Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Kisses or any characters. It all belongs to the wonderful Ellen Schreiber.
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Happy Valentines Day, my lovely readers and reviewers! I love you! Now, to keep in the vampire theme, let's take Vampire Kisses back in time to Raven And Alexander's Valentine's Day. Here is my cute little drabble, and then we can get on to the next chapter of Love Kills.
I pedaled my bike all the way to Dullsville Cemetery, as soon as the sun set. Today was February 14th, which used to be one of my least favorite holidays, sitting around all day with my parents who were super-glued to each other's lips. But now it seemed almost fathomable, now that I had a super-hot-vampire boyfriend to spend it with.
I found Alexander leaning against his grandmother's monument. This was our typical meeting place. Spread out was a dark red velvet blanket, two crystal goblets filled with pink sparkling soda, and dozens of black rose petals encircled the romantic picnic setting.
"Raven." Alexander said, greeting me with a long hello kiss. I kissed him back, tears welling in my eyes.
"Alexander." I whispered when we broke away for air. But before I could finish what I wanted to say, he crashed his lips back down on my mine in a more passionate kiss. When he moved to nibble my ear, I could speak again. "Alexander, this is so beautiful."
He looked up and smiled, holding me close. We sat on the blanket and he lit two black pillar candles, illuminating the scenery around the monument.
"I love you." Alexander whispered. And then he handed me a dozen roses, wrapped in a beautiful black silk. I took them from him, brushing his hands in the process with my fingertips. He lifted my hand that wasn't holding the flowers and brought it to his lips, kissing it with his perfect lips. He smiled and gazed into my eyes. I almost melted.
"I love you too."
He brought me closer, pulling me into his lap. My arms twined around his neck and his around my waist, like a giant handcuff. It seemed as if we never wanted to let each other go.
He kissed my lips, moving to my cheek, my ear, and my neck. He took my neck in his mouth, right on my pulse point.
Alexander was about to bite me.
But instead of biting me, forever changing me into one of the undead, he lightly brushed his lips against the skin there. He pulled away and cupped my face in his hands. Alexander always came so close, but so far, to biting me.
I smiled. "Happy Valentines Day, Alexander."
"Becky!" I hollered into the night. The guests were still partying and preparing for the impending hangovers the next morning, unaware of the recent abduction. "Becky! Becky!" My voice was beginning to crack, tears streaming down my cheeks like dripping blood. "Be-be-."
Then my sadness transformed into anger. I turned to Alexander, obviously not mad at him. "How dare he! He steals my friend, my Halloween, my ring, my marriage…"
Alexander brushed away a few tears with his thumb. "I-I know how much money you must have wasted on that ring." I whispered, staring into his lonely midnight eyes. "I was so stupid. I should have been more careful…I'm so sorry, Alexander."
He pulled me into a tight embrace. I laid my cheek on his chest, and his hand went to the back of my head, holding me close to his muscular body.
"Don't be sorry, Raven."
I mentally rolled my eyes. "You shouldn't have to save me every time I go to the bathroom!" We laughed at that, but I quickly turned serious. "Isn't that a little too ridiculous?"
"I worry about you every second, Raven." I lifted my head, and he gently stroked my tear-stained cheek. "Do you know how much I care about you? I don't want to be without you for a second, much less an eternity."
"I'm getting a little sick of all this revenge." I confessed.
"Same here." We broke away then, and the extreme pang of worry caught up with me.
"What are we going to do?" I asked anxiously. "We have no clue where he took her, what he is doing to her…oh."
I realized Jagger could be doing anything in the book of torture to my shy little friend. Murder, rape…or worse…
Changing her into a vampire.
For eternity.
Alright, I will admit, it was funny as hell imagining Becky as a vicious evil vampire, but everything is possible. Well, it seems that way in the Underworld. My heart sank into the pit of my varsity sweater clad stomach.
"They could be anywhere." I told him, kicking a few twigs around with my foot. "What if he already took her to Romania?"
Alexander sighed and shook his head. "To find and vampire, we need to think like a vampire."
* * *
Alexander and I tore through the cemetery and the park. At last we reached the rail cars, after dodging trick-or-treaters. The one good thing that came out of this dreadful night was that we weren't that much different. Actually, I looked pretty different!
I stopped Alexander outside one of the rusty graffiti cars, which turned out to be the mini-mansion he gave me last month when his parents came into town. I smiled brightly at the memory, grabbing Alexander's hand. He turned to me and appeared puzzled.
"Alexander." I whispered. "Look around. Tonight we're not outsiders."
He gently squeezed my hand, a warm smile and dark chocolate eyes melting into my heart.
Alexander and I combed the grass and the sturdy railcars, finding nothing but candy wrappers and decomposed plant life.
Alexander grabbed my hand and helped me inside the rail car, my mansion. Everything was there…but not the way Alexander and I had left it. The vases with roses that were in desperate need of some sunlight and water. The paintings were torn, and one looked like someone had put their foot through it.
Just then I heard a loud gasp, followed by a deep and strangling moan.
Alexander and I both turned around to witness the horror that lied in front of us. Jagger, was laying with Becky on one of the torn seats. Becky's mouth was taped shut, her wrists tied around her back and her ankles wound tightly together with braided rope. Her top and bra were torn off, and practically ripped in half, strewn on the dirty broken class carpeted floor.
"Becky!" I shouted. Jagger immediately turned to face us, shooting daggers at us through his eyes. Alexander was still dressed as Phoenix, but Jagger didn't know that it was really Alexander.
Jagger jumped up, leaving Becky writhing in obvious pain. Jagger had covered something up when he was on top of her. Cuts. Razor cuts. Thick lines of blood slashed across her stomach and ribcage just above her navel in the shape of a capital J. She had two bloody rings drawn around her breasts.
She was crying, hot tears staining her face a tomato red. She wanted to speak, to yell out for mercy, but she appeared to have a gag in her mouth behind the tape.
"Oh, god." I whispered so nobody else could hear. I ran over to Becky and knelt by her side, struggling to yank the tape off her mouth. Jagger and "Phoenix" were a little too busy staring each other down to even glance my way.
"Slater." Jagger growled through his clenched fangs. "If I can't have Raven, I can have her…delicious little friend." He licked his lips slowly and let out an ear-piercing cackle.
"Well, well." Jagger said, turning towards me and the mess of blood that now pooled on the floor around my knees. "Looks like we have a little two-timer here."
"Wh-what do you mean?" I stuttered.
"Don't play that came with me." He snarled. "I know your bag of guys fairly well. First Alexander, then Trevor, then Phoenix…who's next, sweetheart? That butler who lives with that sensitive artist? In a town where there are absolutely no other vampires?"
"N-no!" I defended. He was obviously accusing me of cheating on Alexander with a guy I accidentally dated and a guy who is yet the other guy.
"Yes. Yes yes yes yes yesss." He drew the last word out in a hiss.
Alexander shot me a look and I decided it was time to play along. "You know what? You're right. I am in love with Phoenix and Alexander."
"I knew it!" He triumphantly pumped a fist in the air, then crossed his arms in a menacing manner.
"And there is nothing you can do about it!" I shouted in his face, and Alexander winked at me in approval. I quickly returned to Becky's side.
"Becky?" I whispered. "Phoenix" was approaching Alexander, and they looked as if they were about to fight. That was the last thing I wanted, but I couldn't let Becky die like this.
She looked up at me, relief in her eyes that someone had come for her. I tried to rip the tape off once again and this time I got it. The gag was a rolled up sock. I took it out and Becky started coughing. She attempted to sit up, but I had her lay back down.
"You're badly hurt." I whispered. "Don't move. I'm going to get you to safety."
"R-raven…" Was all she said.
Just then I heard a loud crash.
I turned around to find Alexander smashed against a wall, with such force that it knocked the purple wig right off his head. I gasped, as did Jagger.
I reluctantly stood, grabbing a shovel I found in the corner. I approached Jagger slowly, trying to be as quiet as a mouse.
"Surprised, Jagger?" I said loud enough so he could hear. I lifted the heavy shovel in my hands and swung.
Instead of smacking him in the back of the head and knocking him unconscious, Jagger turned around and grabbed the handle, shoving it at me so hard that it ended up hitting me in the face. Right in the nose.
I felt a thick liquid rushing down my lips and chin.
"You asshole." I whispered, wishing he didn't hear, but I knew he did. I figured he'd try to hurt me again, but he only turned back to Alexander, who had risen to his feet.
"Leave Raven out of this!" Alexander shouted. "You got your revenge."
Becky was gasping hard for breath, and I knew I had to help her. Alexander grabbed a vase that had broken, leaving a sharp and jagged edge that would serve as a stake. He held it out to Jagger, a sure sign Alexander was ready for a real fight.
"Why should I?" Jagger asked, gesturing in my direction. "She's the one who got in the way of my revenge."
"She did not!" Alexander's rage seemed to shake the rail car. This was a side of him I haven't seen before.
Alexander ran over to me, Jagger following close behind. Jagger had his hand around the back of Alexander's neck, ready to squeeze and choke him. "Raven." He whispered into my ear. "Get Becky out of here. If I don't find you in one hour, call the cops."
I nodded, and this was the one time I decided to listen to Alexander when he gave me orders that were supposed to keep me safe. This time, I wasn't fighting for my life, I was fighting for my best friend's life.
