Chapter Seventeen: Aid of an Angel

A week passed and Dawn had considerately given Joy her desired space. Dawn didn't even confront Joy on her distance after learning of her existence as a slayer. Dawn understood that it would be difficult for Joy to accept her identity. While Joy had discontinued her daily lunches with Dawn, she had been spending even more time with Blake. They had not only kept up their weekly, Friday night dates (Joy had decided that the dates were worth her uncle's anger and she refused to stop just because of some inflicted bruises), but Joy and Blake had also begun to eat lunch together every day and Joy had gotten in the habit of doing her homework at school while Blake attended basketball practice and then they would meet up for an after-school trip to coffee.

"Hey, I thought you couldn't wait for me today." Blake grinned as he jogged over to Joy after practice. She was waiting by the door to the locker room.

"I couldn't. I had to run a few errands for my aunt, but I decided to stop by on my way home." Joy explained with a smile.

"Ah, how sweet," Blake circled his arms around her waist and leaned down to kiss her.

Pulling away from him she pretended to be disgusted. "You're all sweaty!" She turned her head but he leaned closer and pecked at her cheek and neck. Giggling, Joy turned back to accept his kisses, doing her best to ignore his sweatiness as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"I better hit the showers then," He broke the embrace and headed towards the locker rooms.

"Wait," Joy hurried after him. "I've got to go, so kiss me again before I do!"

Blake grinned and started to return to her but just then his coach and a few of the teammates started heading towards the locker rooms and he changed his mind. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Blake!" Joy frowned as he started to join his friends. "No kiss?"

He just grinned and shook his head. "Some other time," He said simply and then followed the team into the locker room, leaving Joy disappointed and confused.

Whatever, I'll see him later. And she left the gym and headed out to her car. She had a couple more errands to run before heading home so she drove in the direction of the dry cleaners to pick up her aunt's clothes.

By time she was finished with all her errands it was late, almost nine o'clock. At her last stop, the pharmacy, Joy had to park out back in the vacant parking lot, dwelling in dark shadows with only a single streetlamp which flickered randomly, to illuminate the area. Joy had been having an especially difficult time with her aunt and uncle lately since she had been going out so often with Blake and was so often coming home late, and so being able to stay out late without consequences, even running errands, was a relief to her. As she was walking back to her car, Joy was lost deep in her thoughts and didn't even notice the stealthy, night creatures that were slowly approaching her from behind. A moment later she was caught off her guard and was knocked to the ground by a vampire's fierce kick.

"What the hell?" Her hands broke her fall as they smacked hard against the pavement. The short skirt she was wearing left her knees bare and they scraped the rough ground and started to bleed instantly. Looking back over her shoulder, Joy realized what had knocked her down and scowled. "Not you guys! I am so sick of you undead bastards!" She quickly stood and turned to face the group of vampires approaching her. The first one leapt towards her with his teeth clearly barred but Joy managed to duck from his attack and in the process she punched him hard in the stomach and then shoved him off to the side of her. Before the second vampire lunged at her Joy firmly made up her mind. "I'm not going to fight you guys. I'm going to go and get in my car and drive away and you are going to leave me the hell alone. Got it? Good." Joy rolled her eyes at the confused looking vampires and started heading back to her car.

"Who do you think you're talking to, bitch?" One of the vampires growled as she turned her back to them. "You're death isn't a negotiation."

"Ooh, that's threatening!" Joy replied sarcastically without turning around. She fumbled for the right key to open her car door, but another vampire grabbed her arm fiercely making her drop her keys. He twisted her arm around to her back forcing her to bend backwards awkwardly and somewhat painfully. "Hey, now that's just not fair play!" Joy maneuvered out of the vampire's grip. "I told you that I don't want to fight! I'm not in the mood and I'm going to be late for curfew and then that would just lead me to trouble and…" She paused to punch the vampire that was in her face. Before she had a chance to defend herself again, three more vampires crowded in and at the same time pounced on her, pinning her to the ground; she was more or less in a state of helplessness. She could fend of three vampires at the same time, even with her strength. They overpowered her.

"Not so chatty now, are you?" One of the beasts mocked her, leaning in dangerously close to her neck.

Joy struggled to break free from the vampires' restraining hold on her but two more joined the struggle, making it impossible for Joy free herself. She started worrying. It was very unlike her to worry but when she realized that there was a possibility that these creatures could overpower her, she began to panic. She fought furiously but it only helped a little. Her frantic struggling made it more difficult for them to bite her but they only tightened their hold on her.

She had begun to panic when suddenly the vampires were pulled off of her. She leapt to her feet just in time to see a man fighting all five of the vampires at once! He was incredible! His fighting skill was amazing, and his strength was obvious! In a few minutes and after only minimal struggle, he had dusted each and every one of the vampires. Joy could only stare with her eyes wide.

"Are you okay?" The man came over to her when he was done with the fight.

"Yea," Joy was still staring at him in disbelief. "You were…amazing!"

He didn't seem impressed by her flattery. "You could be too you know." He brushed the remains of dust off of his black button-up shirt. He looked dressed up enough for a dinner party.

"What's that supposed to mean? If you hadn't come along when you did, I'd have been a much paler person." She tried to smile but the stranger's unusually calm composure halted her jokes.

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Slayer." The corners of his mouth slightly twitched upwards when he addressed Joy as a slayer.

"Excuse me?" Joy gasped. "Why did you call me that?"

"I know who you are." He stated. "You are the slayer. And it's time you started acting like it." He turned and started to walk away. "Next time you get attacked, I might not be here to protect you. You'll have to save yourself."

"Wait!" Joy hurried after him. "I am not the slayer! I don't know whom you've been talking to, or how you found me for that matter, but I am not the slayer. I am just a high school student, trying not to fail my classes! I want nothing to do with this slayer business, got it?"

"It's not really up to you." He looked at her seriously. "It's your destiny." He turned away again and started walking. "See you around."

"Who are you?" Joy called after him.

"Think of me as your guardian angel." He winked at her over his shoulder and disappeared into the dark shadows of night.

Joy headed back to her car in confusion. "Weirdo." She whispered into the void, glancing around quickly to make sure that the stranger was gone before climbing into her car and driving home.