Blood Ties Blood Bond pt

Blood Ties Blood Bond pt. 29

Vicky held herself absolutely still, focused on Jay's words, as if to move would be to make them unsaid.

...to kill Christina.

True, she had no love for Henry's maker, the woman who had seduced him, turned him and then came back into his life every few centuries to have him clean up her messes, but kill her? Vicky knew what that was like, she'd been a cop and had to make those choices; kill a stranger or watch them kill someone you cared about, someone you loved. But that was instinct, it was a gut reaction, it wasn't this slow deliberate deception talked about late in the nights...it wasn't planned.

"What do you mean?" Maybe she had misunderstood, she couldn't have been drawn into plotting murder and entrapment in some quiet conversation. Especially with so much at stake right now.

Jay looked at her, the girls' eyes far too old and wise, even clouded with pain.

"You're really that innocent, aren't you?" she asked. "After everything you've seen, everything you've been through, you're still willing to believe." She looked baffled now, as if Vicky were some strange oddity, a puzzle with curved lines in a world of squares.

"No wonder you and Henry are good together," she breathed, a slight trace of irony colouring her words. "You both see evil done every day, yet can't believe that it actually exists in the world. That people can not just do evil, but are."

"I can't see it?! Me?!" She stood, shaking with anger holding out her arms. "I got all close and cuddly with real evil, I know that it's there and what it can do if given the chance, and I live every day with the knowledge, with the threat of it hanging over me, knowing that one day, or the next I'll be the one it comes for." She walked away, staring out the window at the lighted apartments and building through the glass.

"Them out there, they're your innocent ones. They have no idea that the things I fight even exist. Look at them, living their happy little lives, go to work, come home, make dinner, kiss your husband... make plans for tonight, tomorrow... next weekend. How am I supposed to do that?" She turned back to Jay, "Don't talk to me about evil until you've lived with the threat of not knowing if today is going to be the day it finally comes for you."

"Is that all that's been holding you back? I can help you with that," said a voice behind her. "Today is the day."

--

Mike sighed as the bus to Montreal finally pulled out of the station. He could see Coreen sitting close to the back, looking out the window at him her eyes big and round with fear even through the glass.

He'd wanted to be able to tell her that it was going to be okay. That he'd find whoever was after Vicky and they'd all live happily ever after, but this wasn't a world where he believed in happily ever after's anymore. Whatever world he was living in now, with vampires and witches and ghouls, it wasn't somewhere that he could make promises about tomorrow. To anyone.

They said hindsight is 20-20, that looking back things, patterns...choices and their consequences become clear as day. Well, looking back, Mike could see how it wasn't just one choice that had gotten him here, that had pulled him into this world where he was utterly out of his depth and struggling just to stay alive and maybe, just maybe keep some people he cared about alive too. It was a long list of choices, of decisions, each one pulling him closer and closer...pulling him into hell.

But each of those choices had a name to it, a face. Vicky. Each and every time he'd chosen her. And she'd chosen something else. Someone else.

They'd gone so far that he didn't even recognize her anymore. How could she sit by and watch Henry torture Jay like that? Even the thought, the memory brought bile up in his throat, revulsion a sour taste in his mouth. Even if she was a witch, even if she was the one who was after Vicky and Henry—and Mike knew that she would be perfectly willing to use them if it came to that—how could Vicky condone it? Torture a girl just to spare her conscience.

It was very clear that she wasn't the rookie who'd exasperated and frustrated him to no end, who'd challenged him and teased him and nearly drove him mad with her hunches and gut feelings and utter lack of common sense sometimes. She wasn't the person he'd fallen in love with anymore.

But that didn't mean that he didn't love her. Didn't want her with something akin to the burning need for air that you felt if you held your breathe too long.

Wouldn't gladly follow her down into a twisted supernatural hell just to have another shot with her.

But here he was, and he was no closer to her then the day this all started. If anything, she was only pushing him further and further away. And if he couldn't have her, he could at least have his self-respect, be able to look himself in the mirror and know that he was a good cop, a good man. If he stayed on this path then he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to do even that.

The bus pulled around the corner and he lost sight of it. He hoped he was doing the right thing sending Coreen away, she was an innocent bystander in this, if any of them were truly innocent anymore, and he didn't want to see her get hurt in the cross fire when this thing blew up.

Jay...Christina...they both had their own purposes here and it didn't matter who got caught up or hurt in it. But they were playing their game in his city and he couldn't just ignore that and walk away as if he didn't know. He had a responsibility to the people here and if there was any chance that he could pull himself out this situation, get free and clear again then it wasn't by ignoring that those two were going to turn Toronto into their private battleground to get to each other.

And then there was always Vicky. At the heart of the matter, as always. And he couldn't walk away from that either.

Mike sighed, checking his watch and then automatically the position of sun to confirm what his eyes didn't want to believe.

8:45. The sun had set. The light that remained was just a residual smolder on the horizon and the florescence glow of the street lights.

He grabbed the paper bag carrying bandages and supplies that Vicky had asked for and briskly pushed his way out of the train station, pausing at the side walk to dart between the parked cabs and jog across the street. His marked car sat just around the corner, illegally parked this time of day, and he was off-duty, but cops generally gave squad cars the benefit of the doubt when it came to parking tickets.

Lights and sirens and he should be able to make it to Henry's in 10 minutes flat.

He didn't even see what hit him, knocking him to the pavement, out cold and sending the bag skittering into an alley.

--

Vicky spun around, the voice sending shivers up her spine, but it wasn't the reason she turned. She remembered what had happened last time, and something, some feeling, a premonition made her jump across the room, hitting Jay midleap and knocking her to the ground.

She felt blood soaking into her shirt where her arm had landed on Jay's stomach, pulling stitches and hoped that she hadn't undone all of Henry's hard work the night before.

"Bitch" Jay swore, cursing and trying to roll away and get to her feet despite the pain. But Vicky ignored her, pushing herself up and jay down in the same motion, the adrenalin leaving her breathless and with her heart pounding in her throat, but focused and clear.

It was only then that she turned to face the woman at the door, and had to lock her knee's to stay on her feet.

Christina stood in Henry's doorway, boldly holding Mike by the throat up in front of her as a shield.

But Jay's dagger, thrown –like before, on instinct and impulse—as soon as Christina spoke was embedded in the wall to their left. To the hilt, Vicky noticed. If she hadn't jumped Jay it would be in Mike's heart right now, and the thought made her dizzy.

"Thank you," Christina said, pleasantly. "That is getting a little old, and really, blades aren't anyway to greet a guest."

She walked into the room, pushing Mike in front of her, her strength nearly holding his feet off the floor.

"Vic, get outta here," Mike choked the moment they were clear of the door. He had blood running down his neck, staining his shirt collar and tie. A cold fury settled in Vicky when she realized Christina must have bitten him on the way over.

"You bitch," she bit out, echoing Jay's sentiment, knowing that the girl had meant it for both her and Christina.

"What good houseguest doesn't bring a gift along to a party?" Christina said, all wide eyed innocence. "And surely you don't begrudge me a little taste, you who've done the same for Henry time and again."

Mike stirred, twisting in her grip and Christina shook him, her focus shifting as she raised him up off the floor a little more.

Vicky saw her chance as Christina's eyes left hers, Henry's sword was just a few feet on the wall behind her. If she could only get to it before Christina noticed...

"Try it and I'll break his neck," Christina said conversationally, still not looking at her but watching Mike's face turn from pink to a plum purple.

"Okay," Vicky turned around slowly, holding up her hands away from her body and forcing her muscles to relax into a standing position, not ready to run.

"Okay, I'm not moving, I'm not going anywhere, you're in control, just tell me what you want." Now look who's resorting back to basic training she thought remembering her words to Mike last time Christina had shown up, when their roles had been reversed.

I don't think that Hostage Negotiation 101 is going to work here Mike.

"Oh I don't think you really want to know that," said a voice from the floor, and Jay emerged from behind one of Henry's chairs, using it to brace herself upright. She grimaced, but forced herself into a standing position, one hand splayed over the reddening splotch on her stomach and flashed Vicky a macabre grin.

"And why not?" Christina asked, seeming bored with the distraction. "Isn't it the duty of every good hostess to know what her guest wants? To provide it before they even know it themselves?"

Vicky was beginning to feel like she was in the middle of some mad hatter tea party where politeness and good manners being observed and criticized in murder and mayhem. It wouldn't surprise her if they began discussing the best place to display the severed heads to their best advantage next.

"I don't really think that Vicky's about to impale herself on that sword just to suit your fancy and get the Best Hostess 2008 award."

Vicky held her breath and looked over at Jay from the corner of her eyes. She knew that Christina wanted her dead, but to have her death talked about so openly, and plainly and while she was still here and alive was making it seem more real. Like a foregone conclusion instead of one --small--possibility.

She was beginning to wish that they'd just get on with it, instead of continuing this verbal sparring. At least Christina would have to let go of Mike to come after her and one of them might get out of this.

But it was buying them time...maybe if she could keep Christina and Jay talking it would kill enough time for Henry to have fed and come back at full strength. She knew that she couldn't take either of them on her own, and Jay seemed to be switching sides as it pleased her—Vicky couldn't count on her help. Fine, she thought, if this is how you want to play it.

"No, come on!" she said, "You want me dead, I might at least know why right? Aren't I entitled to that much?"

"You don't need to know why," Christina snarled. "Because it isn't any of your business."

And there it was. Suddenly Vicky knew why it was that Christina hated her so much that she'd risked her life three times now to kill her. It wasn't her business. It really was that simple. Vicky had been getting involved with something that wasn't her business, or should she say Someone that wasn't hers. And Christina was jealous. Pure and simple it was almost the oldest story in the book and Vicky almost laughed out loud at how stupid she'd been not to see it.

"Henry," she breathed, and saw the confirmation in the way Christina's eyes sparked and she tightened her grip on Mike, nails digging into his flesh. But Vicky forced herself to stay cool and relaxed, not to look at Mike. Christina had brought him here to hurt her with, knowing that she cared for both of them but that Mike was the only one who was vulnerable enough for her to get to. She couldn't show that it was working, that Mike was distracting her otherwise her plan wouldn't have a hope of succeeding. Christina couldn't know that she'd happily trade her life for Mike's.

"It's all about Henry. That's what this is all about isn't it? You're jealous of Henry and Me, of our relationship." She used her voice to insinuate something between them that had never been, keeping a smile on her face while a crack formed somewhere in her chest at what she must be doing to Mike. "You know that he and I share something that you never could, we're partners in every way, he trusts me like he could never trust you. And that's why you have to kill me," she paused. "Because I'm a threat to you. God, it must just gall you knowing that a little powerless mortal like me could be something to Henry that you couldn't, could be a threat to you." Vicky forced herself to laugh knowing that it would only enrage Christina more.

"He hasn't had you yet." Christina said, a bite to her words as if they were forced out against her will and Vicky could hear the click of her teeth on the syllables. "He'll forget about you in a century or two. I have that time to wait for him, to bring him back to me," she looked almost wistful now as she taunted Vicky, voicing Vicky's secret fear out loud, everything--almost everything—that held her back every time she wanted to say yes to Henry.

"He'll forget about you," she repeated, "We're meant to be together. But you had to come along and screw up all my hard work, everything I've done to make him see it, it's all nothing now!" she seemed to have almost forgotten Mike, hanging from her grip as she gestured around the room.

"It's about Henry," Vicky said, gaining confidence as she spoke, an idea forming with the words almost making itself voiced through her. "All of it...the threats last time, conveniently being in Toronto for a photo shoot...oh god... All of it?" the last came out a question even though she already knew the truth her mind raised the tone at the end in hopes that Christina would deny it. But she was already too far gone into her fantasy to listen.

"Vicky..." a voice warned, cautioned. Vicky looked over to her left, she had been so focused on Christina and Mike that she'd almost forgotten that they weren't alone. Jay.

"You knew," she said, her certainty confirmed by the sadness in Jay's eyes. It was the same look she'd given Henry on that hilltop when she'd told him that it was Christina who was changing the ghouls. But she hadn't told him why. And she heard Jay's voice in her head from earlier this evening:

"Would you tell him if you knew that it would change him? Wound him? Leave him with scars to carry for the rest of his existence?"

Oh god. She knew the truth now, finally, she knew. Vicky sagged against the couch, needing it's support, surprised that Jay could keep standing, keep moving with the knowledge of what Christina had done. She tried to find someway to internalize it and keep going, to file it away to try and make sense of later, but the weight of it was crushing her.

She looked up and opened her eyes when she heard the laughter, maniacal, deranged, insane laughter.

"He called you his Future," Christina said, "But you can't be his future if you're dead."

--

This is it, Vicky thought. After all those times that I cheated death; as a cop, Asteroth, zombies and bug demons, fate has finally caught up with me. There's no way out. She was no match for Christina, she didn't even know if anyone, even Henry was, but she still had one last hope, one last plan that might at least make something good come out of this.

"You want to be his future?" she said, pulling all her courage and strength behind the words, all her love. "Come get it."

Everything seemed to explode with those words, as if the world was poised on its axis waiting for its cue to tilt and send everything hurtling into motion, fast and furious at being delayed.

Vicky saw Christina move, angered beyond all endurance and turning all that hate and anger against the one thing that stood between her and what she believed was her destiny, her happiness: Vicky.

And Vicky smiled, knowing that it was too late, that there was nothing she could do and was about to be ripped apart by Christina's claws and teeth, she smiled, because it had worked. While all of Christina's focused hate had narrowed her vision to Vicky, Vicky's vision had tunneled to one thing in that whole apartment—and she didn't even mind not being able to see anything else for once.

Her focus was on Mike.

She watched as Christina flung him like a disguarded toy against the wall and came for her. She heard the sickening crunch of bones breaking when he hit and fell to the floor. But Christina had thrown him and then she'd heard the crunch, and she held onto that knowledge as she watched Christina blur with speed and rush towards her. She, Vicky had managed to get her so enraged that Christina had forgotten about Mike, about using him against Vicky, about the threat of killing him to force her compliance.

It wasn't much, she knew that... it wasn't killing Christina and stopping her from doing more evil in the world, it wasn't avenging all the deaths she'd caused or saving Mike or Henry, but it was all she could do. And maybe, just maybe, it might be enough. If everything went just right and someone was watching from above maybe it might be the beginning of more then 'just enough'. Maybe Christina would forget about Mike after...and Henry would kill Christina when he got back and saw...what had happened, maybe Henry had loved her that much. And he'd fix Jay's wounds again because that was what she would wanted...And everyone would be safe, because Asteroth would no longer have a doorway into this world.

Surely it wasn't too presumptuous to think her death could be worth that much?

She felt the first strike, claws gouging through flesh, skin and muscle to scrape across bone and realized that this wasn't going to be fast and easy after all. One downside of goading an insane vampire into a frenzy was that they apparently liked to play with their food.

She smiled at her own witticism, thinking how it would be nice to be able to tell someone...that was if she was going to live to tell someone. Coreen would laugh, she knew.

The second blow knocked her backwards, more fist then claws and meant to stun her while Christina grabbed her hair and pulled her upright, her face only inches away, fangs ready.

"just a little nip..."

She really should have expected this, she chastised herself. Something that Jay had said about Christina and torture...she should have known it was going to be slow. She felt Christina's fangs, like twin ice picks driven into her skin and terror touched her soul as she felt the blood being pulled out of her.

With Henry it had almost been a good pain, the pain of release, bordering on pleasure, but this hurt. It was like fire, it literally burned...the only thing in her experience that was similar was the path of a bullet, hot searing metal moving through her flesh...it was surprising how alike they really were.

It took her a moment before she realized that the pain at her neck was gone. She'd thought it was the blessed numbness that came when you'd lost too much blood and your body was trying to not go into shock, but the burning pain in her shoulder and arm told her differently. She looked down, astonished to see a round hole in her arm. Someone had shot her!

Vicky looked around automatically trying to find the source of this more mundane danger and saw that Christina had let her go and was now facing Mike. Mike who stood, one arm twisted at an impossible angle, but the other holding a gun on Christina, who was bleeding from at least two shots.

"What is this?" Vicky managed to cough, "paypack?"

Mike laughed a little desperately, and Vicky realized how close he was to his breaking point.

"yeah, well, I thought it's only fair, you shot me after all."

"Stop." The one word, rich with power and persuasion cut through their camaraderie and held them still.

"I am growing tired of distractions," Christina said, looking down at the holes in her body and clothing as if they were nothing more then annoying insects.

Vicky tried to move, to stand, to find a weapon while Christina was away from her, but she couldn't make her body obey her. One part of her mind was just screaming: Move! But another part was already rationalizing through the new problem...Christina was Henry's maker, when he was still mortal, still alive, she had already been a vampire. She was older then him, faster and had power enough to do what he couldn't; vamp Vicky into complete obedience, and Mike at the same time.

God, Vicky thought, she'd never realized that one person could have that much power. And her one last flicker of hope died with that realization. She'd been lost as soon as Christina stepped in the room, but she'd believed that Mike might be able to get away, that Henry could stop Christina... it was all lost now.

"Well then you're really not going to like me, cause I've been a distraction my whole life,"

Vicky couldn't even move her head to see, but she knew Jay's voice from behind her, it rasped with emotion and Vicky's throat ached to hear it.

"See, my parents were distractions, my brother was a distraction and so am I. I guess you could say I was born to be a distraction. Which really makes us a perfect pair, don't you think?" Jay asked, something desperate in her tone. "You enjoy eliminating distractions from the world and here I am, practically the perfect, infinite distraction."

Christina watched her warily, moving as Jay moved circling the room like the moon circles the earth.

"I know you." Christina said tentative but confidence in the tone. "How do I know you?"

"It wouldn't be hard," Jay answered, "I've been tracking you for the better part of twelve years, always just one step behind, one town too late, one body waiting in the sun."

Christina hissed at that, claws curling into fists and just barely remembering not to close them. She was totally focused on Jay now, and Vicky realized how intimidating having a vampires entire focus on you could be. She'd thought that she had all of Christina's attention before, but now she realized just how wrong she had been, part of Christina's mind must have been caught up in her fantasy with Henry, because under this unrelenting scrutiny Vicky didn't know how Jay could find the will to breathe.

"You." Christina hissed. "You killed them."

"I just finished what you started. See, I remembered how much you like fire. And the wonderful thing about fire is that it leaves nothing behind, it burns everything in its path so there's nothing left. No one would even notice."

That seemed to touch her, strike right into the core of Christina and shatter her, but as Vicky watched that glazed look overtook her face again as Christina pushed away knowledge that didn't mesh with her purpose.

"He'll notice now, this time he has to. And she won't be here to get in the way again. And neither will you!"

Christina jumped, the strength she'd been coiling within herself suddenly exploding like a spring and Vicky found herself free to move as all of Christina's power sought another target: Jay.

"Watch out!" Vicky yelled, as magic swirled and caught fire in the air and Christina's claws sent blood flying.