Kat wanted to scream in frustration as she barely dodged yet another crossbow bolt which was sent wildly in her direction. Growling, she ducked under the arm of the vampire she was fighting, using its confusion at the bolt to slip into its defenses. As she jerked the stake out of its chest it exploded into dust, swirling about her in the wind as she turned to face her 'other' attacker. Gnashing her teeth, she glared at the tall brunette who had nearly ended her life.
"Cordelia," she started, sweetness dripping from her mouth as she advanced on the poor girl. "Next time, would you mind aiming for a vampire that ISN'T so close to Xander or me!" She was sorely tempted to send the annoying cheerleader back to Hawaii or Mexico or wherever her parents had taken her for summer vacation. She fought with spirit, certainly, but so far she had nearly killed Kat at least five times…and the evening was young.
"Well excuuuuse me Miss Fur Rubbed the Wrong Way, but I told you I haven't handled a crossbow before!" Flinging her dark locks over her shoulder, she glared right back at Kat. "It's not like there's an archery class available in this town!"
Nervously watching Kat's eyes darken, Xander intercepted the cheerleader before the werecat's twitching hands found something to do…like choke the life out of someone. "Cordy," he began, clearing his throat as he placed one hand on the crossbow, the other on her shoulder. "It just takes some getting used to. I know!" he grinned as inspiration struck, "just think of the vampires we aren't fighting as the latest in high fashion. You should be able to zero in on them then!"
Willow bit back a groan as Xander's wacky idea was met with shrieks of outrage. As Cordelia focused the full scope of her anger on her somewhat boyfriend, the redheaded hacker sidled closer to Kat. Hoping to defuse at least one end of the tension in the group, she cleared her throat and asked tentatively, "So, um, did you and Angel have a good talk?" As the brunette's eyes turned to glare at Willow she plunged on nervously. "You didn't kill him right, cause that would be a bad thing since I haven't entirely recovered from bringing him back from hell and I don't think I could go through those dreams…"
"Willow," interrupting the babbling redhead before she really got into the swing of things, Kat sighed, her eyes losing some of their hard edge. "I talked to him." After a moment of silence from the tiny hacker, Kat continued reluctantly. "He's not mad at you Wills. He just has to work some things out." She didn't know how Willow would have reacted to Angel's comments about the connection between his sister and her.
Her small smile blooming into a radiant grin, Willow threw herself into Kat's arms, giving her friend a grateful hug. "Thank you for not staking him! And for talking to him, cause I know you didn't really want to. I'm sure you helped a lot!" Kat didn't think so, but she kept her comments to herself, hugging the redhead back briefly before extracting herself as gracefully as she could. Friends they may be, but the brunette wasn't used to anyone invading her personal space…especially as often as Willow liked to hug people.
A small sound reached Kat just then, causing her to turn abruptly. Her nose wrinkled a little as it confirmed a vampire as the source of the noise. Placing herself in front of Willow, she concentrated on seeking the demon out. Just as she noticed movement in the shadows it stepped forward, arms raised in a sign for surrender. A groan escaped her lips as the vampire came into full view, amusement flickering briefly in his chocolate eyes.
"Don't shoot," Angel said, his eyes glancing over to the still fighting couple before coming back to rest on the two petite young women before him. Kat stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face, while Willow darted past the brunette, launching herself into the vampire at full tilt.
"Angel!" the redhead cried out in joy, causing Xander and Cordy to halt and look over at the trio. "I'm so glad you came!" As Willow pulled away to look up at the vampire, a look of confusion crossed her features. "But how did you know where we would be, cause you haven't been patrolling with us, you haven't even been by the library I was so worried about you and…" her stream of babble was silenced by a finger to her lips.
"I was…tied up Little One," Angel explained, not wanting to worry his friend and have her know why he had been so miserable lately. "I didn't mean to worry you." Touching her nose lightly, he offered her something of a smile. "I'm here because Kat suggested it actually," raising his eyes to glance over at the werecat, who blinked in confusion.
"I did?" Frowning, Kat couldn't remember when she had suggested that Angel seek them out tonight for patrol. Then again, she had said so much to the vampire that she wasn't entirely sure what she told him. Fortunately Xander, who even now was coming over with Cordelia's hand tucked into his own, spared her from having to comment further.
"Hey Dea…ah…Angel," Xander greeted the vampire, wincing as Cordelia crushed his hand in warning. "You come to patrol with us, or just do the lurking thing?"
"Actually, I was thinking about helping you guys out…that is, if you'll have me?" His slight smile faltered as his doubts and self-consciousness surfaced. Briefly he wondered if the time was right for him to ask to join their group, but Willow put a stop to that before he could slip back into brood mode.
"Of course!" the redhead bubbled, grinning at Angel, then the rest of the startled group. "This is great, that means we can cover more ground. Xander, Cordelia, and I can search in one direction, and you and Kat can go the other way." The idea greatly pleased Willow, because it separated Kat and Cordelia, which might prevent any possible
'accidental' homicides as a result of another misfired crossbow bolt.
"I don't think," Kat began, only to be overruled by at least two other people present. Cordelia was all for anything that would get her as far away from the feral brunette as possible, and Xander wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of patrolling with Angel, no matter how friendly he tried to sound. Thus it was that she found herself searching the south end of the cemetery with a souled vampire who was probably about as thrilled with the idea as she was.
* * * * * * * * *
"Great, just great," she muttered under her breath, one dainty hand tightening painfully around the stake she held. "I'm traipsing around the cemetery with a vampire to watch my back, while the High School Vampire Slaying Club goes merrily off to get themselves killed. More than likely by that Cheerleader from Hell." Lost in her personal rant, Kat jumped when Angel placed a hand on her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she glanced up at him, noting the serious look on his face. "What?"
Clearing his throat, Angel let his hand slip from her shoulder. His voice was soft as he spoke. "I just wanted to thank you. For what you did today." His eyes held hers as he continued. "I know you didn't want to be there…"
"It's nothing," Kat replied curtly, uncomfortable with how serious he was being. Not to mention his sincerity. Taking a step back to get the vampire out of her personal space, she shrugged lightly. "I was just helping a friend."
Angel stared at the young woman for a moment, trying to understand her reaction to his thanks. He wasn't sure why she was so uncomfortable with appreciation; he had seen her talk with Willow, and knew that while she seemed much friendlier with the redhead, she still avoided becoming too emotional. 'Looks like I'm not the only one who closes myself off,' he thought, his gaze questioning on the brunette as she looked away, scanning the area in a pretense of patrol. He was about to comment on it when she stiffened, nostrils flaring in warning.
"We've got company," she stated flatly as two vampires materialized in front of the pair: big brutes with more muscle than brain. One of them leered at Kat's black clad body, its eyes trailing up her hip-hugging pants and tight top as she growled. Licking its lips, the lecherous vampire launched itself at the brunette, while its friend was diverted by a suddenly vamped out Angel.
Unable to spare a glance at Kat to see how she was doing in her fight, Angel whirled under the muscle-bound vampire's arms, slamming his elbow into his opponent's abdomen. As it staggered back he reached behind his back, pulling a stake out of the lining of his black jacket. Hissing, the vampire moved, rushing Angel wildly. Sidestepping the vampire in one fluid motion, he twisted his upper body, slamming the piece of wood into the other vampire's chest before it could slow its velocity. Dust whipped past him as he stood there, shaking his head in amazement.
'More muscle than brain,' he noted dryly, scanning the area for Kat and her assailant. He spotted them a few feet away, a blur of motion in the darkness. She had wound up with the more skilled of the two vampires as she blocked one of the lecher's kicks with her arms crossed in front of her, flinging it down before she launched a roundhouse of her own. Recalling their fight upon his return from Hell, Angel watched with interest, admiration for the young woman's agility rising with each move she made. It took him a moment to see the subtle movement behind the dark-haired young woman, another adversary maneuvering itself to take her by surprise.
Determination was etched into Kat's face as the brunette pivoted on her feet, dodging a blow to the head that would have left her reeling. So far she had managed to keep the vampire from seriously hurting her, but he was faster than his mass made him out to be. Twirling her stake in her right hand, she circled the vampire, seeking an opening. Just as she was about to attack she noticed the vampire's eyes shift slightly, glancing up at something behind her before returning its attention to the petite morsel in front of him.
'Now what is he up to?' the brunette wondered, eyes widening as a horrible idea dawned on her. Fast as lightning she started to turn, but she wasn't fast enough. A third vampire reached out, leather-clad arms trapping her own arms to her sides as it grabbed her from behind. Hissing she kicked and bucked, but it hauled her up, dangling her feet a few inches from the ground. As the lecherous vampire licked its lips and advanced in her direction, she felt the one behind her move its head, nuzzling closer to her neck. Her mind exploded into a storm of rage and fear, triggered by a barrage of unpleasant memories. Her eyes blazed with an inner fire, turning red as hellfire as she fought to free herself from the vampire's deadly embrace.
* * * * * * * *
When Kat was grabbed from behind Angel growled, gold eyes glowing as he raced to her aid. Eyes narrowing angrily as the vampire who held her bent to nuzzle her neck, only to turn into confusion as the vampire drew back, eyeing the brunette's dainty neck warily. As Angel neared the trio Kat exploded into action. Red tingeing her dark emerald eyes she whipped her head back violently, snarling as the back of her head connected with the vampire's face. At the same time she kicked out in front of her, catching the other vampire fully in the chest and causing it to fall backwards…right into Angel's stake.
Nor did she stop there, twisting about as the vampire's embrace loosened from a combination of confusion and pain. Turning her upper body, Kat slammed her elbow back, rage adding strength to her blow and causing the vampire to stagger back, letting her go and raising its hands to its head as the ground swam before it. Quivering with barely suppressed rage Kat brought her right hand up, swinging the stake in it down through a deadly arc. The bloodlust in her eyes brightened as the vampire's eyes widened in fear, too late it tried to defend itself as her stake imbedded into its chest.
Dust settled around the brunette as she stood there, silently staring off into space. The blood roared in her veins, a testimony to how much nearly being bitten had affected her. Sensing movement behind her, she whirled around, stake upraised to meet the new attacker. Only a tiny part of her recognized the sight and smell of the man who stood before her.
Angel watched in amazement as Kat glared in utter hatred at him, crimson eyes blazing in the moonlight. Her lips were curled into a snarl, and she seemed to be coming down from a berserk frenzy, almost unable to distinguish friend from foe. Slowly understanding seemed to come to the hellcat, her eyes losing that red tint that made her look so deadly. Blinking once, twice, three times, the brunette lowered her weapon arm, giving Angel an apologetic half-smile.
"Sorry about that," she murmured, a trace of her tension betrayed by her voice. "I don't know what came over me." Idly she reached up, rubbing the same area over her jugular that the vampire had been trying to bite. Her actions drew Angel's attention back to her neck, and he remembered the way the vampire had reacted when looking at her neck. Cautiously he moved forward, pausing when Kat's eyes flew up to meet his, distrust and worry reflected in her flickering orbs.
"What is it," he asked, his eyes moving back and forth from shadowed area on her neck to the guarded look in her eyes. As he took another step closer to her the brunette backed away, her hand pressed against her neck defensively.
"Nothing." Her eyes flashed briefly, a myriad of emotions so fast Angel was barely able to see them. One stuck out fresh in his mind however: fear. She was afraid. Of what he wasn't sure, but suddenly he was determined to find out. Taking another step forward he reached out with his hand, his eyes locked onto hers.
"Let me see." His voice was soft, firm but gentle in its insistence. Staring into his warm chocolate eyes, Kat couldn't form a word of protest as he moved closer, brushing her hair aside. As his long fingers ran through her dark locks, the vampire drew his eyes away from hers, moving his gaze down to her neck. Her hand had fallen to her side, exposing the pale flesh to his scrutiny. At first he couldn't see anything, but soon his eyes began to pick out a section that was paler than the rest of her marble skin. Though it looked as if it healed, the ragged nature of it suggested that it had been a painful scar when she had acquired it. Angel's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he realized just what he was looking at…the type of scar made by a vampire bite during a struggle. "What's this?"
The deadly tone in his voice caused Kat to flinch, though she stood her ground, refusing to move as he stared at her scar. Licking her full lips the brunette shrugged as calmly as possible. "It's just a scar; I told you it was nothing." She tried to back away, but Angel's hand fisted in her hair, keeping her firmly in place. "What!"
"How did it happen?" Instead of shouting, the vampire's voice got softer, colder. His eyes came back up to fix on Kat, leveling her with a look that told the brunette she had better not try to get away from this without answering.
"Why do you want to know so much, it happened years ago!" Angrily she tried to free her hair from his hand, but the harder she struggled the tighter his grasp became. Finally her temper exploded. "What do you want to hear? Do you want to hear that I got it the night my mother died? That my mother invited a bunch of vampires into our home unknowingly, and that they proceeded to beat the shit out of her?" Angel's hand in her hair loosened, but Kat plunged on, her emotions and memories pouring from her despite her intentions. "They beat my mother unconscious, and when I tried to stop them, one of those bastards grabbed me and sank his teeth in."
Kat cocked her head to the side, moonlight spilling over her neck to illuminate the ugly scar. "I got this because while he was biting me, I started to change for the first time." A bitter laugh erupted from her throat, causing Angel's eyes to dart back to her face with concern. "Later I found out just how unusual that was. Seems that very few members of my family have ever transformed when the moon wasn't full. My mother wasn't strong enough to change, so I did it for her." Her eyes stung as the urge to cry welled up inside of her, but the brunette blinked rapidly, exhaling loudly as she fought to regain her composure.
Minutes ticked by as she stood there, her chest heaving and her eyes staring off into the distance. Angel stared down at the petite woman, astonishment and sympathy welling up inside of him. He wondered how someone could go through all that and still maintain a shred of sanity. His mouth parted as he sought to offer her some words of comfort, but no sound emerged. Instead he waited as she collected herself enough to continue. Her eyes refocused on the bewildered vampire as she went on.
"I was only twelve; I didn't understand what was happening to me. One minute I was watching my mother go down, being grabbed from behind…the next I woke up beside her, blood covering my body." A slight chill came over Kat and she rubbed her arms self-consciously before straightening. "My mother was still alive, but barely. She spoke to me a little, but then her eyes closed and she didn't wake up."
Angel's hand moved out of her hair, squeezing her shoulder as she took a deep breath. "After the cops came by, they couldn't figure out what happened. They deemed it a murder by thieves, and took me to a foster home. Two years later my transformations became routine, and I left the homes for good."
Letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, the stoic vampire just watched as the delicately strong brunette straightened; any pain her memories had caused her falling away from her face as the guarded look returned. Knowing a little more about her softened that part inside of him that had previously held nothing but ire for the fiery hellcat. Silently he watched as the young woman slipped behind her defensive walls again, any hint of her outburst lost behind hooded eyes. Feeling sorry for the pain she had suffered, he did something unexpected. Slowly his hand moved from her shoulder back to her neck, one long finger tracing the scar gently, almost tenderly.
Kat's eyes widened as Angel's finger caressed her scar, sending tiny tremors through her body. Not since her mother had tucked her into bed when she was little had she been touched in such a personal nature, and it nearly undid all her emotional control. Shaken, she backed away from the vampire, her arms crossing over her chest in a silent barrier against his advancement.
Taking her actions as a cue that he had crossed a line, Angel cleared his throat somewhat nervously. Glancing around the quiet cemetery, he looked back to the young woman with a raised eyebrow. "Why don't we go look for the others?"
"Good idea," Kat agreed quickly, relief evident in her eyes as her thoughts turned to the matter of patrolling. Her hand tightening on the stake she held, she set off in one direction before Angel could utter another word, her face a mask of grim determination. Angel watched her rush off, his expression sad.
"Oh kitten," He murmured, so softly the werewoman couldn't hear him. "What a pair we are." Shaking his head, the vampire moved to follow her. As he scanned the area for potential predators, his eyes slid time and again to the back of the brunette who had thoroughly confused him in such a short time.
"Cordelia," she started, sweetness dripping from her mouth as she advanced on the poor girl. "Next time, would you mind aiming for a vampire that ISN'T so close to Xander or me!" She was sorely tempted to send the annoying cheerleader back to Hawaii or Mexico or wherever her parents had taken her for summer vacation. She fought with spirit, certainly, but so far she had nearly killed Kat at least five times…and the evening was young.
"Well excuuuuse me Miss Fur Rubbed the Wrong Way, but I told you I haven't handled a crossbow before!" Flinging her dark locks over her shoulder, she glared right back at Kat. "It's not like there's an archery class available in this town!"
Nervously watching Kat's eyes darken, Xander intercepted the cheerleader before the werecat's twitching hands found something to do…like choke the life out of someone. "Cordy," he began, clearing his throat as he placed one hand on the crossbow, the other on her shoulder. "It just takes some getting used to. I know!" he grinned as inspiration struck, "just think of the vampires we aren't fighting as the latest in high fashion. You should be able to zero in on them then!"
Willow bit back a groan as Xander's wacky idea was met with shrieks of outrage. As Cordelia focused the full scope of her anger on her somewhat boyfriend, the redheaded hacker sidled closer to Kat. Hoping to defuse at least one end of the tension in the group, she cleared her throat and asked tentatively, "So, um, did you and Angel have a good talk?" As the brunette's eyes turned to glare at Willow she plunged on nervously. "You didn't kill him right, cause that would be a bad thing since I haven't entirely recovered from bringing him back from hell and I don't think I could go through those dreams…"
"Willow," interrupting the babbling redhead before she really got into the swing of things, Kat sighed, her eyes losing some of their hard edge. "I talked to him." After a moment of silence from the tiny hacker, Kat continued reluctantly. "He's not mad at you Wills. He just has to work some things out." She didn't know how Willow would have reacted to Angel's comments about the connection between his sister and her.
Her small smile blooming into a radiant grin, Willow threw herself into Kat's arms, giving her friend a grateful hug. "Thank you for not staking him! And for talking to him, cause I know you didn't really want to. I'm sure you helped a lot!" Kat didn't think so, but she kept her comments to herself, hugging the redhead back briefly before extracting herself as gracefully as she could. Friends they may be, but the brunette wasn't used to anyone invading her personal space…especially as often as Willow liked to hug people.
A small sound reached Kat just then, causing her to turn abruptly. Her nose wrinkled a little as it confirmed a vampire as the source of the noise. Placing herself in front of Willow, she concentrated on seeking the demon out. Just as she noticed movement in the shadows it stepped forward, arms raised in a sign for surrender. A groan escaped her lips as the vampire came into full view, amusement flickering briefly in his chocolate eyes.
"Don't shoot," Angel said, his eyes glancing over to the still fighting couple before coming back to rest on the two petite young women before him. Kat stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face, while Willow darted past the brunette, launching herself into the vampire at full tilt.
"Angel!" the redhead cried out in joy, causing Xander and Cordy to halt and look over at the trio. "I'm so glad you came!" As Willow pulled away to look up at the vampire, a look of confusion crossed her features. "But how did you know where we would be, cause you haven't been patrolling with us, you haven't even been by the library I was so worried about you and…" her stream of babble was silenced by a finger to her lips.
"I was…tied up Little One," Angel explained, not wanting to worry his friend and have her know why he had been so miserable lately. "I didn't mean to worry you." Touching her nose lightly, he offered her something of a smile. "I'm here because Kat suggested it actually," raising his eyes to glance over at the werecat, who blinked in confusion.
"I did?" Frowning, Kat couldn't remember when she had suggested that Angel seek them out tonight for patrol. Then again, she had said so much to the vampire that she wasn't entirely sure what she told him. Fortunately Xander, who even now was coming over with Cordelia's hand tucked into his own, spared her from having to comment further.
"Hey Dea…ah…Angel," Xander greeted the vampire, wincing as Cordelia crushed his hand in warning. "You come to patrol with us, or just do the lurking thing?"
"Actually, I was thinking about helping you guys out…that is, if you'll have me?" His slight smile faltered as his doubts and self-consciousness surfaced. Briefly he wondered if the time was right for him to ask to join their group, but Willow put a stop to that before he could slip back into brood mode.
"Of course!" the redhead bubbled, grinning at Angel, then the rest of the startled group. "This is great, that means we can cover more ground. Xander, Cordelia, and I can search in one direction, and you and Kat can go the other way." The idea greatly pleased Willow, because it separated Kat and Cordelia, which might prevent any possible
'accidental' homicides as a result of another misfired crossbow bolt.
"I don't think," Kat began, only to be overruled by at least two other people present. Cordelia was all for anything that would get her as far away from the feral brunette as possible, and Xander wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of patrolling with Angel, no matter how friendly he tried to sound. Thus it was that she found herself searching the south end of the cemetery with a souled vampire who was probably about as thrilled with the idea as she was.
* * * * * * * * *
"Great, just great," she muttered under her breath, one dainty hand tightening painfully around the stake she held. "I'm traipsing around the cemetery with a vampire to watch my back, while the High School Vampire Slaying Club goes merrily off to get themselves killed. More than likely by that Cheerleader from Hell." Lost in her personal rant, Kat jumped when Angel placed a hand on her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she glanced up at him, noting the serious look on his face. "What?"
Clearing his throat, Angel let his hand slip from her shoulder. His voice was soft as he spoke. "I just wanted to thank you. For what you did today." His eyes held hers as he continued. "I know you didn't want to be there…"
"It's nothing," Kat replied curtly, uncomfortable with how serious he was being. Not to mention his sincerity. Taking a step back to get the vampire out of her personal space, she shrugged lightly. "I was just helping a friend."
Angel stared at the young woman for a moment, trying to understand her reaction to his thanks. He wasn't sure why she was so uncomfortable with appreciation; he had seen her talk with Willow, and knew that while she seemed much friendlier with the redhead, she still avoided becoming too emotional. 'Looks like I'm not the only one who closes myself off,' he thought, his gaze questioning on the brunette as she looked away, scanning the area in a pretense of patrol. He was about to comment on it when she stiffened, nostrils flaring in warning.
"We've got company," she stated flatly as two vampires materialized in front of the pair: big brutes with more muscle than brain. One of them leered at Kat's black clad body, its eyes trailing up her hip-hugging pants and tight top as she growled. Licking its lips, the lecherous vampire launched itself at the brunette, while its friend was diverted by a suddenly vamped out Angel.
Unable to spare a glance at Kat to see how she was doing in her fight, Angel whirled under the muscle-bound vampire's arms, slamming his elbow into his opponent's abdomen. As it staggered back he reached behind his back, pulling a stake out of the lining of his black jacket. Hissing, the vampire moved, rushing Angel wildly. Sidestepping the vampire in one fluid motion, he twisted his upper body, slamming the piece of wood into the other vampire's chest before it could slow its velocity. Dust whipped past him as he stood there, shaking his head in amazement.
'More muscle than brain,' he noted dryly, scanning the area for Kat and her assailant. He spotted them a few feet away, a blur of motion in the darkness. She had wound up with the more skilled of the two vampires as she blocked one of the lecher's kicks with her arms crossed in front of her, flinging it down before she launched a roundhouse of her own. Recalling their fight upon his return from Hell, Angel watched with interest, admiration for the young woman's agility rising with each move she made. It took him a moment to see the subtle movement behind the dark-haired young woman, another adversary maneuvering itself to take her by surprise.
Determination was etched into Kat's face as the brunette pivoted on her feet, dodging a blow to the head that would have left her reeling. So far she had managed to keep the vampire from seriously hurting her, but he was faster than his mass made him out to be. Twirling her stake in her right hand, she circled the vampire, seeking an opening. Just as she was about to attack she noticed the vampire's eyes shift slightly, glancing up at something behind her before returning its attention to the petite morsel in front of him.
'Now what is he up to?' the brunette wondered, eyes widening as a horrible idea dawned on her. Fast as lightning she started to turn, but she wasn't fast enough. A third vampire reached out, leather-clad arms trapping her own arms to her sides as it grabbed her from behind. Hissing she kicked and bucked, but it hauled her up, dangling her feet a few inches from the ground. As the lecherous vampire licked its lips and advanced in her direction, she felt the one behind her move its head, nuzzling closer to her neck. Her mind exploded into a storm of rage and fear, triggered by a barrage of unpleasant memories. Her eyes blazed with an inner fire, turning red as hellfire as she fought to free herself from the vampire's deadly embrace.
* * * * * * * *
When Kat was grabbed from behind Angel growled, gold eyes glowing as he raced to her aid. Eyes narrowing angrily as the vampire who held her bent to nuzzle her neck, only to turn into confusion as the vampire drew back, eyeing the brunette's dainty neck warily. As Angel neared the trio Kat exploded into action. Red tingeing her dark emerald eyes she whipped her head back violently, snarling as the back of her head connected with the vampire's face. At the same time she kicked out in front of her, catching the other vampire fully in the chest and causing it to fall backwards…right into Angel's stake.
Nor did she stop there, twisting about as the vampire's embrace loosened from a combination of confusion and pain. Turning her upper body, Kat slammed her elbow back, rage adding strength to her blow and causing the vampire to stagger back, letting her go and raising its hands to its head as the ground swam before it. Quivering with barely suppressed rage Kat brought her right hand up, swinging the stake in it down through a deadly arc. The bloodlust in her eyes brightened as the vampire's eyes widened in fear, too late it tried to defend itself as her stake imbedded into its chest.
Dust settled around the brunette as she stood there, silently staring off into space. The blood roared in her veins, a testimony to how much nearly being bitten had affected her. Sensing movement behind her, she whirled around, stake upraised to meet the new attacker. Only a tiny part of her recognized the sight and smell of the man who stood before her.
Angel watched in amazement as Kat glared in utter hatred at him, crimson eyes blazing in the moonlight. Her lips were curled into a snarl, and she seemed to be coming down from a berserk frenzy, almost unable to distinguish friend from foe. Slowly understanding seemed to come to the hellcat, her eyes losing that red tint that made her look so deadly. Blinking once, twice, three times, the brunette lowered her weapon arm, giving Angel an apologetic half-smile.
"Sorry about that," she murmured, a trace of her tension betrayed by her voice. "I don't know what came over me." Idly she reached up, rubbing the same area over her jugular that the vampire had been trying to bite. Her actions drew Angel's attention back to her neck, and he remembered the way the vampire had reacted when looking at her neck. Cautiously he moved forward, pausing when Kat's eyes flew up to meet his, distrust and worry reflected in her flickering orbs.
"What is it," he asked, his eyes moving back and forth from shadowed area on her neck to the guarded look in her eyes. As he took another step closer to her the brunette backed away, her hand pressed against her neck defensively.
"Nothing." Her eyes flashed briefly, a myriad of emotions so fast Angel was barely able to see them. One stuck out fresh in his mind however: fear. She was afraid. Of what he wasn't sure, but suddenly he was determined to find out. Taking another step forward he reached out with his hand, his eyes locked onto hers.
"Let me see." His voice was soft, firm but gentle in its insistence. Staring into his warm chocolate eyes, Kat couldn't form a word of protest as he moved closer, brushing her hair aside. As his long fingers ran through her dark locks, the vampire drew his eyes away from hers, moving his gaze down to her neck. Her hand had fallen to her side, exposing the pale flesh to his scrutiny. At first he couldn't see anything, but soon his eyes began to pick out a section that was paler than the rest of her marble skin. Though it looked as if it healed, the ragged nature of it suggested that it had been a painful scar when she had acquired it. Angel's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he realized just what he was looking at…the type of scar made by a vampire bite during a struggle. "What's this?"
The deadly tone in his voice caused Kat to flinch, though she stood her ground, refusing to move as he stared at her scar. Licking her full lips the brunette shrugged as calmly as possible. "It's just a scar; I told you it was nothing." She tried to back away, but Angel's hand fisted in her hair, keeping her firmly in place. "What!"
"How did it happen?" Instead of shouting, the vampire's voice got softer, colder. His eyes came back up to fix on Kat, leveling her with a look that told the brunette she had better not try to get away from this without answering.
"Why do you want to know so much, it happened years ago!" Angrily she tried to free her hair from his hand, but the harder she struggled the tighter his grasp became. Finally her temper exploded. "What do you want to hear? Do you want to hear that I got it the night my mother died? That my mother invited a bunch of vampires into our home unknowingly, and that they proceeded to beat the shit out of her?" Angel's hand in her hair loosened, but Kat plunged on, her emotions and memories pouring from her despite her intentions. "They beat my mother unconscious, and when I tried to stop them, one of those bastards grabbed me and sank his teeth in."
Kat cocked her head to the side, moonlight spilling over her neck to illuminate the ugly scar. "I got this because while he was biting me, I started to change for the first time." A bitter laugh erupted from her throat, causing Angel's eyes to dart back to her face with concern. "Later I found out just how unusual that was. Seems that very few members of my family have ever transformed when the moon wasn't full. My mother wasn't strong enough to change, so I did it for her." Her eyes stung as the urge to cry welled up inside of her, but the brunette blinked rapidly, exhaling loudly as she fought to regain her composure.
Minutes ticked by as she stood there, her chest heaving and her eyes staring off into the distance. Angel stared down at the petite woman, astonishment and sympathy welling up inside of him. He wondered how someone could go through all that and still maintain a shred of sanity. His mouth parted as he sought to offer her some words of comfort, but no sound emerged. Instead he waited as she collected herself enough to continue. Her eyes refocused on the bewildered vampire as she went on.
"I was only twelve; I didn't understand what was happening to me. One minute I was watching my mother go down, being grabbed from behind…the next I woke up beside her, blood covering my body." A slight chill came over Kat and she rubbed her arms self-consciously before straightening. "My mother was still alive, but barely. She spoke to me a little, but then her eyes closed and she didn't wake up."
Angel's hand moved out of her hair, squeezing her shoulder as she took a deep breath. "After the cops came by, they couldn't figure out what happened. They deemed it a murder by thieves, and took me to a foster home. Two years later my transformations became routine, and I left the homes for good."
Letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, the stoic vampire just watched as the delicately strong brunette straightened; any pain her memories had caused her falling away from her face as the guarded look returned. Knowing a little more about her softened that part inside of him that had previously held nothing but ire for the fiery hellcat. Silently he watched as the young woman slipped behind her defensive walls again, any hint of her outburst lost behind hooded eyes. Feeling sorry for the pain she had suffered, he did something unexpected. Slowly his hand moved from her shoulder back to her neck, one long finger tracing the scar gently, almost tenderly.
Kat's eyes widened as Angel's finger caressed her scar, sending tiny tremors through her body. Not since her mother had tucked her into bed when she was little had she been touched in such a personal nature, and it nearly undid all her emotional control. Shaken, she backed away from the vampire, her arms crossing over her chest in a silent barrier against his advancement.
Taking her actions as a cue that he had crossed a line, Angel cleared his throat somewhat nervously. Glancing around the quiet cemetery, he looked back to the young woman with a raised eyebrow. "Why don't we go look for the others?"
"Good idea," Kat agreed quickly, relief evident in her eyes as her thoughts turned to the matter of patrolling. Her hand tightening on the stake she held, she set off in one direction before Angel could utter another word, her face a mask of grim determination. Angel watched her rush off, his expression sad.
"Oh kitten," He murmured, so softly the werewoman couldn't hear him. "What a pair we are." Shaking his head, the vampire moved to follow her. As he scanned the area for potential predators, his eyes slid time and again to the back of the brunette who had thoroughly confused him in such a short time.