Ok so this is a LONG one. Pretty bloody and sadistic too. Just a heads up.

Thanks for the amazing reviews!! I hope you enjoy it!

(Don't worry, there's much more to come)! Please Review and let me know how I'm doing!

~TLD

Part Eight: Dangerous Game

It was well after midnight when Joel had finally risen to leave. Not a particularly whimsical guy, Joel was smiling despite himself as he stood on the Addams' front porch saying heartfelt goodbyes to Wednesday's family. He could never have imagined that meeting her family again could have gone so well. He almost felt as if they were his family, only more loving, accepting, and well, interesting, than his own family.

Wednesday lingered to walk Joel to his bike in the driveway, a move Joel hadn't anticipated. The two stood silently, awkwardly, on either side of Joel's bike, staring everywhere but at each other. Finally, Joel broke the silence.

"Thanks for having me, it was really…" he paused, shooting about for an appropriate adjective, "great," he added. The word felt hugely inadequate.

Wednesday looked up, wearing a slightly sardonic grin. Joel's conventional goodbye amused her. "I'm glad you came," she said, staring into Joel's eyes. The tone of her voice was fervent, and Joel heard more than a conventional platitude.

Joel climbed onto his bike, and leaned over toward Wednesday. Cupping her face in his right hand, he brought his lips to hers, planting a soft kiss on her lips, and then one along her jaw. He paused as he brought his lips close to her ear, and whispered, "Me too." As he pulled away, he let his hand linger before it ultimately fell and he returned it to the bike.

He smiled his lazy, cocky smile, "I'll call you?"

She smiled and rolled her eyes, amazed at how different things were since the last time he'd said that. "Yea. If you must," she added, smiling. She turned and headed back into the house.

Joel watched her go, waiting until she was out of sight before he left. As happy as he was that things were going well with Wednesday, he couldn't help but worry that his presence in her life was putting her in danger. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt anxious, antsy.

A long, fast ride around town should help to clear his mind, he thought.

As it was, he didn't make it to the end of the driveway.

He only drove a few feet out of sight of the front porch when he was hit hard from above, knocking him to the ground. His bike spun wildly out of control and slammed into a tree with a sickening crunch.

The force of the fall nearly knocked him out, but he was able to maintain consciousness and slide into a defensive crouch before his assailant was able to mount another attack.

His keen eyes scanned the darkness, searching for his attacker. Finally, they came to rest on a slightly darker patch of darkness. As he stared, a familiar scent reached him.

"Zane," he said, coldly. He stayed in his crouch, but circled around so that Zane was better revealed in a patch of moonlight.

A sinister chuckle rose out of the darkness. "Ah, Joel. So nice of you to remember me," he said, his voice like ice.

As Joel's body was reacting to the threat, his mind was racing ahead, "What do you want, Zane?" Joel snarled.

"Tisk, tisk, little brother," Zane said, toying, "first that nasty fire, then three years without so much as a phone call, and now, playing with your food? You've been a bad boy, Joel." Zane stepped into the moonlight, his features accentuated by the unearthly glow.

He was tall, taller even that Joel, and muscular, with strong, prominent features, and cruel, thin lips. His reddish hair looked like clotting blood in the moonlight, and his sharp features cast shadows across his face. His pale skin seemed luminescent - a startling contrast to his dark apparel.

He straightened out of his crouch, seeming to find Joel an unworthy threat. He appeared suddenly bored, "You know why I'm here, Joel. It's time to end your foolishness and return to the coven. Lilith commands your return."

If possible, Joel increased his crouch, and felt a feral snarl building in his chest. Struggling to maintain focus and control his rage, he said, slowly and clearly, "No. I won't return with you."

Zane tilted his head in mock confusion, "I'm sorry," he said, scathingly, "you won't?" He laughed. "Unfortunately, little brother, won't is not an option. You will return with me, or you will be destroyed." He let the last word linger, staring at Joel with unfathomable disgust in his eyes. After a long moment, a tiny hint of a challenging smile curled the corner of Zane's lips. He said, "So what will it be, Joel?"

In answer, Joel hurled himself at Zane with the force of a pouncing lion. The two rolled, kicking and punching, down the hillside until they crashed into the wrought iron gate of the Addams' family cemetery behind the house.

By a stroke of luck, Joel landed on top and landed a hard blow on Zane's chin, cracking the bone. With a growl of fury, Zane punched Joel, hard, in the chest and threw him 20 feet, crashing soundly into a nearby tree. Struggling to his feet, Joel's vision of the scene was obscured by warm liquid dripping into his eyes. Dizzy and disoriented, he didn't see Zane leap at him until it was too late. With a sickening pop, Joel heard his own shoulder dislocate as Zane lifted him from his feet and threw him bodily over the wrought iron gate and into the cemetery. Joel smashed into Aunt Laborgia's statue, cracking his head on the tombstone as he fell.

Amid the ringing in his ears and sickening 'drip drip' of his blood on the granite tombstone, Joel heard Zane's muted laughter and his soft footsteps.

Before he could move, he felt Zane's presence at his back, and heard his voice in his ear. "See what I told you, Joel? Did you really think you were a match for me?" He laughed.

Joel tried to raise his head, but suddenly Zane's hand was on the back of his head, holding him down. "No, Joel. Sorry. Playtime's over." He brought his other hand to Joel's head and pulled him up onto his knees. "Too bad you won't get to say goodbye to your little girlfriend," he sneered.

Joel tried to struggle against Zane's iron grip, but his right arm was useless and he was flirting with unconsciousness from loss of blood and too many hits to the head, staying awake only by a supreme act of will.

"Guess I could give her a message for you," he laughed.

"Stay – away – from – her," Joel managed, between gritted teeth.

"And what would you say," came a small, soft voice from a few yards away, "in your message?"

The vampire turned with inhuman swiftness, zeroing in on the source of the voice. His defensiveness melted away when he saw the small, pale, form of Wednesday Addams. Joel recognized her voice though he couldn't see her and he mumbled, "No, Wednesday, run… get out of here… go back inside…"

Zane returned his eyes to Joel, and with a glint of wicked inspiration, he pulled out a long, jagged knife and stabbed it into Joel's upper back, near the shoulder, pinning him to the ground. He turned Joel's head, so his eyes were trained on Wednesday, and whispered into his ear, "Wouldn't want you to miss the show. Try to stay awake, OK Joel? I'll come back for you when I'm finished with your girl."

He rose smoothly, the lithe grace of a skilled predator, and turned back to Wednesday. Her eyes were wide, but her face was impassive and her body still – the perfect semblance of calm. Arms behind her back and lightly balanced on her feet, she looked comfortable, but ready. She stared at the face of the vampire with interest, but without fear.

He sensed it, and it bothered him. Zane had two loves when it came to prey. He loved the bitter, acerbic taste of hateful, anguished, and sadistic lives, as well as reliving the evil deeds of his prey. For this, he stalked alleyways and bars, growing stronger on the blood of sadists and psychos. His second love was the smell of fear, sounds of pain, and the souring flavor of the blood of innocent girls, whose final moments of torment transformed their otherwise sickeningly sweet lives into ripe and ravishing anguish.

This girl didn't smell of fear, but he knew he could put it in her. He smiled with the challenge of it. Enough pain always sweetened the fear. Though it would be a shame to damage that pretty face, he thought to himself.

"So," he said, his silky voice as smooth as his movements, "Wednesday, is it? Interesting name. 'Wednesday's child is full of woe' is that right?" he mocked.

Wednesday smiled, "Quite."

Zane's forehead creased, this was not the answer he expected. He rearranged his features, trying not to reveal his confusion. He smiled, "I guess that explains your relationship with my brother here." He laughed, "He's brought me nothing but woe as well."

Now Wednesday's face betrayed confusion. She tilted her head and asked, "Brother?"

The sly hunter smiled a sickening imitation of casual flirtation, "Of sorts. We share blood, and well, of course there's our mother."

Joel coughed a hard laugh, "Mother. Hah."

Zane flew to his side and smacked him hard across the face. "She is our Queen, you will not disrespect her."

As Joel struggled to keep consciousness, Zane turned back to Wednesday. "Ah, where were we? Ah yes, brotherly similarities. Of course, there are our similar tastes. You, for instance…" He slid closer to her, keeping her locked in his gaze.

As he approached, Wednesday held her ground. She kept her arms clasped behind her back, stood evenly, and focused on keeping her breathing steady. Her penetrating eyes watched his face as annoyance creased his forehead. He'd expected her to be frightened. She smiled, heightening his displeasure.

"It's only sporting that I give you a head start," Zane crooned, "If you'd like to run, that is…" he smiled, greedily anticipating the chase.

Instead, Wednesday made her face stone and stared deep into the monster's eyes. "I will not run," she said, slowly and clearly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Joel struggling against the knife, and heard him moaning and mumbling as he tried to free himself and save her.

Zane noticed her distraction and was repulsed. The mere thought that his prey could be distracted from their fear of him turned his stomach. He needed to up the ante. He slunk into a crouch and let his desire for her blood warm his eyes, making them burn red. Wednesday's eyes focused back on him, and a sadistic grin creased his demonic face.

He heard her heart rate pick up and prepared to spring.

Joel growled and struggled violently as Zane launched himself at Wednesday's motionless form. They fell to the ground and Joel watched in horror as Zane reared back, about to plunge his teeth into Wednesday's throat.

Suddenly, a keening scream rent the air and the huge vampire disappeared in a cloud of ash.

Joel watched in horror as Wednesday's ash-covered body lay motionless on the cemetery floor. He held his breath, praying, searching for any sign of movement. When he couldn't stand it any longer, he called out, "Wednesday!"

The silence dragged on. Suddenly, a low moan reached his ears. "Wednesday?" he whispered.

Wednesday woke up on the cold cemetery sod, a large lump on her head already forming, and an ash-covered wooden stake clutched in her left hand. She sat up slowly, testing her balance, and looked up into the terror-stricken eyes of a badly beaten Joel.

A strange wave of emotion filled her chest and nearly choked her. It would be several years before she recognized that feeling as a mixture of love, joy, and relief. As it was, she ignored trying to figure it out and instead followed her instincts and half ran, half crawled to Joel's side.

After she had pulled the knife from his back and he had banged his shoulder back into place against a tombstone, Wednesday and Joel sat exhausted in the moonlight.

Joel ran his undamaged hand along Wednesday's face and head, and along her neck and arms to make sure he hadn't gotten his teeth in her. She thought he was being overly solicitous, but she allowed it – considering that she was doing the same thing to him, albeit discreetly, with her eyes.

Finally, Joel spoke, "You shouldn't have come out of the house. You're safe inside."

Wednesday glared at him.

Joel smiled, "Ok, Ok. Believe me, I'm glad you did. My point is…" his voice grew soft, "I'd rather get my ass kicked by my sadistic 'relatives'," he rolled his eyes at the term, "die a horrible death and spend eternity in…" he struggled with the word, "Hell, than have you harmed, killed, or turned trying to save me." By the end, his eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

Wednesday brought her hand to his cheek, as she had been aching to do all evening. Although his face was puffy and purpling from his serious beating, Wednesday was still awed by his beautiful features and his striking eyes. She opened her heart to him, allowing her eyes to soften and become earnest.

Joel's breath caught in his chest as he gazed at Wednesday. Suddenly he knew – however much it would kill him to lose her, somehow, she felt the same way.

Since Joel was in no shape to ride home (even if his bike wasn't smashed against a tree), Wednesday helped him back into the house. As the two left the cemetery, Morticia and Gomez turned away from their vantage point in an upstairs window.

"Wednesday the vampire slayer," Gomez chuckled.

"Well," said Morticia, smiling, "we always knew she would have the title 'slayer' attached to her name somehow."

Gomez sobered up a bit, "It's a dangerous game he's gotten her into," he said, concerned.

"They'll handle it," said Morticia, "besides," she added with a wicked grin, "what's life without a little danger? Isn't that so, mon cher?"

Gomez's eyes glinted as her words struck him, "Ah, Tish. You are quite right."