Disclaimer: Priest and its characters belong to Scott Stewart.

Claimer: I own Tessa.

(La Guera): I agree on your views concerning the stereotypical situation involving Black Hat going vamp-Hulk at the measly sight of blood. He strikes me as someone who would have more control than that. Concerning your comments on Tessa's relationship with Priest, I myself am very intuitive when it comes to people's emotions, so maybe that's why I have trouble seeing it in a different, less attached perspective. I think that the reason she is able to connect with him, despite the fact they're basically strangers, is because she also lost her family to the vampires. She knows what it feels like to have everyone she cared for taken from her. On top of that, he saved her life when she was younger, so she's also infinitely grateful for that even though he barely remembers. If you don't agree, that's fine. Hoping to hear more from you!

(Sebastian): Thank you for your review. I think it's important as well when it comes to keeping characters in check. I've seen so many characters act OOC, and it's usually when the story is written with an OC. He's definitely not afraid to kill, and it still hardly fazes him, but he's a little more tamed now that Tessa is around to tug him back by the belt loops.

(Gypsy32): Thank you for the review, lovie. Tessa will continue to discretely work on both Priest and Julian, and it will be interesting writing the changes between them throughout the story.

(Echo94): I'm glad you seem to understand where Tessa is coming from. I realize the small details about her past can be forgotten because they were so brief and early into the story. She's just an extremely passionate character. I've had a few people describe her as an Empath, which is apparently someone who can feel energy around them very clearly, mainly emotions.

WARNING: This chapter contains mature content.

Chapter #19: Bad Joke

Tessa inhaled deeply through the oxygen mask fitted over her face, her hair whipping about her head in a wild crown of dark tresses. Dust kicked up from the ground as the wheels of the motorcycles tore through the sand at full speed, and if it hadn't been for the goggles she wore she would have been blinded by the particles. Beside her, Black Hat stared straight ahead, black coat billowing in the wind like the wings of a crow. Priest lead at the front, hell-bent for the horizon. The wind was a bit stronger than usual, having picked up just under an hour ago, and it was growing increasingly aggressive by the minute.

It was then that Tessa grew vaguely aware of a strange noise. It almost sounded like a tornado, which was a sound so foreign to her she had almost forgotten. Her eyes shifted to her left when she saw a tumbleweed roll passed at a swift speed, and a frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. They were travelling at over one hundred miles per hour. Had the wind really intensified to such levels? Then suddenly, a thought shot into her head, and without thinking about it her head snapped over her shoulder to look behind them—and her eyes flew wide as she nearly fell off her motorcycle.

"JULIAN! PRIEST!"

Their heads snapped towards her, and then to what had her so alarmed. Raging less than a mile behind them was a mammoth wall of sand, swallowing everything in its path in a huge cloud of dust. Turning back around, Priest put his bike into nitro and rocketed forward. Tessa and Black Hat flew after him as the sandstorm stampeded towards them at an alarming speed. If it managed to catch up to them, two out of three of them would be dead within minutes from suffocation. Peering over his shoulder, Priest yelled back at them:

"Head for the caves!"

"That's a bad idea!" shouted Black Hat.

"We don't have a choice!"

He and Tessa exchanged looks, but they followed after him towards the rocks in the distance, neither of them having any better ideas. Every ten feet or so Black Hat would look behind him to ensure she was still following, and then his eyes would shift up to the massive tsunami hurdling behind them. By the time they had reached the caves, the storm was literally on their tails, as their bikes skidded to spinning halts at the mouth. The motors were barely shut down before they leapt of, and Black Hat grabbed Tessa as they crouched down behind a rock wall a little further in.

Throwing coat off his shoulders, Black Hat swooped it over Tessa as Priest ducked beneath his cloak, and within the next few seconds the storm was on them. Sand burst into the cave's mouth, flooding the area with a thick dust within a millisecond. Black Hat pulled Tessa a little closer, the wind whistling and roaring passed outside like a herd of buffalo. He coughed when some of the dust forced its way into his windpipe, having sacrificed his coat to protect Tessa, but then all at once he felt an arm hook around his neck and pull his head down before she pressed her handkerchief over his mouth and nose.

At long last, the storm began to die down as the wind came to a gradual calm, but none of them moved until the whistle of the breeze disappeared completely. For a moment, everything was still. Priest was the first to stand, sand pouring off his form as he coughed and spit to expel the small amount of sand that had found its way into his mouth. Tessa and Black Hat followed, their bodies dusted in the powder, their dark clothing having taken on a tanner hue. Black Hat took off his hat and hit it against his leg before shaking off his coat and pawing at his hair in agitation.

"Well, that was fun," said Tessa.

Priest rushed passed back to his motorcycle, and after a moment of inspection frustration crossed over his hardened features, jaw tensing with visible irritation. "We'll have to make camp here."

"We shouldn't even be in here," Black Hat argued.

"The bikes need to be charged, and there's no other shelter for miles."

"Do you have any idea what might be in these caves?"

"No, why don't you enlighten me?" Turning to him, Priest set him with a cold, annoyed stare as if to say stop stating the obvious.

Black Hat glared back at him, the tension rising once again as Priest strode passed him to head deeper into the cave. Sighing, he went to follow after a moment and glanced to Tessa.

"Wait here, Tessa."

"No."

He looked at her to see her eyes were solid with unbending authority. "Where you go, I go, remember?"

He sighed. "Fine. Just stay close."

Together they scoped out the cave's depths. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like daggers, poised to strike their sharpened ends into the skulls of careless bystanders. The sand that covered the ground was a malleable powder compared to the sand outside, causing their feet to submerge a few inches with every step. After a few minutes they had stepped into a cavern, which lacked the deadly spikes hanging from the roof of the cave. Streams of sunlight filtered in through a couple openings in the summit of the cavern, illuminating the brick red, brown, and orange hues in the rocks with a warm glow.

"It's so beautiful…" Tessa mused quietly.

Priest glanced back at her before returning his gaze to the ground. "I don't see any signs of activity. There are no footprints in the sand or claw marks on the walls. No sign of excrete either."

"We should move the bikes further in out of sight," said Black Hat.

They headed back to the entrance.

"Good thing we stopped," Black Hat mused as he stared out into the dimming horizon. "Sun's starting to go down."

"I'll take first watch," said Priest monotonously.

Black Hat glanced back at him."Get some shuteye, Priest. You're forgetting you're travelling with someone who's practically nocturnal."

Priest eyed him closely for a long moment, frosty blue eyes skeptical, but in the end he made no argument and walked off into the cave. As he was passing, Tessa gently caught him by the shoulder, and he looked down at her. When she spoke, she did so, so only he could hear.

"She's going to be fine."

His eyes averted to the ground briefly, and then he settled down behind the rock wall where they'd hidden the bikes from the outside view. She sighed as she watched him lean back against the wall and close his eyes.

Tessa woke up to the feeling of someone shaking her by the shoulder, and a tired moan left her lips, not at all ready to wake up and face the day.

"Wake up, Tess," a voice whispered.

Her eyelids fluttered open after a moment, and she looked up to see a pair of brilliant golden eyes staring down at her. "Is everything ok—"

"Shhh." Lifting his hand, he held a finger to his lips. "We need to be quiet."

Frowning a little, she leaned over to glance in back of him at Priest to see he was still asleep, and she realized it was still dark outside. When she looked back at him, he took her hand, and she let him gently lead her to her feet. Silently, she followed him further into cave; though, she wasn't exactly sure why.

"Julian, where are we going?" she whispered.

He didn't stop until they passed the stalactites and reached the cavern, now in a separate section of the cave. Moonlight filtering in through the cracks in gentle, pale streams, hitting the sand with a soft glow. He gently pushed her up against a wall, and at first she thought he was trying to train with her, but when she met his stare she realized he wanted something completely different. The confusion in her eyes dissipated to make way for a look of incredulity.

"Are you insane? Priest is right outside."

"I can't help it. A thought got in my head, and now I can't shake it."

She stared at him for a long minute, feeling unsure. Any other day she would have jumped at the opportunity, but Priest could literally walk in on them at any time. If he woke and found them missing, he would surely investigate.

"Please, Tess. I'm begging you."

A heavy sigh left her, defeated when she saw the desperate flame in his eyes. "Okay, fine," she whispered, "but we need to be—"

He was on her before she could finish her sentence, mouth covering hers in a voracious kiss. Where his sudden desire had come from, she wasn't sure, but it was incredibly erotic, and within seconds she was returning his passion with equal enthusiasm. Lifting her hands, she slithered them under his coat and pushed it off his shoulders. He let it fall to the sandy floor, and she began the task of hastily unbutton his shirt. His eyes closed when she threw the two haves apart to touch his bare chest, and then they reopened when he felt her fingers caress his face. Her mouth met his in a smoldering kiss, to which he returned eagerly, not noticing how her hands slithered downwards towards his lower half. Her hands fumbled with his belt and pulled down the zipper, and he broke away from her mouth to gaze into her eyes hungrily. She responded by hooking her fingers through his belt loops and firmly yanking him closer to her before reaching down and sliding her hand into his pants. A soft growl left him, and she smiled. Grabbing the hem of her shirt, he yanked it up over her head, leaving her chest bare aside from her bra.

Once they were both nude, she allowed him to push her up against the wall once again, and she released a gasp when he attacked her neck hungrily. At first she thought he would bite her in his excitement, but he didn't. As usual, he proved to be in complete control, and so she relaxed. A shiver ran down her spine as he began making his way down her body, kissing the valley between her breasts as he ran his hands over her curves. Before she knew it, her body was responding with full stimulus as his hot mouth left a trail of flame everywhere it touched, moving lower and lower down her torso. She felt his hands take hold of her hips, when suddenly her eyes snapped open as ripples of pleasure shot up her spine into her head. Looking down sharply, she was shocked to see he had his head between her legs, and she felt his tongue flicking the sensitive bundle of nerves, his eyes locked on hers with a seductive predation.

"Oh, God," she whispered, when she suddenly felt a burning sensation forming in the pit of her stomach.

His eyes remained locked on her face as he mercilessly whipped his tongue back and forth over her, tasting her delicious arousal with delight. She tasted like honey, her short curls tickling his nose as he inhaled her scent. Within a minute he had her writhing in his hold, keeping a firm grip on her hips to keep her steady as he devoured her with rapacious lust. He considered tormenting her like she had done to him, but he didn't, for their time now was risky. Instead, he shocked her when he suddenly latched fully onto her clit, and her whole body arched sharply as she released a short cry. He held her still, listening with pleasure as she tried muffling her moans and whimpers, her hands having reached down to tangle themselves in his hair and pull him closer. When she came, if she hadn't pressed her hands hard against her mouth, Priest probably would have awoken thinking she was being murdered, her entire body shaking and bucking violently in his hold.

She came back to earth to find him loomed over her, his fiery orbs gazing into hers intently, and if he hadn't been holding onto her she would have fallen to the sand like runny jello, her legs having lost nearly all feeling from how powerful her orgasm had been. His stare was so hot with need that she felt herself turn to liquid in his arms, and the next thing she knew he was thrusting up into her with a sharp buck of his hips. Her cry was smothered by his hand as he began thrusting into her with a quick, sharp pace. Because of her first orgasm, she was hypersensitive, so every movement he made was magnified times ten. Her hand had come up to cover his mouth as well when she heard him release a heavily suppressed moan, and he quickened his pace. With each thrust she cried out against his hand, unable to restrain herself as he pounded relentlessly into her. Her toes curled against the sand, free hand digging her fingernails into his shoulder as her second orgasm began to make itself known. He had lifted one of her legs to give himself better leverage, and she nearly screamed as she felt him push deeper into her, her nails threatening to draw blood. When she came, bright flashes of light burst in front of her vision, and she knew they would be incredibly lucky if Priest didn't hear her even with Julian's hand pressed against her mouth. Her body bucked and shook without her control, eyes rolling back to the near point of dislocating themselves from their sockets. Her hand having left his mouth, he resorted to burying his face in her neck as he rode out his own release, emitting a shout mixed with a ragged groan that sent delightful vibrations tingling throughout her raging nerves. They collapsed to the sand once they were finished, his arms literally the only thing keeping her from toppling backwards in a heap.

He held her against his chest, his own heaving as he struggled to regain his breath. His orgasm had completely shot the feeling in his legs, and it had taken all he had in him to keep a hold on Tessa as he lowered them down, where he promptly fell back with her laying on top of him. Both their bodies were slick with sweat, and he could feel her trembling slightly against him. Neither of them neither noticed nor cared how the sand stuck to their skin, having been taken over by a sense of blissful paralysis. When he had regained the energy, he'd lifted his head to look at her face. Her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes were closed, body completely limp.

"Hey." He nudged her gently. "You still with me?"

"Mmmm…"

A sly smirk came to his lips as he realized she was completely spent. "Thank you for letting me do that."

"The pleasure is all mine," she managed, her voice still a bit breathy. "That was… incredible…"

He grinned, and when she turned her head to look at him her eyes grew a sardonic glint, as she shook her head with a light, amused scoff.

"You have a huge grin on your face, you goof."

Still smiling, he lifted his head and kissed her.

Priest appeared to be oblivious to their activities when he'd awoken from a troubled slumber to find the sun was beginning to rise. He'd roused Tessa, who had to all but drag herself back onto her motorcycle. Last night had left her completely drained, but she didn't regret it in the slightest. She had barely risen to her feet before she was greeted with a firm slap on her bottom, and her head snapped up to send a narrow-eyed glare after Julian as he walked by, to which he responded with a sly smirk.

They arrived in a small town later that morning, where they made a quick pit stop to refill on water and rations. Tessa was walking out of the grocer when she paused upon spotting a young man across the street. He was standing near the motorcycles, and they appeared to be engaged in intent conversation. Curious, she approached them, and their heads lifted towards her in unison. The younger man eyed her with brilliant baby blue orbs.

"You must be Tessa," he said.

She tilted her head at him. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met…"

"Name's Hicks. I'm looking for Lucy."

Her eyes grew a fraction.

"I've filled him in on what we've found out," Priest informed her.

"Is Lucy okay…?" she asked.

The boy, Hicks, shook his head at a loss. "I don't know. I came back from a run to town to find the outpost in shambles, and Lucy gone. When I saw the fresh prints, it became pretty obvious what had happened."

She could see the dread welling in his striking eyes despite his concrete exterior, but before she could comment on it he turned back to Priest.

"I'm sorry; I tried to—"

Priest cut him off, "I know. All we can do now is find her. If you didn't find her body, then they probably took her alive for a reason."

Hicks' head bowed somberly. It didn't take a doctor to tell he was exceptionally troubled, and it was as she studied his face that she became very aware of the nature in which he knew Lucy.

"You and Lucy are together, I'm assuming?" she asked humbly.

He looked up at her fleetingly and gave a meek nod. Her eyes softened.

"We're going to get her back." She shifted her eyes to Priest. "We are."

All three of their attentions moved upwards at the sound of footsteps, and Hicks' eyes magnified. Black Hat paused when he saw him, and the next second Hicks was swiftly drawing his gun and aiming it between his eyes with a fierce glower. Before he could pull the trigger, however, Tessa's hand gently came down on the gun.

"It's okay," she said.

He looked at her.

"He's with us."

His facial expression was enough to voice his incredulity, as he turned his head to send Priest a questioning stare.

"It's a long story," was all he offered.

Hicks looked back to Black Hat as he approached, a shadow casting over his face from the brim of his hat.

"Last time I saw you, you were trying to shoot me," he said smoothly.

"I had my reasons," Hicks replied stiffly.

"I don't like it anymore than you do," said Priest, once again shifting the younger man's attention towards him. "But we don't have much of a choice." As if to express his loathing of the situation, he sent a sharpened glance in Black Hat's direction. Hicks was looking around at each of them, baby blues in a turmoil as he attempted to absorb the obscene reality of their situation. Then finally, he released a small, barely audible snigger as he met each of their eyes once again.

"A Priest, a vampire, and a damsel in distress?" His incredulous, mirthless smile fell as he spoke. "You guys are like the start of a bad joke."

"Believe me, she's hardly a damsel in distress," said Black Hat.

Tessa sent him a sideways smile, but Hicks only fixed him with a contemptuous glare.

"Do you have any idea where the pack is headed?" Tessa asked him.

It was Priest who answered. "He said the tracks lead north from the outpost."

"What does that mean?"

"Same place as last time. Nightshade Reservation."

She frowned, eyebrows drawing together. "Why would they go to the same location?"

"Because they know it's the first place I would look." Priest met her eyes solidly. "It's going to be a trap."

She turned her head to look at Julian, only to see his eyes were locked on her with a grave stare.

Here's another chapter to make up for the short update yesterday. Yes, Hicks is back! I know some people find him annoying and utterly useless, but he's going to play an interesting role later on in the story. I haven't heard from a few people following this story, and I would love to hear your input, so if you have anything to say or question don't be afraid to PM me or comment. xoxo