Oh my goodness, it's been two years. Let me just start by saying that I am so sorry. I said I wouldn't abandon this story and I swear I haven't! Real Life just got in the way and writer's block and all the usual garbage that makes people not upload in two years happened. I'm actually in the middle of Real Life right now so I can't be sure when the next chapter will be up all I know is that I got a burst of inspiration the other day and wrote this out :)

If there's anybody still reading this I thank you, and please enjoy!

Unchained Chapter 3

"You are here, Vladimir Tod, to prove my point."

It was silent for a beat as the boys froze, looking around the room searching for the origin of the voice.

In a burst of bravery, Vlad said, "Point?" Then more loudly. "What point? Who are you?"

"It's not important who I am, what's important is proving that vampires and Slayers cannot coexist. In this room we have a once loyal Slayer turned traitor and an impossibly humane vampire. Two impossible things that cannot be. Henry is here because he is connected to the both of you in some way, be it a family member or a loyal drudge, he becomes the perfect boundary to cross. The only question becomes one of time. Who will betray first, vampire or human? Vampire from thirst or human from self-defense. Either way, someone will die here. Good luck to all of you."

And with that, the voice cut out with a resonating click. All was silent save for the pounding of their terrified hearts. Looking down at the ground and pulling his hair forcefully back from his face, Vlad sank down the wall, a haunted look crossing his face at what was to come. He wouldn't, he told himself. He couldn't hurt Joss and Henry like that.

Joss stood stock still, processing their situation and sending Vlad apprehensive glances. He looked at the stake across the room from him and a sinking feeling settled in his gut. He didn't want it to come to that, but if he had to he would. For now he had to figure a way out and just hope he wouldn't have to. Maybe all they had to do was wait.

"Well, we can wait it out." Henry said optimistically, echoing Joss's thoughts. "I mean, someone had to have noticed our absence by now, right? How long have we been in here?" He asked looking at Joss.

Joss looked down at his watch, tapping on its face and shaking his head. "I have no idea, my watch is broken, besides for all we know we could have been here for days already."

"No." Vlad said quietly, looking up at Joss from his place on the floor, his voice hollow and far away sounding. "I would be way hungrier if it was more than a day." Joss met Vlad's eyes at that, a look of intense worry passing between them.

"Well can you reach Otis?" Henry asked hopefully.

Vlad closed his eyes and reached out with his blood, but he was met with a blank wall. He tried for a moment to push around it, but it was like there was nothing there to be seen. He shook his head silently at Henry.

"Well there's got to be something, I refuse to just sit here and die."

Vlad's eyes flashed to Henry in an instant, a trickle of fear in them. "Nobody's dying. I wouldn't Henry, of course not! Never." He said firmly, jaw set.

"Well, from the sound of it, it doesn't seem like we're going to have a lot of choice in this." Henry said quietly, smiling sadly back at Vlad.

"There's always a choice." Joss said sharply, cutting off whatever Vlad was about to say. "No one's dying here." He said firmly, looking back at Vlad again.

Vlad closed his eyes. Always a choice, that's how instinct and survival worked, right? Vlad did his best to ignore the smell of their sweet blood in this close room or how the sounds of their hearts were making his stomach clench. His eyes snapped back open. Nope, not hungry.

Standing back up to distract himself, Vlad took another look at the drain in the middle of the floor. It was small, too small to fit in for any sort of escape attempt, only about four inches wide. The grating covering the opening was heavily discolored with rust and filth.

Squatting down he grabbed ahold of the cover and yanked, the cover coming off with a mucky scrape. He looked up at his friends for a moment before tentatively reaching in. He had no idea what it was that he was hoping for, but something had to be better than nothing.

"Ugh." The inside of the drain was best described as flat-out nasty. Vlad didn't want to linger on what exactly it was that he was feeling, but it was nothing solid just very slimy and thick.

"Anything?" Joss asked hesitantly.

Shaking his head in disgust, "No, nothing that I can tell. Well, nothing we could use." His voice quieted some at the end, talking mostly to himself. He withdrew his hand and the three of them made equally revolted sounds at the sight of the black tarry mess now coating Vlad's hand.

"Oh- The smell!" Henry gagged, covering his nose.

Hurrying to the sink to wash off the muck, Vlad shook his head heaving out a sigh. "Well, there went plan A."

"What's plan B?" Henry wondered aloud.

It was silent for a beat. "I guess we just wait and hope someone finds us, before..." Joss trailed off shaking his head as if unsure of what exactly would happen. No. He knew what would happen, if no one came in time. Vlad's self-control would run out only too soon and he wasn't sure if that stake would be enough to stop him when the time came. As if sensing his thoughts Vlad looked away, shame crossing his features.

After they all settled back into a stony silence on the grimy floor Henry's stomach rumbled. "I wonder if they're planning on feeding us at all or if they just plan on watching us starve."

At Henry's words, the lower panel on the door slid open with a scrape. A tray of food was pushed through the opening and then it was promptly sealed shut again. On the tray were two clumsily made sandwiches and two small bags of chips.

Vlad couldn't help but notice there was no blood bags on the tray.

Henry and Joss quickly got up to inspect the sandwiches. "Ham and cheese, but not even a little mayo? Jeez, what a rip." Henry grumbled to himself looking at the pitiful sandwiches. Shrugging he was about to take a bite when Joss grabbed his arm.

"Wait! What if they're poisoned?"

Henry wrenched his arm away and leveled a defiant look at his cousin. "If they wanted us dead, then they would've just killed us. Why bother with locking us up and giving us food? Besides, I'm hungry enough to not give a damn."

After watching for a moment Joss decided Henry was probably right and took a bite of his own sandwich.

Vlad looked on with a miserable expression. Oh how he wished he was normal. If he was normal then he might've gotten a sandwich. If he was normal then they probably wouldn't even be stuck here in the first place. He folded himself into his knees with a sigh and tried his best not to look at his friends like they were cheeseburgers.

"You ok, Vlad?" Henry asked, somehow sensing Vlad's discomfort as he finished off his chips.

Vlad's stomach gave a rumble. "Fine." He sighed, not looking away from the wall.