A/N: Half Jack – Actually, I do think I'm smart, especially when compared to some. Please stop reviewing my stories, as you have nothing to say that I am the least bit interested in.

I would appreciate people stop telling me to remove my story. Until and unless the established authority asks me to remove my story, it's not going anywhere and I am going to continue writing it. If all you have to say is that I'm a jackass and need to go jump off a cliff, please refrain.

Confrontation

"How is Brendon?" William asked.

"He's fine, no thanks to you," Tanith answered acidly.

William sighed. "I didn't want to hurt him, Tanith. Brendon is probably the only one of my underlings that I actually like. But I do what is necessary, the same as you."

"Do not ever compare yourself to me!" Tanith hissed. Glaring daggers at him, she growled, "I'm going to ask you some questions and I want them answered on the spot right now: Why didn't you kill me when you first met me? Why did you lead me to your lair to seduce and sire me?"

William blinked in surprise. "Because I wanted you. There was something special about you."

"Then why did you throw me aside as soon as you sired me?" Tanith demanded. "You made me believe I was the most important person in the world, that the Earth couldn't turn without me, and then you forgot all about me." William didn't answer. Tanith's eyes burned with hot tears. "I'm not Christina, William. Whatever she did to you, you had no right to take it out on me."

William's eyes went wide in shock. "How did you know about her?" he whispered.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Tanith glowered at him. "I know everything, Billy. I know how you were kidnapped, held at gunpoint, watched as the gang bangers who kidnapped you were torn to pieces by a group of adolescent vampires, how their leader, Christina, who they called 'Mother', turned you herself and took you away. I know it all. Did you have a grudge against her? Did you hate her for turning you like that, for making you one of her 'children'? Did you want her power?"

"Tanith, you still don't understand at all," said William. "You think you know, but you don't understand. I loved Christina. She abandoned me. She abandoned all of us."

"I missed the part where that's my problem!" Tanith's eyes blazed as her last iota of patience evaporated. "If I had been any other girl, if I hadn't looked just like Christina, you would never have given me a second thought that night! You would have just killed me, left my body in the gutter, and forgotten about me in less than five minutes. You did this to me out of cruelty and spite!"

"Is this the part where you tell me to go to Hell?" asked William mildly.

"I don't frankly care where you go, so long as you stay far away from me and mine," answered Tanith caustically. "But I want you to understand this: you could not possess Christina, and you did not, do not, will not, and can not possess me. You signed your death warrant when you gave me your blood. I swear that I will end you, Billy. I will make sure you never hurt anyone ever again." She brushed past him and started to leave.

"Then why don't you do it now?" challenged William. Tanith stopped, sighed in agitation, and turned around.

"Because we're standing in a demon-summoning ritual space that has been cursed with immortal blood, you idiot," she snapped, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Turning on her heel, she strode away with fast, fierce strides. William could only stare after her, vaguely wondering exactly what had just happened.

Tanith started crying three blocks before she got back to the warehouse. She was sobbing by the time she got inside. Ignoring the startled looks from her friends, she collapsed face-down on the hideaway bed she and Brendon had slept on and buried her face in her arms, her whole frame shaking with her sobs. Brendon sat next to her and started rubbing her back, a worried expression on his face.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked. Tanith only sobbed in response. Brendon looked up at the others worriedly.

Minuet knelt next to Tanith in concern. "This is something to do with William, isn't it?" she asked gently. Tanith nodded, still crying. "Did he touch you?" Tanith shook her head. "You talked with him?" A nod. "You found out something?" Another nod. "Is it about Brendon?" A shake. "Is it about you?" A nod. Minuet squeezed Tanith's arm gently. "All right, you don't have to say anything now. Whatever's going on, we'll figure it out together. We'll all be here for you." Émile, in wolf form, came forward and nuzzled Tanith's forehead.

Tanith raised her head, her face streaked with blood from her tears, and looked at her friends. "He sired me because I look like his sire," she whispered, her voice cracking. "He never cared about me at all. He just wanted to take some vicarious revenge on Christina. I can't believe I thought he actually cared about me."

"All right, stop right there," said Minuet. Tanith looked up at her, confused. "He's not worth falling apart for, and I know you don't want to be that girl. You're not like that."

"She's right," said Émile, who had reverted to human form. "If he didn't care about you, then you have no reason to care about him. Besides, you know who really cares for you." He nodded at Brendon, who squeezed Tanith's shoulder gently. She reached up and squeezed his hand, a small smile tugging at her mouth.

"I guess you're right," she said softly. "I can't keep doing this." Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply and sighed. When she opened her eyes again, they were hard. "No, you're right: I don't care about him. I want to kill him. I know that he didn't kill my family, but for what he's done to the people in this city…" Her voice trailed off as she looked up at Brendon and stood up slowly. She turned and looked at each person in the room. "It has to stop. We have to stop them all. We're the only ones who can."

Pete nodded. "We're the only idiots crazy enough to go up against them," he said with his crooked grin. Tanith smiled faintly.

"I just finished some new gadgets," said Patrick. "I've got a long-range taser rifle, two chain guns, a crossbow strong enough to fire wooden stakes, and a bunch of Super Soakers filled with a garlic and holy water mix I put through the blender." Joe laughed and Patrick flushed. "Well what have you done lately?" he shot.

"Andy and I whipped up some cherry bombs full of shrapnel, a stake bomb, and a couple Molotov cocktails," Joe answered smugly.

"All of which will run out eventually," Minuet pointed out with a smile. Tanith laughed.

"Well, do you guys need any weaponry?" asked Andy.

"I'm good," Émile said, his eyes flashing gold and his grin revealing his wolfen teeth.

"Same here," said Minuet holding up her sword-staff. "Tanith gave me this for my birthday last year."

"I've got my own, thanks," said Tanith, patting the magnum at her hip and reaching behind herself to caress her sword's hilt lovingly.

Brendon glanced at the trio before looking at Patrick. "Actually, I wouldn't mind a gun or something." Patrick smiled and handed him a taser rifle.

"All right, we all set?" asked Pete. Everyone nodded and Pete looked at Tanith. She looked back, recognizing the look in his eyes as one she had seen in her own before. It was the unwavering gaze of someone who would never stop fighting until the battle was won.

"This ends tonight," she said. "We take back the city tonight."

"Let's do it," said Pete resolutely. The troop left for the center of the city, knowing that's where the Dandies liked to cause trouble. Sure enough they were there, William at the lead. He smiled as the band approached.

"You stand against me, Brendon?" he inquired calmly.

"I do," answered Brendon, his eyes hard with anger. "You don't scare me anymore." William laughed.

"Laugh all the way to Hell," said Pete venomously. "You die tonight."

William smiled at him dangerously. "Have at thee," he sneered. All hell broke loose as the two groups attacked each other. Minuet decapitated two Dandies immediately with her sword-staff while Émile, howling as a wolf, ripped the throat out of another. Brendon and Patrick let loose with their rifles while Andy and Joe went to town with their homemade stake bombs. Pete and Tanith were only interested in destroying William. Double-teaming him seemed to be a good bet, but he vanished out of their reach before they could attack. Then another Dandy sideswiped Pete and knocked him to the ground. Tanith drew her sword to assist, but stopped when she felt that someone was watching her. She whirled around to face William, who stood behind her. They froze facing each other, Tanith pointing her sword at William's throat, William aiming a pistol at Tanith's heart.

"What do you think will travel faster, Tanith? Your sword or my bullets?" William challenged. "And I tell you now these bullets are frozen holy water and garlic. They will ensure a slow and agonizing death."

Tanith glared at William…then let her sword clatter to the ground, crestfallen and resigned. William blinked in surprise, though he still held his gun steady.

"Billy, I can't do this," she said heavily. "I hate you, but I can't kill you. I don't want to do this anymore." She spread her arms out slowly, looking William in the eye with the saddest expression. "So if this is what you want, then fire at will. I don't care anymore."

William's eyes widened and he lowered his gun quickly. "Tanith, I couldn't possibly kill you. I never wanted it to be this way, I swear. I only-" His words mutated into a guttural yell as the sharp point of a stake suddenly burst through his chest. Tanith shrieked in surprise as blood sprayed over her face, her eyes wide with shock. Thick syrupy blood dripped from the end of the stake as William stared in horror and rage. Pete stepped out from behind William with a smile of grim satisfaction on his face.

"It's over," he said flatly. "It's finally over. We win."

William grabbed for Pete, but he danced back quickly, walking to Tanith's side. "You lose, Bill," he said venomously. "This city is ours again. The humans'."

"Don't be a fool, boy," rasped William. "You are no human. You can't change what I made you!"

"No, I can't," replied Pete coolly. "But Tanith can."

"How do you think I got away from you?" said Tanith quietly. "I discovered a cure for vampirism. I used it on myself, and then Brendon sired me again. And I'm going to give it to Pete, like I promised. I never break a promise."

William stared at Tanith in shock. Tanith just gazed at him, genuine sadness in her eyes. "I didn't want it to be this way either. I couldn't kill you." Her eyes hardened as she added, "But I'm not going to save you either."