Chapter 10: A Week Later

Leon laid with his head in my lap, his cased arm in a sling in a sling and resting heavily on his stomach. We rested under a Weeping Willow tree in my backyard, the sun too bright for either one of us to be out in it.

Leon complained a lot that it itched under the case and I told that it would because his skin is sweating in there. Of course he didn't listen to me. But, I was I would learn, he had become rather stubborn.

Vincent, Letty, and Mia ran around dodging water balloons and water jets from Super Soakers. Jesse was checking out Willow's Honda Acura RSX-S, which sat covered in the extremely large storage garage in the back of the house. Dom was busy with the ribs and whatever else he bought at the store the day earlier.

Leon had been placed on heavy painkillers and muscle relaxers to help with the pain of a broken arm and corrective surgery of the biceps brachia and tendons, so staying awake was not an option. I sat against the tree, playing in Leon's hair, as he opened his heavy lids to stare at me with glazed eyes.

"Have I died?" His speech was slurred.

"No. I'm not down with you yet." I whispered.

"You sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. Why the fixation on death?"

"Because I'm staring at an angel."

"Baby, you don't need the one liners anymore. You won my heart." I bent forward. "And later tonight you may get the body if the meds wear off."

He smiled and moaned as his hand moved to his forehead. "I never thought I would see this day."

"What?"

"I never thought I would turn down sex."

"I should feel hurt but since your are not all here, I'll let you slide."

"I should thank you."

"Besides." I brushed my lips with his. "That just gives me more time to spend nursing you back to health." "Could you do me a favor then?"

"What's that?"

"Could you wear a nurses uniform? You know the kind."

"Only if you wear the hospital gown with the back out."

"Maybe in another week." He readjusted himself the best he could.

I kissed him again and lend back, closing my eyes. I didn't have my sunglasses on, thanks to a little magic.

Leon closed his eyes and asked, "Is there anything I need to know about?"

"Well, I only get PMS for a day."

"Okay, so I avoid you one day."

I started to fall asleep when he asked, "Should I be care with crosses when you're around?"

I didn't open my eyes. "It's okay. I'm wearing one now."

"I know there must be more to you than that."

"For one day you will not see me."

"Why?"

"Because for that one day I'll be in the shower

"I think not. There's a reason I don't like rubbers."

"Why's that?"

"I don't feel a thing. You might get off, but I wouldn't."

"And there's a problem because."

I hit him playful on the arm. "Dude, no."

"Alright. But I there's got to be another reason."

"There is. I can only get pregnant those three days."

He looked at me in disbelief.

"Honest baby."

"Aren't we told not to try and predict that?"

"With a human yeah. But when you're different, you don't have to worry.

"Besides, I don't want kids right now."

"I don't either."

I sensed Letty and Vincent behind us again. "We have our own kids anyway."

I remembered the water gun I had hid in my back house and ran for it, leaving Leon there as bait.

I came back strapped and ready, two guns in my hands. I had their skin red from the power of the jets.

"Dude, after the first time, you should have ran away." I had them worse off than they left Leon and me.

"Hey, not around the food." Dom shouted.

Mia sat with Jesse and Willow, laughing at us.

When we sat around the table, I offered to say grace before any could reach for the food. As the pray finished, we all reached for and passed the food around.

"Emerald!"

I looked up to see a beaten and tattered Raven standing in the driveway in a fit of rage. I stood and walked to him.

"I'm free." I said.

"You're mine." He responded.

I sensed the team getting ready to stand and gestured for them to sit.

"I said I'm free."

He grabbed me by my shoulders with both hands. "You're mine."

I grabbed his hands and flipped him down on the ground.

"I call for a challenge."

He flipped himself back to his feet. "I challenge mines death. Win or lose."

"It means silence. Do you accept?"

He backhanded me across my face, sending my head to the right. "Does that answer it?"

I back flipped, picking up Dom's push broom and broke the end off. Raven used telekinesis to bring a pool stick to himself and broke it in half.

"Go inside." I stated to the group as we circled.

"Hell no." Leon said.

"Go inside, now." I said more sternly. "And don't stand near any windows."

When they didn't move, I shouted, "Willow!"

"Okay, Em, I'm on it." She pushed everyone inside just when Raven knocked me onto the picnic table.

I bounced up and stood on its surface. He charged again, his weapons facing my chest. I dodged one but another punctured my heart.

"Hmm." Raven stated.

"What? You forgot I said I was free. I'm not normal anymore. You made sure of that." I pushed him away and kicked him to the ground before pouncing on him.

"I hope you enjoy hell. I heard it's nice there for your kind." I plunged the handle through his-own heart, the pain reaching my own. I raised his neck to my mouth and drank deeply from him as his life faded.

"Emerald." He said as his skin hardened. I released him, his head hitting the ground and turning to dust.

I stood and walked to the house. This was the first time I ever showed my true colors. My eyes shown brightly, as did my skin. My fangs were still extended and blood lay on my lips.

Willow met me at the back door.

"They watched it all." She said.

"I know. They never listen."

"Maybe you should clean up."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I can't control all this."

"Here," She drug me to the kitchen and wiped my mouth.

"Now what to do with the skin and eyes? I know make-up and shades won't work. I'll come with something."

"Street?" Leon called from behind.

"Yeah?" I held my back to him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

He walked around me and stared. He touched my cheek; I could smell the sweet nectar that flowed through his veins.

"Leon. I need to go." I said.

"Why?"

"Something's wrong." I walked out the house and to my car.

I peeled out before he got to the sidewalk. My chest pounding, my heart was in pain. I fought the feeling as my eyes watered. The car went around 70 mph.

I turned to look to the left as I heard tired screeching to a halt. I turned and hit my breaks but it was too late.

Author's Note That was it people. Night Riders is over. Finished. Now unto the sequel. A preview is on the next page. Check it out; give me some input, good or bad. Hey, you got some ides, through those in too. I hope you've enjoyed the ride. I got another story called Romance at High Speed (which I co-wrote with a friend. If it sucks major, don't blame it on me; it wasn't my plot to begin with). I also have one in xXx called Undercover. Check out my cheap little site for updates every two weeks. http://cloud9_dream.tripod.com