Darla shot Angelus a look and he sighed. "Your idea of fun is what drove us out of our last home, William. I'll not have you ruin things for us again."
"It's Spike now. How many times do I have to tell you?"
Angelus shrugged. "Maybe when you start behaving yourself I'll start using the name you prefer."
"I like this place." Dru whispered in Spike's ear, taking his attention away from Angelus. "It sings and tells me I'm a princess."
Spike's face softened as he swept Dru up in his arms. "You are a princess, my sweet. I won't let anyone tell you otherwise."
The mansion had been abandoned for a few years now; the owner had died, and without an heir to inherit the place has fallen into disrepair. Angelus had quickly decided it was the perfect place for them to stay until they decided where to go next.
Darla scrutinised the place carefully before she turned back to Angelus with a smile. "It's a little dusty, but I'm sure we can scare a few serving girls into cleaning it up for us."
Angelus smiled. "I knew you'd like it. Wait until you see the bedrooms."
A coy smile curled at Darla's lips as she sashayed over to him and pressed her body against his. "And just how many bedrooms are there for us to try? You know I'm very particular about where I…sleep."
Angelus pressed a kiss to her lips. "Let's go and try one, shall we?"
It was then that they heard the door to the mansion open. Spike quickly set Dru down on her feet and motioned to her to be quiet. From where they stood they had a clear view of the entrance foyer and of the people who were entering their home.
"Simon, I don't like this." A blonde haired girl whimpered as she grabbed onto his arm. "I want to go home."
"Don't be silly, Catherine. Those ghost stories aren't real. That's why we're here. We'll spend the night and then tell the others just how easy it was, and what cowards they are."
"It'll be fun." A dark haired girl announced, moving away from another young man. "Didn't you always want to spend the night in a haunted house?"
"No." Catherine replied. "And I'm surprised at you, Rose. You know your father doesn't approve of James and he'll be furious if he finds out you were with him all night."
Rose shrugged. "I really don't care. He's only angry because I won't marry Lord Cavisham who has a fortune and three estates."
"I'll be rich too someday." James added, "As soon as my book gets published."
"Let's explore!" Rose said excitedly, apparently wanting to change the subject. She clasped James's hand and pulled him into the living room. Reluctantly Simon and Catherine followed.
Spike watched as the door closed behind the two couples before he turned back to the others, his fangs on full display.
Darla smiled, wrapping one arm tightly around Angelus' waist. "Well, William. Looks like there's no need for us to go out. Dinner has just come to us."
Dru gazed off into the distance, a delighted smile on her face. "The tiger king will stalk his prey and soak the ground with the blood of small animals."
"Dru's right." Spike agreed. "Let's hunt."
Angelus grinned. "Better still, let's play."
Spike rolled his eyes. "I'm not standing around all night while you play your stupid bloody mind games with them. I'm hungry!"
"I do what I'm good at." Angelus replied calmly. "There's an art to killing which you clearly haven't discovered yet. One day you will."
Spike snorted. "Bollocks. A good fight and a good kill is all I need."
A smile curled Darla's lips. "You really think those four are going to give you a good fight?"
"Well, I'm not going to play with my food."
"Leave it, Darla." Angelus interjected. "William is never going to learn how to draw out a good kill. Best leave him to his own devices."
"Are you saying I don't know how to hunt?" Spike demanded. "I'll show you a bloody good kill."
Angelus had suspected Spike would take the bait and he was right. Maybe for once he'd get the boy to pay attention to his lessons.
"Alright, William, you'll get the chance to show us what you can do. Let Darla and I have some fun first though."
Darla laughed softly. "I love this part. Hide over there so they can't see you."
Once the rest of them had taken their positions Darla stood in the middle of the hallway and screamed.
"This place is incredible." James breathed as he took in a lavish albeit faded painting above the fireplace. He pulled Rose to him and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "One day you'll be mistress of a place like this and your father will be delighted that you married me."
"I can't wait." Rose breathed and pressed her lips over his
Catherine and Simon looked away as their friends engaged in a passionate kiss.
"I don't like it here." Catherine whispered as she buried her face in Simon's chest. He smiled softly and stroked her hair.
"Don't worry, my love. I won't let anything hurt you."
It was then that a shrill and piercing scream rang out through the whole house.
Simon reacted instantly, pulling away from Catherine and ordering them all to wait there for him. He rushed out of the room before any of them had a chance to respond.
If he was surprised to see a blonde haired noblewoman on her knees in the hallway it didn't register. He rushed over to her at once and crouched beside her.
"Are you alright, Miss?"
She raised her eyes to meet his and let out a sob. "Please don't hurt me."
Simon smiled gently and took one of her hands in his. "I'm not going to hurt you. I heard you scream."
She began to cry once more. "There's something in this house. Something evil. Don't let it hurt me."
As her soft cries turned into loud choking sobs, all Simon could think to do was comfort her. He pulled her into his arms and guided her head to his shoulder. He didn't feel her smile, or notice when she turned her face towards his throat.
Rose paced up and down the room while Catherine and James looked on helplessly.
"Don't you care what could be going on out there?" She finally demanded. "Catherine, don't you care what might have happened to Simon?"
"Of course I care." Catherine replied softly. "But he told us to wait here and I'm going to respect his wishes."
"Well, I'm not." Rose replied firmly, marching to the door and throwing it open. What she saw caused her to frown, step forward and close the door behind her.
"Simon? What are you doing?" Rose asked, hardly able to believe that he was knelt on the floor in the embrace of a strange woman. She couldn't see much of the other woman's face, as she seemed to be intently kissing Simon's throat.
"Simon?" She called again, moving towards the couple. That was when the blonde looked up.
Horror filled Rose's entire body as she saw the woman's face covered in blood and Simon slumped in her arms, a gaping wound flowing freely.
Rose slowly backed away, terror in her eyes and a scream building in her throat. Before it could escape, however, a firm hand clamped over her mouth and she found her body pressed firmly against that of a man.
"Hello there, lass. You didn't think we were going to let your friend have all the fun, now did you?"
Frozen with terror, Rose remained completely still as she was pulled away from Simon and into another room of the house. The last thing she saw was his body crumpled on the floor as remains of his blood trickled out.
"It's been too long." James announced as he took up the pacing that Rose had abandoned. "Where are they?"
Although she was frightened, Catherine was starting to agree that something was seriously wrong.
"Should we go and look for them?" She asked softly.
"I don't think we should have let them go in the first place. Come on."
James left the room with Catherine close behind and she almost collided with his back as he stopped still in the doorway.
"What is it?" She asked, unable to see past him.
"Simon." James replied so softly she barely heard him. "Catherine, I don't think you should look."
"Why, what's wrong?" There was panic in her voice now and she could feel her breath catching in her lungs.
"He's—" He stopped, unable to continue.
With surprising amount of strength for someone her size, Catherine pushed James aside and cried out as she saw Simon's body. His lifeless eyes were open, staring up at the ceiling with a look of surprise in them. Catherine cradled him to her, not caring that his blood was staining her dress.
"He was going to take care of me." She whispered to James as she rocked Simon as though he were an infant. "Who would do this?"
"I don't know, but whoever it is must have Rose. She's not here. We have to find her."
Catherine nodded numbly as she stroked Simon's hair. It was only when James came over and took her arm that she allowed Simon's body to slip back onto the floor.
"We'll have someone come for the body later." He assured her. "He'll get a proper burial like he deserves. Now, we should look around the rooms down here first and then move upstairs."
"She's sweet." Darla mused as she circled Rose who was still caught in Angelus' arms. "I can practically smell the innocence on her."
Angelus smiled, running one hand down Rose's face. "You know how I like them. Pure, just like Dru was before we had our fun with her."
Darla sighed wistfully. "Yes, it's a pity we don't have time to play with this one in the same way."
"Do you want to share her?"
Darla fluttered her eyes in mock flirtation. "You'd do that? Even though I already ate? That is so sweet of you."
"Anything for my girl."
He pushed Rose's head into a fully upright position.
"Want to see how long we can keep her awake?"
Darla smiled and moved around to the other side of Rose. "I love these games."
Carefully they both bit gently into the soft flesh on either side of her throat. Rose let out a muffled cry but Angelus still had one hand firmly over her mouth. All she could do was stand there and feel the life slowly draining from her.
"Nothing down here." James stated as they left the final room downstairs. "I suppose we should go up now."
Catherine nodded, having not spoken a word since they'd discovered Simon's body. Slowly they walked up the large flight of stairs and entered the first bedroom.
It was then that they heard it. A soft noise--faint and far away, but obviously that of a woman. It was little more than a whisper, but it was obvious she was trying to say something
James motioned for Catherine to follow him and she nodded. Three rooms later they found the source of the voice.
"Have you come to join my party?" Dru purred as she circled the young couple. "I invited the moon and the stars but they had other matters to attend to. I think they must have sent you to be my present."
"Did you kill our friend?" James demanded. "Where's Rose, what have you done with her?"
Dru smiled and ran her fingers through his hair and down his face. "The pretty flower is in the garden where she belongs. The sun will soon shine down and rot her flesh and melt her eyes."
Catherine tugged James's arm urgently, trying to pull him away from the obviously insane woman but he refused to move without discovering where Rose was. He caught hold of Dru's arm roughly.
"I don't want to hurt you miss, but I demand you tell me where Rose is."
Dru smiled as though he were a child and waved her fingers in front of his eyes.
"Shh now. Focus on my eyes. Be in me."
Catherine's eyes widened in horror as James' arms fell loosely to his sides. His eyes glazed over and his face went slack.
"Neat trick, isn't it?"
Catherine jumped and spun around, almost smashing her face into the chest of the man who was stood behind her. How long he'd been there she couldn't tell, but there was a coldness in his eyes that chilled her blood.
"You picked the perfect time to visit. I was just saying how bored I was, and here you come for a little game of cat and mouse. See, we're not supposed to go out on Halloween. Some stupid bloody rule that god knows who made up. Nice of you to come to us and keep me amused for a while."
Catherine's eyes darted around the room, looking for a way to escape that merely caused Spike to laugh.
"Run if you want, that'll just make this even more fun. I'll catch you eventually, though, and then you'll get to feel my teeth tearing out your throat."
He allowed his fangs to come forward again and he grinned toothily at Catherine. His look of amusement, however, quickly turned to one of annoyance as her eyes rolled back in her head and she crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.
Spike looked down at the sleeping girl and then back at Dru who was still keeping James mesmerised.
"Dru, she bloody fainted on me."
Dru shrugged, not breaking eye contact with James. "Why don't you give sleeping beauty a kiss?"
Spike sighed, muttering under his breath as he hoisted Catherine up into his arms.
"This is no bloody fun."
He bit into her deeply, gulping down her blood as fast as it would flow, before finally tossing the corpse aside when he was done.
"Kill yours Dru, I'm bored."
Dru smiled and snapped her fingers in front of James's face. He blinked as he slowly returned to awareness, and the first thing he saw was Catherine's lifeless body on the floor behind Dru.
"Say goodnight, my sweet prince." Dru whispered in his ear before she bit down hard.
"Well, that was fun." Darla said as she and the others headed back into the mansion. "We should kill people on Halloween more often."
"Wasn't fun for me." Spike grumbled.
"Ah, come on Spike." Angelus said, slinging a friendly arm around his shoulder. "You made her faint. That's pretty good going."
"Did you just call me Spike?"
"Aye, maybe I did."
Spike grinned. The night hadn't been a total loss after all.
The next morning the papers reported four bodies found in a nearby pumpkin field, all of them having been drained of their blood. It was speculated that the ghosts of the local manor house had killed them. Locals claimed it to be vampires.
Nobody was brave enough to enter the house to investigate, though.
The End