A/N: an incredible impulse fanfic at 4 am. CW: blood, guns, death, vampires, threat of experimentation


Tempered steel cut through gnashing vines in sharp swipes. Two darting figures in the dark forest, silhouetted by the full moon, clashing against one another. Sherry's heart boiled in her heaving chest and the sword she so prized was becoming a dead weight in her tired arms. Being one of the last few vampires alive (and one of the even fewer to have a brain) left her with the steep responsibility of keeping the denizens of darkness at balance. If humans discovered the presence of shadowy creatures like herself and realized just how outnumbered they were, perhaps world peace would be possible among humans (shortly before they declared war on Hell itself).

Unfortunately for Sherry, tonight's battle was with a witch who had to have lived for as long as Sherry had been dead. There was no clear opening for Sherry to execute the witch in one powerful swing. "A botanical nightmare," Sherry thought, hacking through another clump of deadly vines and brambles. "I must get past her league of bullshit..." She glared at the witch surrounded by her kingdom of writhing plants and the witch glared back, her dark cloak hiding her figure but her hood thrown back to reveal her great tresses of magenta hair. Sherry disliked people who wore cloaks (despite being a cloak wearer herself).

If only Sherry or the witch had started with a greeting when they spotted each other in the woods... Instead, they both unsheathed their respective weapons and began a fight. Sherry hated to waste energy on unnecessary battles but she had her pride as a vampire. She refused to be the loser, even if it meant clearing up a misunderstanding. She could find a way to shape this the way she wanted.

The vampire sprang forward, knocking the witch down with her shoulder. The two tumbled onto the forest ground and Sherry bit back a swear when a branch gashed her leg. Sword at the ready, Sherry threatened the witch's throat with its honed edge. "What are you doing in these lands, witch?" the vampire demanded, wary of the dozens of sharp vines swaying around her. "This is my territory. You should know better than to step into a vampire's domain."

A laugh came from the witch's pink lips. "Your domain? I see no castle that marks this area as yours, vampire. If anything..." The witch gestured at their surroundings with her gloved hand. "... I'd say your land is ripe for the taking. Perhaps I'll turn it into my personal garden with you as the fertilizer."

"Perhaps your grave will become the cornerstone for my future castle," the vampire responded, the vines retreating immediately from the threat. A castle was not Sherry's tastes in the slightest. They were gaudy, awful when it came to upkeep, and the draftiness made them so difficult to keep warm.

Before the witch could respond, Sherry's head swiveled towards the sound of a branch snapping. Her dark red eyes peered into the darkness, searching for whoever could have made that sound. She heard something moving quickly in the air and she raised her hand to catch it. An arrow pierced her left hand. Then several dozen more broke through her back and Sherry screamed in pain, collapsing onto the side of the witch as her body struggled to heal. Her blood was refusing her command to return to her. That accursed burning sensation and the stench of burning flesh that reminded her of mass funeral pyres... these arrows were coated in silver.

Dozens of boots landed around them and the crackle of walkie talkies popped into Sherry's sensitive ears like firecrackers. There was a pungent smell of gunpowder and oil accompanied by that awful feeling of eyes on her back. Sherry felt the witch trembling underneath her and immediately understood that these interlopers weren't the witch's friends. They were humans and they were armed to the teeth in silver, crosses, and holy water. "The demon has a person trapped underneath it. How should we go about this extraction without harming this person?" the leader asked his companions.

"We should use the animal control pole, Divine!" a much younger voice spoke up.

"Correct, Damien. There's nothing safer than keeping a demon at a great distance while also controlling it. We can't use the taser or a spear or else we might risk hurting the person underneath," Divine spoke, as if reciting from a textbook. "Would anyone like to volunteer? Please do be careful. We must keep this creature alive for testing at the temple." As Divine considered his choices, Sherry made eye contact with the witch and they silently arrived at a truce. She still had her sword in her right hand but she couldn't move much. It'd been a very long time since she'd lost this much blood and Sherry couldn't remember the last time she'd forced down a bag of A negative.

The witch cut her palm on Sherry's sword and squeezed her fist, her dark blood dripping onto the soil. Ancient words from another land were whispered into Sherry's ear and out to the forest around them. The humans, with their weak hearing, and chattering noises didn't catch the witch's words. But for the vampire, she heard- no, she felt something underneath her tremor and quake. Old things, maybe a century or two younger than her, moving under her. When Sherry was much younger, she'd made a habit of chopping her own firewood. That sensation of wood splitting in two from quick and successive chops was pleasing to the ears. The sounds of wood tearing, ripping, and splitting surrounded them. The humans readied their weapons, waiting for whatever it was that threatened their meager presence in the forest.

A massive branch swung from a nearby tree, sweeping away the humans like they were nothing but weightless dolls. The forest had arrived to the witch's call, the trees knocking away the human intruders, the brush growing bladed edges that cut away at Kevlar like clay, and strange mushrooms that sprouted on the skin and dug in deep. In a panic, the humans fired their little guns, clawed at their bodies, and stabbed the trees with their spears and swords but nothing would stop the march of the trees, their roots tangling and their branches striking.

In the chaos, the witch summoned vines to lift up Sherry and she began her mad dash away from the scene with the cocooned vampire in tow. Sherry felt the change in scenery, the smell of fertilizer and corn stabbing her nostrils. A cornfield. Great. Sharp leaves brushed against her cold skin and the witch was panting in exhaustion from her long run. They weren't nearly far away enough from the humans. They had to go somewhere private.

The vampire spotted a giant neon sign that spelled out the word "Vacancy" in obnoxious pink and blue letters. "Hey, witch, there's a motel over there. I doubt those humans would look for us there," Sherry groaned, heaving from the effort it took to speak.

"... my name is Aki," the redhead muttered, changing her path to head towards the motel.

"For a witch as cute as you, I guess I'll tell you my name," the vampire teased, grunting in pain when the vines around her body tightened. "Sherry." Aki made a short noise of acknowledgement.

"The trees will keep them distracted for at least a few hours." Aki lowered Sherry onto the grassy area near the edge of the corn field. "Stay here. I'll get us a room." The blonde faded in and out of conscious for what felt like hours before Aki reappeared and supported Sherry into the tiny motel room.

It reeked of dust and old beer and the furniture looked like it'd seen at least eight presidencies and a CIA cover-up. Sherry dropped her sword at the door and grimaced when Aki lowered her into the tiny bathtub in the bathroom. The mirror above the sink was grimy and dusted over from age. The toilet had definitely seen better days. At least the bathtub was clean.

"Do you know how to remove arrows?" Sherry asked in a delirious tone. "I do. Snap 'em and then remove them."

"Not safe and it'll leave behind splinters," Aki retorted, kneeling by the bathtub. She unsheathed a sharp knife at her hip and quickly chopped away at the feathered ends of the arrows. "Will you heal naturally after I remove the arrows?"

"Yep," Sherry slurred, her head rolling back to hit the rusty faucet. "I just need to be out of contact with the silver on these arrows and they'll heal back up. It takes more than just that fancy metal to kill me." With each arrow pulled out, Sherry's head cleared, though her throat was feeling rather parched. She turned to look at Aki and her eyes trailed hungrily down the side of Aki's neck.

"Don't even think about it," Aki warned. "I'd kill you in an instant if you tried to attack me."

"We already saw how that game played out," Sherry replied.

Aki glared at her. "I'm only helping you because I know those assholes would've performed experiments on you." A pause. "And that's unethical." The last arrow hit the bathtub and Sherry breathed in deeply, calling for her spilled unlife to return to her. The blood in the bathtub (and the trail she'd made through the room) was reabsorbed through her skin, crawling like slugs over the dirty tile and filthier carpets. She didn't call for any from further away than the very outskirts of the motel, remembering that they were still on the run. Sherry rubbed her throat with her hand, irritated by how dry it felt.

"You're certain I can't have a little?"

"None."

"Just a sip, I promise."

"Not even a drop."

Sherry tilted her head in thought. "How about I take your blood as payment for a contract?"

Aki perked up at the word "contract." Witches were so predictable but at least not as predictable as the fae. "A contract? What would you even provide me?"

"A 24/7 bodyguard who doesn't need health or death insurance or meal plans, eight centuries worth of knowledge and history, and..." Sherry leaned forward, her face dangerously close to Aki's. "... whatever else you want." The vampire felt victorious when a blush broke out on Aki's cheeks.

Aki cleared her throat. "Vampires can seduce anyone they want by making eye contact. You could just do that to get what you want and get out of here."

Sherry leaned back against the wall of the bath, her arms crossed over her chest. "I already tried that earlier. You're not immune but your mind is like a fortress." She raised her pointer finger and poked Aki between her eyebrows, moving faster than Aki could react. "I could attempt to take your blood without consent but I'm not like the vampires of old. Blood taken without permission will eventually kill you from the inside, your mind torn apart by the screams of your victims until you're nothing but an insane creature howling for death to take you once more."

The vampire stood up and stretched her arms upwards, her fingertips nearly reaching the ceiling. Her clothes were shredded, something she'd have to fix the next morning. "Sherry, you couldn't possibly be a 24/7 guard for me anyway." Aki stood up from her kneeling position, standing a head shorter than the blonde. "Vampires need to rest during the day, don't they?"

"I'm old enough that sleep is not necessary for me anymore," Sherry responded while stepping out of the bathtub towards the mirror. Aki looked at the vampire's reflection on the greasy surface.

"Does age make you vain enough to finally have a reflection?" Aki joked.

"It just shows off my human side." Sherry squinted at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were a deep red, the irises refracting the dim light of the bathroom. "You were originally human too, weren't you?"

"None of your business."

Sherry chuckled at the sharp response. "I'm going to bed then. See you in the morning." The blonde left the bathroom and stared at the solitary queen sized mattress in the center of the motel room. Aki sheepishly joined her to stare at the bed. "You... bought a room that has only one bed in it. Despite knowing we are a pair."

"I figured you'd be dead by the time I brought you inside," Aki mumbled, pressing the tips of her pointer fingers together nervously as Sherry glared at her. "Look, you can take it. You're the one who had over fifty arrows in them, not me."

The vampire felt her pride flare up. "I refuse. You saved me and, as such, you deserve the bed." She began to quickly pull apart the sheets, inspecting them for insects or stains. It was one of the few clean things in the room at least. "There, sleep. I will guard us."

Aki gawked at her. "You? Guard us? You need rest. You take the bed. I'll sleep on the arm chair."

The two glared at the bed. Sherry broke the silence. "I'll share it with you. You sleep on one side. I sleep on the other. I promise on my pride as a vampire I won't bite you or attempt to take your blood tonight." Aki's eyes squinted in her direction. "No promises about the next time we meet." Sherry held out her open hand to the witch. "Deal?"

"You should be more wary of the deals you make, Sherry," Aki warned, taking Sherry's hand in hers. There was a momentary pulse of energy between them, a spark that almost hurt. And then their hands released and Sherry was left with a vague feeling in her mind. "We will share the bed." Aki took off her boots and cloak and Sherry could not help but glance over.

Strong arms decorated in writhing tattoos of vines and leaves and flowers, a red leather jacket that had to have been made from some fine cowhide, a dark purple undershirt that really hugged Aki's figure, and dusty brown pants that needed a wash. The belt of vials and pouches was taken off and placed on the nightstand along with the very sharp knife that Aki "accidentally" flashed at Sherry. The blonde didn't need a reminder of who was the stronger one here.

Sherry looked down at her ruined attire and figured it would be best to just remove the cloak and keep everything else on. She glanced up from unbuckling the clasps on her cloak and her eyes met Aki's. "Do you want to undress me with your eyes or with your hands?" Sherry enjoyed teasing the witch; it was fun, even if it was just an aspect of her vampirism to seduce every living creature in sight.

"Shut up and get in the bed!" Aki hissed despite the deep blush on her face. Sherry abided by the instructions and got under the covers, already missing her much better bed at home. Nothing could beat the massive padded coffin at home, especially with the convenient mini fridge next to it stocked full of spinach smoothies and pigs blood pudding.

Sherry felt the bed move slightly from Aki getting in. The heat of another body was unfamiliar to her. In fact, the sensation of heat under the covers was unusual to Sherry. She turned her head towards Aki and found herself staring directly into the witch's eyes. What color were the witch's eyes? They kept changing, blossoming, growing, as if they were an extension of Aki's symbiosis with plants.

"You have very beautiful eyes, Aki," Sherry said, speaking honestly. She could almost see the blood rushing to the witch's face. "If we keep looking at each other like this, I likely won't fall asleep."

The blankets were shoved into Sherry's face with great force. "Then close your eyes and go to sleep!"

Another ten minutes passed and soon, Sherry's eyelids drooped and the strange human sensation of falling asleep took over. Her body spiraled downwards and she awoke to a dream of darkness. Nothing was waiting for her as usual here. She waited patiently for her sleep to end, drawing pictures into the dark sand beneath her.

The vampire that turned her before she was burned at the stake, the way she killed her master soon after, the journey from Europe to the Americas, the jungles of Brazil, the deep caves of Mexico... Just as she was close to completing a crude drawing of a dragon, warmth surrounded her.

Sherry closed her eyes and reopened them slowly, adjusting to the light of dawn. Aki was still fast asleep, hugging Sherry's midsection tightly. At some point in the night, Aki must have crawled to her side of the bed and... gotten into this position. She looked cute when she wasn't so serious. Sherry lifted her hand and stroked Aki's long hair, admiring its unusual color.

She felt like taking her time. The sun's light was no issue for her. It was but another little worry for lesser vampires. Her eyes trailed down to Aki's bare neck and she bit her hand to suppress her appetite. This was agony. And that strange lingering taste in her mouth... was this "sleep breath" as the humans called it?

There was a loud knock at the door. "Cleaning service!" a loud voice called out. Sherry reluctantly released herself from Aki's hold and made her way to the door, picking up her sword on the way. She looked through the peephole and a loud noise accompanied the sudden darkness in her right eye. She stumbled back as an armed human kicked the door in and several more appeared, their weapons trained on Sherry.

"Found you, creature," their leader declared. "This one's too risky to take back. Put it down here while you can. Then take the other one into custody. It's not every day you find a witch." Aki put her hands up in surrender, her eyes darting between the weapons trained at her head.

Sherry glared up at her captors, her eye refusing to heal. Damned silver. Divine, the one wearing the armor covered in the most emblems, approached Sherry and with a quick motion, decapitated her with one swing of his sword. Red pooled from her body and onto the filthy carpets, seeping under Divine's boots. He turned confidently towards Aki. "You'll be going with us, witch," he demanded, grabbing her by her hair. "Don't even try to escape. We have snipers trained on this room. You wouldn't want to die like your friend, would you?"

Aki grimaced at the bloody sight before her and nodded reluctantly. "Good. Hector, get the restraints ready, Dominic, you'll handle the disposal of the body, and Levi, you're contacting the head of the research department before we make landfall." The witch was dragged off of the bed by her hair, yelping in pain. "Quiet, you monster! I wish I'd aimed my arrows at you instead of that pathetic night creature. You killed nearly all of my men!"

The witch laughed harshly, drawing nervous glances from the humans. "That vampire has a contract with me," she declared, grimacing as Divine tightened his hold on her long hair. "Did you really think that just cutting off her head would kill her?" There was a drum beat as the vampire's body melted into the growing pool of blood, the liquid writhing and rising into an ever pouring curtain of crimson. The curtains parted and a clawed arm shot out, piercing clean through the heart of the closest monster hunter, his beating heart clutched in Sherry's bloodied hand. The arm returned behind the curtain and the human collapsed.

"All weapons trained on that monster! Kill it!" Divine screamed, releasing his hold on Aki's hair to fire his pistol at the unwavering curtain. No matter how much they stabbed and shot and doused with holy water, the curtain remained unwavering. After what felt like an eternity, the hunters stopped their attack, panting from the efforts they'd been making. The curtain opened once more and faster than Aki's eyes could keep up, a sword swung out once and retreated into the curtain.

Heads rolled onto the carpet and bodies followed. Aki backed away from the bodies, disgusted by the sight. The curtain grew in size, absorbing the blood around it. Then the curtain disappeared entirely and there stood Sherry inspecting her sword for damage. Her lips were crimson and there was the lightest blush on her cheeks but the most human part of her face was the bright green color of her eyes. "You're a very sly witch, Aki," Sherry commented, sheathing her blade at her hip. "The terms for our contract started back in the bathroom last night, didn't it? And you secretly gave me your blood while I slept as payment."

"I did say you needed to be more wary of the deals you make," Aki responded, putting on her cloak. "We can just null the contract. I only set it up as a failsafe for when they found us." Silence. "Did you hear what he said about there being snipers right outside?" Sherry didn't pay her any mind, rifling through the pockets of her victims. "What are you looking for?"

"A walkie talkie. I know at least one of them had one." Sherry dug into Divine's pocket and pulled out a slim handheld device. "Here it is." She pressed a button and there was an immediate response from the other end.

"Divine! Where have you been? It's been five minutes since you entered!" a panicky voice on the other side exclaimed.

"He's dead. You'll be joining him soon." Sherry crushed the communication device in her fist and dropped the shards. "Aki, I do quite enjoy sharing a bed with you if it means I can have a taste of you again." She looked down at the quivering red dots on her chest. "Would you like to null our contract?"

"... No."

"Would you like to share a bed with me again?" The dots were now trained on the center of her forehead.

"Like hell I would!"

A grin spread across Sherry's face.

"I'll take that as a maybe."

Shots rang out and within the hour, Sherry and Aki were on a bus headed towards the mountains, headed towards the temple that held more of their kind.


A/N: And so, they lived happily ever after, trapped in "there was only one [blank]" scenarios as they kicked ass and kissed each other. Please leave a review for my 4 AM writing!