Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or Buffy

Author's Note: Thanks so much for being so patient, here's a small instalment to tide you over until I have time to write a longer one!

Chapter 5: Seize the moment

I don't like uncertainty; I've grown up with it: whether Renee would remember to pick me up from school, to make dinner, to do the laundry, or even to turn up to work. So from an early age I'd taken charge, to appease my own anxiety. Becoming a Slayer had given me a new kind of certainty, I had a goal, a purpose and it was clear who the enemy was. Until the enemy was sitting beside me in Biology, then things got more complicated.

The Cullen's had been strangely quiet since our little chat, Edward had been absent from school for two weeks, citing health problems. Evo-Vampires, or Vampires in general, didn't have regular health problems, no common cold or Vamp-Flu for them. So either he was off sulking or he was cooking something up. From what I'd heard in barracks about Buffy's relationship with Angel, he was all about the scowling and brooding. Maybe Edward just had a century old chip on his shoulder, and I'd just added to it.

Either way, it was quite a relief for me to not have to worry about killing Edward if he slipped up in front of a classroom of witnesses. From what I'd learned of the late Sunnydale, even they would have raised an eyebrow at that.

The other Cullen's had taken to talking amongst themselves quietly, and giving me furtive glances from their table in the cafeteria. I wasn't bothered by it, if they were having a mother's meeting it wasn't my problem, as long as their actions stayed verbal.

Speaking of action, I think I might go stark raving mad from lack of it. Signing up for track has alleviated some of my excess energy, but I needed the release that only decent violence could provide. The adrenaline from sizing up an opponent, the dance of death, the fear of eternity couple with the ecstasy of victory, there was nothing like it. My last fight had been with Edward, and that was more of a wrestling match if anything. I tried not to think of how I'd pinned him to the ground, my legs straddling him...my hands gripping his wrists...

I needed to kill something, soon.

With the track team and spending time with Charlie, I was finding it hard to get an excuse to run off on my own. Despite the feminist movement, Charlie Swan did not like the idea of his teenage daughter going into Port Angeles alone. I suppose being a Police Officer, even in a small town, he knows the worst of what could happen to a normal girl. But I wasn't a normal girl.

There wasn't a Slayer in Port Angeles, despite our growing numbers there still weren't enough of us to cover every city, town or hamlet, so we took districts. I knew there was a Slayer in Seattle, but she had enough problems of her own, so Port Angeles and the smaller surrounding towns belonged to me. I'd been negligent due to my "special assignment" but I'd been checking the internet, and there'd been some classic dumped bodies in Port Angeles, all young girls around my age with the tell-tale multiple twin holes on their bodies. I kicked myself that I hadn't checked into it earlier, it had been happening for months before I came here. It didn't strike me as a lone vampire deal, maybe a small nest.

Nothing a trained Slayer couldn't handle.

So I sharpened my stakes, checked my supple of crosses and even snuck into the Forks Catholic Church, St Michael's, for the Holy Water.

In the second week of Edward Cullen's absence the opportunity to Slay presented itself.

"So Bella, are you going to the Winter Formal?"

Jessica said this just before putting a celery stick in her mouth, pretending to be nonchalant.

I had her sussed; she wanted to know if anyone has asked me, namely Mike Newton. I think he wanted to, but luckily I was fast enough not to be left alone with him for long enough for him to try.

"I'm not really into dances, a good friend of mine had some very bad experiences with them and I'm taking her lead."

Jessica looked shocked:

"So, like, even if someone asked you, you wouldn't go, right?"

"Depends on who asked me."

"But not anyone here right?"

Jessica furtively looked over to where Mike and Tyler were using celery sticks to fence each other.

"No, definitely no one here."

Jessica looked relieved, and suddenly she warmed towards me.

"What about you Angela?" I asked, I liked Angela, and it was clear that she wanted Ben, the little guy, to ask her out, he was clueless.

"Well no one has asked me, and I might have to babysit the twins that night."

That was an excuse, she was giving herself an out if Ben didn't man up. But maybe she should take the initiative.

"It's the 21st century Angela, why wait around for a guy to ask you? That's what women's lib was for, you are a strong independent woman, and you can ask out anyone you like, it's not against the law."

"Really?"

Poor Angela, she could be almost painfully shy at times.

"Really. A wise friend of mine once said "Seize the moment, because tomorrow you might be dead", those are words to live by Angela. Do you want to wake up one day and regret all the things you could have done, but were afraid to?"

Angela looked thoughtful, but nodded.

I'd been like Angela, before my calling. I'd been afraid of my own shadow, too tied down to even try something new, in case it went wrong. Being called was the most liberating thing that had ever happened to me, I realised that my life wasn't infinite; every Slayer has a sell-by-date, so living in the now was the way to go.

"Either way" Jessica interrupted, "We're going to need dresses, we need to go to Port Angeles soon, before all the good ones are gone."

Bingo, this was exactly the sort of thing I was waiting for.

"Port Angeles? I've never been, do you mind if I come along? I need a formal dress anyway, and there were some stores I wanted to check out."

Angela brightened at the idea, I think being alone with Jessica would have been overwhelming in a shopping situation.

"That'd be great, I need your opinion!"

Later that day, Angela asked Ben to the Winter Formal, the poor guy could barely stammer out a yes, but he looked liked Christmas had come early the rest of the day.

Port Angeles is as good a place as any to hunt vampires, there were bound to be some.

The thoughts of Edward would stop once I had a release for my pent up energy. He was a good looking dead guy, who wouldn't fantasize?

I just needed a release.

Once I'd staked a vampire again, everything would be clear.

God, that wasn't Freudian at all, was it?

Author's Note: Thanks for reading, please review!