Chasing Ghosts
Chapter Fourteen: Drowning
Word Count: 4,104
Note: The Chapter that I'm sure you've all been waiting for.
Warning: Heated scenes nearing the end of the chapter - nothing too hard-core though (yet. Rating my change for future chapters, though I am still unsure of this)

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The clock in Danielle Jones' living room struck five o'clock and she was sure that she could still taste the salty air, even though she had woken hours and hours before. Nightmares were not a new occurrence as she had been plagued with them for years; what was a new occurrence were the lingering effects that the dream had – the salty air and the fear that someone was currently watching everything that she did. To say that she felt uneasy would be putting everything lightly. Only a couple of more minutes passed before she stood to her feet, finding herself in the kitchen a moment later to prepare dinner. She could have sworn it was all real; absolutely everything - even more sure than she was about what the shadow would have done if she hadn't have woken up. Because she knew, she just knew deep down inside of her that the shadowed figure would have ripped open her throat with its bare hands if she had stayed asleep for just that moment longer.

Well – the dream was certainly different to the ones that she had been having as of late. As she mixed five cracked eggs into a bowel viscously she was plagued with memories of her older dreams – the ones that had been occurring for nearly a week before the nightmare the night before, dreams that involved particular situations with a certain blonde hair, blue eyed boy. She felt her cheeks redden at the thought. To say she and Marko were far, far from that particular situation was indeed correct; but that didn't stop the tight feeling in her stomach that occurred whenever she thought back to the dreams and the effect that they happened to have on her.

With a grunt she pushed the thoughts of her dreams and her nightmares aside and threw herself into the task of cooking dinner; French toast. Yes, she was aware that it was clearly a breakfast food but seeing as breakfast was her favourite meal of the day she found that she simply did not care at all that much. The beaten eggs were cool upon her fingertips as she soaked the slice of bread and only minutes later the mouth-watering smell of the cooking toast was filling her nostril. Her nightmare and her dreams was momentarily forgotten and another event that helped that was a sudden knocking on her front door.

Danielle Jones practically ran towards her door and in that very moment she was not ashamed to admit that to anyone – well, anyone minus Edgar. But it was not Edgar standing on the other side of the door – no, definitely not – deep down she knew. It was Marko.

"Where is your jacket?" she asked in astonishment as she settled on his frame

"Well, hello to you too" he grinned from behind his palm

"Hello" she began once more "Where is your jacket?"

"I left it at home"

"You look-" she paused "Odd without it"

"Thanks" he scoffed before making his way into her apartment "Whatever you're cooking smells good to say the least"

"French Toast"

"Isn't that a breakfast food?"

"Yes" she nodded, eyeing him carefully "Is that okay?"

"Of course" he said with another grin "Favourite meal of the day"

"Me too" she blushing slightly as she held her gaze "I'm going to go back to cooking – I don't want it to burn"

As she made her way back towards the stove she could not help but think back to his cute, hidden little grins she often saw, flipping the pan with an absolute perfect precision as she did so.

"I don't get a kiss hello?"

She would never, ever get used to his silent footsteps. Marko was standing so, so very close to her that a shiver run up and down her spine involuntarily and a moment later she felt his lips at the corner of her face while his hands ghosted over the sides of her waist.

"Hello Marko" she breathed with complete and utter contentment

"Hello, Danielle. Now that, was a lot better"

Finding the words to reply deemed a little difficult; so she didn't. Instead she continued to cook and finish the meal off before sliding the finished product onto a single plate.

"One of these days I will cook for you" he insisted, eyes hardening as he glanced down to the plate sitting between them "It will be nowhere as good as your cooking, but I will cook for you"

"You really don't have too-"

"I know, but I will. Wanna go down for a walk after this?"

"Sure" she nodded with a large smile "We meeting up with anyone?"

"Most likely - you know how Paul can be" he replied with a slight frown

"I do know how Paul can be" she laughed "He is quite a character; I have come to like him quite a bit"

"Like him huh?" Marko asked with a cock of his brow

"Oh yes, I do. It seems as if I have become quite fond of you too" she responded with a small bite to her lower lip as she came to terms with what she had just said out loud - to say she felt utterly mortified would be completely spot on. She was being too girly, too pushy. Her thoughts were eased as he leant over to grasp one of her hands within his own and she was shocked to find his skin was absolutely freezing to touch.

"You're so cold" she blinked "You really should not have left without your jacket"

That didn't mean he didn't look absolutely amazing without it though. Tonight, he wore a form-fitting black t-shirt and a pair of loose fitting jeans. She had absolutely no idea how he looked like an absolute God so simply, no idea at all.

"I've always had a cool body temperature" he shrugged "It's nothing to worry about"

"Are you sure?" she frowned

"Positive"

The conversation changed immediately and soon Danielle found herself holding onto Marko's hand as they weaved themselves in and around the large, noisy crowds of the Santa Carla Boardwalk.

"Okay I have another one - would you rather take a sledgehammer to the back of both of your ankles, or have your tongue whipped five-hundred times with a bamboo rod?" she asked

"How in the world do you think of these?"

"My friends and I had years of practise, we used to write them down in this little book. I remember most of them"

"Bamboo rod" he said slowly, glancing to look at her reaction as he did "Don't look at me like that!"

"I'm not looking at you like anything!"

"You are" he said firmly "It's like you're judging my choice!"

"It is so funny though" she laughed

"It is not funny"

"Would you rather be clobbered to death with a zucchini or be suffocated to death with zucchini?"

"What type of question is that?" he gawked "Neither"

"That is not an option"

"Yes, it is"

"It sounds as if you two are having the absolute time of your lives"

Danielle did not have to turn around to know who the voice belonged too; by now she recognised it just as easily as she did Marko.

"Yes! This is going to be great, you can play too!" she grinned wide with excitement

"It really isn't" Marko groaned with a playful roll of his eyes

"Okay Paul, would you rather – Oh I have one! Would you rather be submerged into a deep fryer over and over until you died or be microwaved to death?"

"Microwave" he said simply with a grin, having now linked his arm between her free one

"Ooh really?"

"Are you judging my choice?"

"See! That's what I said!"

"My turn" Paul grinned wickedly "Would you rather have sex in an aeroplane bathroom or on a golf course at night"

"Aeroplane" Marko smiled

"Danielle?" Paul nudged with a little smirk

"Of course you come in with all the sexual questions, why does this not surprise me? Aeroplane" she sighed with a roll of her eyes, trying her best not to let her embarrassment of the subject show through at all

"Would you rather tell your partner everything about your sexual past or tell them every sexual thought you have had about another person?" the tallest of the three asked once more

"Past" she blurted quickly

"That was fast" Paul laughed

"Well – there really is nothing to tell" she shrugged

"Girl you know that isn't fair! But the real question is, who have you been having sexual thoughts about" he said with a wink and a moment later he received a very, very hard slap to the back of the head from Marko in return "Okay – I may have deserved that"

"Yes – you did"

"Alright – alright! You answer then"

"I agree – the past" Marko said – although rather uncomfortably.

Danielle did not miss the tone of his voice and for a moment she had second thoughts about the choice of game she decided to play tonight with the two boys. The last thing she wanted to do was to make Marko uncomfortable and it looked as if that is exactly what has happened.

To say that the next question was completely and utterly disastrous was an understatement

"I am not answering that question" she gaped, eyes wide as she looked upon Paul "That – there is no choice – that is completely disgusting – and wrong!"

"You were the one that said not that long ago that you have to choose!" Paul shot back "Pick one!"

"You first" she insisted

"Easy – the semen is the better choice-"

"I can't-" she laughed, swallowing the urge the gag at the images in her head "I can't – I quit"

"Yeah I second that" Marko shivered with disgust "Never again – we are never doing that again"

"My comparisons were not as bad as that" she pointed out "We could always play again"

"No" he shook his head "Not likely – hey, feel like going for a walk on the beach?"

She went to nod her head – before the memories of the night before washed over her like a tidal wave. But it was a dream, nothing more than a dream. Second later she smiled and allowed Marko to lead the way towards a single set of stairs that took them to the sand.

"Alright – I can tell when I'm not wanted" Paul raised his hands in defeat "Don't go getting impregnated Danny!"

"Oh my God" she sighed, her eyes shutting as embarrassment yet again washed over her entire self

"Ignore him" Marko insisted "It is very, very easy to do once you start"

Danielle couldn't tell how long they walked for – but it was a while. They both ended up taking off their shoes so that their bare feet sank into the sand and soon enough they left the lights and the loud crowds behind. The beach itself was crowded at first too but as they continued to travel east they too soon dwindled to the low numbers. It was peaceful and it was nice – the breeze was a little stronger but that wasn't something that she was about to start complaining about now. This was absolutely everything that her dream the night before was not and that in itself was something she was impeccably thankful for.

"Let's sit?" he asked, and with a nod of her head he pulled her down with him as he sat himself in the sand below so that she was resting against the front of his chest between his open legs "So"

"So" she explored "Have you drawn anything new as of late?"

"Nah – it's been all the same"

"Repetitive?"

"Very"

"You're still going to have to show me some of your larger stuff one of these days"

"How about tomorrow?" he grinned from behind her

"I like the sound of that plan" It would be the first time she would be seeing where he lived and the thought made her incredibly excited "Where do you live?"

"Hudson's' Bluff. David tells the story way better than I ever can – but long story short, the bluff contains the ruins of a hotel that was destroyed in an earthquake in 1906. We found it – David, Paul, Dwayne and me and we've lived there ever since"

"I can't wait to see it"

"It's dark"

"I don't mind the dark"

"I'm pretty dark too"

"I really, really don't mind that either"

"You should"

"But I don't"

They sat in silence while Marko tried to digest her words, and she waited ever so patiently.

"You said you were going to try – and you are, and I am so, so happy. The happiest I think I have ever been and most of that is all because of you" she admitted after what she guessed to be five minutes of thick silence, her eyes turning hard as she looked at the waves before her "I always said I would never, ever need a boy or a man to be the source of all my happiness. I've seen what that does to people, what it did to my Mum and I never, ever wanted to be like that. But I am, and I am so happy. So when you think of how dark you are just try to remember that okay? Remember how happy you make me Marko"

For a moment she sat in silence once again, and then the knot in her stomach grew as she felt his lips upon the side of her face. But he did not stop, no – she felt that it wasn't going to be that simple. His lips moved from the side of her face to her mouth as she found that she had involuntarily turned into him at just the right time – their lips met and a spark ran through her body like it had never before. Marko's hands found her waist and in an instant he had turned so that she faced him completely – her hands coming to his shoulders so that she could catch her balance before falling forward. Their kiss was deep and passionate – even more passionate than the one they had shared in the swimming pool. It meant more – it felt like more and she found it hard to comprehend a single though as he continued to devour her mouth. That did not change as his hands slipped slightly under the bottom of her long sleeved t-shirt. His cool hands traced small circles onto her bare skin as she shivered further into his touches – her hands now circling around his neck.

Danielle's mouth did not leave Marko's as he skilfully flipped their positions in a timespan of two seconds. She knew that she would have to have a shower later to rid herself of the sand but she simply could not find it within herself to care – because in that very moment she could not think of anything other than how she felt, and she felt like she was currently on top of the world. As one of Marko's hands slid up her stomach she shivered once more and she could not help that her head fell back to the sand below, her breath heavy with excitement and her eyes barely open as she stared at the boy currently above her. Marko looked like what she was sure sex felt like. With his messy hair and his heaving chest he looked just as good as he did earlier when he had been sitting across from her back at the apartment – the only difference was that she thought he currently looked a whole lot better. As he moved towards her, the hand that was not currently ghosting over her ribs entwined between her dark locks – then he was kissing her once more. He broke the kiss moments later and tugged her face gently to the side so that he could then place kisses from her cheek all the way down to her neck.

The noise that escaped her lips once he began to kiss and suck on the skin at the side of her neck was one that she could not even dream of trying to stop – it was utterly involuntary and she couldn't even bring herself to feel embarrassed. It just felt too good – it all felt too damned good. One of her own hands, shaking mildly as it did, was soon wrapped in his own hair as he continued to attack her neck – one moment he was sucking and licking and another he was kissing where he had just been. She did not think that she was ready for sex when she was recalling her dreams form the past week – but she was beginning to think she could definitely get used to this. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt his teeth nibble on another patch of her neck and once again she let out a noise that she had never, ever imagined herself capable of making. It was also in that very moment that Marko stopped. The kissing, the sucking, the biting – absolutely everything; it was like he was frozen in place.

For the first time since her back hit the sand, she listened. Her own breathing was rapid and apart from the waves only a couple of metres ahead of them that was the only sound she could currently make out. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her head was still tilted to the side and all that she could see was the sand before her and Marko's arm as his hand was still entwined with her hair – just like hers was with his. For the first time since her back hit the sand she began to worry. He was so still, like a statue and she could not think of what could have possibly gone wrong. Surely – surely he felt just as good as she currently did?

"Marko?"

He gave her no reply and her worry soon turned into dread.

"Marko – did I do something-"

Before she could finish he was on his feet, a hand running through his own hair in what she thought had to be frustration. She could not see his face as he was facing the sea before them – but that did not stop her mind from jumping to all of the worst possible conclusions. Maybe he looked disgusted, with her – with everything they had just done.

"Marko-"

"I need a minute to clear my head" he said shortly and try as she may she could not see his face as he disappeared from sight. Turning around she saw the beginning of what looked to be a small forest of sorts and off to the side a very, very steep slope that lead to what she assumed to be a road. It was dark and she was now currently alone, her heart still beating more rapidly than it had been when she had been running away from danger all those weeks ago.

As she pulled herself up into an upright position she could not help the dark thoughts that swam around her head. She just had to have done something, she just had too. There was no other explanation. What had she done? Was it something that she said? Was it something that she had done?

"I've been waiting to get you alone, and outside of your tiny fucking apartment for nearly two months"

She blamed the fact that she had missed the sound of incoming footsteps on the thoughts that had been circling her head and she did not think twice as she stumbled to her feet and ran – but she got nowhere. A pair of hands pulled at her so violently that it sent her stumbling into the chest of one of the two attackers. Because she knew, deep down that Bo was not alone and that James was surely around somewhere too.

"You're not running again. You're not running ever"

Try as she may she could night fight Bo as he dragged her towards the sea – but she did put up a hell of a struggle. She kicked at his legs and his feet, breaking one of her own hands free so that she could claw at his skin – but it did nothing, it stopped absolutely nothing. As they grew closer Bo released her, only to push her so hard that she fell and stumbled into the shallowed depths of the freezing waters – she had landed on her forearms but a swift kick to her stomach sent her to her to her back. Then, she felt hands entwined in her hair and she cried out in pain as she was dragged violently further into the dark waters.

"Lover boy ran off – too bad, was going to thank him for such a show" he laughed "Now, time to swim with the fishies"

Danielle was barely able to breathe in any air whatsoever before she was dunked beneath the surface. She scrunched her eyes tight and struggled against his hold, panic setting in as she realised that she was going to die. There was no escape this time – no running, no nothing – Bo was going to drown her and there was nothing she could do about it. It did not matter that she was kneeling on the sea-floor, he was too strong to fight – there was no way she was going to be able to lift her head up on her own.

She did not know whether she was relieved or frightened when he pulled her back to the surface and air filled her lungs almost painfully as she tried to cough up some of the water that she had swallowed.

"Not that easily, I've changed my mind – we're going to have some fun first" he laughed "Wanna go back down? I think ya' do-"

"Please-"

But she was submerged once more before she could plead. Plead. What a funny word. Not even when she lived with her mother did she ever think that one day she might have to plead for her life – no, that was up to the characters that she read about in her books. But only weeks ago she was saying the very same think about Marko and what they were. Something she only read about in the thick volumes. She stopped panicking slightly as he came across her mind, as his image filled her head.

Once more she was bought painfully to the surface and once more she coughed herself silly.

"What – not enjoying yourself?" he jeered and faintly she registered someone else laugh "What do you think James, you wanna turn befo-"

A scream, so loud and so full of pain ripped through the air around her and it sent shivers up her arms even more than the cold water had. She felt Bo's hand waver in her hair and a moment later she looked up to glance at his face for the first time this evening. From what she remembered he had always looked cocky and arrogant – and now he looked as if he was in the middle of a horror movie. His mouth was open in shock and even though he was standing completely still his body was trembling so much that the water around him grew unsettled.

Danielle did not know who to be more frightened of; Bo or whoever had made James scream like he was being tortured alive. In an instant his hand had removed itself from her hair and instead he was attempting to get as far away from her as he possibly could – she blinked and he was joined by another.

The moonlight made Marko seem even more pale than he already was – that or the blood splatters that covered his entire right hand and forearm were simply too much of a contrast. His hair was still chaotic from their intimate time before, but his expression was certainly different. He looked calm yet crazed at the exact same time and before she could comprehend what that could possibly mean he had gripped Bo's shoulder with strength that would surely bruise and attacked. Her eyes grew wider as she watched the boy she was sure she was falling desperately in love with rip open Bo's throat open with his teeth – his sharp, pointy teeth.

Bo's body fell forwards into the water but Danielle barely noticed – she was too busy looking to Marko whose face was now also smeared with blood and even from where she still knelt she could see it dripping down and to his black shirt.

The boy she was falling desperately in love with was a Vampire.