Beth was backed into a corner, Erik standing in front of her, a raised stake in one hand. Remember that protectiveness I mentioned earlier? Well, Beth was definitely family. I snarled and ran over, grabbing his wrist and flipping him onto his back. I snapped the stake in half and tossed the pieces aside.
"Beth, stay back." I warned. Erik got up and stared at me.
"Heather?" he gasped. "You? You're one of them?"
"If you mean a vampire, then yes." I answered.
"That's impossible!" he yelled. I extended my fangs and looked at him with silver eyes.
"Nothing is impossible for vampires." I replied. "They can change anyone." His shoulders slumped and he bowed his head. Then he started laughing. I stared at him like he was insane. He looked up at me, grinning.
"Why am I surprised?" he asked. "Everything pointed to it. Your "fasting", your "tinted limousine", how you were completely unharmed after that case fell on you, how you pleaded with me to go to the police after we attacked Silver, and how you showed up yesterday to "apologize". You're nothing more than a lying, cheating, bloodsucking murderess!" he accused me.
"I don't murder children." I growled. He smiled sadly.
"Even if they're related to criminals? The sins of the father are inherited by the sons."
"That's a myth!" I snarled, baring my teeth.
"Hah! Tell me something, Heather. Why did you tell me to go to the police?" he asked.
"It seemed like the humane thing to do." I answered.
"So it wasn't because you cared about me and didn't want me to get hurt?"
"I never wanted it to come to this, Erik."
"Ah, what a good lie!" he chuckled.
"It's not a lie." I protested.
"Then why kill me now?" he challenged.
"You went after a family member." I answered seriously. "We have to eliminate the threat."
"You can let me escape! Tell them you couldn't find me!" he suggested.
"No, I can't. They'd come for you instead, Erik. They won't give you a chance."
"And you will?"
"At least I'm letting you fight!" I snarled. "By all rights, you should be dead already."
"So she wasn't sent after me?" he asked, nodding towards Beth. I smirked.
"She's a human reporter who wanted to get in on the story."
"But you're protecting her?" he asked.
"She's an old friend." I said with a shrug. He nodded and then his eyes flickered up, over my shoulder. My internal alarm system went wild. He'd been stalling for time! I spun around and was confused when I saw what was there: Nothing.
"Heather, watch out!" Beth screamed. I turned just as he hurled a knife at me. Without even flinching, my arm went up, spinning the knife away. It clattered to the floor, but Erik and I ignored it, our eyes locked on each other.
"Your instincts are better than I'd expected." Erik said coldly.
"After almost three hundred years, you learn." I retorted. We began to circle each other slowly. "What's your plan?" I asked.
"Kill you."
"Elegant in its simplicity, isn't it?" I sneered. He growled and lunged at me, a second knife in hand. I leapt back from his first swing and then leapt up into the air over his second. He arched an eyebrow.
"Three hundred years?" he asked.
"Two hundred and eighty six next month, but whose counting?" I answered. He chuckled and swiped at me again. I leapt back and was stunned when he kicked me into a wall. I bared my fangs.
"OK, now I'm mad." I snapped as I shoved myself forward. He kicked at me again, but I caught his leg. When he tried to stab me again, I knocked the knife away before elbowing him in the face and twisting his leg, sending him spinning onto the floor. He tried to get up and I kicked him in the stomach, throwing him into a wall.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" I taunted. He growled and lunged at me, swinging wildly with his fists. I easily blocked them and kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain and then straightened up, holding another knife. "Where do you hide these things?" I groaned. He charged at me and I sidestepped. All too late did I see his foot catch the edge of the rug, causing him to stumble and fall. He let out a cry of pain, like a kicked puppy. I waited for him to get up, but he just laid there. I frowned. "Erik? If this is some kind of trick you're trying to pull, you're dead!" Still, he just laid there. I knew he was alive, I could hear his heart beating. Something was wrong. I rolled him over and saw the blood on his hands, and the knife in his stomach. His face was pale and scared.
"Heather?" he whimpered. I felt a lump rising in my throat.
"I'm here." I answered. Tears began to slip out of his eyes and down his cheeks.
"Heather, I'm scared. Where's my mom? Mom? Mom, where are you?" he called desperately. I didn't answer. I'd heard her final screams; she couldn't hear him any more.
"She can't hear you." I told him gently.
"Heather, it hurts. Stop it, please!" he begged, his hands hovering around the knife, as if he was afraid I'd yank it out just to cause him pain. I listened for his heartbeat; it was weakening. I knew that there was only one way to stop the pain. I leaned over and looked into his eyes.
"Erik, I can stop the pain, but that'd stop everything." I told him softly.
"My family….?" He asked. I wordlessly shook my head. "Then do it. I-I want to be with them again." Tears began to slip down my cheeks as well. He was just a kid. He didn't deserve this. Erik saw them and smiled. "It's OK, Heather," he whispered.
"I don't want to do this." I sniffled.
"Y-You want to know a secret?" he asked.
"Sure." I said, smiling bravely for him.
"I knew that David was a vampire from day one. We all did. We were supposed to go after him first. B-But I knew that you l-loved him, so I told them that he could w-wait until last."
"Why would you do that?"
"I d-didn't want to hurt you. I-I liked you." He admitted. We both started crying again at this. Then another spasm of pain went through Erik and he groaned in pain.
"Erik!" I cried.
"Do it." He ordered. I stared at him, helpless. "Heather, do it!" My vision blurred by tears, I reached down and snapped his neck. I closed his emerald green eyes and whispered three words:
"I'm so sorry." Then I started sobbing, like, really sobbing. When people think the word vampire, they picture cold hearted killers. What they don't understand is that for someone trying to protect their family, killing never gets easier.
The door swung open and I saw David, his eyes searching for me. He was breathing heavily, no doubt having supersped over from his encounter with Serge. I stood up and walked towards him. He met me halfway and I collapsed in his arms, sobbing. Mick and Josef walked up a few minutes later, followed by Marlon. No one said anything. Until Josef saw Beth.
"What the h--- are you doing here?" he demanded.
"I-I-I-!" Beth babbled. Mick hurried to her side.
"Are you okay?" he demanded. She nodded.
"Thanks to Heather." She said. I wiped away the last of my tears and looked at Josef.
"Is it over?" I asked. He nodded. "Then if you will excuse me, I'm going home." I said, stepping towards the door. Five pairs of hands immediately moved to help me, but I waved them off. "Thanks, but I need some time alone." I answered before superspeeding away.
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Two Weeks Later
I looked up as the door opened and Mick, Beth and Josef walked in.
"Well?" I asked. Josef nodded.
"The house was burned to the ground." He answered. "All but one body was burned to a crisp."
"Erik?" I guessed. He nodded and I smiled. We'd taken Erik's body and buried it on the hill overlooking his house. He would've liked that. I got up and went to look at the mail. As I was sifting through it, a letter fell out. Curious, I looked at it and opened it.
"That'd better not be addressed to me." Josef warned.
"It's to both of us." I retorted, unfolding it and reading it aloud.
"'Dear Konstantine Family,
Your presence is required in London on May the 22nd for an evaluation of the current dealings of the vampirical species. Please be on time.
Sincerely,
Lord Ferdinand William Gavinsham.'"
"Who's he?" Beth asked.
"The leader." I answered in a stunned voice.
"Of what?"
"Vampires." Josef answered for me. "All of them."
"May 22nd is in three weeks." Mick said.
"I'd better go pack." I said dazedly, walking out.
Hah! I'll bet you all thought it was over, right? Wrong! I couldn't get rid of Heather after one adventure. Please R &R!