A/N: Hello people! Sorry for the wait- but as mentioned before, we're pretty busy.

As always, Read, Enjoy, Review!

- Swan's Catastrophe

Chapter 21: Waiting On You

I'm just waiting on you to bring yourself to justice.
Forget about the past—it's all wet and rusted.
I'm just waiting on you to know we've been discovered,
that what we've been's been uncovered.
I'm just waiting on you. I'm just waiting on You.

-Waiting on you, Sun Airway

I had given up on plans for escape some eight hours ago, and now had began a subconscious plan for escape; wearing down the floor until I could just fall through. Yep, I'd been pacing for a full eight hours and had no intention of stopping. Of course, my legs were losing feeling- but that was better than the soreness that had begun two hours ago. Now I just felt light and weightless. Numb. But that could have been because I hadn't eaten in… sixteen hours or so?

I had been correct in the assumption that Caden would not be feeding me. I sighed and continued my pacing- just then, the door slid open, and the smell of warm food wafted through the air.

I had spoken too soon, it seemed.

I turned and saw Caden in the panic room, the door already closing behind him- not that I had any chance of getting passed him anyway- and a plate full of chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy rested in his hand. My displeasure for him returned, but my mouth began to water.

He smiled pleasantly at me and sat down on my cot, stretching his arm out to hand me the plate.

I snatched it from him without much hesitation and began spooning finger-loads into my mouth. Screw appearances; he'd kidnapped me and let me go without food for almost a whole day! I ate like once every hour, so that wasn't cool. Not cool at all.

"Sorry about the whole dinner for breakfast thing, I kind of forgot you were in here," Caden said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and leveled one of my most vicious death-glares at him. "Oh, so its morning now, is it? See, I would've never known that what with being locked up in an eight-by-five cell without any windows or fresh air."

Caden raised an eyebrow. "Well it wouldn't really be an effective panic room if there were ways for people to get in- or out," he said calmly.

I narrowed my eyes, but continued to assault my food. Caden watched, seeming generally interested, before turning his eyes to where I did some pretty effective pacing on the concrete. The place I'd been dragging my feet was an obviously darker shade than the rest of the floor.

"So…" Caden said, a small smile on his lips. "I saw Reed today."

The glare was wiped from my face and replaced by a brilliant smile. I knew he would come for me, I knew it! And the darling had gone straight to Caden. My heart swelled. So, it was true, Reed did care about me.

"It's funny," Caden continued. "He didn't seem worried about you in the least. Was he angry that he would have to pick up your slack on selling the drug; yes. But worried for your safety? Well, that was just a big, fat no."

Right before my delicate heart took a turn into the sad depths of about twenty-four hours ago, I stopped my doubt from manifesting and stared Caden right in the eyes. "You're lying," I said, feeling just as resolute as I sounded. The conviction in my voice surprised even me- Caden looked similar to an ignorant doe. "He'll do whatever he can to find me, and when he figures out that it was you who took me? He's going to kill you. And then, just because I tell him to, he'll pee on your corpse; 'cause that's how much we both hate you."

I must have pushed a button, because Caden's face darkened and he growled before he could control his reaction.

But after a second, he was back to looking amiable and smug.

"That's where you're wrong. He actually put me in charge of finding you and bringing you back. I imagine he'll be disappointed when I bring back your lifeless body," Caden replied.

I shrugged, sliding down the wall to stare at him from across the room. I had to sound the confident that I tried desperately to feel.

"We'll see."

"You're a fool, you know," Caden added softly. "To love him." I glanced at Caden's feet and hardened myself to his harmful censure. "He'll use you, betray you, and then kill you. And you'll just be the idiot who believed everything he said."

I snorted. "Funny, that sounds a lot like someone I know, but it isn't Reed." I stood up and once again began to pace. "Let's see, someone who's used me…hm, well you've done that. And now, you've also betrayed me, and admitted to having plans of killing me. Ah ha… Are you sure that you're not the demon in this circumstance?"

"Is that right, Hayley?" Caden snarled, standing from the bed and stalking towards me. "If you're so sure about your hero, then where the hell is he? Because he's not here, tearing the place apart looking for you. No, he's back at the cemetery, making a profit from the deaths of his own people, and selling his own demise in the process. Let's not forget that your hero isn't going to welcome you back with outstretched arms unless your pretty legs are open wide."

I hissed in a breath and popped my jaw. Okay, I didn't believe a word that the traitor said, but still- that hurt.

"You're lying. I know you are. And if you think that you're going to turn me against Reed, you're wrong. So you might as well just go."

"Fine." Caden growled. "It'll be your funeral."

Caden muttered something under his breath, and the doors slid open. I made a thrust toward them, but they were closed before I'd even put my entire body into momentum. Again, I sank into depression.

Stupid Caden. He didn't know anything. Reed may not be in love with me, but he cared about me. I knew he did.

All I had to do now- as much as I hated the thought of being unable to do anything- was wait for him to come to my rescue. The cliché of it all made me itch, but since I was very near being altogether useless in situations that concerned the supernatural, I had no choice but to leave my rescue up to my demon.

I tried not to let Caden's words make me doubt Reed, but the more time that passed, it was hard not to. He had been a complete asshole to me for the past few days. Had he stopped caring? Was he really going to let me go? Would he let my mom die because I wasn't helping him? After hours of sitting in almost darkness with those thoughts running through my head, my despair became almost too much to bear.

I clutched my hands to my head, trying to force the thoughts to the back of my skull, or at least to quiet them a little- but it didn't help.

Reed's not coming for you. He doesn't care about you; you're just a stupid human. He'll never need you like you need him. You're going to die in here. Reed's not coming.

Over and over the words repeated in my head, and I clutched my skull harder, ripping hair, scalping myself with my nails. Did I believe them? Did I have it in me to accept the defeat of my first love?

Finally, a scream pierced through the words, shattering them like the kids back home threw rocks at faded stained glass- and that scream reverberated through my head and left my mouth with more force and volume than I could have ever imagined.

I screamed until my throat was raw, until I tasted a distinct taste of copper on my tongue, until soundless wind blew from my lungs. And then, I collapsed on the bed, completely drained… and unable to hold back my tears.

Reed wasn't coming for me. He didn't care. Even if there was a part of him that did care, like the old Reed, his ignorance was going to let me die.

Through my broken sobs, I could almost swear that I heard Caden's cruel laughter through the walls of the panic room.

Reed's POV

Reed appeared in Julien (Caden's second-in-command)'s kitchen, where the vampire seemed to be warming up a water bottle full of blood in the microwave. One would think the guy would have fresh, with his position in the coven… The best part was, the vampire's vulnerable back was turned towards the vastness of the room; the idiot. Reed grimaced, and stalked silently on the tile towards the man, his blade easily slipping into his hand from his sleeve. He would have to go about this the right way, even though right now the demon was screaming in his head to Kill.

Just as the vampire turned from the microwave, Reed simultaneously swiveled around him and stayed in his blind spot. When the second-in-command took a step, the silent demon made his move and lodged the knife hilt-deep in Julien's chest. The vampire glanced at his sudden attacker, and then at the blade in his chest, looking completely confused, before his eyes closed and he collapsed on the ground.

He wasn't dead, of course. Simply unconscious. But, with any luck, Reed would get the information he wanted, and Julien would be dead very, very soon.

But not too soon.

With a pleased smile, Reed stalked around the counter to stare down at Julien's helpless form. As the smile fell from his face, replaced by a look of cruel calculation, Reed took the vampire by the legs and dragged him from the kitchen into the wine cellar.

Oh, yes, all pleasantries had left Reed now. Now, he was only focused on finding Hayley, and killing everyone who Caden was close to, before offing that damned parasite himself.

When he reached the top of the cellar steps, Reed dropped Julien's legs and gave the unconscious body a shove with his foot. He was amused by the thumps and bumps the vampire's body created as it rolled down the stairs.

When he was satisfied that the right-hand-man was completely out of it, he went in search of chains and a sturdy chair, and upon returning to the wine cellar, bolted the door with every lock.

The dirty work was just beginning.

Reed righted Julien's limbs and used the chains to nearly combine the vampire's flesh with the piece of sturdy furniture. And to keep the chair from breaking, he let some of his newfound power synthesize with the seat's structure so it wouldn't break under the vampire's strength once he woke up. Reed then took a chair of his own, and waited.

Soon, his mind began to wander, but it always returned his brown-haired human. His beautiful Hayley.

Had Caden hurt her? Tortured her? Killed her? Or worse…turned her into a vampire?

He doubted that Caden would refrain himself just because Hayley was female- and human. Hatred racked his entire body, as he stared off into space and imagined all the things he was going to do to Caden when he saw him next.

And then his blood warmed for something entirely different as he imagined what he would do to Hayley when he got her back at last. She would never again leave his arms again, that was for sure.

"What the hell?"

The sound of Julien's voice snapped Reed to attention. He immediately slapped the vulnerable look from his face and took up an appearance of cool indifference. Centuries of living through emotions made it easy to make people see what you wanted them to see. And right now, Reed wanted Julien to see that if he did not answer every question the way Reed wanted it answered- he would die. And this time, it would be for good.

He started it off simple. Slowly massaging the blade in his hand before he finally looked up at the sorry prick. "Where's Hayley?" Reed demanded.

Julien's eyes met Reed's; black versus red, and he smirked. "Hayley?" Julien asked, playing dumb no doubt. "You mean that human girl who's always following after you like a love-sick puppy? That Hayley?"

Reed's lips pulled back from his teeth, vision flashing red. "No, you idiot. The Hayley who lives three states over- yes, that Hayley. What have you and Caden done with her?"

Julien raised an amused eyebrow, which told the demon interrogator that this vampire had no idea of what the night held for him. Which was alright with Reed, because the vampire was going to surely find out. The insolence of Julian's brow made Reed reach out and shallowly slice the vampire's high-rising cheek. He restrained the violent urge to go further and waited for his intimidation to take effect.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Julien said, this time with less feeling.

Reed rolled his eyes dramatically, and smiled at the prick while twisting the blade near Julien's eye. Impossibly, the vampire paled.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Reed finally replied in a whisper close to the man's ear. Then, Reed reclined in the chair- to Julien's comfort- but with a snap of his fingers, a large, black duffel bag appeared in front of him. The demon slowly bent towards it; scrutinizing Julien's face all the while, and unzipped the bag.

The demon took a pause for dramatic effect before he dumped all of its contents out.

Shiny new pliers, saws, scissors, scalpels, twelve-inch blades, double-edged knives, hammers, lighters, needles, pins, and shears littered the floor. He turned to Julien expectantly.

The look on the vampire's face did not disappoint.

Now, Reed thought. We're getting somewhere.

His demon couldn't help but agree.