Author's Note

New update, and so much sooner than I anticipated. Only one more chapter to go after this! Y'all are so fucking awesome! The reviews were my motivation to get this chapter written and posted. This story has been so good to me as far as writing is concerned and I'm glad to see that it was so well received by Blade: Trinity fans. Depending on the fast response to this chapter will determine how soon the final one gets posted. I'm itching to hear your opinions! Be safe and play nice with each other.

xoxo-

McFadden-

Chapter 9: Sealed With a Kiss

Looking at King from an outside view, no one in their right mind would've guessed that he was a compulsive cleaner. Now however, He was currently bent over his electronic guns, fiercely scrubbing away the grime from the chambers. All the while, setting down various pieces a little louder than necessary and grumbling to himself. This is what King did when he was inconsolably angry. He slammed down a casing and muttered.

"Unbelievable…"

He laughed contemptuously and clicked the magazine back in.

"Un-fuckin-believable!"

His body was getting all jittery so he got up to do something more productive. Whistler and Caulder had been gone for a good hour and a half and King was going stir crazy. Entering the kitchen he started to organize things. Within 15 minutes, the entire pantry was in order…alphabetical order. He began pacing through the hallways hopping every step or two so his weight wouldn't be put on his ankle. As he as doing this, King began to berate himself out loud.

"You are one stupid fucking idiot! Do you know that? You just had to let her walk out that door. You know, you could've tripped her…Then the two of you could be hobbling around here together. Or better yet, you could be nursing her wounds as she took care of yours…in bed."

King stopped wearing a track into the linoleum floor and groaned in frustration. He grabbed his hair and pulled at the tips. That's what he should have done. Tied her down to the bed and made sure that she would never want to leave it again. But no, here he was, alone in the hideout, with nothing more left to do but worry. Even he was starting to get on his own nerves.

Meanwhile on the other side of town, Caulder and Abby were about knee-deep in a tankard that was full of coppery, thick liquid. The stench was almost unbearable to Caulder. He began to gag on the fumes. Abby on the other hand, didn't seem to be disturbed by this one bit. They were strategizing on how to coax the brothers to come outside. The two of them were situation on the top of the roof Dash had staked out earlier, listening to the wire bugs that hand just finished implanting into the venting system. Abby had gathered that both Sander and Dalton were basically sitting ducks in the floor below them. Now, all she wanted to do was lure them up to the top, thus resulting to their current state. She and Caulder were standing in a vat of blood.

"If we have any chance of them coming out Caulder, you are just going to have to live with this as long as you possibly can."

She paused for a long moment. Caulder's mood wasn't affected and simply glowered at her. Abby watched him and her thought flashed to King before continuing their conversation in more of a passive voice.

"I hope you aren't too fond of the clothes you're wearing. The smell never comes off…we usually end up having to burn them."

Caulder's eyes flew to hers in dismay as he unconsciously began to stroke his black leather jacket. Abby caught this and rolled her eyes and replied in a sharp tone.

"You'll get over it."

They stopped in the dead silence when they heard the latch of the trap door fly up and the sound of two cajoling vampire wafted up with it, followed by the boys themselves. Immediately, Abby crouched down deeper in her hiding place, securing her bow and steadying out the shot. She had expected a whole hell of a lot more vampires to protect their leaders but she wasn't going to complain if all she had to do was take out two suckheads to get to what she really wanted. They would take out the two useless punks later and save the brothers for last. A whizzing sound was the only thing to be heard before the first punk vampire burst into flames. His cohort looked around, scared shitless as Dalton and Sander leapt behind two steel drums of more blood. Dash informed them that the blood was pumped through the buildings piping system for the brothers little fetish parties. Abby could've readily imagined a swimming pool filled to the brim with blood and bathing vampires, but that was not something she wanted to see with her own eyes. As the second punk vampire scurried for a place to hide, Caulder fired two garlic infused capsules right in the stomach. Instantly the vampire started to singe and his skin began to flake off ash by ash. Now all Abby had to worry about was attacking their main attraction. She heard Sanders silky smooth voice that sounded like he was right in her ear even though she could see his silhouette from across the roof, coming closer.

"Sander I smell something nice and sexy, and absolutely drenched in blood. Could that be our former Archangel of Death, Ms. Whistler? Isn't that what her pathetic pet calls her? Whistler…"

She heard Sander laugh even though he still remained in the shadows, a step behind Dalton. Abby attention turned back to Dalton, she just shook with disgust at the way he had said her name. It caressed her earlobe in such a spiteful and unsettling way. She knew that Dalton had always been jealous of King, even though both Sander and Dalton had been converted to vampirism before Abby got King out of it. At one point when they were still in the Nightstalkers, Dalton was Abby's first partner, but he secretly lusted after Abby and became envious after her discovery of King and her growing obsession with trying to get him released two years before she was able to actually rescue him. This is what ultimately led to Dalton's fall with the vampires and into Danica's coven. Soon after, he returned and Sander went willingly with him. Dalton wanted to help ensure himself that Abby would never get close to her little fixation that was King. And now, years later, it was highly evident that Dalton never got over the fact that he had been outsmarted by her and that King was now her partner. Abby heard his voice hissed like a snake when Caulder came into view.

"What's this Abigail…that's twice the foreigner's been with you. Is he a new partner? Really now, are we all so replaceable?"

With contempt in her own voice Abby responded seething.

"No Dalton, it was just you."

She knew that was a cold hard slap across his face from the hatred that settled into his eyes. Yet his reply was smooth but forced.

"Ah…I see. So, where is the strappingly young and brawny brute? I hope he hasn't fallen under an injury that is keeping me from the pleasure of his company."

His sarcasm got under her skin. She knew that he was aware that King was hurt and she bit back vehemently.

"Fuck you."

He snickered at her lowly as he approached her, clucking his tongue.

"Such language, my pretty darling...but that can be arranged."

Abby smiled with revulsion and tapped the arrow she held lightly on the ground.

"Still sore at the fact that you were never able to have me Dalton, or is it that you can sense that King has already had me?"

Dalton's face turned to stone, Sander winced sharply, and even Caulder seemed a little stunned by this news. Abby's smile turned victorious. She inched a little closer to Dalton and whispered.

"And guess what? He fucked me good too…"

That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Dalton charged at Abby as she quickly ducked and threw him over her back. Sander had taken off and Caulder was chasing after him. Suddenly Dalton jumped up from the floor, grabbing Abby tightly around her neck. She choked and coughed, kicking and scratching anywhere she could. Caulder was no longer in sight.

"You better be careful Whistler, all I have to do is squeeze and it's all over."

Dalton growled like a tiger would have as he leaned over Abigail, bracing her back against the last guard rail of the rooftop. The busy city streets were bustling with their nightlife, cars in transit, all speeding past them from far down below. Dalton had his thin skeletal-like fingers around Abby's throat edging her closer and bending over the side of the building. Things were looking dismal at that moment. He basically had her life in his mercy. She tried to make a scream for Caulder, but Dalton was holding on so tight that it depleted whatever sound she would've made. From what she could hear in the distance, Caulder was putting up a good fight with Sander. Her attention was brought back to the sniping form before her. Dalton suddenly leaned down and whispered in Abby's ear.

"No…I don't think I'll kill you tonight. I think it's time that the Nightstalkers lost another one of their precious rogue warriors to the dark side."

Without any premise of a warning or any view of the horrified and angered looked in Abigail's eyes, the vampire pitched forward and pierced his fangs within the delicate flesh of Abby's jugular. The scream itself was deafening. It was enough to stop even Sander in his tracks. Just long enough for one explosive round of a UV bullet right to the chest. Caulder stepped back as the body before him ashed away while the level of his gun still smoked. One down.

Dalton, who was too caught up in the glory of what he'd done, sneered at Abby as she laid there on the ground where he had tossed her, bleeding profusely. He didn't even realize that his own brother was already mere embers smoldering on the ground. Within seconds of the attack, Abby had grown terribly weak. All she could manage was a vengeful glare.

"Maybe now you'll know not to fuck with me Abigail…not right now at least. Too bad your precious King wasn't here to save his Queen."

He laughed, licking his lips salaciously, and spat her own blood back into her face. At which point, a tall, broad shouldered vampire appear through the escaped hatch on the roof to see what all the commotion was about. Signaling to him, Dalton pointed to Abby while he wiped his mouth and gave his order.

"Get her out of my si…"

But Dalton would never finish that sentence. Before Abby could comprehend what was happening, she saw both of them shoot up into flames like a bonfire before the light engulfed her vision and everything went black. Caulder had obliterated the two of them with a cap of sundogs right in the back. He ran through the ashes towards Abby and cursed out loud in his native tongue. She was out cold and she had been bitten by Dalton. He wasn't sure how much blood was transfused but he could tell that it was enough to require an EDTA treatment. He also didn't know how long it would take for her to wake up. But for one thing he was certain; King was going to kill him.

Caulder couldn't get Abigail home fast enough. She hadn't moved at all when Dash came with the car. Even he didn't ask questions. Abby was still alive, but in grave danger. The main priority was getting her home to discern the best way to help her. As Dash pulled up the drive, Caulder began to literally shake. He wasn't a man that easily feared anything, but at the prospect of meeting King behind that door with a damaged Abby, scared the Hell out of him. Dash entered the Honeycomb with a flourish that made King jump unexpectedly.

"Hey…"

King halted. The look on Dash's face was frightened. He didn't even get the chance to ask what was wrong. Caulder walked through the door carrying a limp Abby in arms. King flew out of his chair, running up to them.

"Abby...Abby can you hear me!"

He took her from Caulder, completely ignoring him in the process. Caulder's anguish was evident in his features and he spoke in a nervous tone.

"She's out cold."

King was too overcome with anger and concern as he placed Abby on the medical bed. It was only then that he noticed the harsh, jagged puncture wound on her neck and whirled around to an apprehensive Dash and a devastated Caulder. His eyes were enraged and his demeanor changed to a crazed man in the split of a second. But his voice was perhaps the most disturbing thing of all. It was nothing but a deadly whisper

"She got bit…"

He ran straight at Caulder and screamed.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Dash instantaneously grabbed King and held him back as best he could all the while talking reason to him.

"It's not worth it King! Let's worry about getting Abby better right now.

This seemed to break King from his rage and he went back to Abby's bedside straight away, staring at her, his countenance completely destroyed. Dash mainly worked around King for the next hour trying everything they both could to wake Abby up. When she didn't respond to all of their attempts, Dash resulted in just giving her a blood transfusion while Caulder timidly administered the EDTA into her system while under the watchful and cold eyes of King. He spoke quietly, not meeting King's eyes.

"It'll be a half hour before the transfusions are complete, I'll be back then to check up on her."

Not a word was said in reply. Both Dash and Caulder knew without asking that King was going to stick by his partner's side. Dash knew when to leave well enough alone and he also had another thing to tend to given the state of Abby's condition. He had to make a phone call. Caulder spent most of the time doing nothing but beating himself over the fact that he hadn't come to Abby's rescue soon enough. King was right; he would never be able to protect Abby like King could. She just had a silent understanding and both had sixth sense knowledge of each other's movements. Not to mention, if what Abby said earlier in the night really happened, then she and King had much more than a common bond. Caulder wouldn't know what to do if he's unintentionally severed that tie between them. The half hour passed completely unregistered to King as he continuously stared at Abby. He pulled the soft blue blanket around her, touched the part of undamaged skin as softly as he could. His voice was hoarse when he first spoke to her filled with regret and sadness.

"I told you not to go…"

He could hear Caulder's rough breathing even before he entered the room. He would put money on the chance that at one point during the night Caulder had sustained a broken rib. As he checked Abby's vitals, he shook his head grimly as King watched his every move like a hawk. Caulder noticed that the antivirus strand had not yet begun to work on her system. He knew that Abby would have to be fully alert for him to make sure that the EDTA was working. Until then, they would be forced to wait. Caulder felt King's eyes bore into him as he finished hooking up the IV to his partner's motionless wrist. Wheezing, Caulder slumped slightly to his left side, looking slightly worse for the ware as he tried to speak. He was the last person King wanted to speak to about Abby's condition, but he knew that Caulder had studied the EDTA cure up and down and that he knew what he was talking about. So, he listened despite his wanting to rip the Norwegian's beating heart out of his chest.

"If she doesn't wake soon King…there is a chance that her immune system may not take it and she'll reject it."

After hearing this, however, King lost the ability to remain so tightlipped. Caulder could see his muscles tighten and the anger flare up in he eyes and thought that any second King would fly up from his chair and grab him by the throat. Instead, he shouted.

"You don't know how strong Abby is! She'll be fine! Just fine…"

The last part sounded more like King was trying to convince himself than Caulder that Abby would be okay. Taking his cue, Caulder decided that hit would be best if he just left King to be alone with her, so he left the room. King looked down at Abby's seemingly lifeless form and ran a comforting hand across her cheek.

"Don't listen to him…I told you he was nuts. You're going to be fine. I'll be here when you wake up the EDTA treatment and you'll be good as new. Don't worry, it worked for me and it's going to work for you."

The determination he held in his voice was so strong that if anyone heard him, they would've believed him.