Title: From Darkness…

Author: UtsSmutQueen

Rated: NC-17-Sexual content, language, violence

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no desire to own anyone other than myself….but if some of my fave guys were to volunteer their services, I would not say no…lol

Summary: Kind of a vampire/demon/sex/massacre story that popped onto my brain. If it sucks, it’s cuz I’m CONFUSED constantly. lol

Author’s Note: Yes, I know it’s confusing…but I promise that I will eventually explain everything that is going on in this story…lol

He walked slowly, studying the back of the woman he’d been following. Her hair was dark, black as the night around them, and long, reaching almost to her waist. She had a slender build, her worn jeans hugging her curves, the T-shirt she wore clinging to her. She moved through the dark with grace, her head held up, her stride casual. She had no sense of being followed.

As she had done every night for the past week, the woman stopped in front of a dark red door and knocked. She only had to wait for a moment before the door was opened and she entered, shutting the night out behind her.

He stood where he was for a few minutes, trying to sense her inside the brick building but couldn’t do it. Something was keeping him out.

With a muttered oath, he turned away from the door, heading back in the direction that he’d come from, becoming another shadow in the nighttime street.

~*~

His eyes opened, and he found himself staring up at his brother. Kane’s face was covered with a mask, giving him a frightening look. His eyes, usually cold and uncaring, were etched with concern.

"The dream again," he said softly, not making it a question.

"I still can’t seem to see her face," Taker said, closing his eyes briefly, trying to will the woman’s features into focus.

"It will become clear," Kane intoned, leaning away from his brother.

"Yes. Probably too late as usual," Taker rolled away from his brother’s gaze.

"You cannot let it get to you. If you’re meant to save her, it will happen."

Taker sighed and got up from the bed. Kane was sitting in a chair that had been brought in from the other room. "We’ve been doing this for how long? And we’ve saved no one. I’m getting tired, Kane."

Kane nodded sympathetically. "As am I. But we can’t forget our purpose here. Do you want this life for eternity?"

"You of all people know that I don’t," Taker said gruffly.

"Then we keep trying."

Taker could say nothing, he knew his brother was right. There was no other alternative for them.

Trinity walked slowly through the darkness, looking back over her shoulder every few feet. She had been fine until she’d reached Paige’s street. That’s where the strangest feeling of being watched took over her senses. There was no one there when she looked around. This late at night, the only things moving in the neighborhood were the trees when the wind rustled the leaves.

She stopped in front of Paige’s door, a shiver going down her spine. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She muttered to herself. Sighing at how spooked she was, Trinity raised her hand and knocked on the dark red painted wood.

She’d barely pulled her hand back when the door was thrown open and a hand reached out and pulled her inside. She squealed as she was grabbed in a bear hug, lightly punching Matt in the side as her uneasiness that she’d felt melted away.

"I thought you were never going to get here," He pulled away, grinning at her. Trinity laughed, then tugged on his hair.

"You act like it’s been ages, Matt," she smiled up at him.

"Six months. Seems like an age," he laughed with her.

"If you did that to me, I can only imagine the reception you gave to Paige," Trinity said sarcastically. Matt covered his mouth with his hand to hold back a snicker as Paige came into the entranceway.

"Are you going to let her in sometime tonight?" She pushed Matt back, giving him a stern look. "Behave yourself, fang," She broke out in a laugh when she used her nickname for him.

Paige grabbed Trinity’s hand. "Glad you could make it.

"You know I wouldn’t miss it," Trinity smiled then hugged her friend. "This is the first time we’ve all been together in…what? Two years?"

Nodding, Paige led Matt and Trinity into the living room. "We’re still waiting on Jeff, Isabel, and Adam." She waited until they’d all settled onto the couch, Matt sitting next to her and draping an arm over her shoulder. "Of course, they would be late."

"It’s their trademark," Matt said, nuzzling Paige’s ear.

"Get a room you guys," Trinity laughed, smacking Matt on the arm.

"We had quite a few rooms last night," Matt quipped back, winking lewdly at Paige, who blushed.

"Thanks for sharing," Trinity said, laughing. The three of them chatted for a while, catching up on everything they’d been doing. The knock on the door almost half an hour later caused them all to break out laughing.

They had known each other since high school. Well, since the girls were in high school anyway. Matt had dated Paige from the minute she’d turned eighteen. Although they loved each other, neither of them were in a rush to make it more permanent. Matt’s life was hard enough without having to force Paige to share it with him. He came to see her whenever he could, trying to make up for all the time he had to be away.

Isabel should have been the easiest of them all to keep track of. She was Trinity’s twin sister, identical except for the color of her eyes. Trinity’s were a pale green while Isabel’s were sky blue. They both had long dark hair, the same crooked smile. But Trinity kept losing touch with her minutes younger sister. She never stayed in one place for very long, as if she were afraid she was going to grow roots.

Jeff was Matt’s younger brother. He and Isabel had dated before, but it had been a long time. They both had a wild streak in them, which was why they still remained best friends. Trinity was waiting for the day when Isabel would show up with multi-colored hair to match Jeff’s.

Adam was the last of their group, the oldest of the six of them. He was the hardest one to get a fix on. Although he put on a fun-loving front, he was really quite a brooder. Trinity had been intrigued by him from the start, and they’d gone out for a while. But he’d been…different when they were together. Not at all like he was when they were just friends. Trinity wondered if he somehow resented the fact that she was mortal. She’d broken off dating him, unsure of what exactly he expected from her. He seemed to take it in stride, and they’d moved on as if nothing had ever happened between them.

Now, as Paige went to get the door, she watched to see who it would be. Not Isabel, who would always be the last one to arrive, no matter what time you started. So that left Jeff or Adam.

She didn’t have to wait long as Jeff came bounding into the room, sweeping her up in his arms and spinning her around. "Baby doll, I’ve missed you!" He gave her a loud smacking kiss on her cheek, then grinned and settled her on her feet. "Trini, you look fab as usual."

"Nice hair, Skittles," she laughed, using her old nickname for him. "What happened, a Smurf explode on your head?" His hair was done in different shades of blue.

"Ha, ha, ha," Jeff gave her his best fake laugh, then looked down at Matt, who was rolling his eyes at his brother’s hairstyle. "Now bro, you know you like it. You’re just jealous cuz I thought of it first."

"Yeah, that’s right. I’m jealous," Matt said sarcastically, grinning as Paige sat in his lap. "Hon, what would you think if I dyed my hair like ten different colors?"

"I’d find a way to make you dead-dead," Paige laughed, then kissed him. "You have beautiful hair baby. Don’t let your whack job brother talk you into doing anything to it."

"Oh sheesh," Jeff groaned. "Are you two going to play kissy-face all week again? Because I’ll just go on home right now. I had enough of that last time." He was interrupted by another knock on the door. "Saved! I got it!" He took off at a run for the door, leaving Trinity to look at Paige in amusement.

"I don’t recall challenging him to a race for the door," Paige said, making Trinity and Matt laugh.

"Who’s laughing at me?" Isabel walked into the room a grin on her face, followed by a solemn looking Adam, and a hyper Jeff. They exchanged hugs with everyone, Adam holding on to Trinity for a few long minutes.

"You look great, Tri," he said quietly against her ear. She smiled at him, taking in how long he’d let his hair grow.

"You’re not so bad yourself there, Adam," she winked at him, grinning when he posed so she could get a better look at his tight shirt.

"I’ve been working out," he said, laughing when Isabel pushed him aside with an impatient look.

"Do you mind? She is my sister ya know." Laughing, Trinity hugged her, then rolled her eyes at her sister’s outfit. They were living proof that a psychic link existed. Isabel’s outfit was like a negative impression of Trinity’s. Instead of black jeans and T-shirt, she had on white. Isabel laughed when she saw what Trinity was looking at. "What can I say, I had a vibe," she said with a shrug.

They all settled into their seats and looked at each other expectantly. Finally Paige broke the silence. "God, this is weird."

"I’ll second that," Adam half-smiled, looking at each of them. "It took a long time to make this happen."

"Too damn long," Jeff said, smiling from his perch on the back of the couch behind Isabel. She looked distrustfully over her shoulder at him.

"Watch your language, buddy," she punched him in the leg.

"Yes ma’am," He mock saluted her, making everybody laugh.

Adam grew serious quickly though. "There’s a reason we’re all here now. Not just because Paige decided to throw a reunion," He nodded at her.

"What are you talking about?" Trinity asked, leaning forward a little and playing with the necklace that she was never without. It was a silver chain with a blood red teardrop shaped ruby hanging from it.

"I don’t know. Just something I feel. It’s probably nothing," but the tone of his voice said he didn’t believe it. Trinity thought back to the eerie feeling she’d had when she’d first arrived and shivered.

‘Stop that,’ she told herself, glad no one had noticed it. It seemed strange to her, after having vampires for friends for so long, that she’d just now develop an apprehension about being around them. Sighing, she looked from Adam to Matt to Jeff, who all looked virtually the same since the day she’d first met them almost 10 years ago. No new wrinkles, no gray hair. Not an extra pound on any of them.

For some reason, the guys had been drawn to the three girls. Matt and Paige were the total love connection, even if they did spend a lot of time saying they weren’t. Jeff was the fun one, Adam the broody one. Trinity and Isabel somehow rounded them out. The three women aged normally, because they weren’t vampires. They were human. ‘Vampire snack’ as Isabel used to say with a laugh, until Adam had made it clear that they didn’t want to bite them.

Trinity didn’t know what the guys wanted from them. They would spread, everyone going to some different life, but eventually they would all get back together. It was like the guys had to have everyone there to get recharged or something.

She was confused by it, but had never questioned it. Adam, Jeff, and Matt were harmless, more bark than bite. She considered them to be her best friends, even if they did prefer night to day and had a thing for type-0 blood.

"Man, why do you want to bring us down?" Jeff said with a pout. Adam shot him a look, then broke down in a laugh.

"Sorry. You know how us bloodsuckers like to talk in riddles and turn into bats and stuff." He sniffed the air. "Is that garlic I smell?" The three girls laughed as the guys acted like they were dying, dropping off the couch and writhing around on the floor. It was an old joke, but it broke the tension.

"Let’s lighten this up, shall we?" Grinning, Isabel stood up and went to her overnight bag. She reached in and pulled out a large bottle of vodka. "I’ve got vodka and wooden stakes in here, just in case the alcohol makes anyone too frisky." She laughed as she went toward the kitchen, the others following along so they could sit at the table and play catch up.

Time was going too fast as usual. Whatever was going to happen had already been set into motion. Taker didn’t know it, but Kane did. He’d dreamed this time, a nightmare full of blood and death, innocents killed. He didn’t have the same powers that Taker did. Taker saw the future coming, who they had to find and where, while Kane saw the bleak images of what would happen if they didn’t get there in time.

Taker slept on, getting his first dreamless sleep in weeks. Kane got out of bed and looked in on him, making sure that he hadn’t been pulled awake by any noises he had made. When he was satisfied that Taker was still out, he nodded to himself and left the doorway, heading down the stairs.

He had no idea where the house that they stayed in was. They had fallen asleep at a motel and when they’d gotten up the next day they were here. Neither of them tried to leave. It was no use, not until they knew where they were going.

The house was large, made more for a large family than just a couple of brothers with nowhere else to go. The only furniture in the house was a bed and chair in each room, and a large couch in the living room. There was no refrigerator. Neither Kane nor Taker required food.

Kane sank onto the couch, staring at the blank wall into front of him. He absently rubbed his fingertips across his mask. It had been a part of him for so long he usually forgot he was wearing it. Or that it was wearing him, which was how he sometimes chose to look at it.

As it always did after his blood-drenched nightmares, Kane’s mind wandered to their reason for being. He and Taker had been human once, part of a family. They’d had human names, Mark and Glen. They’d shared a house not unlike this one with a younger sister, Emily, and their father. Their mother had died years before from complications due to pneumonia.

Kane’s eyes shut as he pictured his little sister. She had been the golden one in the family, long blonde hair, blue eyes, a pixie when compared to her two very big brothers. Their father’s health had failed, and she’d taken care of him to the very end, not giving up hope when so many others had. It had hit her hard when he’d died, and Mark and Glen had been at the family home to help see her through it.

Kane felt himself start to tremble as his mind continued with its walk down memory lane. Emily had been so sweet and innocent, so trusting of others. She was friends with a man who needed a place to stay, and she’d generously offered him temporary housing until he was able to get back on his own two feet. He’d repaid her kindness with pain and death.

Kane felt his hands clench into fists, knowing that once these thoughts came there was little else he could do but wait until they’d run their course. She had been home alone, Mark and Glen both out doing their own thing. The man she’d thought was a friend had waited until she was asleep, then he’d gone into her room. For hours he kept her alive, using her over and over, beating her until she was almost unrecognizable. When he’d finally tired of raping her, he’d taken a knife from their kitchen and plunged it into her heart, releasing her finally from the pain he’d inflicted on her.

The police would do nothing. They couldn’t find the man, or any evidence of him in the house. Glen and Mark watched as they stumbled blindly, making up excuses but doing nothing to ease their loss. They had taken matters into their own hands.

Hunting down the man had been childishly easy. The police had ignored what the brothers had offered up, but what they knew led them right to his doorstep. In an act of utter fury and vengeance, they had broken into the man’s house. There was a struggle, as he fought against them viciously. Although the brother’s each had a height advantage and outweighed him, the man had the bonus of being completely insane. He didn’t fear dying, he felt he had nothing to lose, so he fought all out.

Kane’s hand once again went to the mask on his face, feeling the reality of it even as he remembered why he was wearing it. Somehow the man had made it into the kitchen, where he was able to douse Glen with a bottle of alcohol. Before Glen knew what was happening, the man had thrown a burning match at him, and his clothes had caught fire. Glen stumbled around blindly as the flames licked around his vision. The pain was intense and immediate, the right side of his body screaming, his face feeling like it was being melted off of the bone.

The man had grabbed a butcher knife and plunged it into Glen’s chest, piercing his heart, dropping him to the floor. The flames that had consumed much of his clothing were dying out as the alcohol evaporated quickly. As his vision faded, he was aware that Mark was still scuffling with the man, taking stabs to the stomach and sides, still trying to bring him down.

Mark had finally reached for the gun he’d brought with him. One loud report was the last thing Glen had heard before he’d blacked out. He’d finally gotten Taker to tell him the rest, and the story came out haltingly.

He’d shot the man point blank in the chest. He was feeling weak from blood loss even then. But the man had kept coming, the knife arcing up and slicing into his skin over and over. It was as if he were possessed, the bullet lodged somewhere inside him had done nothing to slow him down. In one last desperate move, Mark managed to grab the knife from the madman’s hand and had used it to skewer him in the chest. Then Mark had fallen to the floor, too weak to stand anymore, his own vision starting to fade. He could feel his life slipping away but didn’t care. He saw his sister’s killer fall to the floor in front of him, his eyes open and staring.

Jerking a little, Kane forced himself out of the memories. He would have to wake Taker up soon if they were to begin their mission. But the past was insistent, he couldn’t stop thinking of what they’d become.

They had come to in a black room. There was no other color. No lights were in the room, yet it seemed to have a strange glow that emanated from the walls themselves. Glen had looked at Mark, at the damage done to his body. They were both completely naked, the wounds of their battle with the killer still fresh. Mark bore over forty stab wounds, they peppered his skin from neck to waist. Most of them gaped open, yet no blood fell from them. Glen’s body was little better. The fire to his clothing had left blisters and burnt skin, the hole the knife had made in his chest was wide open. The right side of his face was a mess of blackened skin and dried blood. His hair on that side was singed off.

A door in the wall had opened and a small man had stepped into the room. Saying nothing, he handed each brother a pile of clothing, but warned them not to dress yet. He exited, leaving behind confusion as well as clothes.

It seemed like a long time later that the door had opened again. Time had no meaning where they were, it could have been minutes or days, they had no way of knowing. The man that came in this time was bigger than the first, a tall older man who looked as if he’d spent his life in boardrooms.

"Where are we?" Mark had demanded of him, staring down from his height advantage.

"Hell," the man had replied simply. His voice was low and smooth.

"Who are you?" Glen had asked, struggling against the paralysis the burns had caused in his face. Talking had become a challenge to him as his facial muscles were burned.

"I am Hell," the man said, smiling a little. The smile sent a shiver of revulsion down both of the brother’s spines. "You are here for seeking vengeance, and the taking of a life. Both of them punishable by an eternity of service to me." He raised a hand as Mark tried to cut him off. "Do not talk back to me. You will listen. I am your master now. No matter how ‘noble’ you may think the reason, the fact remains that you behaved lawlessly. You are mine now to do with as I wish."

"But…you need not spend eternity here in hell," Hell had walked between the two brothers to the back wall and waved his hand. A window appeared, taking up most of the wall. Both brothers had to turn away from it. Through the glass, there had been scenes of torture and mayhem that would have driven a human insane had they seen it while living.

"I have a mission for you. A simple mission really." He’d smiled again, and Glen had once again had the feeling that he was going to be sick if he looked at it for too long. "Succeed…and I give you a second chance at life. I’ll send you back to the human world, restore your life functions, and you’ll live long and healthy until you die of natural causes. Fail…and…" He’d gestured to the window but neither brother had to look again. "An eternity of torture."

"If we choose not to accept this ‘mission’ wouldn’t we get this eternity of torture anyway?" Mark dared to challenge him.

Hell had chuckled humorlessly. "Yes, of course. So you see, you really have no choice."

"What do we have to do?" Mark had looked at Glen, speaking for both of them.

"The man that you hunted…lives," Hell said, a smirk on his face. Both brothers sensed the underlying fury in his voice.

"I saw him fall," Mark said. Hell shook his head.

"He was ‘saved’. Changed. He belongs to me. I want him. You will be the instrument that brings him to me. You’ll get to live again, and know that he’s finding his just rewards…" Hell started laughing.

"Changed how?" Glen managed to ask. Oddly, the pain of his injuries was fading. He looked down and saw that the burns looked different. Glancing at Mark’s chest, he noticed that the gaping wounds were slowly closing.

Hell turned his dark eyes on Glen. "Changed into a myth. A vampire. A sucker of human blood. Vampires are not invincible," He went to stand by the window again, and stared out with a look of rapture on his face. "But they seem to be. The myth again." He turned back to the brothers. "I reserve a special place here in Hell for them. They are the walking dead, reanimated corpses who feed off the blood of the lowly humans. Most of them deserve to be here. But I’m denied." He made a gesture with his hands. "Vampires do not feel pain. They don’t grow old and die. Once I have your ‘friend’, he’ll be made human again. And he’ll suffer an eternity."

"I don’t understand any of this," Mark muttered in confusion. He looked down at himself, shocked to see that all of his wounds were closed. There were dozens of scars that stood out pale white on his skin, but no holes. Glen’s body had sealed itself up too, the wound over his heart a jagged white line, the burns sloughed away to puckered scar tissue.

"You do not have to understand. Do as I ask. Now that he is ‘immortal’, he will keep killing. He will not stop. Humans can not stop him. Only you can," Hell waved his hand again, and the window closed up. "I’ve given you each certain powers. Learning what they are and how to use them are your responsibility. Weapons…" He made another gesture, and a low black table slid out of the wall. On it were several knives, a gun, and six long, slim rods that looked to be made out of silver.

"While mortal weapons have virtually no effect on a vampire, you will find these to be more than adequate," Hell said. He half-smiled. "Find him. Kill him and send him home to me."

"And if we can’t?" Mark asked.

"When you admit defeat, you will be brought back here. To serve out the sentence passed on you when you took the law into your own hands. Now listen, because this is the important part. Our mutual friend will continue his mortal game of killing helpless victims. To win at our little game, you must do two things. One, save the one he’s after. Whoever she is, she must not die, or its innocent blood on your own hands. Two, destroy him. When you have one, you’ll have the other."

Mark went to the table and gingerly touched one of the silver rods. It glowed red at his touch, and he jerked back instinctively.

Hell chuckled again. "You have nothing to fear from your tools. They react to those that touch them."

"When do we start?" Mark asked, backing away from the table.

"So eager to begin your work?" Laughing, he motioned at the clothing. "Get dressed. We have much to discuss."

Hell left them alone again, shutting the seamless door behind him. Without speaking, the brothers put on the clothes that had been left for them. For Mark, it was a pair of black leather pants, a black button down work shirt, and a long black leather duster. Black motorcycle boots completed the outfit. Glen got into his own clothes, almost identical to Mark’s except his shirt was red.

When Mark was dressed, he was aware of Glen staring at him.

"Something wrong?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You mean besides being dead and waking up in hell?" Glen blinked a few times, then looked at his brother. "You’re hair. It’s changed color."

Mark frowned and reached up, pulling a lock of his long hair to where he could see it. It had formerly been a dark red color, and had hung just a little past his shoulders. Now it was completely black and much longer than before he’d arrived in this room. It fell to the bottom of his shoulder blades in dark waves.

"What the…" He let go of his hair and studied his brother. Except for the scars on Glen’s face, he looked no different. His scorched hair was gone. Glen’s hair had re-grown, and was almost as long as Mark’s was. It was still the same dark color it always was though. There was something different about him though. Mark had to look at him for a few long minutes to figure out what it was. Glen’s eyes, once a light hazel, were now two different colors. One was pale blue, the other his natural color. Dark circles had formed under his eyes, making him appear to be very tired.

"I don’t like this Mark," Glen’s voice had taken on a muffled quality to it. Mark couldn’t speak, he could only stand and watch as lines formed on his brother’s face. They solidified into slashes of red and black that looked like flames. Horrified, Glen reached up to touch his face but felt only smooth leather.

"A mask. It’s a mask," Mark said hollowly. He reached out and touched it, testing its reality.

Glen hesitated, the tugged on it experimentally. It would not move, didn’t even budge as he put more force behind.

"Don’t bother," Hell’s voice came from the door, which had opened while the brothers were distracted. "It is now a part of you. Your constant reminder of the scars that lie beneath. And a mark to show that you are now no longer human."

"Why Glen? Why not me too?" Mark touched his bare face with his fingers.

Hell chuckled. "Because his face is a mass of scars. I can’t remove them. So he wears…a badge of sorts. You’re markings are already there, you just haven’t noticed them yet."

Mark frowned and looked down at himself. Shaking his head, he brought his hand up and froze when he saw something on his wrist. He pulled the coat off and stared in shocked amazement at his arms. They were both covered with tattoos, depicting demons, castles, medieval things. He slowly pulled the coat back on, still in shock at seeing it.

"Brothers united," Hell sneered a little. "You no longer need you human names. You shall be called Kane," He’d pointed at Glen. "And you will be known to me as Taker." A glance at Mark. "I’ll send you on your way. The realm of the living awaits. You will learn your signals to move when it’s time." With that, Hell made another gesture, and Mark and Glen, now Taker and Kane, had fallen into blackness.

Now Kane sat on a couch in a house in the middle of nowhere. His fingers still caressed the mask that would not come away from his face. There was more, so much more, that Hell had forgotten to tell them. His eyes closed as he saw once again the image of blood from his dream. He had wasted enough time. It was time to wake his brother and get to work.

He lay awake in his room, content to stare up at the ceiling. Although there are no windows and no lights are in use, he can see each crack, each tiny fissure, in the plaster. His eyesight is keen, as are his hunting senses.

He’d followed his senses, making turns seemingly at random. Then he’d seen her. Dressed in black, her hair as dark as the night, walking along the deserted sidewalk. Instead of the contempt he usually reserved for humans, he was stunned by a wave of complete wanting for this one. He didn’t know why, but it was there, a feeling he’d not had in years. He’d woken up a killing machine, finding no joy in the one thing that had given him the most pleasure in his human life.

With this woman though, he was sure he could find it again. He could degrade her, destroy her will, bend her to his whims. Then when he tired of her, he would kill her, slowly and skillfully. His mouth practically watered in anticipation of the spilled blood.

He stopped for a moment, amazed. This wanting, this need, was human in it’s intensity. A vampire’s needs were more mellow, as death provided a certain calmness that mortals did not have. He didn’t understand why this girl was the root of those human emotions, he just knew that he had to have her. Somehow, destroying her would set him free. He knew it would.

He’d followed her for most of the block, keeping in the shadows. He could be virtually invisible when he tried, and he used that to his advantage. The woman stopped at a dark red door and knocked, looking back over her shoulder and shivering. He frowned, unsettled. She was somehow sensing his presence.

Once she’d gone inside, he’d waited for a while, sitting on the steps of a nearby house. He could still feel that intense…vibration…the woman put out. He soaked it up as if it were the sun. More people came to the house where the woman had gone in, but he paid them no attention. He did notice that as they arrived, the vibration grew stronger, until it seemed to fill him with it’s presence. The need was so strong, so clear he wanted to rush into the house and take the woman right then.

Something held him back though. Something not unlike fear. Another all too human emotion. There was more to the house than met the eye, and he wished he’d paid more attention to the others who had gone inside.

This place had suddenly become dangerous. A sense of impending doom penetrated his desire, and he walked quickly back the way he’d come from. Soon, he’d take what he wanted. But he’d wait until the time was right. There was no hurry.

Back in his room, he’d undressed and climbed onto his bed, not bothering to cover up with the blankets. He did not feel warm or cold. The burning, all encompassing need had faded a little, drawing back into the tiny part of his mind that stored the human emotions. He would not forget it though. The woman would be his. He’d discover this secret that she held to make him want her, then he’d destroy her as he’d done so many others.

He slipped into sleep as the sun climbed the eastern sky. He needed to rest, to prepare himself, for the full assault that taking the woman was sure to have on his senses. It was only a matter of time, a concept that had ceased to hold meaning for him. Her days were marked though.

Before he dropped fully into his death-like slumber, he wondered again at the odd sense of foreboding he’d gotten while sitting outside. Another vampire perhaps, already intending to make her his victim? He doubted it. In his time as a creature of the night, he’d seen no others like him. They were few and far between, giving the others space and seclusion.

A smile curved his lips as he willed a picture of the woman into his mind. He could be patient when he wanted to be. It made the killing that much sweeter when it happened. The smile was still there as he finally gave in to the darkness, taking the mental picture of the dark-haired girl with him into sweet dreams of her death.

Trinity woke up after noon, stretching and yawning in the big bed. They’d all decided to sleep at Paige’s the night before after finishing off Isabel’s bottle of Vodka. She was in one of the guestrooms at the rear of the house, the same one she always used when she was in town. She kept clothes here for the rare occasions when they did get together, and she grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt and went to take a shower.

Her hair still damp, she quietly made her way downstairs, aware that Isabel was still sleeping soundly in her own room down the hallway from Trinity’s. Paige was sharing her blacked out room with Matt, and would wake when he did at sunset.

That left Jeff and Adam. Jeff would usually bunk in with Isabel, staying up long past sunrise to talk with her. And Adam…Trinity went to the door to the basement and opened it quietly, then shut it behind her. She descended the stairs carefully in the dark, feeling her way and holding on to the rail. Adam, Matt, or Jeff would just bound down them like it was no small feat. Their vampirism gave them enhanced vision, so even the darkest room seemed to be lit up.

Trinity almost envied them that ability, but knew it was not worth the rest that came with it. For every positive there were at least two negatives. She couldn’t help but pity them for the lives they had to lead just to survive.

She finally reached the bottom of the stairs and made her way to the door in the far corner. Paige had foreseen the need to go through the basement. There was nothing there that could be tripped on. Still, Trinity sighed in relief when her outstretched fingertips touched the doorknob. She eased the door open and slipped inside, shutting it behind her.

"You could have used the light," Adam said softly. Trinity smiled in the direction of his voice.

"I didn’t want to wake you up if you were sleeping," She said, slowly making her way to the bed where he was lying.

"If I was sleeping, you wouldn’t have come down here," Adam said. She heard him shift, and knew he was moving over so she’d have room to sit on the bed next to him. He watched her through the inky blackness of the room, then reached out and took her hand when she was close enough, pulling her to sit next to him.

"Thanks. I’m going to start bringing a flashlight with me," Trinity smiled, knowing he would see it.

"What’s on your mind, Tri?" Adam cut right to the point. She sighed and turned so her back was against the wall, her legs propped up on the bed.

"I could ask you the same thing. You’re not sleeping. Something’s wrong, isn’t it? You weren’t just messing around last night."

Adam shook his head, then remembered she couldn’t see him. "I don’t know Tri. It was just a feeling I got. It’s gone now." He shifted, turning on his side and propping himself up on an elbow. "Now what’s on your mind?"

"I don’t know. I just have this feeling…" She stopped, not knowing how to finish. "The strangest thing happened last night. I was being watched when I came here. I’m sure of it. And I can’t seem to shake this…paranoid feeling. I don’t know what it is."

Adam studied her worried face thoughtfully. "I think I might know part of it Trinity. Not all, just some." She looked toward the sound of his voice. "How long have we known each other?

"Since my seventeenth birthday. Almost ten years," She smiled a little, wondering at how the time had flown by.

"I want to tell you a story. You have to promise me that you won’t tell it to anyone else in this house. I shouldn’t know about it, but it’s important. Sometimes, someone has to know."

"I promise," Trinity whispered. He had her full attention. This was the side of Adam that the others rarely got to see. Quiet, thoughtful, and protective. Serious. But it was rare to see him this way.

Sighing, he ran his hand through his long hair. "It wasn’t just by chance that you, Isabel, and Paige met us."

"So, what was it? Karma?" Trinity laughed a little.

"That’s not so far off. You three make up something very important in the human world. A gateway kind of. Matt, Jeff and I are on the other side of that gate, the backside of it." He smiled, then remembered she couldn’t see it.

"I don’t get it. What kind of gate?" Trinity frowned thoughtfully.

"If it wasn’t for you," his voice had grown more serious. "And Isabel and Paige, vampires would take over this world."

"You’re being melodramatic, Adam," Trinity said slowly.

"No, think about it. Whenever we get together, Matt, Jeff, and I become more human. When you first met us, were we anything like we are now?"

Trinity thought back. When she’d been seventeen and had met the guys, they had seemed…robotic. Uncaring. It made her shiver now just thinking about it.

"You know what I’m talking about. Being around you three has given us human qualities. And you’ve had heightened senses," Adam continued. "And when we all come together like this…"

"It’s amplified," Trinity finished for him.

"Yes. Whatever bit of psychic ability you might have increases, you can sense things no one else can. Which is why you felt like you were being watched last night."

"Was it you?" Trinity asked.

"No. I came in with Isabel, remember? We rode in from the airport together. What I’m saying is, if you hadn’t been so close to Matt and Paige, would you have felt the same thing?"

"I…no," She shook her head. "I didn’t start having the feeling until I was within a block of the house."

Adam sighed and closed his eyes, thinking of how much he should tell her. "Is there anything else you notice when we all get together?"

Trinity thought about it, wracking her mind for anything unusual. "I’m not sure."

"Read the paper when you go back upstairs. There’s probably something really big there to point you in the right direction," Adam sounded tired. But he went on. "The number of vampires grows when we’re together. It’s not something a human would notice, of course. But a vampire notices." He ran a hand over his face. "If anything were to happen to any of you, at least for the next few years, humans would cease to exist. Vampires would overrun everything. There would be no balance, no rules."

"How do you know all of this?" Trinity still didn’t know if she believed him. It was too outrageous, too farfetched.

"I dreamed about it," he said simply.

They were quiet for a few minutes, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Trinity slowly stood up from her seat on the bed. "I’ll go upstairs now. Let you rest. We can talk more about this later, after I’ve thought about it."

Adam took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I know it’s crazy, but it’s true. Look at the paper. You’ll see."

Trinity nodded and turned, making her way carefully out of the black room. Adam listened as her footsteps moved through the basement and up the stairs. He hoped he had done the right thing. Something was going to happen soon, he knew it. He wanted her to be prepared.

Trinity retrieved the newspaper from the front porch, blinking rapidly as the sunlight momentarily blinded her. Closing the door, she carried the paper into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. Adam had told her to look in the paper, but he hadn’t said what she’d be looking for.

As she sipped her dose of caffeine, she opened the paper, reading over the headlines. Nothing seemed unusual until she’d reached the bottom of the front page. ‘Two Men Found Dead’ her eyes froze on it, then she read through the story. At approximately one in the morning, two men who had been camping at the nearby state park had been murdered by person or persons unknown. Their bodies had been mutilated, making several of the officers who showed up to investigate ill. Oddest thing was, there was no blood at the sight of the murders. The police were assuming the men were killed elsewhere then dumped back at their camp.

From being around vampires for so long, Trinity knew better. Although they didn’t feel such emotions as love and happiness, they all had a dark fury inside them. They resented humans, either as a result of being turned, or because they needed humans to survive. Often, an enraged vampire would desecrate his victim, tearing him apart, trying to relieve that rage.

She tapped her fingers on the paper, wondering if that was what Adam had wanted her to see. So a vampire had gone on a rampage. It had happened before, a while back. Trinity’s fingers stopped drumming her fingers, her eyebrows drawing together in a frown. Come to think of it, the last time she’d heard of such a story had been the last time the six of them had been together.

If it was true, if their being together was the cause, that meant it had just begun. She wondered if it only happened near them, or if it was an all-encompassing thing. She cursed herself for not paying more attention to the news. Trinity tried to decide why exactly Adam had told her about this. She idly flipped through the paper, not really seeing anything. She passed up a small header in the middle of the main section of the paper, and went back to it. A child disappearance, also occurring sometime after midnight the night before. The little girl was eight years old, and had been tucked into bed by her distraught mother. A little after three that morning, the mother had been awaked by a cold draft and had investigated. The front door of her home was standing open, and her daughter was gone.

"Christ," Trinity muttered under her breath, wondering at what kind of hell the mother must be going through. If it was her, she’d have lost her mind with worry.

Something Adam had said struck her as strange. Actually, everything he’d said had been strange, but for some reason this particular expression had stuck out. ‘At least for the next few years’. "What does that mean, Adam?" she muttered.

"You say something?" Isabel walked into the kitchen, her hair a mess, wearing her over-sized nightshirt.

"Talking to myself," Trinity smiled at her sister, remembering her promise not to tell anyone what she and Adam had talked about.

"That’s the first sign of Alzheimer’s Granny," Isabel laughed and poured herself some coffee. "That and getting lost in your own bathroom. What are you looking at?" She peered over Trinity’s shoulder and glanced at the paper. "Ugh, news. Who the hell needs to know that depressing shit?"

"I guess somebody other than me," Trinity said, folding the paper up. "I thought you and Jeff would still be yakking. Did he finally pass out from exhaustion?"

Isabel giggled. "From intoxication is more like it. He came in and sat on the floor, and the next thing I knew he was snoring. Men…" she rolled her eyes comically, making Trinity laugh.

"Maybe next time, you can pounce on him," she said. Isabel shook her head.

"Nope. We’re just friends now. It’s better that way," she smiled a little. "What’s on the agenda for today?"

"I don’t know about everybody else, but I have to go take care of some errands," Trinity said evasively. She actually wanted to go to the library and do some research.

"Sounds boring. I want to go shopping," Isabel laughed and headed toward the door. "I’m hitting the shower. Want to meet me at the car? I’ll give you a lift."

"Yeah," Trinity smiled at her twin. "I’ll be nice and not complain about your driving this time."

Isabel gave her a mock look of disgust, then walked away laughing. Trinity’s smile disappeared the minute her sister was gone. She had serious work to do that day, and she was sure she wasn’t going to like what she found out.

Taker came immediately awake, sitting bolt upright in bed, his body covered with a fine sheen of sweat. The loud ‘No!’ He’d voiced in his dream threatened to spill out into the waking world.

In it, he’d seen a girl, very young, her lifeless body hanging upside down in some dark room. He put his head in his hands, willing the mental image out of his head. It was too much for him to take now, not with this other business looming. It was…

It was too bright in his room. His came to the realization slowly. His room at the house was never this bright. The windows were dirty on the outside, and any sunlight that sifted through had a sick quality. This light was too white and clean.

He looked around, taking in the bed with a dark blue comforter, the large chair and table in the corner, the dresser with a TV on top of it. A motel room. So it was time to begin again.

He slowly got out of bed, feeling the thick carpeting beneath his feet. Taker went to the window and pushed the curtain all the way open. He squinted at the bright light of the afternoon that flooded into the room. He still couldn’t tell exactly where he was. From the window he could see a highway leading to a town in the distance.

That’s where their next destination was. He had almost no hope that they’d make it in time to stop whatever was going to happen. He slowly got dressed, trying to keep his mind free of the images that had haunted his dreams.

Taker sank into the chair, running his hands through his dark hair. He had realized almost from the start that he and Kane were not just sent back to the human world. They were in their own personal Hell, reliving what had happened to their sister over and over. Showing up too late to stop the rape and beating, the murder. The killer getting away just hours and sometimes even minutes before the brothers could find him. It was always the same.

"This time will be different," Kane’s voice came from the door that joined his room to Taker’s. Taker barely glanced at him, snorting in derision.

"This time will be just the same. They’ve all been the same," Taker had lost count of how many they’d failed to save. Time had no meaning, days would pass in the blink of an eye for the brothers. He couldn’t say how often the killer struck, for in their world, the missions seemed to only be days apart.

"No," Kane stepped into the room. "This girl…I believe she’s prepared or preparing for something. For this."

"You dreamed this?" Taker asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. No. I feel it," Kane said indecisively. "There is something different about this one."

Taker shrugged. "Either way, we have to go through the motions. I’ll head to town right now, take a look around." Kane nodded. With his mask, he couldn’t walk in the human world in the daytime. At night it was easier to hide, but in the daytime it made him stick out even more than usual.

Taker could move in the day. Most humans gave him wide berth, considering he looked as if he were there to kick teeth in. He got up from the chair and grabbed his leather jacket from where it had been thrown on the table.

Kane grabbed his arm. "Be careful." Taker looked at him blankly.

"There’s no need to be careful when you’re already dead," He said. He nodded at Kane then left his room, walking out into the bright sun. There was a black motorcycle parked in front of the room. Taker reached into his pocket, pulling out the key that would start it with no surprise. It always happened just that way.

As he rode toward town, he thought of his ‘boss’. Hell had very little contact with them once he’d sent them on their way. Occasionally Taker and Kane would find themselves called back to that mysterious dark room, for what seemed to be a session solely for Hell’s amusement. He sometimes gave them instruction.

The last time had been just before the last mission. Hell had called on them, and the brothers found themselves listening to his ranting. He had added a bonus objective to their job description. There was another vampire, one who was responsible for turning the murderer. Hell wanted him, for taking away what he felt was rightfully his. If, on one of their excursions to the mortal world they happened to find him and kill him…Hell said he’d consider calling off the rest of the deal. He’d restore them to their humanity, and find another way to get at the killer.

To Taker it hadn’t sounded very feasible. They had so little time in the mortal world. And finding one vampire with no information to go on was asking too much. They had a limited range of ‘powers’ and they didn’t include vampire radar.

Taker stopped the bike once he got into town, trying to decide where to go. He still had not seen the girl’s face, nor her home. All he had to go on was the red door from his dream. He closed his eyes, trying to get a mental image of the house. Instead of dark brick and the familiar door, another picture came to his mind. Newspapers. Books. A dim room, filled with shelves with boxes on them.

His eyes opened, wondering why he was being directed to what was obviously a library. He smirked a little, already knowing he’d stick out like a sore thumb there. He had never looked like the kind of guy who spent any time around books.

He rode aimlessly through town, looking for the library. It was a small modern building, windows covering the outer walls. Taker cut the engine on the bike then slowly walked toward the entrance.

He felt…strange. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. The closer he got to the building, the stronger the feeling became. His footsteps faltered as he reached the door. Feeling? He didn’t have feelings. He was unemotional, the only things he could remember feeling since he’d died were anger and despair. Even those emotions were muted, a residual presence that had lingered after he’d failed to do away with his sister’s killer.

Trying to ignore it, he finally stepped into the library. There were a few people seated at the tables that were spread around the room, but no one like the woman he’d seen in his dream. He walked over to the desk, clearing his throat to get the attention of the lady working on a computer.

"Yes?" She had to crane her neck to look up at him. He could practically smell her distaste once she’d gotten a good look at him. He ignored it. He’d gotten used to the looks he got from the mortals.

"Do you have old newspapers?" He asked, his voice low. She looked like she was going to say no, then apparently decided he was harmless.

"Yes. They’re all on microfiche film now. Is there anything in particular you need to find?" She came out from around the desk and led him toward the back of the main library.

"Yeah, but I can find it myself," Taker said. He thanked her then went into the door she had indicated, shutting it behind him on her look of surprise.

It was exactly as he’d pictured it on the drive here. The room was dim, with small lights in the corner. There were rows of shelves with small boxes on them, each one containing film from a different year. Along the back wall were five small tables, each one with a film reader on top of it and a chair pushed in front of each one.

Only one of the chairs was occupied. Taker watched as the woman fed the film into the machine, quickly scanning the words before moving on. She had a notebook open in front of her; the page that she was writing on was almost filled.

He had no doubt that it was the woman he’d been dreaming about. Her hair cascaded down the back of the chair in long dark waves. Taker couldn’t move for a minute. She was still alive. Every other time they’d come to find their victim, he and his brother were too late. Maybe this time would be their last.

Confused at the feeling of hope that flooded him, he slowly stepped toward the table. The woman must have sensed his presence. She stiffened up and looked back over her shoulder at him, a worried look on her face.

Taker met her pale green eyes and stopped moving. This was the first time he’d seen her face, and he couldn’t stop staring at her. She was good looking, with that dark hair framing her features. He felt something stir inside him, confused again at the emotion that ran through his body.

"Um, can I help you?" Her voice was soft, low. She didn’t sound the least bit intimidated by his presence or his outright stare.

Taker shook his head, finally finding his voice. "No, I’m the one who’s here to help you."

Trinity thanked Isabel for the ride, promising to be back at Paige’s that night in time for dinner with the girls. Inside the library she’d waved off the librarian’s help and had gone into the microfiche room to fend for herself.

She’d brought a notebook with her. Before she did anything else, she thought back over her ten-year relationship to the guys, trying to remember all of the times they’d gotten together. There were only five times that she was completely sure they had all been together. It happened about once every two years. She discarded any date when someone out of the six of them was not in attendance. She’d study up on that later. Right now she just wanted to see what had happened when their power seemed to be at its peak.

She started at the beginning, the weekend in January that she and Isabel had celebrated their seventeenth birthday. Paige also had the same birthday, and the three had taken Trinity’s car and had gone on a road trip. That very first night, they’d stopped to spend the night at a motel. Isabel had flirted outrageously with the bouncer at the bar attached to the motel, and he’d let the three underage girls go inside.

They’d had a great time, laughing and cutting up. Then these three guys had walked up to them and…something had happened. They had all clicked. It had amazed Trinity at the time, because the guys were older than they were. But they didn’t treat them like kids. Instead, they hung out with them all night, talking as if they’d known each other forever. In the first few minutes, there had been a coldness around the men, but it had faded soon enough, making Trinity wonder if she’d imagined it.

Instead of driving on the next morning as the girls had planned, they’d stayed the whole weekend at the motel. The guys had rooms there too, but they all ended up converging in Paige’s room. It kind of set the tone for the rest of their friendship. When they all got together, it was always at Paige’s house. First at her mother’s, then at her own when she’d gotten out of high school. They never had one of their reunions at anyone else’s place, which was just now striking Trinity as odd.

That Sunday night, as the girls prepared to head home, the guys had told them the truth. They were vampires. There was initial disbelief, but it didn’t last long. Besides not being able to venture out in the sun, there were the heightened senses, the feeling that they were sometimes reading the girls’ minds.

And they trusted the guys. It was something that happened almost instantaneously. They couldn’t lie to each other. It seemed as if lying were a foreign concept to the vampires.

They had seen the guys on and off from then, only occasionally having everyone together all at once. It was never questioned, it just seemed to be accepted.

Now, Trinity was looking at the newspaper for their area from that weekend almost ten years ago. Right on the front page of that Saturday’s paper, taking up more space than any other story, was a grim headline. Four men had died late Friday night, apparently involved in some kind of ritual murder. All were drained of blood, all were torn to shreds. There was no evidence of the attackers, no clues for the police to follow through on. Trinity noted the date then moved on to Sunday, where she found another story, this one happening about twenty miles from where they had stayed. Six people this time, two men and three women, found in the same condition as the first story. Again, no clues.

Sighing, she slowly scrolled back to the Saturday paper and looked through the rest of it. It only took her a moment to spot what she had dreaded. A young boy had disappeared Friday night, snatched from his backyard while he was outside playing in the snow. The only footprints found were his own, so police were going on the assumption that someone he had known had picked him up.

Trinity cursed under her breath and went back to Sunday’s edition. Two more child disappearances. One was an assumed parental abduction, the father of a four year old creeping in and taking her away from her mother. The other, a six-year-old boy, had presumably wandered away from his family while they hiked in the woods near their home.

Wincing, knowing there was more, Trinity pulled up Monday’s paper, her pen flying across paper as she noted dates and names, locations and times.

The most occurrences happened just two years ago. The six of them had spent most of a month together. Their effect that time was not just local but statewide, as the paper reported an increase in brutal murder and child abduction. What she found even more amazing was that it seemed when their group parted ways, all of the deaths that had occurred were written off. There was no further mention of the brutal murders or the children who had disappeared.

She finished up the last reel, then sat here, rubbing her temples with her hands. Half of the brand new notebook she’d brought with her was filled. Trinity felt like crying. All this was going on, and she had been blissfully ignorant the whole time. And suddenly Adam had filled her in. Now she wanted to know why.

She was getting ready to shut off the machine when she became aware of being watched again. Biting her lip, she turned her head and stared up at the tall man who’d quietly entered the room. He was staring at her intently, and she had the strangest sensation that he was reading her mind. His hair was as dark as hers, his eyes a piercing green color. He was huge, especially since she was looking at him from a sitting position.

She wasn’t afraid of him though. Although she’d sensed him watching her, there had not been that malevolent quality that she’d felt the night before. When he didn’t speak or make a move, she finally found her voice.

"Um, can I help you?" He seemed to be thrown by it for a minute, then he’d shaken his head.

"No, I’m the one who’s here to help you," his voice was deep, and carried a slight accent that she couldn’t quite place. Trinity frowned up at him.

"Help me? Help me how?" she asked confused. "Look, uh, I think you’re confusing me with somebody else. I don’t need any help."

"But you will," the man moved closer to her, then pulled out the chair at the table next to hers and sat down in it. They were more or less eye level. Trinity found herself unable to look away from his penetrating gaze.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, trying to make her mind work. He couldn’t know what she’d been reading about. She wasn’t sure if she needed help with it or not, she hadn’t had time to decide what to do.

The big man sighed and pulled his gaze from hers to glance at the monitor. "You’re in danger. Mortal danger. We’re here to make sure that nothing happens to you."

"Ok…um…look, I’m sure they’re probably missing you in the psycho ward right now, so I’m just going to go," Trinity grabbed her notebook and started to stand, but was stopped when he grabbed her arm.

Her eyes met his again as Trinity slowly sank back down into her chair. He seemed to be as confused, if not more, as she was. He seemed to be fighting with himself over something. "We need to go somewhere that we can talk. This place isn’t safe," he tilted his chin at the room they were in.

"You expect me to go off somewhere with you?" Trinity started laughing. "I don’t know you. What if you’re some kind of ax murderer or something?"

The man frowned at her. It was obvious to her that he was having trouble trying to figure out how to convey his thoughts to her. "Look, whoever you are. It’s very nice that you’re so worried about my welfare and everything, but this is ridiculous. Just spit it out already. I have a lot of shit I need to take care of today."

His eyebrow went up as she spoke heatedly to him. "Ok…spit it out…" he self-consciously touched his hair, then looked back at her. "I’m not alive. I was sent here to keep a killer from making you his next victim."

"What?" Trinity felt like slapping herself on the forehead. Of course. That struggle with his emotions she’d been noticing ever since he’d walked in, the way he seemed to surprise himself with his own inflicted voice. She’d seen it before, only had gotten so used to it she’d forgotten. "You’re a vampire. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before." But the man was shaking his head.

"No, not a vampire," he said. He struggled with himself momentarily, then met her eyes again. "We’ve been sent back from Hell to right something that went wrong a long time ago. The man…the thing…that we’re after is going to be coming for you. We have to stop him."

"Wait, you keep saying ‘we’. Who’s with you?" She couldn’t help but look around. The man wasn’t a vampire, yet he acted like one. Maybe he was something new, something dangerous. She’d have to be extremely careful dealing with him.

"My brother," The man lowered his head a little. Trinity caught the look of pain that crossed his features, a look that appeared totally foreign on his face. "We were both killed while trying to get vengeance on the man who killed our sister. Hell sent us back to finish what we started." He seemed to snap out of his sorrow, and stared at her with narrowed eyes. "You asked if I was a vampire. Why? How do you know about vampires?"

"I…well…" Trinity didn’t know if she really wanted to explain the complicated friendships she had. "I just do, Ok? I’ve seen them before."

"The man we’re after is a vampire," the man said softly, his deep voice sending a shiver down her back. "He was turned before he could die of the wounds my brother and I inflicted on him. He continues to kill women as he killed my sister," his eyes closed as he felt the first stirrings of grief shoot through his body.

Trinity watched as he wrangled with his emotions. He had said that he’d come back from the dead. Maybe her presence was having the same effect on his as it did on the vampires. "If you’re not a vampire, and you truly are dead…what are you? A ghost? An Angel?"

"We came back from Hell. Technically, that would make us demons of sorts." His voice was resigned. He’d apparently thought that over and didn’t care for it.

"So a demon from Hell is here to protect me from a vampire?" Trinity gave him a look of scorn. "Look, I know how to handle myself around vampires. I’ve been doing it for ten years. There’s nothing to worry about."

The man’s head came up and he looked at her in surprise. As far as he knew, vampires hated humans. They stood for everything they could never have. And this girl not only knew they existed, but knew them well?

"There is something to worry about," he finally said forcefully. "My brother and I can sometimes see the future. He’s better than I am at it, but it’s in us both."

"And you saw me being killed?" Trinity asked quietly.

"Not quite," the man shook his head. "I saw glimpses of you, marking you as the next victim. My brother saw the aftermath." He saw the look that crossed her face and instinctively reached out and touched her hand. Trinity watched as he stared down at his hands in confusion, as if they had a mind of their own. "The future isn’t written in stone. It doesn’t have to happen that way. We’re going to change it."

"How are we going to do that?" Trinity asked him. She had followed him outside and they were standing next to a black motorcycle. She hadn’t planned on following him, or even continuing the conversation inside the library, but her curiosity was peaked.

"First, I’ve got to go get my brother. You’re coming with me," His tone said he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

"I’m not going anywhere with you!" Trinity didn’t like being told what to do.

The man stared down at her, a frown creasing his face. "You think I’m going to just let you wander off? This is our chance to stop this shit. If you want to live, you’ll stay with me."

"I don’t even know who you are," Trinity said heatedly. "I’m just supposed to put my life in your hands and trust you? You said you came back from Hell right?" He nodded slowly. "I don’t know about you, but where I come from if you go to Hell it means you’re not exactly up for a hero award. I think I’ll take my chances on my own."

Before she could turn away, the man grabbed her arm. "We weren’t bad men when we were alive. We just made one mistake. One very big mistake." His eyes were fierce, and Trinity could not look away.

"Do I even get a name?" she asked him, hating herself for giving in.

He looked at her solemnly, then nodded. "You can call me Taker."

Trinity bit her lip, then relaxed a little. His grip on her arm loosened, but he didn’t let her go. His eyes had softened, and he was now looking at her as if he’d never seen her before. Trinity felt herself flush a little as his eyes moved down her body then back up.

She wondered what exactly he thought he was going to take. Taker. What a name. Deciding to be defiant, she shook her hair back from her shoulders and stared at him until he looked her in the eye. "Where are we going? I want to call my friends and let them know where I am."

"You can call them when we get there. Get on the bike," he paused for a second, then looking surprised with himself added, "Please."

Trinity slowly stepped toward him, aware he was watching her every move as his fingers slipped from her arm. She should run, screw his talk about his visions. She found herself throwing a leg over the back seat and gripping his waist instead.

Taker looked over his shoulder at her, his fingers reaching for the key to start the engine. "Do I get a name for you?"

She looked at him thoughtfully. "Trinity," she said, deciding there was really no point in holding it back. Something strange was going on. When she and Isabel and Paige had met their three vampire friends, there had been an almost audible click. The same thing had just happened for her now, with this strange man. She didn’t understand what or why, but suddenly all of her doubt seemed to be gone. He’d said he was there to save her. She had to put faith in him that he’d do just that.

Taker started the bike, relieved that driving it would take his mind off the girl who was holding on to him as he pulled onto the street. He didn’t know why, but as she’d stood there arguing with him he’d gotten suddenly, painfully aroused. He and Kane had been around plenty of women since they had died, on their numerous attempt to catch their killer. None had ever effected him the way this one was. He couldn’t help but wonder why he wanted this woman. He’d thought that part of him had died when he did.

It didn’t take long to get back to the motel, but it felt like it had been hours for Trinity, who had never ridden on a motorcycle. She climbed off, surprised he’d only taken her about two miles from town. This was the motel that she usually stayed in when she came to town, only because she needed space from the others every now and then.

Taker led her to his room, using his key to open the door. Once inside, as Trinity stood taking it in, he excused himself and went to the door that joined his room to Kane’s.

He walked in without knocking, stopping in his tracks when he saw his brother. Kane was sitting on the bed, leaning forward, his masked face in his hands. He was shaking from head to toe, making small noises in his throat.

"Kane?" Taker stepped toward him, stopping again when Kane looked up at him. There were tracks of wetness running down the mask that Kane was wearing. Crying. He’d been crying.

But Taker sensed that something else was going on. "I don’t know…I don’t know what’s wrong with me," Kane managed to say. He sniffled then started to laugh, a sound that made the hair on the back of Taker’s neck stand up. It had been so long since he’d heard his brother laugh, the sound was foreign.

But he almost knew what his brother was feeling. From the minute he’d gotten close to the library, he had felt like laughing, crying, screaming, and dancing all at the same time. He’d managed to tamp down the urge. But Kane was experiencing some kind of emotional overload.

"I found her," Taker said, cutting into the mixed chuckles and sobs that his brother couldn’t seem to control.

Kane sat up straight, wiping at his mask with his fingers, still shocked at the wetness that came away. "We’re too late aren’t we?" There was no mistaking the despair in his voice.

"No. Not this time," Taker reached out and put his hand on Kane’s shoulder. "She’s in my room."

Kane looked up at him, his eyes wide. "How? Why?"

"I don’t know, but I think this time we’ve got it," Taker gave Kane’s shoulder a squeeze then motioned for him to follow.

Trinity was still standing in the middle of Taker’s room, debating with herself whether she should wait or go check on Taker when she heard him come through the door. She turned slowly and took an involuntary step back at the man who stepped into the room. He was as tall as Taker was, his shoulders broad. His face…there was a mask that covered it. His eyes took her in, and she stared back, entranced at the dual colors.

Taker watched from behind Kane as she reacted to her brother. After the initial first step back, she’d held her ground, looking at him only with curiosity and not fear. Kane seemed even more imposing than his brother thanks in large part to the mask that covered his face.

"It is her," Kane finally said, still struggling with himself to reign in his emotions.

"Yes. This is Trinity." Taker stepped next to his brother. "Trinity, this is my brother, Kane."

"I’d say it’s a pleasure, but somehow I don’t think it would fit into the circumstances," Trinity said. Kane surprised everyone when he chuckled. Taker looked at him with an eyebrow cocked, unaware that he was also smiling. It faded a little as he watched her study his brother. She seemed to be very intent on him and…

‘What the hell?’ Taker slapped a quick reign on his emotions before it could turn into full-blown jealousy. A frown creased his forehead, but neither Kane nor Trinity noticed it.

"I need to call my friends, let them know I’ll be late," Trinity said softly. Kane looked at Taker, then nodded.

"Go ahead. Just…don’t tell them where you are exactly. At least, not the room number," Kane said pointing to the phone on the table. Trinity gave him an odd look, then went to it, punching in Paige’s number.

Isabel answered on the first ring. "Yeah?" She sounded out of breath and out of sorts.

"Did I…interrupt something Izzy?" Trinity said with a laugh, forgetting for a minute the reason she’d called.

"No! Don’t start with me. Where are you? It’s almost time for the guys to get up."

Trinity sighed. "Something came up. I’m at the motel," Trinity heard Isabel’s sound of protest. "Don’t worry, I’m not bowing out on you guys. I just have to take care of some things right now."

"Can’t it wait until later? Damn it, Trini, we don’t get together like this all the time."

"Yeah, I know," Trinity bit her tongue to keep from spilling the things she’d learned at the library. "Just a few hours though Iz. Let the guys know, Ok?" Isabel reluctantly agreed then hung up her end.

Taker watched as Trinity looked out the window that was behind the table the phone was situated on. The sun was slowly sinking into the horizon, and darkness was falling. She was so lost in thought, it was almost as if she’d forgotten the two brothers were even in the room.

He exchanged a look with Kane, who tilted his head to the side and studied his brother. With a slight nod, he went back to the door that joined Taker’s room to his and stepped through. At the sound of the door closing, Trinity jumped a little and turned around.

"So…what exactly is going on here?" the light tone she’d adopted with whoever was on the phone was gone. Taker regretted its loss. She had a beautiful laugh.

"I told you. Someone is going to try to kill you. We’ve been sent to stop it."

"My friends would have protected me," She said softly. Taker slowly shook his head.

"No one could have protected you. This ‘man’ for lack of a better word, stops at nothing. If your friends got in the way, he’d just kill them too."

Taker was surprised when Trinity’s musical laugh rang out again. He watched her warily, wondering if she was going to have some kind of a fit.

She saw the look he was giving her and giggled. "Don’t worry, I haven’t lost my mind. You don’t know about my friends apparently," She tapered off, smiling a little. "Remember when I said I’ve been dealing with vampires for a while?"

"Your friends are vampires?" Taker looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. "How could you make friends with those bloodthirsty, dangerous…"

Trinity shushed him. "My friends aren’t like that. Actually, they’re kind of like you."

Taker’s brow went up. "How do you mean?"

"Well…" she sighed, the humor going out of her voice. "It’s very difficult to explain. I’m not even sure if I understand it myself. I probably can’t make you understand it any better."

"Try me," Taker said, moving to sit in the chair while he heard her out. He saw Kane from the corner of his eye, opening the door that divided their rooms. Waving him in, Taker never really took his eyes from Trinity’s. She sighed and sank onto the bed, wondering how the hell to explain her strange connection to the vampires.

Adam moved toward the motel, sensing Trinity’s presence long before he reached the parking lot. To the vampires that knew her, she was like a beacon that shone day-glow green.

He debated whether or not to seek out her room, then decided against it. He’d wait, watch, and worry. A slight smile crossed his lips.

Something was definitely not right here. All thought the walk over, Adam had looped around, making random turns and doubling back, and still he had gotten the sense of being followed. It was a vampire, of that he was certain. A very young one who hadn’t quite learned the trick of blocking himself from being noticed by other vampires.

The other vampire was leaving now. Adam could almost see through his eyes as he went back across the field. Whoever it was, he’d been close to the motel, much closer than Adam had dared to go. "Trinity," he mumbled her name under his breath, sure that the other vampire had sensed her. Most vampires didn’t know what she or Isabel or Paige were. They only knew that human emotions long thought dead were suddenly awakened in Trinity’s presence. It was dangerous to be too close to her for too long if the vampire wasn’t prepared for it.

Isabel had the power of heeling. There wasn’t a wound big or small that she couldn’t fix just by thinking about it for a second. She worked as a nurse in a children’s cancer ward, where the cure rate was extremely high. Isabel didn’t realize that she was the one curing the kids though. Although Trinity had a small idea of what power she held, Isabel either didn’t notice or didn’t want to.

Paige was the spirit healer. She could calm animals with the sound of her voice, and most people who knew her would call her a mediator. There wasn’t a conflict she couldn’t resolve. Her power was strongest when she was with Trinity or Isabel though. She helped the vampires keep their human emotions in check with Trinity; with Isabel she could help heal even deeply buried psychological scars.

Vampires were drawn to them, but most stayed in the shadows, not daring to get too close. They didn’t understand what was going on, why these three girls had the effect that they did. Only a select few were given that information and they knew what the consequences of being around them meant. More death. More darkness. But Adam, Matt, and Jeff had to be around them. They were their assigned protectors. Adam had no idea how they had come to be chosen, but there it was.

He hesitated. Trinity was definitely in the motel, that much he knew. But this other vampire…there was something familiar about his presence. Adam cast one last look at the motel before turning to follow his fellow night-walker. He came up short as he slammed into Jeff, who had silently come up behind him.

"Sorry bro. I was worried, so I gave Isabel the slip to see if I could help you out," he said apologetically, his voice low. Adam was irritated and proud at the same time. Jeff had managed to get the drop on him that time. He was learning.

"Come on. Trinity’s Ok," Adam started walking toward the field.

"We gonna follow that other vamp?" Jeff said, trotting to catch up. Adam quirked an eyebrow at him.

"You sensed him too?"

"Yeah. As soon as I got close," his nose wrinkled in distaste. "He’s bad news Adam."

"Yeah. Come on. Let’s see if we can get a look at him." Adam led the way through the waist high grass of the field, not giving the motel another glance. He knew that Trinity was safe enough for the time being. There was something in there protecting her.

Both vampires were quiet as they hurried through the night. They had almost gotten back into town when they spotted their man. He was walking slowly, hands in his pockets, long brown hair blowing around his head in the slight breeze that had kicked up.

"Block yourself," Adam said in a low voice. Jeff only nodded, concentrating even harder at making himself seem invisible.

The man turned onto Main Street, looking into windows with apparent disinterest. As he crossed into a pool of light thrown by one of the windows, Adam was once again shook by the knowledge that this was someone he knew. He still couldn’t place him though. The man did a good job of hiding his face, looking down when he came to bright lights, sticking to shadows. He was stalking. Hunting. Adam should know; he had done it enough times to know what it was.

They had reached the end of the business district. Here, the two and three-story buildings gave way to large homes. One of them had a small sign in the yard. It was a house that was also an antique shop. At this late hour, all of the shop lights were off, and only one light burned on the second floor.

Adam and Jeff watched as the vampire they had followed stopped to study the house. He seemed to be sniffing the air, getting a sense of what was inside.

"He’s just going to feed," Jeff whispered. Adam held up his hand and shook his head.

"No. He’s…its something else," Adam whispered back. Jeff watched as Adam tried to see whatever the other vampire was seeing. Jeff nudged him, returning his attention to the vampire that was walking up to the house as if he belonged there.

"Your call man," Jeff said.

Adam frowned. "There’s a woman in there, alone. He’s going to kill her." He exchanged a look with Jeff.

"Are we going to let him?" Jeff stared up at the house as he spoke, watching as the vampire jimmied the lock.

Adam shook his head. If they could prevent just one death out of all that would occur while the six of them were together, he would feel much better. "No. We go in." He grabbed Jeff’s arm. "Be careful though. This guy’s not playing with a full deck."

Jeff smiled. "Well, neither am I. Pretty fair match right?" He moved through the shadows, making it to the edge of the porch just as the other vampire slipped into the door.

He walked slowly, keeping to the shadows, already knowing where he was going. He always had a backup plan in case his first choice didn’t work out. He stopped occasionally, peering into shop windows, trying to decide if he was being followed or if he was just being paranoid.

It didn’t matter though. He was confident he could handle anything…or anyone…that might come along. He was practically shaking at the need for release now, losing the chance to have Trinity that night had made him angrier than he could ever remember being.

He stopped in front of the large two-story house, admiring it for a moment. He took a deep breath, smelling the night air, the brick of the house, the smells of old leather and wood. Intermingled with it was her; the lady he would be paying a visit to this evening. Her subtle perfume permeated everything around her as did the cloying scent of roses that he associated with blood.

He felt his excitement grow. For some reason his awareness of her was heightened to an almost painful level. He wanted her as much as he wanted Trinity. He needed her. He had to get in.

He silently pried open the flimsy lock on the door and stepped into the dark showroom of the antique shop. Shapes that would appear vague to a human were sharp and clear in his eyes. He heard her soft footsteps above his head, and smiled a little. She was getting ready for bed, moving around, putting her things away and turning the covers back. He’d gotten there just in time.

Creeping slowly up the stairs, he savored these last few minutes of the need he felt. Sometimes the anticipation was as good as the actual deed. He listened to the soft rustling sounds that were coming from her bedroom. The smell of her perfume was intoxicating this close to her, almost causing him to make a mad rush at her door to get inside.

Smiling harshly, he got himself in check and crept slowly forward.

She just wanted to put this entire day behind her and forget about it. A soak in the tub, then snuggling up in her bed would do more for her now than anything else.

Reagan was about to climb into bed after her bath when her movements stopped. She’d lived in this house since birth; she knew every loose board that groaned, every click and tick and pop. She almost made the noise out to be her imagination when it came again. The hallway still had it’s original pegged board flooring. It had been a while since she’d ‘powdered the pegs’ as her dad had called it, and they made distinctive squeaking noises when someone walked on them.

Most people wouldn’t notice it if they hadn’t been told about it. Reagan held her breath, a frown on her face. This wouldn’t be the first time someone had broken into the shop, although it had been a while. She couldn’t understand why they’d think she kept the valuable stuff out in the open at night.

Moving quietly, avoiding the places she knew would give away her location, Reagan made her way toward her closet. Although she didn’t believe in keeping a gun in the house, she wasn’t totally unprepared. She pulled out a black aluminum softball bat then carefully moved to stand near the door. She thought about flipping the light switch off but decided against it. Whoever was out there was standing in a dark hallway. When he came into the room the few seconds it would take for his eyes to adjust to the light might give her enough time to get a solid whack at him.

The doorknob turned slowly, quietly. Reagan watched it though narrowed eyes, concentrating on it. The door began to inch open, and she tightened her hold on the bat, lifting it over her shoulder.

The door was suddenly slammed open with force, making her jump a little. With a cry, she swung the bat over her head, solidly connecting with the man who was rushing into the room.

He didn’t drop as she’d expected, instead he swung toward her, a chilling smile crossing his face. He was a big guy, at least six feet tall, well built in a pair of tight jeans and T-shirt. His hair was long, a medium brown that had light streaks running through it. It was held back from his face in a ponytail.

Instinctively, Reagan ducked as he jumped at her, his hands outstretched. She tucked into a ball and rolled under him, knocking him off balance. She hopped to her feet, taking off at a dead run for the stairs. She had no clue what the guy was on, but from the gleam she’d seen in his dark eyes he hadn’t come here just looking for an old necklace to swipe.

She grabbed the rail, using her forward momentum to swing onto the steps and ran down them full speed. She was in danger of falling but didn’t care, her mind had gone totally blank. She was halfway down when a great weight slammed into her back, throwing her completely off balance. With a thud, she landed on her side on the stairs, aware of the weight that was still pressed against her.

Reagan tried to roll away from the man who had his arms clamped around her. She managed to kick him once in the stomach, then he had his hold on her again, pulling her back onto the wide landing at the bottom of the stairs. He roughly jerked her onto her back, then straddled her hips, pinning her to the floor.

Reagan tried to buck him off but he held her down with little effort. The man reached out, grabbing onto her nightshirt at the collar and ripping at the fabric. For a moment she was stunned. She couldn’t believe she was actually going to lie here and let some doped up guerilla rape her in her own home.

She relaxed suddenly under him, willing her body to go limp. The man paused, looking at her curiously, which gave her just enough of an opening. She planted her feet flat on the ground, bending her knees then used every ounce of strength she had to buck up and throw him off.

She was almost as surprised as he was when he went flying. He’d released his grip on her a little when she’d relaxed, and wasn’t prepared as she got her second wind. Scrambling, she crawled to a nearby table and pulled herself up. Turning, she waited to see what he’d do next.

The man slowly pulled himself up, using the wall. He was still smiling, apparently enjoying the fight she was putting up. Reagan sneered as he ran at her again, dropping down at the last second. He slowed down, anticipating her doing another baseball slide at his legs but she fooled him. Clasping her hands together, she came back up, throwing all of her weight into slamming him in the chin.

She was rewarded with a thud as he fell backward onto the floor, stunned. He didn’t stay down for long though. As he regained his footing, that smile swam onto his face again.

‘Fuck this,’ Reagan thought, turning and running for the front door. She stopped in her tracks, skidding on the bare floor when she saw two more guys filling up the doorway. The taller of the two came inside, putting himself between her and the man who was still coming for her.

Reagan fell forward against the second man who’d come in. He held onto her until she got her feet back under her, then let her go to circle his friend and back him up. She leaned back against the doorway, panting, watching.

The man with the long blonde hair was standing face to face with the one who’d broken in. They were about evenly matched in height, but her would-be savior was not as built as big. She should run now, call the cops, something, but it seemed as if her feet were nailed to the floor. She already starting to ache from her tumble down the stairs, and had zero energy to run.

"Get out of my way," the bigger man said, his voice casual. "This doesn’t concern you."

"I think it does," The blonde one refused to budge. His friend was standing nearby, further blocking her attacker’s access to her. Reagan watched as the two men sized each other up, and waited for all hell to break loose.

Adam hadn’t known what to expect when they’d finally gotten to door to open. The man they’d followed had somehow jammed it shut, and he and Jeff had to pry at it to get it free. To his surprise, the woman was still fighting with her attacker, knocking him backward with a vicious looking uppercut.

She ran at him, slipping to a stop to stare up at him. Making a quick decision, Adam stepped around her, shielding her with his body, blocking another attack. He knew Jeff was behind him, moving into a flanking position.

He stared at the man who was now standing still, clenching and releasing his fists, his mouth still holding onto a smile. Adam couldn’t believe it. He knew this guy; a bit of his past playing catch up at a time when he couldn’t afford the distraction.

Adam decided to try a diplomatic route. He didn’t know the vampire’s name, had no desire to know it actually. But he’d been close to Trinity that night. Hopefully, some form of human sense was inside him somewhere.

"Look, go get a drink from someone else. We won’t stop you. But we will take you down if you try to kill this woman," Adam said, his voice low. He was aware that the woman in question was still in the room, staring at them in stunned silence.

The vampire started laughing. "I want so much more than a drink…" He moved toward Adam, not stopping until they were eye to eye. Adam saw that this vampire knew him too. It was odd that a new vampire would have a memory of his maker, but it seemed that this one did. The smile never faltered from his lips as he leered over Adam’s shoulder at the woman. She shrank back a little, not only because she was scared to death of him, but because his fangs were full extended, the canines looking wickedly sharp when compared to the other teeth.

Adam’s hand flew out before the other vampire knew it was coming. One of the benefits of age was speed. Although the younger vampire had him beat in weight, Adam knew a million different tricks to make up for it. His right hand gripped the other vampire by the throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. "I said you were going to go elsewhere. You’re done here tonight." With a look of distaste, Adam let go, dropping the vampire to the ground.

He pushed away from Adam and slowly rose to his feet again, his head down. Adam did not see the smile that still lived on his face. "If not her, then another just like her."

Adam frowned, stepping forward. He was going to have to spend the whole night following this guy around it seemed. He was determined to kill someone. And he’d been stalking the motel where Trinity had been. Adam felt a shudder go through him at the thought of what would happen if she died.

Jeff saw the vampire move before Adam did. Adam was thinking and his attention was momentarily diverted, but Jeff’s eyes never left the other vampire’s position. "Adam, watch out!" Adam looked at him in surprise as Jeff ran forward, meaning to tackle the unknown vampire.

Jeff had seen him reach behind him, lifting what looked like a sword from the top of a display case. As Jeff made his run, he swung it in a short arc, driving it up and into Adam’s chest.

Jeff was unaware of Adam falling to the ground as he leaped through the air, spearing the other vampire around the waist and driving him to the ground. The air was knocked from his lungs and he was once again stunned. Jeff grabbed the other’s hair in his fists and slammed his head down onto the hard wood of the floor, doing it again and again, making sure the bastard was going to stay down.

Panting, he crawled over to Adam, who was lying on the floor a few feet away, the short sword buried to the hilt in his chest. "Damn bro. That looks like it hurts," Jeff said, trying to make him smile. Even for a vampire, Adam looked deathly pale. Jeff didn’t want to think about how close to Adam’s heart the blade had gone.

"D…don’t make m…me laugh, sh…shit for brains," Adam said finally between gasps for breath. Jeff smiled at him, then looked up at the woman who had moved forward to see what had happened.

"Listen, my friend needs help. Get a pencil and paper, I need you to go get someone for me," Jeff said urgently.

"I should call an ambulance…" she said, not able to take her eyes away from the man who lay on her shop floor with a sword sticking out of his chest. It wasn’t the injury that was catching her eye. It was all that hair.

"Don’t waist time on a fucking ambulance!" Jeff half stood, reaching up to a nearby counter and grabbing a notepad and pen. "Here, take this…call the number, ask for Isabel, tell her where we are. Get her here, now! Tell her Adam’s in deep shit." Jeff scratched Paige’s house number down and held it out. When Reagan didn’t touch it, he pushed it into her hand. "Damn it, go!" She nodded and ran toward the kitchen, the paper clutched in her fingers.

"Y…you sound like a f…fucking general ski…skittles," Adam said. Jeff could barely hear his voice.

"Christ, Adam. Stop trying to make me laugh and save your strength." Jeff peered around the room, then looked back at the sword in Adam’s chest. "I don’t know if I want to pull that out of you. Is it in your heart? Just nod your head."

Adam tried to take a deep breath, but couldn’t do it. The pain was immense, greater than any he’d ever felt before. Half of the effect was from being around the girls. Trinity’s emotional send outs included pain. But he had a very bad suspicion of what the other half was. "Wh…what kind of sword is th…this?" He managed to croak out.

Jeff looked at him, incredulous. "How the fuck do I know? This isn’t the Antique fucking Road Show."

Adam was feeling dizzy but still managed a weak smile. "It’s in m…my heart," he finally said. It burned, making him feel as if a flaming hot metal rod had been shoved into his chest.

"Mother fu…" Jeff trailed off, closing his eyes. "Izzy’s on her way, Adam. Just hang on."

Reagan was walking slowly back into the room, the paper still clutched in her hand. "I called. She said she’d be here in five minutes." The paper fluttered to the ground and she stood rooted to the spot a few feet away. "You guys saved my life."

Jeff nodded, keeping his eyes on Adam. His friend’s eyelids were closing. Adam looked as if he were falling asleep. "What kind of sword is this?" Jeff finally asked. Reagan forced herself to look at the gleaming sword handle that protruded from the blonde man’s sternum.

"It’s a silver short sword, used in ceremonial rituals in the late 1800’s. Some say it was a witch’s sword," she sounded as if she were reading off a note card. Jeff didn’t take long to figure out that she was going into shock.

"Witches?" Jeff’s stomach tied itself in a knot. "Wiccan? Is that what it is?"

Reagan tore her eyes from the sword handle to look at Jeff. "Yes. Presumably it was blessed by their Goddess, or whoever it is they worship. I’m not much into tales of witchcraft."

Jeff closed his eyes and muttered a curse. Not only was Adam’s heart punctured, but the sword was blessed. No wonder Adam was fading out on him. If it was true, they only had a small amount of time before Adam went from undead to dead-dead.

"Get down here. Hold on to him. I have to get that sword out of him," Jeff said, his tone brooking no argument. Adam had passed out, as the pain from the wound radiated through his body.

Reagan dropped to her knees, then gently lifted Adam’s head onto her lap. She pushed the long hair away from his face, then stroked his cheek. She was sure that her actions were more calming for her than they were to either of the two men who had helped her. Adam’s eyelids fluttered and he looked up at her, smiling a little. Reagan’s breath caught in her throat as she looked into his eyes, which were slowly closing again.

She’d heard of victims being rescued from things and falling in love with the person who’d saved them, but this was ridiculous. But she couldn’t stop herself from rubbing her soft hands over his forehead and cheeks, touching again that incredible hair. She told herself to get a grip and made herself watch as the other man gingerly took hold of the sword.

He pulled, gritting his teeth at the way the sword seemed to squirm in his hands. Definitely blessed with some kind of magic, most likely it had been used in ‘pure’ ceremonies, meaning it had probably seen the sacrifice of a few virgins in its day. As soon as the sharp tip cleared Adam’s chest, Jeff tossed the sword away, glad it was out of his hands.

Although the part of vampire myth that said they couldn’t go near churches or crosses was just that…a myth…there were some things that could hurt them. Sunlight was the biggest one. But high on the list was silver, which weakened them. The sword had been made up almost entirely of silver. And it was a ceremonial sword too. Something about the Wiccan ceremonies, which centered around worshiping the earth over any God, could hurt them. Badly. It was as if something was reacting to the very un-naturalness that marked them as vampires.

Jeff shook his head, not wanting to debate with himself over the sword’s origins. His sigh of relief when he heard the gun of an engine, and the squeal of tires made Reagan look up at him from her intense study of Adam’s face. Isabel was coming. He’d recognize that Nascar driving style anywhere.

His relief was short lived however. Reagan hadn’t heard the car, in fact, she’d pretty much forgotten that Adam was in her lap. She was staring at the spot where her attacker had lain just a few minutes before. There was only empty floor now, awash in moonlight coming in from the big bay windows. Jeff noticed the direction of his glance and did more than mutter a curse. The string of words that came out of his mouth would have made a sailor blush. "Stay with him," he said, rising to his feet.

Reagan didn’t have much of a choice as he walked away to meet his friend outside. She only hoped the asshole who’d done this had taken off into the night, never to be seen again. She went back to her gentle ministrations, talking softly to Adam as his friends ran to help.

He waited until their attention was diverted, then carefully moved, pulling back into the shadows. The smile was finally gone from his face; it had been replaced with a look of hatred, aimed at the three who were sitting on the floor.

He had no doubt he could take the vampire with the multi-colored hair, but he’d called for reinforcements. It was best to just cut his loss and come back another night. He made his way to the kitchen and went out the back door. That was twice in one night he’d been denied what he wanted. The next time he wouldn’t stop.

He made his way along the dark streets, fading into the shadows when a car roared past him. Their cavalry had arrived apparently. He didn’t care. They couldn’t follow him forever, of that he was sure. He’d come back, take care of the woman who’d put up such a fight that night, then he’d get Trinity.

The smile was returning to his lips. Some inner part of him wanted to go to the motel and take her now, but he held it off. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t want to confront that man that had been with her. It had been so long since he’d felt fear that it was a foreign concept to him.

He stopped and turned in the direction of the motel, his face against the wind. Trinity wasn’t going anywhere; he had all the time in the world. After this long night, he needed rest and plenty of it. He wanted to be in his finest form when he did take what he wanted.

Whistling a little, he strolled on, toward the house he was calling home for the time being. He’d give them a day or two, let them get complacent, then he’d strike. He had no doubt that in the end, he’d get what he wanted. He always did.

They were both quiet through the whole thing, not asking questions, just listening. When she finally reached the end, they all sat in speculative silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

Taker was the first to break it. "You need to get some rest," he said to Trinity. She frowned at him and watched as he and Kane headed toward the door to the other room. "I’ll be back in a minute."

Trinity sighed and stood up, going to the window. She should call the house, check in with her friends. She had a feeling deep down that something was going on. She only hoped that it had nothing to do with what was happening to her.

"What do you think?" Kane asked his brother once they’d shut the door.

"I don’t know. We’ve walked right into the middle of a big mess," Taker said.

"Want me to go out tonight, see what I can find out?" Kane said expectantly.

"Yeah. Something tells me that we’re going to have to find this guy before he finds us."

Kane nodded and grabbed his leather coat then headed out the door. Taker looked thoughtfully out the window for a minute, then went back to his own room. Trinity was still at the window, her arms crossed over her chest, a worried expression on her face.

"Might as well try to sleep," Taker said quietly. Trinity jumped a little. She hadn’t heard him come back into the room.

"I don’t think it’s going to be possible." She slowly moved from the window and sat on the bed.

"At least lay down for a while," Taker said. Trinity nodded, but didn’t move. Taker sighed and sat down next to her.

"I want to go back to the house," Trinity said softly.

"We’ll take you there, as soon as Kane comes back. He’s out taking care of some things," Taker assured her. "Come on, rest a little." Trinity leaned down and took off her shoes, then moved so she could lay on the bed. Taker started to get up, but she grabbed his hand.

"Don’t go anywhere," there was no mistaking the underlying fear in her voice. Taker frowned. She wasn’t scared for herself, he could sense that much, but she was worried to death for her friends.

"I’m not. Just gonna hit the light."

"Ok. Good," Trinity yawned, covering her mouth with her hand.

Taker turned off the light then went back to the bed. He hesitated a second before sitting on the far side, making sure she was quite a distance from her.

Trinity smiled a little in amusement. Did he think she was going to bite him? She was too tired to keep herself awake, let alone attack the poor guy. "You can lie down too," she said, her voice sounding thick. "I promise not to try anything funny."

This got a smirk from him as he slid down on the bed. When he was comfortable on the pillow, lying on his back, he stared up at the ceiling, listening to the soft sounds of her breathing. After a few minutes he was sure she was asleep, but her voice surprised him. "Do you have a real name?"

Taker looked over at her. "I told you my name."

"Yeah, but you said you were alive before then you died and Hell gave you the name Taker. I was just curious."

Taker sighed, then shook his head. "My mortal name was Mark."

"Mark," it sounded like she was testing it out. "And your brother?"

"Glen," Taker was still looking at her, wondering why it mattered.

Trinity was smiling a little, and he saw that her eyes were closed. "Well then. Good night Mark. Thanks for staying with me."

Taker felt as if something had fallen on his chest when she used his real name. How long had it been since he’d been called that? Ten years? Twenty? Time was so screwed up where he and Kane were concerned that it was hard to tell.

He opened his eyes a while later, unaware that he’d even fallen asleep. It took him a minute to realize where he was but he was still confused. He’d turned on his side while he slept and something very warm was pressed against him. Taker tightened his arm around Trinity’s waist, pulling her closer. He knew he should move away from her, but he couldn’t. It had been such a long time since he’d been physically close to anyone.

Trinity made a low noise in her throat and snuggled back into him, almost making Taker moan out loud. He breathed in the scent of her hair, feeling her flat stomach move under her T-shirt as she breathed. He had to move away from her soon, before she woke up and he embarrassed them both. She wiggled against him, trying to get comfortable. Taker gritted his teeth, hissing in a breath as she rubbed against his erection.

She settled back down, becoming still, and he let out a soft sigh. What she had said about her ability to enhance emotion had been true. This was the first time since he’d died and come back that he’d gotten a raging hard-on. He had to smile a little at the thought. He finally began to pull away from her, not trusting himself to stay with her.

He froze when her hand settled on his arm that was around her. "Don’t…" Trinity whispered. Taker licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry.

"I have to get up," he whispered back. Trinity didn’t let him go, instead she pulled his arm back around her.

"No you don’t. It’s Ok," her voice was soothing, calm. Taker closed his eyes and cradled her against him, suddenly not caring if she noticed how aroused he was. Taker felt her slide her fingers down his arm, then she took his hand in hers, threading her fingers into his.

He squeezed her fingers, his eyes closing again. The emotion she let him feel…it was almost overwhelming. Especially since he’d gone so long feeling nothing. Trinity seemed to sense what he was thinking. She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed the back of it, sending a chill up his arm. His first impulse was to pull his hand away. He wanted her so much that it was scaring him.

Trinity didn’t let herself think about what she was doing. It just felt…right. She’d woken up, feeling him hold her close, and it was as simple as that. That same click she’d felt earlier only this time on a more personal scale. She felt his broad chest against her back, his erection pressing against her ass, his arm squeezing her tight in a hug. He made her feel safe, secure. She’d never felt so completely protected in her life.

She wiggled closer to him, feeling and hearing his intake of breath as she rubbed against his crotch again. His fingers tightened painfully on her for a moment, then he relaxed. Smiling a little, Trinity slowly unwound her fingers from his, then places his palm flat on her upper chest.

Taker could feel her heart beating under his hand through the thin material of her shirt. She moved her hips again, barely perceptible, but at this point it felt as if she were fully grinding against him. Every time she moved, he gasped in response, pressing himself as tight against her as he could.

Before he could question himself about it, he moved his hand, his fingers tracing the collar of her T-shirt before sliding down. This time he did moan out loud as he cupped her breast in his hand, feeling its weight. Trinity made soft noises as he slowly and gently squeezed her, his fingers going to the nipple and tracing it. It stood out rock hard, and she shook when he rolled it between his thumb and forefinger.

He exerted monster control over his body, aware how close he already was to coming. He didn’t want to rush, he wanted her to feel everything that he was feeling. Slowly sitting up, Taker tugged at her shirt. Trinity moved and helped him get it off, then laid back down. He looked down at her, the moonlight coming in the window giving just enough light. She was flat on her back now, one hand resting on her bare stomach. Taker turned so he was fully facing her, kneeling beside her. She raised her other hand and placed it on his thigh, squeezing his leg through the pants he hadn’t taken off before going to bed.

Trinity watched through hazy vision as he took off his own shirt. She wanted him just as much as he apparently wanted her. Just the sight of his bare chest was making her breathe faster. She slowly raised her hand and trailed her finger down from his shoulder, stopping to circle his flat nipple before sliding lower. She felt him shudder as chills from her light touch wracked his body. Smiling, she traced his belly button, then let her hand come to rest at the snap to his belt.

Taker grabbed her hand, stopping her before she could do more than touch it. The feel of her hand on him was incredible, making him feel hot and cold at the same time. He knew he wouldn’t last if she went much further.

He let go of her hand, then moved so he was straddling her legs. His hands caressed her bare stomach, feeling her take in a breath at the first contact. Her skin was soft, warm. He closed his eyes, letting his hands move on their own accord. When he came up against the satiny material of her bra, he opened them, looking into her eyes to make sure he wasn’t doing the wrong thing.

Trinity smiled up at him, then put her hands above her head, crossing them at the wrist. Taker didn’t need any further invitation; his fingers fumbled with the front-hook, finally releasing it. He pushed the skimpy material away from her breasts then just looked down at her for a few moments.

Trinity almost squirmed under his hot gaze. She’d never had a man look at her the way Taker was looking at her now. She moaned as his hands cupped her breasts, kneading them gently, pushing them together then relaxing his grip. His thumbs teased her nipples, making them stand out in stiff peaks. It felt so good it was almost painful.

Taker leaned down, supporting his weight on his knees, his fingers still moving over her nipples. His lips brushed her, tongue flicking out to touch her full lower lip. His bare chest was inches from hers, and he leaned in closer, holding her breasts in his hands and feeling her nipples rub his skin.

Trinity brought her hands up to tangle into his long hair, pushing it back from his face. She pulled him down slowly, her lips pressing against his. He moaned as her tongue slid into his mouth, then eagerly sucked on it. His own tongue slipped over hers, tasting her, deepening the kiss. He could feel her hips moving under him, as she unconsciously tried to make him hurry and take her.

He wanted nothing more than to do that, but held himself in check. Pulling his mouth from hers, leaving her gasping for breath, he trailed hot wet kisses down her neck, his tongue flicking out to taste her sweet smelling skin. Trinity slowly stroked his long silky hair, murmuring soft words of encouragement as he moved down her body.

Taker pushed her breast together again, nuzzling the skin between them. Using one had to tug on her nipple, he moved his head, then flicked his tongue out over the other, feeling it harden even more. Opening his mouth, he took her inside, feeling her hands tighten in his hair as she cried out softly and arched under him. His tongue traced lazy circles over the tight peak, his mouth gently sucking at it. He moved to give the same attention to the other breast, Trinity’s moans and whimpers nearly driving him crazy.

He moved down, nibbling on her skin, kissing the faint marks his teeth left. Taker’s hands slid down her sides, then worked in between their bodies. His fingers moved the zipper on her jeans down, then he sat up and moved from her so he could take them off of her. He hooked his thumbs under the waistband, pulling both her jeans and her panties down her legs. Trinity raised her hips to help him, then lay still as his eyes moved up her naked body from toe to head.

Taker put his hand on her ankle, sliding up the smooth skin of her leg, rubbing her thigh. Trinity watched him as he leaned down, bending her knee at the same time. His kissed the skin above her knee, then moved between her legs, his mouth never losing contact with her.

Trinity reached up and grabbed the pillow that her head was resting on, watching him though narrowed eyes. Taker looked up at her, then slid his tongue along the pale skin of her inner thigh. She shuddered, opening herself up for him without realizing she was doing it. She cried out again as she felt his fingers probe against her, opening her up even more. Her body tensed up as she waited for what he was going to do next.

She almost screamed when his tongue finally flicked over her clit, her hips shooting up off the bed. Taker put his free hand on her lower stomach, holding her still as he stroked her with his tongue. She was moaning loudly now, gripping the pillow tight in her hands, almost tearing it in half. He could feel her hips, moving to press herself closer to his mouth as he continued to taste her. He slowly slid a finger inside her, marveling at the way she clamped her muscles around him. He began to move it in and out in a slow rhythm, his tongue still flicking over her clit.

She felt her orgasm coming as she bucked against his mouth and hand. "Oh…Mark…" she whimpered out his name as it overtook her. Taker stopped moving, watching her as she writhed on the bed in ecstasy. He eased back from her as her orgasm dwindled, sliding back up her body, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I like that," he whispered, kissing her lips. Trinity put her hands on his broad shoulders, then threaded her fingers together behind his neck.

"Like what?" her voice was husky, low. Just the sound of it made him tingle.

"When you call me Mark," he nuzzled her neck, biting it gently.

"It’s your name, Mark," she said with a little smile. Her hands slid down his back, then she lightly raked her nails across his skin. She felt him tense up a little as another jolt of desire flared through his body.

Trinity pushed him up and off of her, rolling him onto his back. She leaned over him, dropping light kisses along his lips. Her hand stroked the soft stubble that was on his face, then went lower, down his neck, feeling his powerful chest under her fingertips. She kissed her way down his neck, breathing in the smell of him. She stopped when she got to his chest, her fingers tracing over pale scars that she hadn’t notice before.

"What are these?" She asked quietly, looking up and meeting his eyes. There were too many of them for her to count on his stomach and sides.

Taker shook his head and looked away from her. Trinity rose up, then moved so she was straddling his stomach. She took his face in her hands and made him look at her. "There’s nothing horrible about them. I just wondered what they were," she said quietly. His eyes closed, and for a moment Trinity wondered if he was going to cry.

To her surprise, he gently pushed her away from him, then rolled from the bed. "Mark?" She asked, watching as he grabbed his shirt and headed for his brother’s room.

He stopped, head down, then turned to look at her. "These scars…" his hand touched one then pulled away. "They’re my reminder that I can’t fail this time. A reminder of what I really am." With that, he turned and went through the door, closing it softly behind him. Trinity stared at the space where he’d been, feeling tears form in her own eyes.

Taker leaned against the door and closed his eyes, hating the hurt look on her face as he’d left the bed. He still wanted her, couldn’t get the look, smell, or taste of her out of his mind. But he couldn’t go any farther than where they’d been. He shouldn’t have let it go that far. He wasn’t a human anymore. He’d do well to remember that from now on. He was supposed to be saving her, not screwing her as soon as the lights went out.

He touched one of the scars on his chest again, feeling his stomach tighten. Those scars were his constant companion, mocking him that he’d failed the first time. He couldn’t let it happen again. As he settled into the bed, he found himself wishing that Trinity did not have her power, that he could just do what he needed to do without the complication of emotion thrown in. It was a long time before he was able to go back to sleep, and in his dreams he thought of nothing but Trinity.

Trinity walked slowly along the street, arms crossed over her chest against the cool air of the early morning. The sky to the east was just starting to lighten as the sun made its climb into the daytime sky. She just wanted to be at Paige’s, in the bed that had come to be hers, sleeping. Or maybe kicking a wall.

She still couldn’t believe how wantonly she’d thrown herself at Mark. ‘Taker,’ she amended in her head. He didn’t want to be human, so be it. Judging from his response to her last night, she’d almost forgotten…almost…that he was something else entirely. Until she’d managed to somehow point it out to him. It had been an innocent enough question, asking about his scars. But it had seemed to flip a switch inside him.

She tried to tell herself it was for the best anyway. What the hell was she thinking, giving herself to a man she’d met barely hours before? It was easy enough to write it off as comfort seeking; the need to prove she was still alive amidst all the death she’d found out about the day before.

"Stop kidding yourself," she muttered under her breath. She hadn’t been seeking comfort, hadn’t been out to laugh death in the face. She’d wanted him from the minute he’d given her that heated look in front of the library.

Trinity didn’t notice the man stepping out of the shadows in front of her until her reached out to grab her arm. She gave a little shriek, cutting it short when she looked up into Kane’s masked face.

"Christ, trying to give me a heart attack?" She asked irritably. Kane tilted his head and stared down at her.

"What are you doing out here? Where’s Taker?"

"Last I knew, he was asleep at the motel. I’m going home," she moved to step around him, but her intercepted her, blocking the way. She heaved a sigh. "Look, the sun’s coming up. I’m as safe as I’m ever going to be."

Kane said nothing for the moment, just stood there studying her. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Trinity averted her eyes from his.

Kane shook his head. "Taker didn’t…uh…try anything did he?"

"Try what?" Trinity asked innocently. "He was a perfect gentleman. I just wanted to go home. The sun’s coming up, the vampires are all gone to bed. And I don’t take too well to being kept locked up."

"We never intended to keep you locked up," Kane said flatly. "Come on, I’ll walk you home. It would probably be safer if we all just went there anyway. There are too many things that could go wrong at the motel."

Resigned to having an escort, Trinity simply nodded and led the way. She didn’t ask where Kane had been all night, it seemed as if it were none of her business. She also had no real business being outside right now. Most vampires would be in bed, it was true, but a few of them could take the weak rays of early morning sunlight.

She frowned deeply. For a while she’d lost sight of why the two brothers were there, but it came back to her. Taker wasn’t there to sleep with her. She had just been a distraction in the greater scheme of things. They were merely there to make sure she lived so that they could be free of Hell. Nothing more, nothing less. She’d managed to read far deeper into Taker’s newly reborn feelings than had actually been there.

Her steps slowed when Paige’s porch came into view. Isabel was sitting on the top step, an unlit cigarette dangling from her fingers. She didn’t smoke very often, when she did it usually meant she was extremely worried or something had gone terribly wrong. She had no way of knowing it was a combination of both.

Isabel caught sight of her sister and stood up, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder and crossing her arms over her chest. "Where the hell have you been?" She almost yelled, relief and anger evident in her features.

"Izzy, calm down," Trinity said softly. Her twin wasn’t listening.

"Fuck Trini, while you were out running around having a good time last night, we almost lost Adam!"

Trinity’s mouth worked but nothing came out. "What?" She finally managed to spit out.

"He and Jeff followed some weird ass vampire last night, stopped him from killing Reagan. Adam ended up taking a sword to his heart."

"Wait. A sword? What vampire? Who the hell is Reagan?" Trinity took the cigarette from her sister’s hand and lit it, then took a long draw.

Isabel wasn’t listening to her. She had finally noticed that her sister wasn’t alone. "Who is this? Is he the reason why you took off yesterday?" She didn’t seem to notice Kane’s mask as she was too busy ranting at her older sister.

Kane had noticed her. That she looked just like Trinity had hit him first. Maybe Taker had been wrong and they were protecting the wrong woman. Things just kept getting more and more complicated.

He kind of liked her spirit though. Her eyes were different from Trinity’s, a beautiful sky blue. They were flashing with anger and confusion now. When she turned her gaze on him, he was almost floored by her. Frowning, he made himself concentrate. Damn emotions picked one hell of a time to rear their heads.

"Izzy, this is Kane," Trinity was still smoking the cigarette as she hurriedly introduced them. "Kane, my sister Isabel." He nodded at her, but she had already turned back to her sister.

"Trinity, what the hell is going on? I’m tired of being in the dark all the time. First you take off, then Adam almost dies," she shook her head. "Reagan was the woman who got attacked last night, the one Adam and Jeff saved. She’s with Adam right now, sleeping. She didn’t want to leave his side."

"I’ll explain later, Izzy. I want to see Adam first though," Trinity moved past her sister, ignoring her protests.

"Damn headstrong selfish…" Isabel trailed off, knowing that she didn’t mean it. Trinity was about the most unselfish person she knew. There had to be something big going on. She wanted to know what it was.

Almost as an afterthought, she turned to the big man who had walked up with her sister. Her eyes took in the long leather coat, the blood red shirt, the tight leather pants. She saw the mask and didn’t see it, almost as if when she looked up at him she expected it to be there.

Kane watched her, confused. Trinity had been a little taken back by the mask, but Isabel just seemed to take it in stride. She struck him as a woman who’d seen a lot in her life and wasn’t usually surprised by anything.

"Look," she began, gesturing with her hands. "I don’t know who you are, but would you tell me what the hell is going on?"

Kane debated it for a second, then nodded. She would have to know, as would all of Trinity’s friends. Killing the murderous vampire had, at least in Kane’s eyes, become secondary. Protecting Trinity and now her sister was his first priority. "But not out here. Sun’s coming up," he said.

"You’re a vampire?" She asked, eyeing him. Trinity seemed to attract them like magnets sometimes. She heard Kane chuckle as he shook his head.

"No, not quite. I just don’t like being outside when the sun’s up and my mask is noticeable," he explained, touching it lightly with his fingertips.

"Oh. Well," Isabel wasn’t the least bit disconcerted. "Come on in. Paige and Matt are sleeping; she was up with Adam most of the night. Jeff’s probably out cold too. We can go in the kitchen and have a little talk."

Nodding, Kane followed her into the house. "Do you mind if I use your phone? My brother should really be here too." Isabel looked at him with a raised eyebrow then nodded.

"Go ahead. It’s right there," she pointed to the cordless phone that was sitting on the kitchen table. While Kane dialed, Isabel busied herself making a pot of coffee. She hadn’t been to bed yet, she had spent the night pacing worriedly, checking on Adam every five minutes, talking to Jeff. And wondering where her sister had gone.

She half listened as Kane murmured quietly into the phone, but nothing registered. She just wanted to know what was going on, then she could go pass out for the day.

Kane sighed and hung up the phone. Taker sounded strange, and he’d been more than a little angry when he’d discovered that Trinity had taken off. He was on his way, he just had to pack up their stuff. Kane had suggested, and Taker agreed, that it would be best if they stayed here until this whole thing was done with. Taker would bring it up with Trinity later.

He watched Isabel move around the kitchen, admiring the way her blue jeans hugged her hips. When he’d been alive, he’d had a weakness for women in tight jeans. Apparently it was coming back to him. Isabel sensed him watching her and turned to look at him.

"You want some breakfast? Coffee?" She asked. In the bright kitchen light she could see his mask clearly, but it still didn’t seem strange. She watched his eyes, amazed to see they were two different colors.

"Uh…coffee would be good if that’s what you’re having. Don’t go to any trouble on breakfast though." Her eyes were killing him. He’d never seen anyone’s eyes that were that bright shade of blue.

"It’s no trouble. I have to work off some energy. I’ll cook, you talk," She smiled and went to the fridge to get out the eggs. Kane had to tear his eyes from her so he could keep his concentration.

"My brother and I were sent here to save Trinity’s life," he began. Isabel had turned to look at him again, and Kane met her eyes, getting lost in them. "Sit down. Forget breakfast. This is going to sound crazy, and I don’t want to have to worry about you throwing egg on me."

She didn’t smile, but sank onto the chair opposite him. "Go on," Isabel said, already knowing that whatever he told her would be the truth. She’d seen enough crazy stuff in her life to know never to scoff at anything.

Kane sighed and looked down at the phone on the table then idly spun it with his hand. "My brother and I were sent here from Hell to stop a killer…"

Trinity went down the stairs to the basement, still not knowing what to expect when she got to Adam’s room. She threw open the door, and stepped inside.

Adam was lying on his bed, his shirt off, the wound on his chest an angry red mark. His eyes were closed, his skin paler than usual. There was a woman sitting on a chair near the bed. She looked as worried as Trinity felt.

Reagan jumped when the door banged open, then relaxed when she saw who she thought was Isabel. But something was different about her. She had to make her brain work, then realized that it was the eyes. She stood up slowly and turned to the new woman who had entered.

"You’re Reagan?" Trinity asked her, looking her over.

"Yeah," Reagan nodded. "Um, who are you?"

"Trinity, Isabel’s sister," she said, distractedly. "How is he?"

"To tell you the truth…I don’t really know," Reagan said, looking down at Adam. "I thought he was going to die. How does a person live after getting a sword jammed into their chest?" She looked at Trinity expectantly.

Sighing, Trinity sat on the edge of the bed and touched the healing scar on Adam’s chest. "I think maybe Adam should be the one to tell you. Right?" She poked Adam in the arm.

He smiled and his eyes opened. "How’d you know I was awake?"

"Because I know how nosey you are," Trinity said, giving him a weak smile. He frowned up at her then tried to sit up, wincing. Reagan pushed his back down, and he smiled up at her for a moment before turning back to Trinity.

"What happened to you?" He asked. He thought about trying to sit up again but he didn’t want Reagan to hurt him. She’d been down here with him all night, making sure he rested. It was actually kind of sweet.

"Nothing important. I want to know what happened to you," Trinity said, avoiding his eyes.

"Come on Tri, don’t bullshit me. Something’s up," Adam grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Trinity looked at him and smiled.

"We can talk about it later. I want to hear about what happened to you last night."

Adam sighed and looked up at Reagan. Trinity smirked, hiding it with her hand. She must have done something impressive, Adam seemed to be totally taken with her.

"We followed a guy who broke into Reagan’s house and interrupted him," Adam finally said. Trinity raised an eyebrow, looking from Adam to Reagan then back.

"Give it up Adam. She’s going to find out sooner or later," Trinity said. "Hell, she’s probably already got a pretty good idea."

"Vampires," Reagan said, studying Adam’s face. He nodded slowly.

"How’d you guess?" he said with a smile.

"I read a lot. Plus that guy last night. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but he had fangs."

"So, what happened Adam? Tell," Trinity said.

"I went out looking for you and I found this other vampire instead. He didn’t feel right to me, so Jeff and I followed him. He went right to Reagan’s house, broke in." The frown that was on his face cleared and he smiled. "Reagan was kicking his ass. I got in the middle and the guy got the jump on me, shoved a sword in my chest. Jeff and Reagan called Izzy and got me home, and that’s it."

"Uh huh. Except for the part you’re leaving out," Trinity said, sounding irritated. Adam shot her a look, then smiled up at Reagan again.

"Could I have a few minutes with Trini?" Nodding, Reagan left the room so they could talk.

"Ok. Now that we’re alone," Trinity waved a hand, wanting him to go on.

"I know him. I don’t know who he is, but I know him," Adam said softly.

"You’re not making a whole lot of sense," Trinity said, wondering if he was delirious.

"Look, it’s a long story," Adam sighed tiredly. Trinity wasn’t going to fall for it. He’d tried the ‘I’m too tired to come clean, maybe you’ll go away and forget’ thing on her too many times.

"So, I have nowhere else to go."

"A long time ago…" Adam paused and thought. "Twenty years or so, I was out hunting and I came to this house. You could smell the blood from a mile away." He looked disgusted even as he said it. That was back in the days before he knew the three girls, when killing and drinking blood were all he cared about. "I went in and there were three guys on the floor, one of them still alive. There was blood…everywhere."

Trinity squeezed his hand. She knew better than anyone how much Adam hated talking about his past. "At any rate, the guy was dying, so without thinking about it…I turned him."

"You turned him? I thought you said you never…" Trinity stopped, frowning at him. "Why’d you lie about it?"

"It’s not something I’m proud of. Nobody gets turned by choice," Adam shook his head. "If I had known…"

"Known what?" Trinity wasn’t going to let him clam up her now.

"He was stalking you last night. I started following him at the motel."

She looked at him in surprise. "Me? Why would he want me?"

"Because of your power, if I had to harbor a guess," Adam said quietly. Trinity’s eyes widened.

"The other two guys on the floor…they were dead?"

"Yeah, I got there too late to turn them I guess," Adam said sarcastically.

"What did they look like?" Trinity asked, having a feeling she already knew.

"I don’t know, Trinity. One of them was burned up pretty bad. The other one was slashed in so many places I couldn’t see past the blood." He bit his lip thoughtfully. "They were both big though. I couldn’t believe the smaller guy got the best of them."

Trinity closed her eyes, not wanting to picture the scene, but not able to help it. Taker and Kane. It had to be them. That meant that the man that Adam had turned was the one who was going to try to kill her. And he’d been coming for her last night. If Adam hadn’t been around…she stopped her thought. Adam had followed him from the motel, not too it. The vampire had been watching her, but had backed off. She wondered why, opening her eyes to see Adam staring up at her.

"You know something," he said. Trinity shrugged.

"I know that you need to get some rest. And so does your friend," she smiled a little. "Izzy fixed you up Ok?"

Adam nodded. "Still hurts like a bitch, but that’s just the mending part of it. Damn Wiccan shit," he laughed. "What were the odds?"

"Pretty damn good I guess," Trinity moved to stand up, stopping when Adam grabbed her hand.

"Don’t do anything stupid Trinity. Just because I’m laid up for a day or two doesn’t mean you can run wild."

"I won’t," She said, knowing that with Kane being so watchful, and Taker probably pissed enough at her for leaving she would be lucky if she was allowed to go to the bathroom alone. "I’ll send Reagan in, she can sleep down here with you."

Adam quirked a smiled and wiggled his eyebrows, making Trinity laugh. "I said sleep, not anything else. That’s up to her."

"Tri?" Adam’s voice stopped her as she reached for the doorknob. She turned to look at him. Adam pushed himself up on an elbow to look at her. "Be careful. This guy isn’t like a normal vampire, if there is such a thing. And around you…it’s only going to make him worse."

"I know," Trinity said softly. With one last grim smile at him, she opened the door and went out in search of Reagan. She found her in the living room, flipping through one of Paige’s scrapbooks. "If you want, you can go back down and stick with Adam. You both could use the rest," Trinity said when Reagan looked up.

"Do you think that’s wise?" Reagan asked, glancing down at the picture that was open. Taken close to eight years before, it showed the six of them in Paige’s backyard, having a midnight cookout.

"He won’t bite you," Trinity said with a laugh. "Besides, from what he said, it sounds like you could kick his ass if he tries anything funny."

"What if he doesn’t try anything?" Reagan asked flippantly, shutting the book and standing up. Trinity cocked an eyebrow at her then laughed again.

"Then you can kick his ass for that, I guess. Go easy on the boy, he’s still sore," Trinity grinned, watching as Reagan made her way back down the stairs. Leave it to Adam to find someone in the middle of chaos and fall for her. It was just like him.

Trinity heard voices coming from the kitchen, and was going to go in and see what was up when she recognized them. Kane and Isabel had been talking, but now Taker’s voice spoke up. She frowned at the closed door, then turned and made her way upstairs to her room. She’d shower, change her clothes, then maybe she’d be ready to deal with them.

If Trinity thought she’d be able to hide out in her room for a while, she was wrong. Paige was sitting at the desk in the corner, flipping through a magazine. Sighing, Trinity flopped on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"Rough night?" Paige asked, sounding amused.

"Shouldn’t you be in bed? With Matt?" Trinity asked, smirking. Usually a comment like that would remind Paige of where her heart was lying. Today she ignored it.

"I couldn’t sleep. Too much going on," Paige said, tossing the magazine back onto the desk. Trinity only nodded. She already knew what was coming.

"I’m not up to playing shrink and patient with you this morning," She had to at least try to argue.

Paige shrugged then came to the bed and stretched out on her stomach. "Nobody said I wanted to. We just never get to spend any time together. I feel like I’m out of touch."

Trinity turned her head to look at her friend. It had been a long time since the two of them had any kind of a one on one conversation. Usually there were too many other people running around, too many things to get done before they all parted ways again.

"We’re all changing," Paige finally said when Trinity was silent. "Our cycle is winding down."

"What are you talking about?" Trinity frowned, confused yet again. There had to be a full moon or something. Everybody she knew lately was talking in riddles.

"Us. You, Izzy, me. The guys. I don’t know." She shook her head slowly, the crossed her arms and rested her cheek on them.

"You and Matt having trouble?" Trinity asked, already knowing they weren’t.

"No, we’re happy as ever," She smiled a little. "We’re talking about getting married in a few years."

"A few years? You sure you’re not rushing into anything?" Trinity said with a laugh.

"We have to wait until our cycle ends. That’s all," Paige sounded resigned.

"What cycle? Just come out and say what’s on your mind Paige. I’m too tired and frustrated to play twenty questions with you."

"Well, I researched a little. I asked around. I pretty much beat the hell out of Matt. Until I finally learned what I wanted to know."

"Which was?" Trinity cocked her eyebrow, interested in spite of herself.

Sighing, Paige rolled onto her side and propped her head up with her hand. "That we’re different from other people. We all try to act like we’re not, but deep down we all know its true."

"That was your big discovery?" Trinity groaned and put her arm over her eyes.

"No, that was what got me thinking. About us. The guys. Isabel can heal sickness and injury, although she tries to deny it. You enhance people’s emotions, which is why just about every human you come into contact with loves you. Don’t deny it," Paige said, seeing Trinity open her mouth to argue. "I can…I don’t know…see inside people’s minds and fix what’s wrong there. Psychological, spiritual, whatever. We’re like three points on a triangle and I wanted to know why."

Unconsciously toying with her necklace, Trinity nodded. "I want to know why too. Why there’s so much death when we get together, why so many kids disappear. What’s so special about us?"

"We’re a portal. A gateway," Paige shook her head. Adam had said the same thing to Trinity the other morning and she was no closer to understanding it. "It’s almost impossible to describe. When we were seventeen, we were chosen to each represent a different feature of humans. Mind, body, and spirit. You’re the mind part, eliciting emotional responses, getting the undead to feel things they haven’t felt in years. Isabel is the body; she can cure any kind of wound almost without thinking about it. I’m the spirit. The psyche. I can sense inner thoughts and know something is wrong, and I can somehow…fix that damage."

"And we’re here because?" Trinity was impressed. Apparently Paige had caught on long before she had, and she’d had a lot of time to think it over.

"We’re here because, without this gateway, this portal…the triangle…vampires would take over the world. It’s not melodrama. We basically keep the vampire population in check without realizing it. From you, they become a little less predatory, a little more human. They feed and leave. Without you, it would be like sharks in a feeding frenzy. Whoever didn’t get turned would die, until there was no one left."

Paige took a deep breath. "Isabel cures their injuries. It’s not act of amazing healing ability on the parts of the vampires. It’s her. It works better if she’s closer to the vampire, but still…they draw on her. And me…if my dreams are any indication…they rely on me to keep them sane. Most vampires don’t remember their human life and they want to keep it that way. Realizing they’re dead, or undead, would make them all insane. I’m the reason you don’t hear reports of horrific blood draining monsters terrorizing small towns."

"Quite the load we carry, huh?" Trinity asked. "But why seventeen? We’ve known each other since we were babies. Why did it start then?"

"Because that’s the optimum age. Old enough to deal with it, young enough to accept that your going to have vampires as friends. That's when Matt, Jeff, and Adam were sent to us. They’re here to watch over us, to keep other vampires at a safe distance. They don’t know why they were chosen any more than I can tell you why we were."

"Ok, but you also said…" Trinity had to wrack her tired mind for it. "In a few years, our cycle ends. What does that mean? We’re all going to die? Go up in a puff of smoke? What?"

Paige shook her head. "No, nothing so spectacular. After thirteen years, when we all turn thirty, another three are chosen. Three seventeen year olds. All girls. Sharing a birthday and more likely than not best friends. They’ll get vampires assigned to them too."

"And what about us? All of what we have just…disappears? And why do the guys have this need to get together with us every few years?" Trinity was so confused, her head was practically spinning. The more details she got, the fuzzier the picture became.

"We don’t die. We just…go on with our lives. We’ll still have a little of our power left, just enough so that we can still do what we’ve always done. But not like we have now," Paige heaved a sigh. "As for the guys…they have to be around us. Because they have the ability to carry those same powers, to spread them around. They know where the vampires are, and that’s where they go. When they get tired, they come back to us to recharge them. We do it without realizing it."

"So when we’re all together like this…" Trinity frowned. "They’re draining us. Which is why the vampire population runs a little wild."

"Exactly. Killing their victims instead of just taking a little blood. Turning people at random. Snatching kids just because they can. But it’s supposed to be some kind of acceptable loss, considering what would happen if they didn’t do their jobs."

"I don’t have to accept it." Trinity stood up and stretched. Paige took it as her cue and got up from the bed, stopping at the door when Trinity said her name. "Do you ever think…there is more for us to learn to do with this power than what we’re doing?"

"All the time," Paige smiled sadly. "But I don’t know where to even begin looking into that. I’ll let you take your shower. Later I’m going to sit you down and you’re going to tell me what’s bugging you."

"Like you don’t already know," Trinity muttered making Paige laugh.

"I’m being nice and not probing your brain. I know you want some privacy in your thoughts Trini. So think it out, then we’ll talk." Paige smiled and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Vampires going crazy, a psycho killer targeting her, two dead guys sent from Hell to stop him, and now…the balance of the vampire and human worlds hanging from their shoulders. "It’s too damn much to take in one day!" Trinity said out loud. She groaned in frustration then went into her bathroom to finally take her shower. Hopefully the hot water would her clear the fog from her brain so she could figure out just what the hell was going on.

Isabel sat at the table in silence, still taking in what Kane had told her. His brother had shown up, and had contributed to the story. He kept looking at her strangely, a frown on his face. She couldn’t help but smile. She was used to people doing a double take around her; she and Trinity would joke about it often. One day Isabel was going to do something nuts and dye her hair blonde, or steal Jeff’s idea and go multi-colored just so people would stop confusing the two sisters.

"So what are you guys going to do now?" she finally asked. She kept looking at Kane’s arms, watching the smooth movement of his muscles as he toyed with a fork on the table.

"Wait. Watch. Nothing more we can do really," Taker said, resigned.

Isabel nodded. "How was Trinity taking this? I almost feel bad for jumping all over her the way I did," she saw the look that crossed Taker’s face at the mention of her sister and looked at Kane, who shook his head and shrugged.

"Well…I’ll leave you two alone for a while so you can brainstorm. I should check on Jeff again, make sure he’s sleeping. He was pretty well wired earlier." Standing up, she cast one last glance at Kane then left the kitchen.

Kane looked at his brother. "Twins. How do we know we’re protecting the right one?"

Taker shook his head. "I just know. It’s that damn power she has…that’s the only reason he wants her." He took a breath, trying not to think about wanting Trinity. "We should go out today, try to find where he’s holing up. He’s nearby, I know he is. We can finish him then this will all be over."

Kane tilted his head thoughtfully. "It’s not just about killing him, Taker."

"It is to me. That’s what we came for, remember?" Taker said coldly.

"But things are different this time," Kane argued. "There’s something very special going on here."

Taker saw the way Kane was looking at the door, and sneered. "Just because we can suddenly feel shit again, don’t let it cloud the issue Kane," he said hatefully. Kane looked at him in surprise. It had been a while since he’d heard that kind of venom in his brother’s voice.

"What the hell happened last night, Taker? Don’t tell me nothing, I know better," Kane leaned toward his brother. "It seems to me that I’m not the one clouding the issue."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Taker was immediately defensive.

"It means…you like her don’t you?" Kane said suddenly. Taker just looked at him, a muscle in his jaw ticking as he gritted his teeth. "I knew it had to be something like that. What happened? Did she reject you? Did you go emotional on her and freak out? What?"

Sighing, Taker relaxed. He might as well come clean. He couldn’t keep a secret from his brother. "Look, last night we kind of messed around. Ok?" Kane tilted his head again, and Taker knew he wasn’t saying anything Kane hadn’t figured out for himself.

"Go on," Kane gestured with his hand.

"And I couldn’t go through with it!" Taker got up and paced the kitchen. Kane watched him, frowning under his mask. "I realized that I’m just as dead as I ever was, only she’s got that damn power and I’m feeling all this shit inside me that I haven’t felt in years. And my reasons were wrong, just…wrong." He sat back down and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn’t come here to get laid or to be her knight in shining armor. I came here to finally get that asshole who killed Emily." His throat caught a little as he said his sister’s name for the first time in who knew how long.

Kane sighed and put his hand on Taker’s arm. "That’s where you’re wrong. We did come to play knight to her. And her friends. Killing him is secondary to keeping Trinity alive."

Taker stared at his brother confused. "Keeping her alive isn’t going to change what’s going on with us. Killing him will."
"Listen to yourself, Taker," Kane said gently. "If she dies, it’s over. We go back to playing this damn waiting game."

"I didn’t mean for it to sound like I want her to die," Taker corrected, then sighed. He ran his hands over his face. "I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking anymore. Fucking emotions…who the hell needs ‘em?"

"We do Taker. I missed feeling things. And so do you. What if something goes wrong? Do you really want to waste this opportunity?"

"What are you talking about?" Taker asked, frowning at his brother.

"We’re as human now as we’re likely to get. Do you want to just ignore it? How long has it been since we felt anything…anything…besides anger and hurt? We can do our jobs, still take care of business, and let ourselves be alive for a while."

"Alive," Taker scoffed, sneering. "Do I have to be the one to remind you that we’re dead?"

"I know that! Damn it, Taker. We are dead, but for some reason, when we’re around Trinity, it’s like we’re alive again. You can sit there and lie to yourself and pretend that it’s not true, but you know it is. Deny whatever you feel for her if you want to, but I’m not going to be such a jackass that I ignore what’s right in front of me." That said, Kane stood up and stormed out of the room. Taker watched him go, hanging his head.

Damn him, he was right. Being around Trinity, being with her, he’d forgotten about his past, about his reason for being there now. All that had mattered last night was being with her…an altogether human emotion if there had ever been one. And he’d blown it. He’d pushed her away, thinking of nothing but himself. He never stopped to think that while he may be dead, Trinity was alive. She had her human emotions, including being hurt by him for reasons she didn’t know. He owed her at least some kind of explanation.

Taker himself almost didn’t understand it, but it was finally dawning on him. If they did fail this time, the hurt would only be multiplied. Then those emotions would be snatched away from them as they had been the first time. He didn’t think he could handle it if that happened. Having his emotions back…his desire, his ability to feel…felt too damn good.

Sighing he got up and went to the doorway. He could hear a shower running somewhere upstairs, and it didn’t take much imagination or psychic powers to figure out who it was. Trinity would probably kick his ass sooner than talk to him right now, but he had to at least try. He had to make some kind of amends, or she might run off, do something foolish on her own. His gut twisted at the thought, but he ignored it. He wasn’t going to lose her, not when he was so close to completing their sentence in Hell.

Taker slowly climbed the stairs, going into the first bedroom at the top. The shower was running in the adjoining bathroom. He glanced around, taking in all of the little things Trinity had set up to make herself more at home. There were pictures everywhere too, of her and Isabel and another young woman that he hadn’t met yet. He assumed it was Paige, whom Isabel had mentioned earlier.

Sinking down into the desk chair, he faced the bathroom door and waited. His eyes kept glancing at the framed picture on the desk though. It showed a smiling Trinity with her arms wrapped around the waist of an equally happy looking man. Taker squeezed his eyes shut, wondering at the flash of jealousy that went through him. He pictured her, lying in front of him, looking at him with desire darkened eyes. He could still hear the husky catch in her voice, feel her body respond as he touched her. He wanted her more now than he had last night. But it was no use. Kane might think one thing, but Taker knew better. Nothing good could come out of getting comfortable with these emotions.

Kane stepped outside for a minute, relishing the sunlight while it was still relatively quiet. He’d end up spending all day inside as usual, might as well soak up some of the sun’s heat right now.

He went back into the house, glancing at the kitchen door, wondering if he should try again to make Taker see reason. His brother could be hard headed sometimes; he didn’t always see the bigger picture. Kane decided to leave it alone for now. They were fairly safe in the daytime as no vampires would be out. They all needed to relax. Tonight would be very busy.

There were footsteps on the stairs, and he turned and smiled as Isabel came downstairs. "I think everybody’s down for the count," she said, smiling.

"You’re not going to crash?" Kane asked, sitting down on the couch. Isabel sat on the other end, turning to face him and tucking her legs beneath her.

"Not just yet. I had a lot of caffeine last night. I’m pretty hyper today." She studied him thoughtfully. "If you want to go outside, why don’t you just take off the mask?"

Kane shook his head slowly, his fingers automatically rubbing the leather that covered his cheek. "It doesn’t come off. It’s as much a part of me as my skin."

"It is just a mask," she said, quirking her eyebrow. "Maybe it’s like that old King Arthur story and you just have to find the right person to pull it off."

Kane laughed. "Yeah, well, whoever got it off wouldn’t like what’s underneath." He suddenly sobered, remembering. Isabel slid closer, taking his arm in her hands and looking down at the faint scars that were visible.

"Like this, huh?" Her fingertip traced one of the scars, sending a tingle up his arm.

"Only worse," He cleared his throat. Isabel smiled up at him, meeting his eyes. Kane had such strange eyes; one a cold blue, the other a warm hazel. She wondered if that was natural to him of just a product of what he was now.

"Now, why do I doubt that?" she asked softly. She couldn’t believe how she was flirting with this guy she’d just met. And not just any guy, but a dead one. No wonder Trinity looked like she’d been slammed with a hammer. If Taker’s actions that morning were any indication, something had happened between the two of them. Something that hadn’t turned out right.

Isabel trusted her sister to figure out what was right for her, so she let it slide. Right now she had a much bigger problem on her hands. Smiling, she took Kane’s hand.

"Why don’t you come up to my room with me? We’ll see if we can get that mask off," Isabel stood, pulling him with her.

"It’s not going to come off," Kane chuckled. She was determined, he’d hand that to her. She was forward to but it had been so long he really had no idea how to flirt anymore.

"Well, I might have some tricks up my sleeve," Isabel winked and led him to the stairs. Kane followed willingly enough; he was curious as to what kind of ‘tricks’ she was talking about.

Isabel led him into her room and had him sit down on the bed. She’d heard enough from Paige and Adam and Trinity to know she had some kind of weird ability. She hoped it was true, that it wasn’t as she thought. She’d believed for a long time that it was all coming from Trinity. As the oldest, she’d had the strongest power, even humans could sense it.

Now she studied Kane thoughtfully. "Let me see your arm again."

He smirked under his mask, but held his arm out, again feeling that tingle when her hands touched him. She met his eyes, her fingers moving over his inner arm where the scars were more prominent. "Besides what’s on your face…is this all?"

Kane slowly shook his head, unable to look away from her. "I have…quite a few…some are really bad." His free hand touched his right side, then moved to his heart.

Isabel bit her lip, then stepped back. "You’ll need to take off your shirt. So I can see what I’m dealing with," She added quickly. She sensed his amusement and realized that what she’d said hadn’t sounded very innocent. Raising an eyebrow, she smiled and said, "You’ll have to lose the pants too, if you have any scars on your legs."

Kane stood up, unbuttoning his shirt, deciding to play along with her. If she wanted to get a look at him, he’d oblige her. Although he hated his scars, there was nothing else wrong with his body. He’d spent a lot of his life in a gym, and it showed.

Isabel watched as he shrugged the shirt off his shoulders, then leaned down to pull his boots off. All of a sudden it seemed as if the temperature in the room had risen about twenty degrees. Kane stood back up and looked at her, his hands going to the buckle on his leather pants. Isabel thought about turning her back, then decided not to. It wasn’t like she’d never seen a guy in his underwear before.

Her cheeks got hot as Kane pushed his pants down his hips. He apparently wasn’t the least bit shy. And he wasn’t wearing any underwear.

He stood up straight and waited while her eyes roamed over his body. She’d asked him to take it all off, and he had. He had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing at the flush the had moved up her neck and face.

Isabel knew she was staring but couldn’t stop. He had muscles everywhere, a tight hard stomach, a broad chest. Legs that looked like they were carved out of rock. And he had to be, undoubtedly, the most well endowed man she’d ever seen. She almost wished he’d turn around so she could get a look at his butt, then shook her head and tried to become business like.

"Let’s see," she muttered, moving closer. His right side was a mess of scars, starting at the knee and going up. There were twisting, tangled scars all over his stomach, side and chest, including one very big, very straight line over his heart. His neck was the only thing untouched, but as she looked closer, she could make out the beginning of the scars that went onto his face.

"What’s the verdict Doc?" Kane tried to go for a light tone, but fell a little short. After that first heated look, she’d turned very clinical on him; he was afraid that his scars had put her off.

If anything, she was having trouble focusing on his scars. The rest of his body was just too damn distracting. Taking a deep breath, she slowly reached out and touched the scar that was the most prominent with her fingertips. Again Kane felt that tingle, but said nothing.

"You’ll have to lie down on the bed," Isabel said, her voice distracted. "I don’t know what exactly is going to happen when I do this."

Kane nodded and slid onto the bed, relaxing back against the pillow. He watched her raptly as she started at his knee, sliding her hand up his thigh. He felt himself start to get hard as she slowly traced his scars. She seemed not to notice as all of her concentration was on her own hand.

"So many of them," she muttered under her breath. She moved up his hip, placing her palms flat on his side, feeling the ridges of scar under her hand. Her other hand was sliding up his arm at the same time. Kane was holding his breath, enjoying the touch of her skin on his too much to notice anything else.

Isabel brought both hands to his chest, resting her right hand completely over the scar on his heart. She stayed that way for a few minutes, the thick scar seeming to pulse against her palm. Finally she looked him in the eye and slid her hands up to cup the mask on his face. Kane’s eyes slid shut; the mask was such a part of him that she might have been touching bare skin.

"It’s working," Isabel said softly. Kane opened his eyes and looked down, still aware of her palm on the right side of his face. The scars on his legs were…fading, shrinking. He watched amazed as the smaller scars disappeared, the larger ones quickly catching up. There was a strange itchy quality to his skin, a feeling he associated with healing wounds.

His eyes tracked the progress, his hand going to the scar over his heart. He could feel it shrinking under his fingertips, drawing into his skin. He looked up into her eyes, stunned speechless.

Isabel smiled at him. Whatever she’d done, whatever power she had, she’d used a lot of it. She felt tired, drained. But she still held onto his cheek, willing the skin below the mask to heal.

"It’s not going to work," Kane whispered. "It’s really…bad on my face."

Isabel never lost her smile. "We’ll see in a minute, I suppose." When he tried to talk again, she shushed him. Kane watched as her face took on a frown of concentration as she tried to sense what was happening beneath the leather.

"I think that’s got it," she muttered to herself. Kane frowned, nothing felt any different.

"It won’t come off. It’s been stuck on there for…" His protest was cut off as Isabel used both hands to cup his face again and gently pulled.

His words died on his lips as the mask came away in her hands, his face feeling the air for the first time in almost twenty years. Isabel looked at the mask thoughtfully, then tossed it on the bed. She looked down into his face, a smile on her lips, then sat on the edge of the bed next to him. "Almost done now," she said, raising her hand to cup his cheek again.

If feeling her touching his face through the mask had been pleasant, her fingers on his bare skin was downright erotic. Kane closed his eyes, again feeling himself growing even harder as she gently massaged his cheek and brow, the skin under his jaw-line. She ran her fingertips over his eyelids, stroking his skin. He had never felt anything like this before.

He sensed that she was finishing up, her touch diminishing. Kane reached up and grabbed her hand, pressing it against his face. His eyes opened and he stared up at her in awe.

Isabel looked down into his eyes, tracking the progress of her cure. The right eye had been that cold, oddly colorless blue, but it was darkening, changing to match the other one. The mass of scar tissue on his cheek had faded to dull welts, and that was quickly disappearing. She watched as his complete face was finally exposed sans scars. He was even better looking than she’d thought he’d be. Smooth skin, dark stubble on his chin, those deep beautiful eyes.

"Wanna see?" She asked him, her voice sounding odd to her own ears. She was wiped out. Whatever caffeine energy she’d gotten from the night before was fading out; all she could think about now was sleeping.

Kane nodded, not trusting his voice, and got up from the bed. Isabel watched his backside with more than a little interest as he went into the bathroom to look at the mirror over the sink. She picked up his mask and waited for him, her fingers tracing the pattern the red and black stripes had made on it.

When he didn’t come out within a few minutes, she put the mask aside and tentatively stepped into the bathroom doorway. Kane was standing in front of the mirror, staring at his face, a look of complete amazement on his handsome features.

"I don’t know how you did it…" he had to stop. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face her. "Thank you."

Isabel smiled and shrugged. "It was nothing. You should see what I can do at parties."

Kane laughed, then without thinking put his arms around her, hugging her close. Isabel hesitated then wrapped her arms around him, feeling his warm, bare skin under her hands. Her face was pressed against his chest and she breathed him in, loving the scent of leather that clung to his skin.

He realized what he was doing and pulled away, embarrassed. Isabel giggled a little as he moved past her and grabbed his shirt and pants from where he’d dropped them on the floor.

"You don’t have to get dressed on my account," she said, watching appreciatively as his muscles flexed and bunched when he moved. Kane looked at her, and for a minute he thought she was reading his mind. He wanted her to be just as naked as he was.

No wonder Taker was so freaked out. He had gone from a slight wanting at her touch to a full blown, raging, hormone driven lust that was so intense it was almost scary. Isabel sensed it and moved toward him, taking his clothes out of his hands and throwing them back on the floor.

"Don’t you want to test out your new skin?" She teased him, wondering what the hell was happening to her. She was turning into some kind of wanton slut over this guy she barely knew. She didn’t care though. The connection between them had happened almost the minute he’d walked up to the house with Trinity. It was almost as if it were meant to be. Isabel was a romantic enough to put faith in that feeling, no matter what the circumstances.

She brushed her fingers across his now smooth chest, smiling when he sucked in his breath.

"Jesus…you don’t fight fair," he finally said. It felt strange, talking without the mask on. His eyes were glued to the progress of her fingers across the expanse of his chest.

"Nope. It’s one of my better qualities," she smiled again, then leaned forward to kiss the place over his heart where his scar had been.

"I don’t think you really want to start this…" but he trailed off, not able to finish as her tongue flicked out and tasted his skin.

"I’ve been wanting to start this ever since you got here. I must be out of my mind," she whispered against his chest. Kane held himself still, not wanting her to stop but at the same time wishing she would. He’d told Taker he was going to accept this brief humanity that they’d been given, but it was so…overwhelming. His erection, which had softened somewhat, was coming back with a vengeance. He had to fight to keep from ripping Isabel’s clothes off and throwing her on the bed so he could fuck her mindlessly to get some relief.

"Isabel…" Kane muttered her name. She looked up at him, not knowing if that was a cue to keep going or if she should stop. Kane met her eyes, forgetting the protest he was about to voice. He ducked his head, bringing his lips into contact with hers. He moaned a little as she kissed him back, lost in the feel of her lips against his, his tongue gently probing into her mouth. Isabel opened up for him, sliding her tongue along his, encouraging him to go on. Her hands reached up to cup his face, she knew he would love that more than just about anything else she could do for him.

She wasn’t wrong. He applied more pressure, getting a little more aggressive, taking her breath away with the power of his kiss. Kane tried not to rush, he didn’t want to take his pleasure and not be able to give her anything back. He broke the kiss, pulling away to catch his breath and his senses.

Isabel smiled wickedly, then pulled her shirt over her head. Kane stared at her lithe body as she unveiled it, undoing the clasp and pulling her bra off. She ran her hands down her chest, over her flat stomach, until they came to the snap of her jeans. She deftly opened them, pushing them off her hips and kicking them to the side. His eyes were all but devouring her as she stood in front of him in a black lace thong. She moved to push them off, but he caught her hands.

She looked at him, watching as his hands slowly rested on her waist, understanding what he wanted. Standing still, she held her breath as his warm hands moved down her hips, his thumbs hooking the sides of her thong and pulling them down. He knelt in front of her, easing the filmy material from her legs. Instead of standing back up, he put his hands on the back of her legs, running them up the length from the ankle to the top of her thighs.

Isabel trembled and put her hands on his head, his soft hair moving through her fingers. Kane gently pulled her forward until he was nuzzling her stomach, sending shivers down her back as his warm breath blew across her skin. She moaned softly as his lips moved over her flat belly, his tongue darting into her navel. His fingers slid to the front of her thighs, gently kneading the taunt muscles under her satiny skin.

She held her breath as his fingertips brushed across the patch of hair that covered her. He nuzzled her gently, his breath blowing hotly on her clit, his fingers barely applying pressure. She shuddered as he seemed to inhale her scent before parting her with his fingers and flicking his tongue out.

Isabel felt her knees buckle as his tongue probed her gently, insistently. She braced her hands on his shoulders, holding herself steady as she rocked her hips slowly back and forth, trying to get him to keep in contact with her swollen clit. Kane smiled against her, his fingers feeling how wet she was getting. She was incredibly responsive, her body tensing when he traced her clit, her fingers digging into his shoulders. She was whimpering softly, wanting more from him but not quite ready to ask.

Kane felt her tugging on his hair, and he looked up into her face. Her pale blue eyes had changed to a deeper shade, clouded with desire. Her lips were parted and she was panting heavily. He slowly stood up, his hands sliding up to rest on her waist again. Isabel pushed him gently, guiding him back until his legs touched the bed. Kane sat down, then moved so that he was fully on the mattress. Smiling now, Isabel let her eyes move over his body before touching him.

Kane watched as she moved beside him on the bed, kneeling close to his side. She bent down and flicked her tongue out onto his chest, circling one of his flat nipples before catching it in her teeth. He groaned at the spark of desire that went through his body. He didn’t know how much teasing he would be able to take, not after so long, not when he felt like he could explode at any second.

Sensing it, Isabel worked her way down his body, breathing him in as her tongue and mouth worked him over. She moved, positioning herself between his legs, then sat up, looking into his eyes as her hand slid up his thigh and onto his cock.

It jumped against her palm, making her smile. She closed her hand around it, marveling again at his size. His skin was satiny smooth, hot, pulsing against her hand. She slowly stroked him, keeping her hand loose on him, feeling him grow even harder.

"Izzy…" he managed to groan out. She smiled again, tightening her grip. His hips came up off the bed at the sudden pressure, relaxing when she let go. Leaning down, she kissed the very tip of his cock, then ran her tongue around the sensitive ridge that circled the head.

It was almost too much for him. Kane had to grit his teeth and fight for every bit of control he could summon. Her hot, wet mouth closed around him, and he moaned out her name, almost losing himself. "You’re going to…have to…stop…" he managed to grunt out. Isabel looked at him, locking eyes with him as she flicked her tongue out again, tasting the drop of pre-cum that had formed on the head of his cock.

"I don’t want to," her breath was hot on the ultra-sensitive head of his cock, making him jerk unconsciously.

"I won’t last much longer if you keep it up…" his voice was almost pleading. Isabel ran her tongue around the head, keeping her eyes locked with his as she did it.

"Good. I want you to come, then we’ll start all over and it’ll last even longer," her words made him groan again as her mouth encompassed his hot shaft. He didn’t try to control himself this time. His hips were moving uncontrollably as Isabel took more of him into her mouth, sucking on him, still stroking the root of his shaft with her hand. He was moaning louder now, feeling his orgasm build up as she worked him.

With a loud cry, his hips snapped up off the bed, his cock deep inside Isabel’s mouth. He felt himself start to spill into her, his cock spasming against the warm, wet suction of her lips. Isabel grabbed him, squeezing him tight, milking him as she felt his body tense up. She looked up at him, his eyes closed, his teeth gritted, trying without much success to keep quiet. She hummed against his still twitching cock, making him jump and prolonging his orgasm.

Kane took a few minutes to catch his breath, tensing as Isabel continued to lightly stroke on him. She slowly moved to straddle his legs, her hand cupping his cock. "See, still hard," she said with a smile. "I’m impressed."

He growled in his throat and grabbed her, pulling her down on top of him. His mouth found hers, crushing her lips in a deep kiss that took her breath away. "I’m not done with you yet," he said when he broke the kiss.

"Good," Isabel breathed out, sighing as his mouth latched onto the tender spot just below her earlobe on her neck. She braced her hands on either side of him and felt his cock slide against her. He pulled her, making her move farther up until she was perched on his stomach. His lips trailed down her neck, his tongue flicking out over her skin.

She shivered as his hands moved to cup her breasts, his long fingers gently squeezing them. He tweaked one of her nipples with his fingers, feeling it harden, as his mouth closed around the other one. Isabel arched against him, pressing her breast more fully into his mouth, gasping as his tongue swirled over the sensitive peak. His teeth lightly grazed her, making her moan at the sensation.

Kane pulled back, then gave the same attention to the other breast, her moans and soft cries feeding his desire for her. He shifted her, moving her farther up, his mouth sliding down her stomach. Isabel hesitated for a second when he tried to move her again, then positioned herself with her legs on either side of Kane’s head. She sat up straight, feeling his breath panting across her moist thighs, waiting for him to move.

Kane slipped a hand between her legs, spreading her open, making her shiver in anticipation. His tongue flicked out, tasting her, tracing a circle around her clit. Isabel moaned and jerked against him, trying to let him work at his own pace. She cried out as he slid one long finger inside her and sucked her clit into his mouth. He added a second finger, testing her tightness, feeling her squeeze him. He didn’t stop his attention to her swollen clit. His tongue moved faster, stroking directly now, giving her the maximum amount of sensation.

Isabel felt her body start to tremble from the effort of holding herself over him. Her hips moved back and forth, pressing his fingers deeper inside her. She cried out and stiffened up as he found her g-spot with his fingertips, pressing on it, stroking it, making her whimper with need.

She was close to orgasm; she could feel its heat spreading through her body. She leaned forward, giving him better access to her with his fingers, bracing her hands on the bed.

Kane stopped stroking her suddenly, pulling away as he felt her tightening around him. He heard her groan of frustration and smiled. Grabbing her around the waist, he flipped her onto her back, making her squeal in surprise. His weight pressed against her, and she could feel his cock, still throbbing hotly, pushing into her stomach. Her lips found his again, and she sucked on his tongue, tasting herself on his mouth. Kane grunted softly, nudging her legs open with his knee. Isabel relaxed, opening herself up to him. He reached down and took his cock in his hand, then rubbed the head over her clit, dipping lower then back up, lubricating it with her juices.

Isabel gripped his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh, each time his cock brushed her clit a shudder would wrack her body, sending her a little closer to the edge. "Please…I want…" she sucked in her breath, not able to finish as he eased the first inch inside her waiting body.

Kane held still for a minute, letting her adjust to him, waiting for her. Her hips slowly moved, experimenting with his size, adjusting her position so he could enter her comfortably. Isabel wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him to go on. With a moan of satisfaction, Kane thrust into her fully, sheathing himself. She was so tight and wet around him, her muscles contracting, already milking him.

He began to move with slow deliberate strokes, tilting his hips so the head of his cock hit her g-spot, adding a grind when he was fully buried to stimulate her clit. Her nails raked his back as she cried out, and he brought his mouth against hers to muffle the sound.

Isabel kissed him back, using her legs for leverage to rotate her hips and make the most of his every thrust. She could hear him moaning low in his throat as he fought to keep control of himself. He felt his own orgasm begin to build up again and doubled his efforts, wanting her to come with him.

Isabel broke his kiss, throwing her head back and gripping his shoulders tighter as the first wave hit her. Her soft cries were drowned out by his own louder vocalizations as he thrust into her one last time, coming deep inside her in long hot bursts. Isabel wrapped herself tighter around him, nearly screaming at her release as pleasure flooded her body.

Kane collapsed on top of her, his breathing heavy, still jumping with aftershocks. Isabel was gasping heavily, feeling the sweat they’d worked up mingle together between them. It took her a few minutes to get over the mind shattering orgasm that she’d had. She’d never felt anything like it.

Kane slowly withdrew from her, making her whimper at the loss of him inside her. Smiling he pulled her tight against his side, cradling her in his arms. Isabel rested her head on his shoulder, breathing him in again. "That was…" she didn’t know how to finish.

"Yeah," Kane agreed, chuckling a little, still out of breath. He kissed her gently on the forehead. "Sleep now. I think we both can use it."

Nodding, Isabel wrapped her arm around his waist and held on, already dozing off. She’d exerted herself totally that morning.

Kane lay awake for a while, still amazed at what they’d done. He’d never experienced anything that came anywhere close to what he’d felt with Isabel. A soft smile on his lips, he slowly closed his eyes and joined her in sleep.

Trinity cut off the shower, letting the water drip from her long hair before she stepped out onto the floor. She felt a little better; now all she needed was about fourteen hours of uninterrupted sleep and she’d almost feel like herself again.

She dried off slowly, then wrapped a towel around her. She spent several minutes drying out her hair. It was too damn long, and only aggravated her. She was seriously debating hacking it all off. Smiling at the stupid things she was using to distract herself, she finally opened the door and stepped back into her bedroom.

She froze before she’d gone more than two steps. Taker was sitting at her desk, leaning back in the chair, looking like he was totally comfortable there. Trinity decided to ignore him, and went to her dresser to get some clean clothes.

"You going to ignore me forever?" He asked, his deep voice making her stop.

"I wasn’t ignoring you," she said over her shoulder. "I was pretending you weren’t there. There’s a difference."

"Sounds about the same to me," Taker stood up and stretched. He tried to keep his eyes off of that damn towel that was wrapped around her; his imagination kept picturing what it barely covered.

"What do you want?" Trinity didn’t want to be mad at him. She was tired; she’d had information overload for the past couple of days. It was more than she could take.

"I don’t know," Taker said quietly. She turned to look at him, holding the towel up so it wouldn’t fall off. He was looking at her, the expression in his eyes soft. Trinity didn’t want to feel moved by it but she couldn’t help it.

"Well…you don’t want me, remember?" She couldn’t help it; his walking away from her had hurt like hell. She saw him frown, getting ready to deny it, but she waved it off. "Forget it. I know, I know. You’re here to do your job. Well, that’s just wonderful really. Don’t let me stand in your way." She slammed the drawer she’d been digging in shut.

"I’m sorry if I hurt you Trinity," Taker moved toward her, grabbing her arm and making her look up at him. "But I can’t let what I feel interfere with what I came here for. If things were different…"

"You wouldn’t have a reason to be here if things were different," Trinity said sadly. She wrenched her arm from Taker’s grasp. "You can leave now. I’d like to get dressed."

"Not until we’re done talking," he said, sitting down on the bed. Trinity glowered at him, then raised her eyebrow.

"Small kicks for you today, huh?" She put her clothes on the end of the bed, then let the towel drop. She watched as his eyes took in her naked body. She could see him struggling with whatever it was that was holding him back. He stood up, meaning to walk away but she wasn’t about to let him. If he was going to be around her, he’d have to learn to deal with her out front. And deal with her being up front.

Trinity stepped in front of him, blocking the way to the door. She rested her hands on the front of his shirt, feeling the way his heart was slamming against his chest. "Tell me you don’t want me now," she demanded, running her hands down his chest.

"I can’t want you," he finally managed to spit out, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than her.

"But you do," Trinity knew she should stop, let him go and gather himself up again, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Taker was shaking his head, trying to deny it, when she slid her hand onto the front of his leather pants. Cupping his erection through the material, she stared him in the eye. "How can you even pretend to believe that?" Some of the fire went out of her then. She slowly moved away from him, tears filling her eyes. "I’m sorry, really I am. You prefer being dead and emotionless to being alive and feeling things. I’m not going to be able to change your mind."

Trinity went to the bed and grabbed her clothes. "Trinity," Taker didn’t look at her. He was staring down at the floor. She didn’t answer him. "That’s not true, Trinity." She made a soft chuffing sound then closed the bathroom door, locking herself in. Taker finally looked up, then went to the door. He leaned his head on the cool wood, listening to the sounds she made as she got dressed. He wanted to say something more, but there really was nothing else.

She finally threw open the door a few minutes later. If she was surprised that he was still standing there she didn’t show it. She’d put on a pair of shorts and a man’s dress shirt. Most of the buttons were undone. She’d made some kind of decision while she’d been in there. All of the bitterness he’d been sensing from her was gone.

Taker watched as she climbed into her bed and got under a light blanket. He moved slowly to the bedside and then sat on the edge, wondering what to say. "Is he going to come for me soon?" Trinity finally broke the silence. She had made a decision. Let him take care of his business and forget about being personally involved. It was what he wanted after all. She had enough to worry about already, why she felt that she needed to add him in she didn’t know.

"I don’t know for sure," Taker said quietly. He reached out and toyed with a strand of her hair before he realized what he was doing and made himself stop. He had just told her he couldn’t want her, then he turns around and can’t keep his hands to himself.

Trinity nodded, then yawned. "You didn’t sleep much last night either. You can stay if you want. I promise I’m not going to try anything on you."

"I don’t think that’s a good idea," Taker stood up slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Why? Don’t trust me?" some of her humor had come back into her voice. Taker smiled at her sadly.

"No, it’s me that I don’t trust. Get some rest. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night," with that he turned and left the room.

Trinity stared at the door, a slight frown on her face. Could she have been a bigger bitch? The man was just looking to end his time in Hell that was all. She’d just be a diversion for him. One he couldn’t afford. Plus, she was making all these emotions pop up for him; she was starting to get the feeling that even when he’d been alive he hadn’t felt them this strong.

She made a promise to herself that she’d sit down and talk it out with him later. Trinity had no right to expect anything from him. And she had absolutely nothing to offer him, except the chance to catch his sister’s killer. In the midst of her thoughts, she fell asleep, everything that happened during the previous day coalescing into one big nightmare.

Trinity woke up, her heart pounding, a scream caught in her throat as some unknown man shoved a sword into Taker’s stomach. She panicked momentarily. She couldn’t move; she was pinned down.

"Shh, it’s Ok," Taker’s deep voice whispered near her ear. Trinity slowly relaxed against him, feeling his strength and taking comfort in it. "Just a nightmare. Just a dream…" he kept murmuring for a few minutes, lulling her until she was asleep again. He hadn’t been able to sleep at all, wandering the house until he’d finally given up and come back to Trinity’s room. From the way she was thrashing around, she’d been having one hell of a nightmare.

Taker had slid into the bed with her and held her close, trying to comfort her a little. He knew a thing or two about nightmares, and he also knew what suffering through them alone was like. He didn’t want to see Trinity hurt in any way, physically or mentally. ‘Or emotionally,’ he added in his head. He was too damn close to her, he’d already hurt her once. If anything happened to her because of him…

He cut off the thought. He would not let anything happen to her. Things would be different this time. Taker sensed an end in sight, and was welcoming it with relief and open arms.

Reagan woke before Adam did, stretching next to him in the bed. She had never slept so deeply in her life, she felt completely refreshed. Propping herself up on an elbow, she looked down at Adam, watching his chest rise and fall as he breathed.

Her mother wasn’t lying when she told her that love would hit her like a ton of bricks. Adam was a total mystery to her, which she found exciting. He looked like he should be working out on a beach in California somewhere, calling his friends ‘dude’ and going out with a different blonde bombshell every night. Who knew he had such a dark side to him?

That was probably what attracted her to him. She had something of a dark side of her own, including studying the occult. That was probably why she had not been at all surprised to find out that he was a vampire. Of course that wasn’t the only reason…

Her thoughts were interrupted when Adam stirred, moaning. She put her hand on his chest, gently rubbing his smooth skin, calming him down. She knew a thing or two about vampires, although she’d tried hard not to let on. Most she’d learned from her father.

Reagan had never known her father as he was in his physical form, but sometimes he came to her in dreams. He would talk about her mother, who had died when she’d been a teenager. He’d show her what he did now that he was no longer tied to the earth as a human.

She had nothing but distaste for the man who had gotten her mother pregnant. He’d been nothing but a smooth talking businessman when he’d swept Reagan’s mom off her feet. Things had changed when Reagan was conceived. Her mother, in the last few days of her life, had finally broken down and told her that her father had sold his soul.

Reagan had scoffed at the idea. Such things were fodder for horror movies and novels. But her mother was adamant. He’d made a pact with Hell, offering up an eternity of service in exchange for a fruitful life on earth. Hell had seen fit to give him assignments, one of which including killing any vampires that he came across.

One of those vampires had been too much for her father. Reagan had long suspected that Hell hadn’t played fair; her father went into the fight convinced he was indestructible.

Her father first visited her dreams when she was thirteen. He wanted her to join him, to be like him. At first, it was all she wanted. He was the only family she had left. She devoted most of her spare time to learning how to fight. She studied the occult. She found out what she would have to do to give her soul up to her father.

He was now known simply as Hell; his human name had long ago lost any and all meaning for him. He’d come to her one night, telling her it was time to take her place with him.

Reagan had thought she’d been ready. With no family, few friends, and nowhere to go, it had seemed to be her only alternative. But as she began the ceremony that would allow her father to control her fate, something had happened to her. She had thrown down the knife that she was supposed to use to open a vein and had denounced him.

Shocked over what she had done, she fled the foster home that she’d been living in. She came back home…here to this town…in the house that she had known and loved so well growing up.

Her father’s influence was weaker there. Reagan’s mother had been a practicing Wiccan, and she had cast a spell of protection against her husband. She would still be visited by him, but only faintly. He was mad; more angry than she had ever seen him.

She smiled a bit now. If he could see where she was now…see who she was sharing a bed with…The thought alone was almost made her laugh. In her many nighttime discussions with her father, he had repeatedly brought up his hatred of vampires. He had a personal vendetta against each and every one. They had no souls, so they were the only beings that existed that Hell could not torment.

"What are you smiling at?" Adam’s voice cut into her reverie, making her jump.

"Just thinking. How long were you awake?"

"A couple of minutes. My chest stopped hurting and being free from pain kinda freaked me out," he said with a smile.

Reagan realized her hand was still resting on his chest and started to move it. Adam grabbed it and held it to him.

"Thank you for staying with me today," he said, his voice carrying an odd huskiness. Reagan found her mouth suddenly dry as she looked into his eyes.

"It wasn’t a problem," she managed to say. God he could just about melt iron with those eyes. "Maybe I should go make some breakfast for us?"

Adam laughed and she gave him a puzzled look. "I’m a vampire, sweet. We don’t do solid food."

"Oh," Reagan’s hand unconsciously went to her throat.

"I’m also not into neck biting, unless it’s purely meant for fun," He said, amused at the flush that crossed her face as she quickly dropped her hand. Adam smiled and managed to roll out of bed, standing up with some effort. Reagan watched him, concerned, as he made his way over to a small refrigerator in the corner.

He reached in and pulled out what looked like a glass flask. Dark red blood filled it almost to the top. Reagan watched as he tipped it up and took a few quick swallows. She had expected to be at least marginally grossed out, but instead found herself wondering just what it would be like to have him bite her neck. Among several other places.

Adam shuffled back to the bed and slid back in, pulling the blanket up to his chin. "I have to drink it. It’ll help finish healing me up. Right now, I’m so damn tired I don’t think I can make it up the stairs." He looked at her, a slight smile tilting the corners of his mouth.

"Well, I’ll stick with you for a bit longer," Reagan smiled back. He seemed surprised that his blood drinking didn’t frighten her but said nothing about it. "Those girls that are here…have you ever had to…drink from one of them?"

Adam shook his head. "No. We’re not allowed for one thing. For another, you never drink from somebody you know. It’s just one of those unwritten rules I like to live by."

Reagan nodded, then sat up. She tugged the sheet from his chest and leaned down to study his wound in the growing darkness. "Looks like it’s almost gone," she said in wonder.

"Yeah. On the outside it is. The heart takes a little longer to mend up though," he sounded resigned, knowing it was going to be quite awhile before he was his old self. He jumped a little when he felt Reagan’s hand sliding over his chest. "What are you doing?" He tried to sound outraged at her forwardness, but couldn’t hide the amusement in his voice.

"Just testing to make sure you’re getting better," she couldn’t believe she was saying that. Or that she was stroking this man’s chest. She’d never been very outgoing, and hadn’t initiated any sexual relationship before.

"You wouldn’t be trying to screw with a guy with a bad heart, now would you?" He was laughing a little, which changed to a sharp intake of breath when her nails scraped over one of his nipples.

"No, you probably aren’t up for a screwing. But maybe a little fooling around to make sure all your equipment’s in working order," she smiled. She didn’t know what had gotten into her. Adam could have harbored a good guess. Trinity was enhancing everyone’s emotions in the house, bringing them to the front.

He reached up to push Reagan’s hair back from her face. She really was quite pretty, striking, her eyes so clear and open. She looked so innocent…the thought died as her hand slipped under the sheet and down his stomach.

"I have to tell you," she said, her fingers sliding along the waistband of the shorts someone had put on him that morning. "I’m not usually like this. I don’t like to rush into sex."

"I don’t either," Adam groaned out, tightening his stomach as her fingers traveled dangerously close to his already throbbing erection.

"But for you…I’m making an exception," she cocked an eyebrow and slid a finger under the elastic. Her ran the tip of her nail over the head of his cock, making him suck in his breath.

"Don’t…don’t do this just because we walked in and helped you last night," Adam finally said. Reagan stopped moving and looked down, straining to see him in the dark.

"Is that what you think?" She asked thoughtfully. She pushed the sheet the rest of the way off of his body then knelt beside him. "If I just wanted to thank you, I would have just said ‘thank you’. I’m very, very attracted to you, Adam."

Her hands were back on him, gently moving across his chest, his stomach, his arms. "I have to tell you…I’m attracted to you too. I love a woman with fire in her."

Reagan smirked. Technically she was born of fire, but what did that matter now? "I love a man with a hard body. I can wait until you feel better if you want. But I just had to let you know now."

Adam looked up at her, his hand reaching out in the dark to stroke her cheek. "I want you Reagan. I really do. But I don’t want you to rush into something you don’t usually rush into."

"I’m a big girl, Adam," her hand had found his erection again and she slowly stroked his through the soft cotton of his shorts. Adam moaned and felt his hips jerk in response to her. She leaned down and kissed her way along his jaw, until her lips were next to his ear. "I want to feel you inside me. I want to be with you, right here, right now."

Her warm breath sent a shiver down his spine. His lips found hers in the dark, his tongue claiming her mouth in a passionate kiss. To her surprise, he didn’t taste of the blood he’d just drunk. She began to kiss him back, putting as much of herself into it as she could. His hands were tugging at the T-shirt that Isabel had given her to sleep in, and they broke the kiss long enough to get it over her head.

She moaned her acceptance as Adam’s fingers found her bare breasts. He deftly toyed with her nipples, rolling them between his fingers until they were hard buds. Reagan pulled away from him and impatiently yanked her panties off, tossing them to the floor. Getting skin to skin with him was all she could think about. Sliding her hands down his stomach, she hooked his shorts and pulled them from his legs, letting them fly to the floor with the other articles of clothing.

Adam tried to sit up and reach for her, but she pushed him back down. "You’re hurt, remember? Let me…"

Reagan moved to straddle his legs, her hands continually moving along his hard chest, his flat stomach. Adam linked his fingers and put his hands behind his head, curious as to what she was going to do with him. He’d never let a woman take control of sex, but Reagan seemed intent on being the boss.

Leaning down, she kissed his neck, nipping a bit of skin between her teeth before licking downward with her tongue. She paid special attention to his chest, that soft skin covering so much tight muscle was driving her crazy.

Adam was moaning more now, and she slowed down, trailing kisses down his breastbone, flicking her tongue over his flat nipples. Her hands kept moving downward until she held his cock, feeling it’s length, wrapping her hand around it. His hips were pumping of their own accord. Feeling his reaction to her was making her hotter at the moment than anything he could have done. That she had so much power over him was overwhelmingly sexual to her.

Sliding down a little more, she placed herself on her knees, still straddling his legs. Her head ducked down and she traced the length of his cock with her tongue, reveling in the taste of his hot skin. She slowly sucked the head into her mouth, licking it to lube it up, sliding it in and out. Relaxing her throat, she took him all the way in, humming, making him vibrate a little. Adam growled deep in his throat, sending a shiver of anticipation down her spine.

Reagan repeated the procedure several times, feeling him grow even harder as she worked him over. Letting him pop out of her mouth, she slowly worked her way back up his chest until her lips met his. Adam reached up to touch her but she grabbed his hands and pushed them down. Smiling, he waited as she positioned herself over him. The head of his cock slid into her, and his hips came up off the bed, his body trying to get inside hers. Reagan made a small noise of disapproval and held herself out of reach.

"Let me…" her voice was husky, low. Adam forced himself to relax, letting her take him at her own pace. She leaned forward until her breasts were inches from his mouth, the head of his cock still the only part that was inside her body. He didn’t need an engraved invitation. As she held his hands down, he lifted his head, catching one tight peak in his mouth, suckling on it. Reagan gasped at the wave of pleasure that shot through her, but held herself still, enjoying the hot suction of his mouth.

Adam alternated between her breasts, tracing the nipples with his tongue, grazing them with his teeth. He nuzzled the sweet smelling valley between her breasts, then nibbled his way around the sensitive undersides of each of them.

Reagan’s head was practically spinning from all the stimulation. She slowly moved her hips, taking a little bit more of him inside. Adam groaned in approval as she inched downward on his throbbing cock. She sat up, smiling at his groan when he could no longer reach her breasts. She entwined her fingers with his and held his hands still, making sure he couldn’t touch her just yet.

Slowly, smoothly, she lowered herself onto him until he was fully sheathed. He tried to move his hips, but she pulled up before he could establish a rhythm. "Reagan…" his voice was pleading.

"Be still. Let me…" she was breathless now, waiting until he calmed a little. "Next time…next time you can do whatever you want." Adam swallowed audibly and bit his lip, forcing himself not to move as she lowered herself once again, his cock filling her. Holding his hands, she slowly moved up and down, establishing and easy rhythm, moving her hips just enough to get friction on her clit. Her moans were growing as loud as his as she moved.

Adam was almost to the point that he’d scream in frustration if he couldn’t touch her. Reagan seemed to sense it, and she leaned back and guided his hand to where their bodies were joined. Adam began stroking her clit with a light touch, watching as she threw her head back and started working his cock with purpose. Her hips moved in little circles, not only moving his cock inside her but forcing him to apply more pressure to her throbbing clit.

He felt her start to clamp down on his cock, the moment that her orgasm began spiraling through her body. He pressed her clit, at the same time his hips pumped upward from the bed, making her call out his name as he sent her over the edge.

The tight feel of her coming around his cock was too much for him, and he followed her powerful eruption with one of his own. Saying her name over and over, he grabbed her hips in his now free hands and pulled her tight to his hips, burying himself inside her as deep as he could go as he came.

Reagan collapsed on top of him, her breasts pressing against his chest, his cock still inside her, twitching. She flushed a little at how bossy she’d been but it had paid off. She’d never ever had an orgasm that huge before. From the way Adam was panting beneath her, she thought that he felt the same way.

Smiling, Adam rolled onto his side, taking her with him but not withdrawing from her. Their legs were tangled together, their arms wrapped around each other. He kissed her lips tenderly, making her melt all over again. She snuggled up as close as she could get, feeling him inside her and all around her, and dropped off into a sated sleep. Adam smiled and watched her for a little while, finally withdrawing from her so they could lay more comfortably. She muttered in her sleep but didn’t wake up.

He sat up and grabbed the sheet, pulling it up to cover them both. The others in the house would be awake soon. He and Reagan both were going to need all the sleep they could get. He wrapped himself around her again protectively, breathing in the scent of her hair as he drifted back to sleep.

Taker had finally fallen asleep next to Trinity, still holding her against him. She was warm, and he cuddled even closer to her. But something was happening. She was slowly fading, her warmth pulling away. Taker opened his eyes, reaching for her across the bed. His hand stopped. He was no longer in the bed; he wasn’t even in her house. The familiar black room surrounded him.

He pushed himself up to stand and watched as the seamless door was opened. Hell stepped inside, not able to hide the fury that clouded his features. Taker waited with his arms crossed.

Hell paced across the room, the whirled, turning his dark gaze on Taker’s expressionless face. "Forgetting about your purpose?" He finally spat out. Taker’s eyes narrowed.

"No. I know what I’m doing," Taker said flatly.

Hell laughed, the sound sending a chill down Taker’s spine. "Yes, I’m sure. Screwing around with those women up there, making friends. That’s not what I sent you up there for!"

"Do you think I don’t know that?" Taker hissed, letting some of his own fury show. Hell looked at him, trying to cover his surprise. No one talked back to him.

"You and your brother both are breaking rules," Hell finally said.

"What rules? We’re still on the path. You never made any rules against anything else," Taker said defiantly.

"Well, I’m going to now," Hell smirked.

"No," Taker said quietly. Hell looked up at him, a snarl on his face. "This late in the game and you wanna throw new rules at us? I don’t think so."

Hell suddenly smiled, an expression that normally made Taker feel as if he’d been dipped in oil. This time it only made him angry. "We all need rules…" Hell began, sounding as if he were selling a used car. "Wouldn’t it be horrible if something happened to your girlfriend up there Taker?" He moved to the wall and waved his hand, making the window appear in front of him. "Although I personally think she’d make a nice addition to my little family."

Taker took the steps that separated them, and grabbed Hell by his throat. "You leave her out of this," his voice was low, deadly serious.

"I’m not the one who brought her into this," Hell said, trying to get himself free of Taker’s grasp. He was stunned. Taker should not be so defiant of him…no one ever defied him.

"That’s bullshit," Taker said. He dropped Hell to the ground, a slight smile on his face as Hell thumped to the floor. "You have no say over her."

Hell sneered. How could Taker know that? It was true, in the human world there were a few that Hell couldn’t touch. This girl and her two friends included.

Smirking, he stood up. He knew exactly how he was going to keep Taker in check. "Well, let’s talk about your brother again." Taker stiffened but didn’t look at him. "He’s going to start thinking he’s human. If he hasn’t lost sight of your mission…he will soon. And then guess what’s going to happen to him." Chuckling, Hell walked to the window again.

"Kane will not lose sight," Taker said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, but I’m afraid he’s already started. While you were busy trying to sweet talk your woman, he inched a little closer to the human world. You should keep a tighter reign on him."

"Kane knows what he’s doing," Taker said, hoping it was true. Hell turned to look at him, his expression thoughtful. "What?"

"Oh, I was just thinking…" Hell waved his hand and Taker went flying backward, smashing into the wall. He tried to push away from the brick, but he couldn’t move. Hell smiled and walked closer. "No one defies me Taker, you’ll do well to remember that in the future." He reached into his jacket, pulling out a chain with a red stone hanging from it.

Taker watched through narrowed eyes as the stone started to glow. "How are we going to deal with that insolence?" Smirking, he reached out and pulled Taker’s shirt open, exposing his chest. "Perhaps another mark to remind you of who is in charge." He brought the stone forward. Taker felt an intense heat coming from it in waves.

There was a hissing sound as it touched his chest. Taker ground his teeth together, not moving, not making a sound as the red-hot stone seared his skin. It hurt more than any of his stab wounds had ever done. He refused to cry out or beg Hell to stop, which seemed to infuriate the other man. He pressed harder, digging the stone into Taker’s chest.

"Taker?" Far off he heard a familiar voice. "Mark? Mark, wake up." At the sound of his human name, Taker’s head jerked up. Trinity…she was calling him. The pain from the stone began to fade.

"No…" Hell hissed out, redoubling his efforts. There was nothing, no resistance, as suddenly the hand with the stone in it met the hard brick wall. Taker had disappeared.

Hell dropped the stone on the ground and kicked it into the corner. In a rage, he slammed his hand into the wall, over and over.

What were these women? No one had ever denied him something he wanted, yet it was happening now. He thought about calling on Kane, punishing him, but decided to save his energy. He’d have both brothers soon, he was sure of it. And he’d find a way to get to that girl who was turning his minions against him.

Once Taker and Kane had done away with their vampire, Hell would declare open season on the girls who were suddenly complicating everything. And if Kane and Taker actually managed to follow through on their end of the deal…and were reverted to their human status…

Hell began to smile coldly. They’d be human again, if that’s what they really wanted. But he would see to it that these women met with an unfortunate fate. He couldn’t have them in Hell, but he could make their lives hell. Grinning now, whistling, he left the black room, shutting the door behind him.

Trinity was on the verge of freaking out. She woken up, aware that the warmth of Taker pressing against her back was growing cold. Thinking he’d gotten out of the bed, she rolled over, coming face to face with what was…for all intents and purposes…a corpse.

Jerking back from him, Trinity looked at Taker in horror. His skin was waxy and pale, cold to the touch. She gingerly reached out, pressing her fingers to his neck, feeling nothing but his cool skin. Coming to her knees, she opened his shirt and pressed her ear to his chest, but there was nothing.

Something caught her eye though. In the growing darkness she had almost not seen it. On the center of his chest, another scar was forming. The edge of it stood out in a bright red circle on his pale skin. Without thinking about it, Trinity put her hands over it, feeling an intense pain in her own chest.

"Taker?" she leaned toward his ear, closing her eyes and talking softly. "Mark? Mark, wake up…please…wake up…" She rested her head on his shoulder, tears slipping from her eyes.

Trinity jumped when she felt his hand settle on the back of her head. She snapped back, looking down into his exhausted eyes. He shivered a little as his body began to heat back up.

"Mark? Are you…you were…" Trinity stroked his cheek. "You scared the hell out of me."

Taker smiled tiredly. "You brought me back," he took her hand.

"What the hell happened?" Trinity asked, still staring at him.

Taker shook his head. "I was…called away. I had to leave my body." He shook as another chill ran through him.

"You were dead," she whispered slowly. Taker caught her eyes with his.

"I am still dead Trinity. I’ve been dead for a long time." He looked down at his chest, frowning. Another scar, courtesy of Hell. Except this one was different. It was fading already, becoming almost invisible. He watched as his skin knitted itself up, the met her eyes again.

He was completely confused, but Trinity knew what had happened. She’d somehow tapped into Isabel’s power, healing that nasty looking wound on Taker’s chest before it had really begun to form. She watched as another shiver wracked his body.

Taker watched as Trinity got up from the bed, sure that she was going to leave. Being told he was dead and actually seeing it were two different things. He wouldn’t be surprised if she ran screaming.

She surprised him instead by returning to the bed a minute later, carrying a thick comforter in her arms. She spread it over him, then slid into the bed next to him, wrapping her arms around him and giving him warmth. Taker sighed, letting the heat work its way through him, amazed that she’d want to be close to him.

Trinity held onto Taker, feeling his shaking subside little by little as his body heat finally began functioning for him. She didn’t care what he said…he had some life in him, otherwise he wouldn’t be there at all. He couldn’t help what he was anymore than she could help herself.

He watched the house from his perch in the tree, eyes narrowed. It had been dark for almost an hour, and there were no signs of movement inside. He was growing impatient. This close to her and he wouldn’t even get a glimpse.

Those emotions were with him again, stronger than ever. He relished them, his desire to have her growing by the minute. Yet something held him back. There were too many in the house for him to rush in and take her. They’d gotten lucky the night before, very lucky. He wasn’t about to make the same mistakes again.

When a light finally came on downstairs, he immediately stopped his wayward thoughts. The front door opened and two people stepped outside, neither of them Trinity. He could sense that one of them, the man, was vampire. The woman who was with him was human. He watched as they kissed softly. The vampire said something low, making the woman laugh, then turned and walked away into the night.

She stood on the porch watching him, then sank onto the steps. The killer smiled a little. Waiting for him to return no doubt. He only had a few minutes to make a decision.

She was undoubtedly one of Trinity’s friends. And if he couldn’t go to her…then perhaps there was a way to make her come to him. He smiled, reveling in the thought. It would be something different, she would know what she was walking into and there would be nothing she could do to stop it. Not if she valued her friend’s life.

Moving silently, he climbed down from the tree and made his way through the shadows. She suddenly sensed him, turning from her seat on the step to meet his eyes. He was taken aback. She should have never known he was coming. Humans were not that sensitive.

Not allowing himself any time to think, he swung his arm and threw a light, deadly accurate punch at her jaw. She slumped over, stunned but not knocked out. Smiling, he gathered her up in his arms and turned to go. Let them wonder where she was for a while. Build up their panic. Trinity would not be able to deny him.

Rubbing her nose, she poked him in the side and moved around him. "What’s the…" the words died on her lips. Isabel was sitting at the table with…Trinity’s mouth dropped open. "Oh my…Kane?"

His mask was gone. Taker stared in shock at his brother’s flawless skin, remembering how it had looked before the mask had appeared. He still couldn’t speak. Trinity went to the table and put her hand under Kane’s chin, tilting his head so she could study him.

"Wow…so this is what you were hiding under that thing," she said softly. Kane smiled a little, feeling a blush moving up his cheeks. Trinity was cocking an eyebrow in Isabel’s direction. "This looks like your handiwork," she said with a laugh. Isabel nodded, taking a bit of her toast.

"I don’t know how she did it," Kane said softly. He looked over at Isabel and smiled.

"I do," Trinity pushed a lock of his hair back to look at his eyes. "Damn…you’re awfully good looking. Isabel might have to put the mask back on you to keep the women away."

Isabel and Trinity both laughed, and Kane smirked, but it faded quickly when he saw the look on his brother’s face. He looked angry, but it wasn’t directed at Kane. Instead, he was staring hard at Trinity. Sensing more than just a little jealousy stemming from Trinity’s flirting, Kane stood up and pretended to busy himself at the sink. Trinity sat down next to her sister, giving her a meaningful look.

Taker slowly walked toward his brother, still shocked, more than a little disturbed at how jealous he was becoming toward Trinity. In a low voice, he said, "What the hell, Kane?"

"I don’t know…" Kane sighed and glanced back at the two women who seemed to be deep in conversation. "She healed me. Got the mask off. I don’t understand how or why, but she did it."

Was this what Hell had been talking about? Without the mask, Kane did seem even more human. And the way he was looking at Isabel…Taker frowned with worry. Before he could voice his thoughts, the door burst open.

"Break out the booze. I have arrived," Jeff said, bounding into the room. No mere fight with a crazed vampire would keep him down for long. He stopped, faltering a little at the two big men who were standing at the sink, then looked questioningly at Trinity and Isabel.

"Jeff…this is Taker and Kane," Trinity introduced them. "They’re…uh…here to help me with some things."

"Cool," Jeff pulled out a chair and turned it backward, straddling it and resting his arms on the back. "Anybody seen Adam yet?"

"No, I thought he’d still be out," Isabel said. In truth, Adam had barely crossed her mind. Reagan was with him, he was healing. Isabel sensed that Reagan would take care of him.

"I’m awake now," He said, coming into the room. He froze when he saw Taker and Kane, then looked at Trinity in shock. She shook her head, and mouthed ‘later’ at him. He nodded and moved aside so Reagan could come into the kitchen.

"Looks like we’re short a few people," Jeff said with a laugh. "Who wants to bet they’re still in bed?"

"They’re not in bed. The door was open when Kane and I came down," Isabel said. "I think Matt went out to hunt himself up some food. Paige usually waits for him outside."

As if talking had conjured them up, the front door banged shut and footsteps moved up the hall toward the kitchen.

"Hey, hey, the gang’s all here," Jeff said in a singsong voice, making everyone laugh a little. "We now have enough people to have our own baseball team." Matt came around the corner, smiling.

"Stop with the moron jokes, bro," he said, stopping inside the door. He looked around, confused. "Where’s Paige?"

"We thought she went out with you," Adam said slowly.

"No, she said she was going to sit outside then come in and make breakfast for everybody. I thought she’d be in here," Matt looked from face to face, staring hard at Taker and Kane, who he’d never seen.

Trinity rose slowly from the table, a stricken look on her face. Taker stepped toward her, putting his hand on her arm. "It doesn’t mean anything. Maybe she just took a walk."

Shaking his hand off, Trinity walked around the table. "We have to find her. It doesn’t matter if she’s just out for a walk of not." She glanced at Taker, her eyes flashing. He knew what she was thinking; he was thinking the same thing. Their vampire might have changed his strategy.

"You’re not going out there," Taker said, causing everyone in the room to look at him. "Neither is Isabel. We can’t take that kind of a chance right now."

"Fuck that. Guys, we have to go find Paige," Isabel said, pushing aside her coffee mug and rising to stand by her sister.

"You two will stay here. In fact…" Adam grimaced and stood up. "Reagan’s going to stay here too. He already came after her once." Taker and Kane nodded in agreement. Jeff just raised his eyebrow, watching as the three women bristled.

"Seems like somebody’s getting a little Victorian on us," Trinity said with no humor. Matt had started pacing around the kitchen, in a hurry to get going.

"It’s for the best," Kane said, reaching out and grabbing Matt’s shoulder to still him. The pacing was making him nervous.

Trinity and Isabel looked at each other, a silent message going between them. They both shrugged at the same time, then Trinity spoke up. "Fine. Have it your way. But…if you don’t come back with Paige in about an hour, we’re going to kick all of your asses. Then we’re going to find her ourselves."

Taker and Kane didn’t know what Paige looked like, so they had Matt go get a recent picture of her. While he was gone, the three girls once again settled at the table, each with an expression of innocence on her face. Taker didn’t trust that look; he’d seen it too many times before.

Matt came back, the picture in his hands. Kane and Taker both studied it, memorizing it just in case they should happen to cross her path. As the guys headed out, Taker stopped in the doorway with Adam at his heels. "I think somebody should stay here with you three," Taker said, frowning.

"Adam should stay," Trinity offered, smiling sweetly. "Peaches managed to get himself stabbed in the heart last night. He doesn’t need to go running the streets."

Taker raised his eyebrow at the smaller man. Peaches? He had to fight not to give in to the smile that tried to break though at the nickname. Adam seemed not to notice, he’d been called plenty of names by Trinity during their friendship.

"Promise me right now Tri," he said, his voice urgent. "You won’t leave this house, for any reason. All three of you," his eyes went from Trinity’s to Isabel’s to Reagan’s. "Promise me."

Reagan softly whispered ‘promise’, some of the laughter going out of her eyes. She didn’t really know who Paige was, but she felt the fear that was going through the others. She knew that they all suspected the man who’d attacked her last night had come and snatched their friend. She didn’t want to defy Adam, not after the evening they’d had together.

"I promise I won’t leave this house for any reason whatsoever," Isabel raised her hand and put it over her heart. She looked like she was saying the pledge. Adam looked at Trinity expectantly. She frowned at him, then nodded.

"Ok, you got it," was all she said. Taker stepped into the room, looking at her.

"Promise, Trinity," he said, his voice low.

"I already said…"

"Say the words damn it. You will not leave this house under any circumstance." Time was wasting, but if they spent their time searching for Paige worrying over Trinity it would be pointless.

"I fucking promise, Ok?" she spat out. Adam looked at her in surprise, but Taker just nodded. Trinity seemed to be someone who stuck to her word. Making her say it out loud had just cemented it for him.

"Good. We’ll be back soon. Lock the doors. Somebody will stick close outside just in case," with that the two men went down the hall and out the front door.

"Well…I just feel so of use," Isabel said blandly. Reagan smiled weakly at her while Trinity fumed.

"Men are assholes. Be they dead or alive," Trinity finally said, making both of the other girls laugh. That almost broke the tension as they waited for the guys to come back with some kind of news about Paige.

The hour passed slowly with no word. Isabel couldn’t take it anymore. She wanted to at least go sit on the porch. They knew that Jeff was still nearby; she felt fairly safe going out.

Reagan went out with her, anxious for Adam to come back. He was still hurting and didn’t need to be exerting himself this way. They settled on the porch with their backs against the door to watch and wait for the guys.

Trinity stayed inside, keeping herself busy. She cleaned up the kitchen then went into the living room. Grabbing the remote, she flopped down on the couch and flipped through all the channels before turning it off again. Getting up, she paced across the living room, trying to work off her nervous energy.

The phone rang and she jumped, yelping a little. She laughed at herself and picked up the cordless phone from the end of the couch to answer. It was probably one of the guys making sure they were staying put.

"Hello?" Trinity returned to her pacing.

There was no answer for a long moment, then she heard a deep sigh. Frowning, she stopped and listened, but all she heard was the sound of breathing. "Adam, this is no time to be making an obscene phone call," Trinity said.

A chuckle from the other end of the line sent a chill down her back. "When will there be a good time?" It was a voice that she didn’t know.

"Who is this?" Trinity asked, walking to the window. She could see Isabel and Reagan to her right, talking quietly.

"I think you already know the answer to that," the man’s voice was calm, as if he were just commenting on the weather.

"What do you what?" Trinity asked, feeling herself tense up.

"What do I want?" Another chuckle. "I think the better question is…what do I have that you want?"

"Damn it, where is she?" Trinity felt her anger flare up. So her hunch had been right; that asshole vampire had taken Paige.

He was laughing at her temper. "She’s cool. For now."

"I want to talk to her," Trinity said. "I don’t believe that you have her."

"Of course you know I have her. Why would I lie?" There was a faint rustling sound on his end. "I’m not going to hurt her, not if I get what I want."

"And what exactly is that?" Trinity said, closing her eyes.

"What do you think? A life for a life…I’ll let her go if you come get her." There was a pause. "And leave all of your little friends at home. They’ll be beating the bushes for hours trying to figure out where I am." He was laughing quietly again.

"They’ll find you…" Trinity started, but he interrupted her with another laugh.

"They’ve walked past me a few times already, and they never looked at me. But I like what I’m looking at right now," his voice had deepened to a low murmur.

Trinity felt her skin crawl. "What…where are you?"

He was laughing again. "You look nice tonight. Black certainly does suit you." Trinity looked down at the black shirt she’d put on earlier. The man was laughing again, a low deep rumble.

She looked out the window, making sure Isabel and Reagan were still there. "I have no interest in your other friends or your sister…at least, not unless you deny me what I want."

Her eyes were feverishly scanning the street, trying to spot him. He had to be somewhere close by. There was a movement from the roof across the street, and she pinned her eyes on it. It was too dark to tell if it was him, but she knew…it had to be.

"Leave them out of this. Let Paige go and I’ll meet you wherever you want."

"Now, I can’t do that. And give you and you’re friends time to think of a way to stop me? That would be…well…un-cool."

"What the hell do you want me to do then?" Her voice was slightly panicked. She didn’t like being played with.

"I want you to chill for now. I’m not going to hurt your friend. Tomorrow night, you’re going to give your pals the slip and go back to that motel you were at the other night. I’ll call you there and tell you the rest then." He disconnected before she could say anything else.

Trinity pushed the off button on the phone and tossed it at the couch. She stared into the darkness outside the window, watching as the shadow she’d seen separated itself from the roof across the street. It dropped down to the ground and disappeared.

Shaking, she sank down onto the couch. Why the hell would he want her to wait a night when she could get away right then? Her mind worked over it, and she frowned. Unless…he was going to do something to Paige tonight. From what Taker had said, this guy had never met a woman he didn’t ‘like’.

Getting up, she grabbed her keys from where they were sitting on the hall table. Trinity cast a guilty look at the front door, knowing she should at least tell Isabel she was going. She faltered a little, remember her promise to stay put. But she couldn’t just sit here…

She went to the back door and slipped outside. Her car was parked about a block away; she usually walked everywhere she needed to go when she was at Paige’s house. If she ran into one of they guys on the way, she told herself she’d spill everything. If not…then she’d do this on her own. Trinity grimaced, knowing that was just her way of trying to ease her own conscience. She had made a promise and here she was breaking it not an hour later.

Trinity made it to her car unseen, and slipped behind the wheel. She made it to the motel in a few minutes, and sat in the parking lot, watching. The whole building was dark, except for the room that had been Taker’s. There was a dim light in the window. She slowly got out of her car and walked toward the door, her stomach in knots.

"Are you going to stand out here all night or are you going in?" Isabel’s voice from behind her caused Trinity to jump. She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.

"You bitch, you scared me half to death," she whispered, turning to face her sister. "How did you know where I was?"

"That telepathy thing, remember? We went in the house and you were gone. I kinda figured you wanted to go hunting, so here we are," she motioned to Reagan who was standing behind her.

"Is he in there?" Reagan asked, eyeing the building doubtfully.

"I don’t think so," Trinity said. "The whole building seems so…empty."

Isabel was nodding in agreement. "Let’s check it out."

Leading the way, Trinity listened at the door to Taker’s room before trying the knob. It wasn’t locked…the door pushed opened silently.

Reagan and Isabel pressed in close behind her to survey the room. Someone had done a real number on it. The bed was ripped to shreds, the dresser pulled apart. The chair was smashed, the broken pieces in one corner. And there was something that looked like blood all over everything.

"Oh my God," Isabel breathed out. "It’s not…Paige’s…is it?"

"No. This isn’t human blood," Reagan’s voice was hollow as she surveyed the damage.

"How do you know?" Isabel looked at her inquisitively.

"Because he wants to freak us out," Trinity answered. "He’s playing with us…with me. He wanted me to walk in and believe that he’d killed Paige here. I’d be that much more broken when he finally came for me."

"He’s not going to get you, Trini," Isabel wrapped her arm over her sister’s shoulder.

"If he doesn’t get me, then Paige dies for real," Trinity said, her voice flat, emotionless. Isabel and Reagan exchanged a glance. "We need to get back to the house before the guys show up. We don’t want them to know about this just yet."

Confused but deferring to Trinity’s wishes, they climbed into their cars and headed back across town. Trinity was trying to think…there had to be a way to stop this. There had to be something she could do, besides going to that asshole like a lamb to the slaughter.

One by one the guys returned to the house, all of them looking defeated. Matt was the last one home, walking into the living room and sitting down without saying a word. Trinity went to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

"We have to assume now that he’s got her," Kane said quietly. Taker nodded, looking down at Matt and Trinity. They were all visibly shaken, but she seemed to be…holding something back.

"What do we do now?" Jeff piped up. He’d been strangely quiet since they’d found Paige missing.

"We can go back out. Dawn is still a few hours away. Paige has her own powers. One of us will be able to sense her," Adam said, indicating Matt and Jeff. "He’s got to be nearby. I can’t believe he’d go too far with her."

"You guys are not leaving us behind again," Isabel said heatedly. Adam looked at her, then shrugged.

"You can come. Reagan, you too if you want. But Trinity stays here."

"What?" she looked up from where she’d been playing with Matt’s hair, trying to comfort him a little.

"You’re the one he really wants. Taker and Kane are here to protect you, so I say let them do their job," Adam crossed his arms and looked down at her.

"I am not going to be locked up in this house just because you are having a testosterone attack…"

"Trinity…" Matt broke into her rant, looking at her with dark eyes. "Please. Stay here."

She looked at him helplessly. "Damn it. This isn’t fair."

He gave her a half-smile. "Yeah, but…if he gets to you, we’re all screwed."

"What about Isabel?" Jeff asked. Isabel looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"As far as I can tell, the asshole doesn’t want me. If I stick with you guys I’ll be fine. Besides…you might need me." She let her statement hang in the air. Adam was nodding slowly, not wanting to say out loud that they would most likely need her healing powers when they found Paige.

"One of us should go back out too," Kane said, looking at Taker. Taker nodded, then motioned for Kane to follow him up the stairs.

"We’ll be leaving in five minutes," Taker said from the stairs. "Everybody get ready." They all nodded and split up, leaving Trinity to sit with Matt on the couch.

Taker pulled his brother into Trinity’s room and shut the door. Kane watched as he reached under the bed and pulled out the bag that was hidden there. Inside were the weapons that Hell had given them to aid them in their quest.

"Which one stays, which one goes?" Kane asked slowly. Taker was loading what looked to be an antique revolver with silver bullets. Instead of answering he shook his head. "Do you want me to stay with Trinity?" Taker glared at his brother, but said nothing. "I kind of get the feeling you don’t want to be alone with her. Then again, I get the feeling you don’t want anybody else to be alone with her either." Kane smirked, watching as his older brother tried to deny it.

"That’s stupid. Why would I care?" He finally said, snapping the revolver shut.

"I don’t know. Probably because you like her and don’t want to let on. Just go with it. Why do you have to keep fighting what you’re feeling?"

"Because it’s wrong!" Taker slapped the gun into Kane’s hand. "You and Isabel…" He stopped and took a breath. "You did your own thing. That might have been right for you Kane, but I can’t…there’s too much riding on this."

Kane’s eyes had narrowed. "If you’re trying to say I fucked up…"

"No, I didn’t say that. For you, it was the right decision. For me…" Taker shook his head. "I just can’t. As much as I want to, I can’t forget why I’m really here." He looked his brother in the eye. "I’ll stay with Trinity. You go and stick with Isabel. She’ll feel safest with you."

"Don’t trust me with Trinity?" Kane asked with a grin. Taker sneered at him and shook his head, but Kane didn’t see it. He was chuckling and going out the door.

Taker made it downstairs in time to see them all go out the door, making sure Kane would call for him if he found anything. He shut the door, amazed at how still the house had become.

He wandered back through the living room, but Trinity wasn’t there anymore. He heard some noises from the kitchen and went inside, watching from the doorway as she seemed to randomly open and close cabinets, looking for nothing in particular. He watched her for a minute, sensing how upset she was. She was trying to hold it back though, take her mind off of it.

Taker thought for a second, then stepped over to her and took her hand. She looked at him in surprise, but followed him as he led her to the living room. He sank onto the end of the couch, then pulled her down onto his lap.

Trinity sighed and nestled herself into his bulk, feeling his arms wrap around her. She felt like crying. But she wouldn’t let herself do it as she took comfort from Taker’s strong arms. His hand was slowly stroking through her long hair. She wondered why he was suddenly being very tender, but decided not to question it. This might be the only time something like this would happen.

They remained silent for a few minutes, Trinity’s head on his shoulder. Taker’s arm was around her back, supporting her, the other hand rested on her leg. She found herself growing a little sleepy as she shared the warmth of his body.

"We will find her," Taker finally said, his voice a deep rumble next to her ear. Trinity hesitated, wanting to tell him about the phone call she’d gotten, and the state of the motel room. But something held her back. She remembered the dream she’d had earlier, the one where Taker was being stabbed.

He had come to protect her, but Trinity knew that in reality she was the one that had to protect him. He had suffered so much already…lost so much. He had feelings he didn’t want, and it was going to make him lose his mind if he didn’t admit them soon. She sighed and pushed those thoughts away. She didn’t see him admitting to anything if he thought it went against his mission.

Taker sensed her hesitation; he knew there was something very big that she wasn’t telling him. He couldn’t protect her fully if she kept things to herself, especially if they had to do with their mutual enemy. But he wouldn’t be able to force her to tell, anymore than she could force him to tell anything he didn’t want to. Absentmindedly, his hand moved from her leg to her hair, feeling it’s texture in his fingertips.

She sighed again as his fingers brushed her temple, sliding down her cheek. He traced the curve of her neck, stopping when he touched her necklace. He pulled at it until the ruby tear- drop was resting in his fingers.

"That’s beautiful," He whispered. Trinity nodded slowly.

"My mother gave it to me right before she died," her voice was oddly flat of emotion, as if talking about it had become mechanical. "She gave Isabel a bracelet with a sapphire. Paige got a diamond ring…" her voice cracked when she said that.

"Special meaning or just patriotic?" Taker asked softly. Trinity smiled and took the pendant from his fingers, feeling it’s cool reality for herself.

"Our mother was…special. She said that she had blessed these with her magic. At the time, I thought she was just raving. That was before…before all this weirdness started," Her voice dropped thoughtfully.

"Was she a witch?" Taker asked quietly. Trinity shook her head.

"When will you people ever learn?" she quirked a smile. "She practiced her own form of…for lack of a better word…religion. A mixture of Wiccan earthiness and voodoo magic. There are no such things as witches, no matter what some vampires believe. Wiccan things hurt them because they don’t understand it, not because they’re blessed."

Taker frowned in confusion. "Psychosomatic injuries?"

"Mostly. They fear the unknown, just as humans do. And to most vampires, the only things they want to know about are hunting and sleeping." She stopped and bit her lip. "I don’t understand it myself, come to think of it. My mother seemed so…crazed. I thought it was just the cancer that she died from. But I think it was more than that now," her fingers stroked the red stone again.

"So, that sword that your friend took last night…" Taker began.

"Silver in his heart, which caused massive pain and almost killed him," Trinity smiled. "It would have happened whether the sword was Wiccan or not. It’s not the origin, it’s the silver. But vampires like to put tags on things just like humans do. So they blame the Wiccans," her voice had dropped down again, and she finished with a yawn.

"A little bit of undead prejudice then?" Taker chuckled.

"Basically," She let got of the necklace, letting it drop back down under her shirt.

"When did your mother die?" Taker asked curiously.

"About a week before I turned seventeen. Why?"

"Just wondering," he said simply. Getting her to talk was calming her down. He could feel Trinity relaxing against his body. "When did you start noticing these powers you have?" His voice had gone down to a low monotone.

"Hmm…right around my birthday," Trinity mumbled. The slow beat of his heart and the warm smell of him was putting her to sleep.

Taker said nothing else, just held onto her and rubbed her back with his hand. It seemed a little too coincidental to him that her mother had died right before the biggest change Trinity would ever have in her life. And passing to each one a piece of jewelry…it could mean nothing. He tried to remember if Isabel had been wearing a bracelet but he hadn’t paid that much attention. Paige’s ring…he’d never seen her, so he couldn’t say for sure on that either.

Trinity had fallen into an exhausted doze in his lap. She’d been through so many ups and downs in the last few days…Taker gathered her close and stood up. He carried her up the stairs to her room, gently putting her on the bed. He sat down and watched her sleeping, her face looking so young and relaxed.

He gently traced a fingertip across her lips, smiling a little. She trusted him; it was something that was taking him some getting used to. She sighed in her sleep, her warm breath blowing across his fingers. A shock wave of desire tore through him quickly, blindly. He closed his eyes, trying to reign it in. He had thought he was finally getting a hold over these rampant urges.

He started when he felt her take his hand. Her eyes were open and she was looking up at him. Taker squeezed her hand and shook his head, trying to fight his feelings before he gave in to them. Trinity smiled sadly, the kissed the back of his hand. "Don’t say it, I already know," she muttered. She glanced at the clock, then moved to get off the bed. "It’s almost dawn. The others will be back soon."

Taker nodded and followed her back down the stairs. He’d let another opportunity pass him by. He did want to be with her…needed her so much that it had become a deep ache inside of him. But he didn’t know how to let himself just give in. Even when he’d been alive he had hesitated with his emotions. Now that there was so much at stake…he found himself frozen in indecision.

A little after eight that morning, the house had settled down into an uneasy silence. The vampires, all exhausted, were sleeping. Matt hadn’t wanted to, but Trinity had insisted he rest up. There would be more work for him when the sun set.

She and Isabel were in the kitchen, Trinity cleaning up from the food she’d made earlier. A thought struck her. "Do you still wear the bracelet mom gave you?"

Isabel looked up, surprised. Instead of answering, she held out her arm, showing the delicate silver band with the blue stone embedded in the center. "I hardly ever take it off. Why?"

"What about Paige? Does she still have the ring?" Isabel had been so out of it, she barely remembered what Taker had said to her the night before.

"Yeah, Matt was joking about resetting the stone so he wouldn’t have to buy her another one," Isabel frowned. "I think she was wearing it when that asshole snatched her. She never took it off, not that I can remember."

Trinity was nodding. "Why don’t you go get Kane and go to bed?"

"You could use some sleep yourself, Tri," Isabel said softly.

"I took a little nap last night. I’m good for another hour or two. Besides, in the safety of daylight I can wander around town for a bit."

Isabel laughed. "Good luck getting past your guard," she said, watching as Trinity’s face wrinkled in a frown. "I’ll see ya later."

"Try to keep the noise down, Izzy," Trinity said sweetly, getting a dark look from her little sister. Isabel hadn’t admitted it, but it was obvious something was going on between her and Kane. Trinity wondered why it was that when it came to dates she always ended up with the moody, deep, brooding ones.

Shaking it off, she finished up and went to grab her car keys. Taker was nowhere to be seen, which was a relief. She wouldn’t have to explain to him where she was going.

The sun was out, making her squint and pull on a pair of dark sunglasses. She drove slowly along the early morning streets, knowing yet not knowing where she was going.

She pulled her car to a stop at the curb and climbed out. Reagan’s antique shop was just as the guys had left it. The closed sign hung in the window of the front door, and there were a couple of newspapers on the porch.

Inside, the store had a musty unused smell. It was hard to believe that Reagan had only been gone for less than two days. The whole place felt abandoned, dark. Without paying any attention to anything else in the room, Trinity went to the corner of the main showroom. There, she found exactly what she’d known would be there.

Not a Wiccan ceremonial sword, not something that was blessed. It was a very large dagger, one she’d seen countless times when she’d been younger. Her mother had kept it locked away in a trunk, only taking it out occasionally to polish its shining silver.

Looking at it, Trinity turned it over in her hands. It was exceedingly heavy, almost feeling alive in her hands. Adam’s blood was dried faintly onto the point. The handle had three tear-shaped jewels, a ruby, a sapphire, and a diamond. They were planted with the narrow ends together, forming a triangle. In the center of the triangle was another jewel: this one looked like it was onyx. It was dead black, shining dully in the dim sunlight.

Trinity heard a noise and looked around, startled. There was nothing there, it had just been the old house settling around her. She frowned at the dagger in her hands. How the hell had she known where to come to find it? And what did the onyx stand for? The center of their triangle, but what…or who…did it refer to?

Her hands trembling, she went to the kitchen and grabbed a towel to wrap the dagger in. She’d stuff it in the gym bag out in her car when she went to the car. Right now she just wanted to get out of this house and back into the comforting warmth of the sun. She felt so watched there, but it was ridiculous. There was no one around.

She got back to the house and slipped in unnoticed. It seemed as if everyone had passed out. She couldn’t sleep though, she was too worried over what was going to happen that night. Slipping out unseen was going to be quite a feat considering how uptight everybody was. She settled at the kitchen table with her bag, amused they hadn’t tried to handcuff her to something to keep her home.

The smile faded from her lips as she lifted the dagger out of the bag. She studied the handle closely, frowning. That black stone…onyx…whatever it was. It seemed to be holding them all together. But Trinity couldn’t think of any one thing or person that they shared equally. Another puzzle for her to try to solve.

There was a noise from the hallway, and Trinity stuffed the knife back into the bag. She kicked it under the table seconds before Taker walked into the room. He looked at her for a second, then sat down.

"I though you were asleep," Trinity said, trying for a light tone. He shrugged and settled back in the chair. He’d seen her leave and had waited for her to come back. Although she was ‘safe’ in the daytime, he still didn’t feel comfortable letting her take off alone.

Taker scrubbed his hands over his face, feeling more tired than he’d felt in ages. "I couldn’t sleep. Sometimes you get too tired to sleep." He smiled sarcastically. "There’s a cure for that kind of thing."

Trinity raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if he was taking a shot at flirting with her. Instead of answering him, she got up and poured herself a glass of water.

Taker watched her closely. She seemed so distracted, but it was understandable considering her friend had disappeared. They were all worried, but there was still more to come. They needed to rest to prepare for it.

He also had another problem to worry about. Adam. The vampire had seemed so oddly familiar to Taker that he’d at first dismissed it. He was the guy that Trinity had been hugging in the picture in her room, but that wasn’t the only thing that was bothering him. He thought he knew what it was, but couldn’t be sure.

Some vampire had turned their killer before he had died. Taker had slowly began to realize that Adam was most likely that vampire. He seemed to be too connected into this whole thing. Killing him would end Taker and Kane’s time with Hell, but he couldn’t see them doing it. Not when he was a close and loved friend of Trinity’s.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, rubbing his temples with his fingers. It seemed there were no right answers in this mess.

He stiffened up a little when he felt Trinity’s hands on his shoulders, then relaxed with a thankful moan as her fingers started kneading the tense muscles of his shoulders. His eyes grew heavy under the soothing motion of her hands, until he was almost asleep sitting at the table.

"Come on," Trinity’s voice broke into his light doze, and he looked up at her in surprise. She was holding her hand out. Taker took it in his and followed her up the stairs to her room.

She closed the door and then turned to look at him. "Take your shirt off," she said, smiling at the look on his face.

"Trinity…" He didn’t move to comply, even though he wanted to.

She shrugged and stepped toward him, ignoring his protest. Her fingers quickly undid the buttons and she pushed the material off his shoulders. Taker held himself absolutely still as she looked at his chest.

"You know…those scars don’t have to remind you of something bad," she said quietly. Her fingers touched one, then another. "You didn’t let that asshole get away with what he did to your sister. It isn’t your fault that he’s still doing it today."

Taker said nothing as she circled him, her fingers still stoking his scarred skin. "Do you know why vampires can still live, even after they’re dead?" She didn’t wait for him to answer. "Because they move on. Most of them forget they were ever human. Some of them…like the guys here…strive to be more than human. You’re almost like them."

"I’m nothing like them," Taker said quietly.

Trinity smiled, coming around to stand in front of him again. "No, you do have something in common with them. But the difference is…you’re frozen in that one moment that ended you. Even if you do kill this vampire and go back to being a human, something in you will always be dead."

Taker opened his mouth to protest, then closed it. He didn’t know what to say to her. She seemed to be far away, her eyes distant. "Go lie on the bed. I’m going to give you a back rub and we’re both going to get some sleep." She finally said. Taker met her eyes and watched as she seemed to come back to herself.

Instead of arguing, her stretched out on his stomach and waited. Trinity climbed onto the bed and straddled his hips, resting her weight on his butt. Moving slowly, she began to stroke his back, making him moan again as his tired muscles were worked over.

Trinity loved how his skin felt under her hands. So soft, covering hard muscle. The scars didn’t detract from him at all, even if he thought they did. They were about the last thing that drew the eye to this man.

She smiled as he relaxed under her, his breathing growing steady and deep. When she was sure he was asleep, she slowly moved off of him, then stripped off her clothes. She pulled on a long man’s shirt, her usual sleeping outfit, and slid into bed next to him, pulling the blanket up over them. He mumbled and rolled over, catching her in his arms and pulling her close. Trinity smiled, feeling his warmth radiating through her.

He could deny it all he wanted, but he did want her. And she had never denied that she wanted him. Today she was going to have to find a way to get him over his hang-ups. She had a feeling that after the night was through, everything was going to be different. If he was going to be human again, he had to be ready for it. He couldn’t hide behind his scars forever.

Taker was dreaming again, had to be. It was very dark, and he was alone and cold. Shivering, he rolled over, slowly realizing he was in Trinity’s bed. She wasn’t there, and had a moment of panic. It took him a minute to make out the shadows in the room. She was standing near the bathroom door, quietly shutting it. Sometime during the day she’d gotten up and pulled the blackout blinds. He couldn’t tell what time it was, the room was so dark.

He felt the bed shift as she got back in. "It’s dark in here," he muttered quietly.

"I didn’t wake you up did I?" Trinity asked, sliding closer to him. She pulled the blanket back up over him. "The sun was coming in the window. It woke me up."

"Nah, it’s ok," He cleared his throat as Trinity snuggled against him again. Her hand rested on his bare chest, pressing against his heart.

She slowly began to rub his chest, her palm sliding over his skin. Taker held his breath, his eyes closing. He felt himself getting hard already, and was going to grab her hand and make her stop. "Trinity…"

"Shh," she rested her head on his shoulder, her hair tickling against his arm. "I just want to touch you."

He swallowed audibly as her hand kept moving, never going any lower than his navel. She could feel him tense up and relax as she moved, and smiled a little. She’d never had to play the role of seducer, but she was going to have to now.

Moving up on her elbow, she looked down at him. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark room a little, and she could dimly see his closed eyes, his parted lips. She lifted her hand and traced the outline of his lips with her finger, smiling at the soft sound that escaped him. She leaned down and slowly pressed her mouth to his in a light kiss, pulling away as soon as she felt him start to respond.

He groaned without realizing it. Trinity’s lips moved down his stubble-covered chin, her teeth lightly nipping him. She kissed her way down his neck, her tongue flicking out over his skin.

She worked her way down to his chest, feeling his resistance to her melting away little by little. Her hands kept stroking his chest as her mouth found one of his flat nipples and latched onto it, making him jump at the sensation. She could feel his hips move as he responded to the touch of her mouth and hands. Letting go of his nipple, she kissed her way down his ribs, then back up.

She pulled herself up, resting her weight on her elbow again. Her hand was still sliding over his chest and stomach in slow circles. Taker looked up at her, not wanting her to stop but afraid to ask her to go on. Trinity traced the skin directly above the waistband of his pants, aware that he was holding his breath.

"Tell me you want me to stop," she whispered.

"I…" Taker bit his lip, not wanting to say it. He knew he should stop this now before he reached the point where there was no turning back.

Her fingers touched the button on the top of his jeans. "I want you Mark," she said, her voice soft. "I want to be with you. I want you to make love to me…"

Her voice trailed off as his button opened. She slowly lowered the zipper and then ran her finger back up the sensitive skin that was exposed. He moaned again, not knowing if it was the touch of her hand or the sound of his name on her lips that caused it.

He caught her hand, and Trinity frowned a little, wondering if he was going to back off again. He shocked her, lifting the hand to his lips to kiss her fingers, then lowering it to rest on his crotch. She squeezed him though the material of his jeans, feeling him move against her hand.

Ducking her head, she kissed him softly again, pressing her lips to his. As she pulled back, his hand came up, cupping the back of her head. He brought her down against his mouth, crushing her lips, invading her mouth with his tongue. Moaning in acceptance, Trinity kissed him back passionately, her tongue sliding over his.

Her hand was still moving over the bulge in his jeans, slowly working him into a state that was almost frenzy. Breaking the kiss, out of breath, Trinity sat up and tugged his jeans from his hips. Taker helped slide them off then lay back, watching as her eyes moved over his body. Her hand trailed over his hip, making him shiver. Using one finger, she stroked the length of his cock, feeling his soft skin, the hardness under it.

She slid down the bed a little, resting her head on his hip. Her fingers still moved over him, but now she added her tongue, licking him from top to bottom then back up. She sucked the head gently into her mouth, then let it out, using her tongue to trace the sensitive ridge. She repeated the action several times, never taking more than the head into her mouth.

Taker’s hips strained up from the bed as he tried to get her to suck him deeper. He’d lost all conscious thought, the feel of her mouth and hands on him too much. He reached down and grabbed her, pulling her up so she was lying on top of him.

His mouth sought hers in another deep kiss as his hips jerked up, his cock pressing tight against her hip. Taker growled something unintelligible, then rolled her onto her back. Trinity stared up at him, watching as his fingers sought the buttons on the front of her shirt. He pushed the material apart and ran his hands from her neck to her hips. Sliding them back up, he cupped her breasts in his hands, her soft moan causing him to moan back as he rubbed her erect nipples.

He shifted slowly, putting one leg between hers. He felt her moving against his leg, her hips jerking every time his fingers tightened on her breasts. Lowering his head, he took a nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue over it before lightly sucking. He grazed her with his teeth, causing her to grab his head and hold him against her body.

Taker moved to the other breast, one hand slipping between their bodies to touch her. His finger found her clit and he began to slowly rub it. Using a light touch, he circled the hard little nub, then pressed directly against it, feeling her body arch under him as she whimpered in need.

"Mark…" he heard her moan his name, and knew she was ready for him. He slowly parted her legs, positioning himself between them. Taker’s fingers slid from her clit, exploring her for a moment, feeling how wet she was.

Taker took his cock in his hand and guided it to her, easing the head inside her body. He felt her clench around him; the sensation was almost enough to send him over the edge. Holding himself still, he rested his weight on his knees and slid his hands back up her body.

Trinity felt him grab her hands, and threaded her fingers through his. Taker slowly moved, bringing their hands above her head on the pillow, his body fully pressed down against hers. Her grip on his fingers tightened as he slowly moved, pressing deeper into her.

With his weight on her, she could do little but enjoy what he was doing. With methodical slowness he eased in and out of her, going a little deeper each time. The angle of his thrust caused his cock to rub against her clit each time he moved. The slowness of his motions was making her crazy.

"Mark…I need…" she gasped as he ground his pelvis into her before pulling back a little.

Taker began to pick up his pace, giving her what she wanted. Trinity began squeezing his cock inside her body, and he added a small rotation to his hips to make the most of it. He could feel his orgasm building up, heat flooding his entire body as she cried out under him, her nails digging painfully into the backs of his hands. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him more firmly against her, inside her. The feel of her orgasm, the way she was clenching him so tight inside her…Taker couldn’t hold out.

Trinity’s orgasm had just started to fade when he gave on last push, burying himself inside her and moaning out her name. She realized he was talking, but it took her a moment to understand what he was saying. "I love you…" he whispered it over and over, his cock spasming inside her, his hips still jerking with the power of it.

She lay still, shocked, wondering if he knew what he had said. She was slowly catching her breath, feeling his heart slow down against her chest. He eased his hands from hers, and she immediately wrapped them around his shoulders, hugging him close.

They held each other for a few minutes, not moving. Trinity became aware of the fact that not only was he still inside her; he was still as hard as when they’d started. Taker sensed the direction of her thoughts and experimentally moved his hips, making her shudder at the bolt of heat that shot through her.

Rolling over, keeping her pressed against him, Taker ended up on his back with Trinity lying on his chest. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, a gentler kiss than he’d given her before. The heat from it almost melted her though. Trinity sat up slowly, trailing her hands over his powerful chest. She began to rock her hips back and forth in a very slow rhythm. Taker’s hand held her hips, as he watched her body working over his.

He slid his hands up to cup her breasts, his thumbs tweaking the nipples. Trinity arched into him, feeling his cock move even deeper inside her. She was gasping now, already feeling the beginnings of another orgasm building. The way he was looking at her, his touch, the feel of him…it all combined to make her crazy with wanting him.

Taker could not stop looking at her. Her body was barely moving, but he was enthralled by the soft ripple of her stomach, the slight bounce of her breasts. His hands slid over her skin as if trying to memorize every curve. Trinity leaned back a little, giving him more access to her.

He slid a finger against her clit, feeling his cock moving in and out of her as he rubbed it. She was moaning softly again, her fingers grabbing his wrist. She didn’t pull him away, but pressed him closer, holding him there.

He strained to catch up with her, moving his hips up from the bed to deepen the slow winding movements of her hips. In a few thrusts, he could feel himself tightening up, and rubbed her clit directly with his fingertip. Just as she moaned out his name and was overtaken with her orgasm, his own climax claimed him, bringing his hips off the bed in one final thrust. He grabbed her hips and jerked her tight against him, gasping and moaning as her body milked him.

Trinity lay down on top of him, her head resting on his chest. She was completely sated now, and didn’t think she’d be able to move anytime soon. Taker cradled her close to him, feeling her sigh against his chest as she finally caught her breath.

He knew what he had said the first time he’d climaxed with her. He didn’t know if she’d heard or understood, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. That she hadn’t said it back didn’t matter. What mattered was he was there with her, feeling her body relax into his, stroking her under his palms.

Trinity slowly moved from on top of him, burrowing into the bed next to him. Taker wrapped his arms around her, his chest against her back, her butt firmly pressed against his crotch. Sleepily he kissed her ear, making her giggle tiredly. In a few seconds he was asleep, his breathing evening out, his arms loosening their tight grip on her. Trinity smiled a little and let herself doze, knowing she’d need what little rest she could get now.

Trinity carefully moved away from Taker, going slow and stopping occasionally to make sure he didn’t wake up. He was deep in sleep, his chest moving slowly with every breath.

It was too damn tempting to stay there with him, maybe try for a repeat performance of earlier, but she knew she couldn’t. The sun was going down, the others would wake up soon. She only had a small window of opportunity to slip out unnoticed.

She grabbed some clothes and tiptoed out the door, sighing in relief when it clicked shut behind her. She crept downstairs to the kitchen and quickly got dressed, pausing to listen for noise from elsewhere in the house. Her bag was still under the table where she’d left it. Trinity quickly rummaged through it and pulled out the dagger.

She tucked it into the waistband of her jeans, wincing at how cold it was. She wouldn’t be able to sit down but it would look strange for a girl to be wandering through town with a big knife in her hand. Trinity scribbled a quick note to Reagan, sensing somehow that she was awake and on her way up the stairs. Smiling a little, she grabbed her leather jacket and pulled it on, heading for the front door before she was spotted.

Trinity stepped off the porch when there was a noise behind her. Turning, expecting to see Reagan, Taker or maybe Kane, she looked in surprise at Isabel. She was dressed almost identically to her sister, the same jeans and T-shirt, but her leather jacket was a deep brown instead of black.

"Going for a walk?" She asked, joining her sister on the sidewalk.

"Go back inside Izzy," Trinity said, frowning.

"Like hell. You’re going to try to get Paige back. I’m going with you."

"How did you know?" Trinity looked at her in exasperation.

"Sixth sense…telepathy…I saw you coming outside," She said with a smile. "Come on. We should go. Sun’s dropping."

Trinity sighed and turned, walking toward where her car was parked. Isabel followed along, lost in thought for a moment.

"We shouldn’t be doing this. What if something happens to you? Then Taker and Kane…" Isabel couldn’t finish the thought.

"I know Iz," Trinity said, pulling the dagger out and tossing it into the back seat. After they had settled in and were on their way, she continued. "But…I don’t know. Being around us has made them different. I’m afraid more for their safety than ours."

Isabel was quiet. She’d woken Kane before following Trinity, and he was going to tell Taker. She was sure that if Trinity knew the two guys were behind them somewhere she’d flip her lid.

"Grab that dagger and look at the handle, would you?" Trinity’s voice cut into Isabel’s thoughts. She gingerly picked up the dagger and brought it closer to her face, seeing the four stones.

"This looks like the on Mom had…" Isabel didn’t finish. "Where did you find it?"

"At Reagan’s. Isabel, do you know how old Reagan is?"

"I never asked her. In her thirties?" Isabel was unsure. Reagan looked as young as they did, but she did have a maturity around her.

"Was she wearing any jewelry that you noticed? A ring, a necklace?"

"No…" But Isabel sounded unsure. "Everything’s been a mess these last few days." A pause, then, uncertainly, "Do earring count? She has the prettiest pair of antique silver and black studs in her ears…" She trailed away at the look on Trinity’s face. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything. I found this dagger at her shop and today something started clicking. Puzzle pieces falling together. Paige figured out a lot of it."

"What, that we have some kind of powers? What does that have to do with Reagan?" Isabel was completely confused.

"If we had more time…I could maybe explain everything to you. Reagan’s mom died when she was ten right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Isabel studied the gleaming dagger.

"We were born exactly a year after that," Trinity said, stopping for a red light. Traffic was heavier than usual on an early Saturday evening. "I believe…Reagan’s mom faked her death. To protect herself and Reagan. Then she met our dad and…well, here we are."

"What?" Isabel looked at her sister as if she’d lost her mind. "That’s insane. Mom and Dad knew each other for a long time before they got married. They had those damn scrapbooks, remember?" Their mother had gone to school with their father, and had stacks of pictures to show for it.

"So? They lost touch and got back together again. Damn it, hush for a minute, let me finish," Trinity cut off Isabel’s further protest. "The four stones on the dagger. I have the ruby, you have the sapphire, Paige the diamond. That left the black. It didn’t mean anything to me until I applied it to the vampires."

"What does it mean then?" Isabel whispered, already sensing she knew the answer. She just needed to hear it for herself.

"Paige knew we each had a power, what she didn’t know…or didn’t mention…was the stones," Trinity’s hand found the ruby on the chain around her neck and she idly rubbed it. "The black stone, I couldn’t figure out. But it finally came to me. Our powers, compared to what happens around the vampires, are weak on humans. We almost make vampires human when we’re near them."

"What does that mean?" Isabel asked, her own fingers going to the slim band around her wrist.

"It means…if the three of us, the diamond, ruby, and sapphire…if we bring them life, then the black one…"

"Death…" Isabel said quietly.

"That’s what I thought. But something else came to me. Vampires can’t really die. Sunlight can burn them horribly, but it’s not enough to kill them, even if they think it is. The only way to kill a vampire…"

"Is to make it mortal." Isabel looked at her sister in shock. "Reagan can do that?"

"No, not without us she can’t," Trinity shook her head. "Look at the dagger, how the three touch the black. Her power is dormant until she’s with all three of us."

"She’s the bullet and we’re the trigger," Isabel said, lightly running a finger over the stones.

"Something like that. I left her a note. She was coming up the steps when I went out the door. Hopefully she’s following us without the guys."

Isabel looked out the window, a grimace on her face.

"What?" She hadn’t turned fast enough for Trinity not to notice the look.

"I kind of…" Isabel sighed. "I told Kane that you were sneaking out and I was going to follow you. He was going to wake up Taker and do the same."

"What?" Trinity looked at her sister, stunned. "Damn it, Isabel! They can’t stop this guy. That Hell guy…he lied to them. There is no weapon he can give them that will kill this vampire. Only us."

"They’re dead already, remember? He can’t hurt them," Isabel tried to sound convinced of it.

"They’ve been around us. Alive but still not mortal. They can get hurt," she remembered a bit of her dream from the previous day, of Taker getting stabbed. "They will get hurt. Hell sent them on this ‘mission’ as a form of punishment. There was never going to be any resurrection for them. But somehow…he misread us. I don’t know for sure."

"If Reagan is the one who’s ultimately going to make the difference here, why didn’t you wait for her?" Isabel asked, not wanting to think about Kane getting hurt.

"Because I don’t want him to know. Not just yet. He thought he was picking a victim at random, but he was drawn to her the same way he was drawn to us. She fought him and was doing a hell of a job, and that confused him. When she gets there, when all of us are together, he won’t be able to run off. And with that," she gestured at the dagger. "We’ll finally send him to Hell. Where he belongs."

"What if Reagan brings Adam or the guys?" Isabel asked worriedly.

"She won’t. Not if she values Adam’s life."

"What do you mean?" Isabel asked blankly. "I thought you just said vampires can’t be killed…"

"They can’t, but…" Trinity sighed. "Reagan loves him. He loves her. And suddenly…Adam’s not drawing from us anymore. Don’t you sense that?"

Isabel was quiet for a few minutes then nodded. "But…what does that mean?"

"She’s turned him mortal. Without thinking about it, without even knowing it was happening. Adam won’t know it either, til he wakes up and suddenly gets a craving for a steak instead of blood."

"You’re sure?" Isabel’s face was filled with an odd mixture of hope and despair.

"I’m not completely sure, no. But I’ve tried to push him a little, you know…throwing stuff at him?" When Isabel nodded, Trinity continued. "Hatred, anger, fear…all different emotions. He never made a noise."

"When did you do that?" Isabel asked.

"Earlier, when everybody was asleep. I got out of bed to close the shades in my room when Adam was just…gone. I went down to the basement and went in his room. Usually he’d sense me coming down the stairs…but not this time."

"Shit…" was all Isabel could say.

"So we can’t let the guys, and Adam especially, in on this. I couldn’t explain it to her in the note, but she’ll know. Deep down, she’ll know."

Trinity parked her car in front of Taker’s motel room and cut the engine. They sat in silence, watching the sun’s diminishing rays reflect off the windows. "What’s going to happen when we get in there?" Isabel asked slowly.

"Hopefully…we’ll kick his ass. I’m glad you’re with me sis. I need you," With a smile, Trinity mussed Isabel’s head.

Smiling back, Isabel grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Let’s do this. I don’t want Kane…or Taker…to have to suffer through more than they’ve already been through."

Nodding, Trinity took the dagger and slowly climbed out of the car. She pointed to the door that was marked with an 8. "That’s Kane’s room. You go to that door, I’ll go in this one," she pointed to the one marked 9. "Taker’s. There’s a door that joins them. Paige is behind one of these. I can sense her here," Trinity’s eyes closed momentarily.

"Yeah…he must have brought her here this morning before sunrise," Isabel agreed. She was scared but not terrified. A strange calm had settled over her. "What if he’s in here?"

"Then I’ll come running," Trinity promised. Isabel nodded, some of her fear receding. She would trust Trinity with her life any day.

"On the count of three?" Isabel asked, moving to stand at the door. Trinity nodded and took her position at the other.

"One…Two…" Trinity said the numbers softly, slowly. Taking a deep breath, she grasped the doorknob in her hand and whispered, "Three."

Reagan grabbed her jacket and went out the door, the note from Trinity still clutched in her hand. She’d apparently just missed her; she’d heard the sound of the door closing as she came up from the basement.

If Trinity wanted her to be at the motel, why hadn’t she waited? She glanced worriedly back at the house as she went to Isabel’s rental car. The keys had been lying on the hall table; she was sure that Isabel wouldn’t mind if she borrowed her wheels for a little while.

She’d just unlocked the door when a strong hand grabbed her wrist. Reagan turned and looked up into Taker’s piercing green eyes. "Where is she?"

She knew better that to ask who he was referring to. Without saying a word, she handed him the crinkled piece of paper and watched his face grow stony as he read the short message. Kane was standing behind him, looking off into the distance.

"We have to hurry," he said, putting a hand on Taker’s shoulder. Taker looked back at Reagan.

"How long ago did they leave?"

"They? I don’t know, just a few minutes. I heard the door close and the note was on the table," She shook her head.

"Isabel’s with her. We have to catch them before they find our guy," Taker said quietly. Reagan looked up at him; she could see in his eyes that it was just about killing him to stay calm.

"Come on, get in," she said, making a quick decision. So Trinity had told her not to say anything to anybody about where she was going. That was crazy. These two only wanted to help…besides, she felt safer just having them in the car.

Taker had handed Kane the note and was riding in silence in the passenger seat. Kane scanned the paper, then leaned forward. "Why just you? Why not one of the guys, or Isabel?"

Reagan smirked. "I get the feeling she halfway knew Isabel was already behind her. Just like she knew somehow that I was coming upstairs."

"What the hell is she thinking?" Taker finally spat out, slamming his fist against his thigh. Kane looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "She’s going to get herself killed."

"Taker…" Before Kane could finish his thought, Reagan interrupted.

"I don’t think so. From what Adam told me, when the three of them are together they are kind of…invincible."

"That’s bullshit. Nobody’s invincible," Taker said irritably.

"A living dead man is telling me nobody’s invincible. Kinda takes hypocrisy to a whole new level, don’t you think?" Reagan said sarcastically.

"If we were invincible we wouldn’t be walking dead men," Taker said matter-of-factly. "We weren’t given much choice in what we are now."

"What, did you make a deal with God? Satan?" She flicked her gaze at him. Taker shrugged, looking back out the window.

"We didn’t make a deal. Hell gave us an offer we couldn’t refuse," Kane piped in from the backseat. Reagan glanced in the rearview at him, her eyes wide.

"Hell?" Just saying it as a name and not a throwaway word sent a cold chill down her spine.

"Some demon guy. I don’t know exactly what he is…" Kane looked at Taker. "If we can kill this vampire, we get our lives back."

To both men’s surprise, Reagan started laughing. "And you believed him?"

"What choice did we have?" Taker said quietly.

"I’m sorry," she managed to straighten out her expression. "I truly am. I know what you’re going through though. Well, not exactly, but it’s a close second."

Taker looked at her curiously. "What are you talking about?"

Reagan shrugged, feeling that old familiar sadness tug at her. "My mother died when I was young and I had no family. I was prepared to…well…sell my soul to be with my father. Until I came to my senses and realized what he really wanted."

"Which was?" Kane was leaning forward again, listening attentively.

"He wanted the part of me that was my mother. All of the good I have in me is because of her. He wanted to crush it out of me, make me in his own image," she shuddered, thinking how close she had come.

"It’s him isn’t it?" Taker asked softly. "Hell. That’s your father."

"Yes. He used to be human. Now he’s…a part of Hell, but he’s also known as Hell. It’s confusing. I’m not sure if there is a way to explain it."

"You don’t have to. We’ve seen him." Kane said flatly. Reagan nodded, blinking rapidly to fight back tears. "Something wrong?" He asked her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Reagan shook her head.

"It’s just that…my father is a liar. You two have been suffering because of him for so long. And I don’t see him giving you what you want. Not if you managed to kill all of the vampires in the world."

"You think he’ll go back on his word?" Taker asked her gruffly. Reagan risked a glance at him before turning the car into the motel parking lot.

"In a heartbeat. Even as a human he was a low piece of shit. He wouldn’t have changed much…" she trailed off as she parked the car. The motel lot was dark, but they could all see Trinity’s car parked in front of Taker’s room.

"Are they in there?" Kane asked, studying the front of the building. "I don’t feel…like what I felt before. It’s not there."

Taker was shaking his head. Something was different but he didn’t know what it was. The emotion that Trinity put out was…muffled. It was the only way to describe it. "Let’s go," he said, throwing open the door. They couldn’t have been more than a few minutes behind the girls, but that was all their adversary needed.

Isabel opened the door to Kane’s room and slipped inside, taking a moment for her eyes to adjust to the gloom. The only piece of furniture was the bed; someone had cleaned out the rest.

There was a small blanket covered mound on the bed, and Isabel sighed in relief when her eyes adjusted enough to make out Paige’s face. Quickly she went to the bed and untied the gag on her friend’s mouth.

"Are you all right?" Isabel whispered, working on a knot that held her hands together. Paige nodded, then cleared her throat a few times.

"You two are crazy for coming here. He’s going to kill us all now," She leaned down to untie her feet. "You could have just left me."

Isabel smiled at her. "We would never…" she trailed off as the door between the two rooms was opened and Trinity walked in.

"He’s not here yet. We have to hurry," she said, rushing to the bed.

"Let’s get out of here," Isabel helped Paige to her feet.

"No," Trinity said quietly. Isabel and Paige looked at her surprised. "We end this now. He’s only going to keep coming back. You two can go if you want, but I can’t."

"If you stay we all stay," Paige said heatedly. Trinity smiled and Isabel grabbed her in a hug.

"How touching. Like the three musketeers or something." A soft male voice startled them and made them all spin around. In the corner of the room was their vampire, standing with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

Trinity and Isabel both stepped back, but Paige held her ground. "All for one and one for all," she said jovially. Her friends looked at her as if she’d lost her mind, but the vampire laughed as if Paige had told a sidesplitting joke.

Trinity exchanged a look of disbelief with Isabel. Apparently Paige had worked some of her magic on this guy; all his psychotic rage of the past few nights had dwindled away. Or seemed to. He seemed to be fighting against the bonds that Paige had put inside his head.

"I say we all leave," Isabel said softly. The vampire shook his head, stepping forward.

"You can go," he looked at Isabel. Smiling, he nodded toward Paige. "She can go. That’s cool. But your sister…" his gaze stopped on Trinity. "She stays here."

Trinity frowned at him. Even with Paige exerting her influence, he was still very single-minded. "What if I don’t want to stay?" She said slowly.

The vampire smiled. "You don’t have a choice. Your friends can stay or go, whatever. I’ve never had an audience before."

"Rob…you don’t want to hurt Trinity," Paige said, her voice calm.

Isabel looked at Trinity and mouthed ‘Rob?’ Trinity shrugged. So he had a name. It didn’t make this any easier. She nodded once at Isabel, who turned to stare at Rob with intense concentration.

"What are you doing?" His head snapped toward her as he sensed some small change taking place inside him.

"Nothing, she’s just…curious about you Rob," Paige said, still trying to sooth him. He looked from one girl to the next, frowning. Isabel only needed a few seconds to probe through him, correcting what damage had been done to him to make him vampire.

Rob’s eyes narrowed and he took another step forward, then he stopped and his face became expressionless. Paige had to call up the last of her resources to slow him down once again. All through the night before she’d been forced to use her power. Rob had made threats toward her, and she knew he was just over the edge enough to forget that Trinity was his real goal. She’d had to force him to calm down, trying to find the mangled circuit in his brain that made him want to kill.

She still hadn’t found it. It was buried so deep…she’d never felt anything like it. But she could dampen it’s strength, make him think somewhat rationally.

Trinity could guess all of it. And now it was her turn, and hopefully Reagan’s. She put a hand on Paige’s shoulder, the other on Isabel’s. "It’s all right. You two go outside."

Isabel only nodded, but Paige looked at her as if Trinity were the one who needed psychiatric help. Trinity smiled, making sure it was more convincing than it felt. Reluctantly Paige began backing toward the door, knowing the moment Rob was out of sight she’d lose most of her grip on his emotions.

She suddenly understood what Trinity meant to do. Before she could protest, Isabel was grabbing her arm, dragging her out the door. Leaving Trinity to stare at Rob, who stared back, looking as if she didn’t interest him in the least.

"So, you decided you couldn’t resist me after all," he finally said, smiling a little. Trinity raised an eyebrow. Talk about being deluded.

"Yeah, I was pulled here by your magnetic personality," whatever sarcasm was in her voice was completely lost on him. He slowly stalked over to stand in front of her.

"Hmm," noncommittal, he reached out a hand to touch her hair. Trinity pulled back and grimaced.

"Just back down," she said forcefully. To her surprise he did. Paige must have just about killed herself keeping the lid on this guy.

Rob turned and went to the bed, sitting on the edge. "Come on," he patted the mattress next to him. "I think I can make this good for both of us."

"Is that what you told all the other women?" Trinity asked, snaking her hand behind her to touch the dagger that was tucked into her waistband. Rob frowned.

"They didn’t understand what I wanted. You do."

"Right. You just want to rape and kill me, that about it?" Trinity pushed at him a little, wanting to see if her power would have any effect.

The disconnected look dropped from his eyes for a moment and he stared at her, a feral gleam in his eyes. Trinity took an involuntary step back when he rose from the bed. Then the hood dropped back and he was smiling sweetly again. It made her feel sick just to look at it.

"I’m trying to be nice. I think we both know that there are other ways I can behave," Rob said conversationally. He moved a little closer to her, but Trinity couldn’t go far. In one step she was against the wall.

As soon as he saw she had nowhere left to go, the smile grew to a grin. His sharpened canines were exposed, gleaming a little in the light. Without thinking about it, she threw everything she had at him.

Rob screamed and clutched his head, falling to his knees. He was so used to feeling cold, emotionless; feeling the rush that hit him was more hurtful than any physical pain would be. He was on the floor, his hands on the carpet, head down, whimpering. Trinity sidestepped to move around him.

With a roar, he spun and lunged at her, grabbing her foot and knocking her off balance. Trinity hit the floor with a thud, her head bouncing off the carpet. She momentarily saw stars and couldn’t catch her breath. It was all he needed.

She felt him clawing his way up her body, pinning her down. His breath was hot in her face. "Come on baby. Do that again…" he laughed a little, grabbing handfuls of her hair and pulling it, making her head bounce off the floor again.

Trinity narrowed her eyes and tried to focus on him, pushing again. This time he didn’t scream, but started muttering incoherently, clutching at his head again. His ponytail was starting to come undone as his fingers dug into his scalp.

She scuttled backward, pushing with her feet to get out from under him. He recovered too fast, coming at her again, holding onto her legs so she couldn’t get away. She felt him ripping at her shirt, and looked down, seeing his eyes had gone almost completely red.

Trinity had a momentary feeling of triumph. At least she’d done some damage. It was short-lived as Rob threw a right hand and knocked her in the jaw, stunning her. He stood up, then grabbed her by the neck and lifted her to her feet.

Turning with her, he pinned her against the wall and pulled the tatters of her T-shirt from her body. She was seeing stars again, but she was still lucid enough to feel his breath panting at her neck.

"I’d like to say this won’t hurt…" he whispered, nipping her lightly enough to draw a little blood. She shuddered in revulsion as she felt his tongue lick it from her skin. "But I have to admit. I like it when you hurt. It makes you taste…so much better…"

Trinity struggled against him as his teeth raked her again, pushing at him both physically and mentally. This time, the push did nothing more than make him pause momentarily. She felt his chuckling, his lips against the scratches in her neck.

"That’s it baby…fight me…" she felt his tongue again, then the sharp hot needle-like pain that came as he bit into her neck.

Reagan had no more than taken two steps when one of the motel room doors opened and Isabel came stumbling out, pulling a protesting Paige behind her. Taker and Kane ran forward as both girls began babbling excitedly.

"Where’s Trinity?" Taker grabbed Isabel’s arms and forced her to quiet down and look at him.

"Inside still," she managed to say. Taker dropped her arms and started to move past her. "Wait! You can’t go…"

"Like hell I can’t," Taker muttered. He came up short of the door when Reagan stepped in front of him. She’d ignored the other two girls and was staring intently at the door. Taker glanced at his brother, who was standing protectively near Paige and Isabel. Kane tilted his head in question, forgetting for a moment that he no longer had the mask. The confusion was evident on his face.

Reagan slowly reached out and touched the doorknob. The door had slammed shut behind Paige and Isabel. It turned uselessly in her hand; the locking mechanism was broken.

"It’ll have to be busted…" she didn’t finish. The door to the other room caught her attention. She moved to it and seeing it standing ajar, pushed it open. Taker came to stand behind her, staring over her shoulder at the wreck that had been his room.

There was the sound of a scream from the other room, but it wasn’t Trinity. Reagan was still blocking Taker’s way, keeping him from charging in to see what was happening. "Reagan…" he warned her as she moved with increasing slowness to the door that connected the two room.

She just shook her head and grasped the knob, turning it and pushing at the same time. The first thing she saw was the dagger lying on the floor. The same one that had been in Adam’s chest just a few nights ago. It seemed to glow with a strange light, the silver shining dully in the dimness of the room.

There was a soft moaning sound, and Reagan turned her head. The vampire had Trinity against the wall and was…biting her, sucking at her neck. Trinity’s face had gone an ashen color but she still struggled weakly against her attacker. Reagan felt more than saw Taker freeze behind her. It was as if everything had frozen, that one moment etching itself into her mind in fine detail.

She heard Taker suck in a breath as he realized what was happening. "Trinity…" he tried to move around Reagan but she refused to budge. It was almost as if she were rooted to the spot. She could feel something…some strange dark power…rushing through her body.

Reagan took a slow step forward, feeling something like electricity growing around her in a cloud. Taker sidestepped her, meaning to cut across the room and kill the vampire barehanded. He came up short again by some invisible force that pushed him back.

He watched, stunned, as the vampire turned from his feeding. Trinity’s blood was smeared on his chin; a small trickle ran from one corner of his mouth. He spotted Reagan and let go of Trinity, not noticing her slide down the wall to the floor. Her eyes were only half-open, but she seemed to be focused entirely on Reagan.

Reagan noticed nothing except for the dark red gleam in the vampire’s eyes. She focused on him, willing whatever force was building around her to shoot out at him.

Taker watched, unable to take his eyes from what was happening. Trinity was sitting, the wall the only thing keeping her from falling flat. The vampire stood transfixed by Reagan, his eyes an eerie red. He hissed, taking a step forward menacingly toward Reagan.

Something…happened. Taker couldn’t be sure what exactly it was that he saw. A black streak off…electricity?…seemed to shoot out of Reagan’s eyes and directly into the vampires. He squealed, trying to shield himself, throwing his arm up. It didn’t work; the bolt went through his flesh, into his eyes that were growing more red by the second.

The bolt cut off just as suddenly as it began, the vampire dropping to the floor with a grunt. Taker was suddenly able to move and he rushed to Trinity, stooping down and cradling her in his arms. She blinked up at him as if unsure of where she was, then smiled a little. "Finish him…" she managed to whisper out. Taker frowned at her, then looked over his shoulder. The vampire was still on the ground, trying to regain his footing, but it was as if every move he made was giving him great pain.

He gently laid Trinity on her back, then stood and turned to watch the vampire finally rise to his feet. His eyes were no longer red, but there was something different about him. Taker stooped down and picked up the dagger, hefting it in his hand, feeling its weight.

The vampire looked up at him, a look of shock on his face. "I…can’t…I…" If he was looking for sympathy, he was looking to the wrong person. Taker took the final steps toward him and turned the dagger.

Grasping the smaller man’s shoulder, he leaned forward and whispered in the vampire’s ear, "This is for Emily." He drove the dagger straight into the man’s chest, piercing his heart, twisting it to make sure it was all the way in. Hot blood spilled over his hands, and he looked down surprised. As far as he knew…vampires did not bleed.

The vampire in question slowly crumpled to the ground, his face a mask of pain, his hands clutching at the dagger jutting from his chest. Hid body seemed to age, puffs of smoke blowing from the whole in his chest. A stench hung in the air as Taker watched the vampire’s body cave in on itself, melting. In a matter of moments, there was nothing left of him but the dagger lying on the floor.

"Trinity?" Reagan’s voice snapped him out of whatever trance he’d been in, and he turned to see Reagan rush to her side. Trinity’s eyes had closed all the way, and she didn’t appear to be breathing.

"No…" Taker whispered, stepping toward her. Something was wrong. He was fading out, his breath caught in his chest. "No!" He managed to yell, as the motel room and the two women in it dissolved from his sight.

Taker came too in the same black room, feeling colder than he’d ever felt in his life or death. He looked over to see Kane sitting on the floor to his right, leaning back against the wall, staring up at the black ceiling.

"What the fuck happened?" Taker asked.

"I don’t know. One minute I’m standing with Izzy and Paige, the next I’m here." Kane looked over at Taker. "What happened in there?"

"It’s done," Taker said solemnly, wondering why he didn’t feel better now that his sister’s killer was gone. All he could see in his mind was Trinity, lying so still on the floor.

Kane raised an eyebrow. "He’s dead?"

"Yes, very much so," the door had opened without either of the brothers noticing it, and Hell walked in, an oily smile on his lips.

Taker got to his feet, staring down at him. "Why are we back here?"

"Because I wanted to make sure you fulfill you entire part of our deal," Hell said, unmoved by the bigger man’s intimidating glare.

"We did our part. He’s dead," Taker said flatly. Hell made a noise in his throat and shook his head.

"I also told you to kill the vampire who made him. And you were in contact with him this whole time and nothing," his voice dripped with disappointment.

"It was Adam wasn’t it?" Kane said slowly. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Wait. You said we kill the vampire or the one who created him. You never said both of them."

"Well…I changed my mind," Hell moved to the wall and made the window appear. He seemed to draw strength in looking out over the scenes of torture. "I want his maker too. I have my reasons for making this demand."

"You can demand all you want to. You made us a deal. We’re not your personal hit squad," Taker’s hands balled into fists as he stared at Hell.

"Oh, that’s where you’re wrong. Until I feel that you’ve completely done your job, I will not hold up my end of our bargain." He moved toward the door. "Oh, by the way…don’t let these phantom feelings you have interfere with the job at hand. I might just decide to get someone else to take care of my little vampire problem and throw you where you belong," he gestured at the window which he hadn’t bothered to hide again.

"You son of a…" the door closed before Taker could finish talking.

"He can’t make us kill Adam. That wasn’t the deal," Kane said, keeping a tight reign on his temper.

Taker shook his head and leaned against the wall, rubbing his hands across his face.

"She’s Ok," Kane said softly. Taker looked at him, then shook his head.

"I don’t think so," he said. "And even if she is, if we have to go back and kill one of her best friends she won’t be."

"There has to be another way," Kane said coldly. "That asshole lied to us. What’s to say he’s not going to keep throwing this shit at us instead of sending us back to our lives?"

Taker said nothing for a minute as he stared at the floor thinking. "If Trinity…if the girls are all Ok…I think they might be the ones to help us."

"Yeah? Help us how?" Kane looked at his brother curiously.

"I don’t know…something happened. Reagan and Trinity somehow changed that vampire right at the end. He was…I stuck him and he bled."

"He bled?" Kane frowned. "Vampires don’t bleed."

"This one did. They did something to him. I think they made him mortal."

"That’s not possible," Kane said, shaking his head.

"It’s the only explanation," Taker said. "Why is that so farfetched? Those girls healed your scars, gave us emotion. And Reagan’s in on it too. I don’t think she realized it until she had to use her power to save Trinity. I think that’s why Trinity pretty much…sacrificed herself…" He couldn’t finish, thinking of Trinity and that…thing…biting her was still enough to make his temper hit boiling. The bastard had died much to quickly for Taker’s taste.

"She’s Ok, Taker," Kane said again, as if he could make it real just by repeating it. "She’s got Izzy there. She’ll be healed."

Taker ignored his brother and pushed from the wall. He stalked to the place where the seamless door was. Kane watched, knowing not to try to calm his brother down, as Taker balled up a fist and swung it at the wall. He hit in repeatedly, feeling nothing, his knuckles becoming bloody.

"Send us back damn it!" He yelled at the wall. "What the fuck are you waiting for?"

"Taker…" Kane finally stepped forward, and put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. "I’m worried too. But you’re just giving that bastard what he wants. Don’t lose control now."

Taker sneered at Kane, but stopped trying to pound a hole in the wall. Kane was right. Hell had taken these emotions away from them both long ago. Seeing either Taker or Kane lose their grip would only amuse him. All they could do now was wait until Hell tired of his games and sent them back to finish the job.

Isabel hung up the phone and let it drop to the table. She crossed her arms on top of the table and rested her head on them, sighing.

"Still nothing?" Adam’s voice behind her made Isabel jump. She looked up at him, still trying to get used to the fact that Adam was up, roaming the house, in the daytime. He looked different than he had before, softer somehow. She knew it was just his vampire edginess she was missing. Adam as a mortal was taking some getting used to.

Shaking her head, she sat up straight and pushed her hair back with her hands. "Nobody’s seen her. It’s like she just disappeared off the face of the planet."

"And those two guys?" Adam pulled a bag of chips from a cabinet and sat down to munch on them.

"You’re going to be the size of a house if you don’t slow down on the food," Isabel said, smiling a little. For the past two weeks, Adam hadn’t been able to get enough food in him. He wanted to taste everything.

"You didn’t answer my question," he said pointedly, ignoring her attempt to change the subject. He’d talked about himself until he was blue in the face when the others realized what had happened to him.

"Nothing. Not a trace, not a word…" she trailed off. "Although we pretty much can figure out what happened to them." Isabel had explained to the others, as best she could, about the origins of Kane and Taker.

"He’ll come back," Adam said, patting her hand.

Isabel shrugged. Kane’s choice in the matter was limited by his being a minion of Hell. She kept saying that in her head, surprised by how bitter the thought made her. So she distracted herself, focusing all of her worry on her wayward sister.

"Whether or not they come back is not what’s bugging me at the moment," she said quietly. Adam nodded, pushing the bag of chips away.

"I’m sure Trinity will be back too. She needs time to…adjust…to what she is now."

"She doesn’t have to adjust!" Isabel almost yelled, slamming her hand on the table. "We could have stopped it. We could have cured her."

"She didn’t want to be ‘cured’, Izzy," Adam gently reminded. "I’m sure she has her reasons. We just have to put our faith in her that she knows what she’s doing."

Isabel said nothing to that. She kept replaying in her mind, watching Kane disappear, walking back into the motel room, seeing her sister drained, almost dead, Reagan crying softly over her.

Paige had been right behind Isabel. She’d muttered something about ‘fixing her’, but Trinity’s eyes had popped open, surprising them.

"No…leave me…don’t fix it…" she said forcefully. The three girls kneeling near her had looked at each other, seeming to communicate in that silent way they had. Without speaking, they’d moved Trinity to the bed, covering her up with a blanket.

Trinity’s eyes had closed again, she appeared to be in a deep sleep. Paige motioned the others into the other motel room where they could talk quietly.

"Leave her? Does she want to be a vampire?" Isabel had asked, incredulous.

"Maybe it’s best for now. We’re all pretty drained of power," Paige said softly. "At least she won’t die. We can rebuild our strength, then change her back."

"How is this going to affect us? She’s part of whatever it is that we do. What if…what if this does something to her power?" Isabel glanced from Paige to Reagan.

"It won’t affect anything, she still has her power," Paige reassured them. "She didn’t die. Being a vampire she won’t be fully dead…ever. Her power is as much a part of her as her hair or eyes."

"What about me?" Reagan asked. She had been in something close to shock for a while, but she struggled to pull herself up from it. "Where do I fit in all of this?"

Isabel sighed. "It’s a long story." She managed a small smile. "Remember how you told me once that you had no family?" Reagan nodded slowly. "Well, you just got two sisters richer."

Paige’s eyes widened in understanding, but Reagan looked as if she’d been hit in the head with a brick. Isabel quickly recapped Trinity’s theory. "I guess she was right…you were the one who made the difference. And I guess I have a new sister."

Reagan was too stunned to speak. Her mother had faked her death? But why? It was too much to deal with too soon, she felt as if her one more bit of information might make her explode.

Paige turned back toward the door that joined the rooms, then looked over at Isabel. "You might want to call the guys, so we have some help getting her home. I don’t want her to stay here." Nodding, Isabel made the call, talking to an irate Matt. As soon as she mentioned Paige, he’d stopped yelling and had promised to get there in two minutes.

"I want to check on her," Isabel said after she’d hung up the phone. Paige nodded from her position near Reagan; she was using what little power she had to help Reagan come to grips with what was happening.

Isabel went to the door and opened it, knowing before she could see the room that something wasn’t right. The blanket they’d put over Trinity was thrown on the floor. The bed was empty. "Trini?" Isabel looked around, her sister’s name dying on her lips. The door to the parking lot stood open; she was sure it had been closed when they’d left Trinity earlier. It was as if she’d gotten up and walked off.

Isabel shook herself out of her thoughts to look at Adam. He was sitting at the table, a shaft of sunlight coming through a window behind him. His hair looked like it was glowing; he looked young and healthy. He was proof that their powers combined were stronger than they had ever imagined.

"I just wish…" she didn’t get to finish her thought. Someone was pounding on the front door. Standing, she glanced at Adam and went to answer it. Adam followed her, not liking the insistent way whoever was knocking was doing it.

Isabel threw open the front door without caution. She half-hoped it would be Trinity, but knew it wouldn’t be. She wouldn’t bother knocking. And she could no longer go out in the sun.

She came face to face, instead, with a large chest. Looking up, a smile curved her lips. "Kane?"

The big man nodded once, half-smiling back at her. "In the flesh…so to speak."

"Where did you…never mind," she laughed and threw her arms around him in a hug. He returned it, squeezing her tight against him. When they finally pulled apart, Isabel glanced around him to see Taker sitting on a motorcycle at the curb. She looked questioningly up at Kane.

"We need to talk," Kane tilted his head and looked at Adam. "With you too. And Trinity."

When he said the name, Kane saw Isabel’s back stiffen. "She’s not here," Adam said quietly. "She took off."

Kane glanced over his shoulder at Taker, who was getting off the bike and climbing the steps. "That’s not good," Kane said.

"That’s the understatement of the year," Adam feebly joked. Taker stood next to his brother and looked from Isabel to Adam and back.

"Hell sent us back with a new mission," Taker finally said.

"To kill me," Adam stated. He had vaguely recalled Trinity saying something about Taker and Kane going after the vampire who had turned Rob.

Taker shook his head slowly. Isabel could see it was killing him to be here; there was nothing but pain in his eyes. She looked up at Kane, whose eyes mirrored his brother’s.

Taking a deep breath, Kane met Isabel’s eyes. "Hell wants Trinity. He sent us back to kill her."

Isabel led everyone into the living room, sending Adam to wake Reagan and Paige up. They would most likely need to hear this too.

Once they were all settled, Isabel sat next to Kane and tentatively put her hand on his arm. He raised an eyebrow at her then nodded in Taker’s direction.

"Last time we were here…" Taker looked questioningly at Isabel.

"Two weeks ago," She supplied for him, wondering why he didn’t know.

"Two weeks?" Another look passed between the brothers. "It only seemed like a few hours."

"Time’s very fucked up in Hell," Taker said softly. Isabel looked at him, frowning a little. He seemed to be fixated on Reagan. Maybe he was just avoiding looking at Isabel because she looked so much like Trinity. As if sensing her thoughts, he turned his head and looked straight into her eyes. Isabel’s frown deepened. Without Trinity’s influence, he seemed to be dropping into the cold emotionless state that she associated with the vampires.

Kane looked better; he had always been the more open of the two men. She focused on him, staring at the way the sunlight glinted on his hair. Adam was talking, but she had tuned him out, only hearing the last part of his speech.

"…if we find her, that is." He was looking at Taker worriedly.

"We have to," Kane said shifting his gaze from Adam to Isabel. "We don’t want to kill her. But there has to be something we can do."

Nodding, Isabel bit her lip. She hated having to tell on her sister. The thought that Kane and Taker might kill Trinity no matter what they said fleetingly entered her mind, but she pushed it aside. She had trusted in them before…nothing had changed.

"I might know where she is," she said softly. She didn’t notice the gleam that came and went in Taker’s eyes. "Our mother has a cabin about two hours from here. It’s where we used to go when…when we wanted to feel close to her I guess." She shrugged, not wanting to think about her mother when her sister could be in danger.

"Where is it Izzy?" Kane asked her, reaching across the table to take her hand.

She sighed. "I’d have to show you. Some of the roads aren’t marked. The road the house is on technically isn’t a road. It’s just a dirt track."

Taker looked like he was going to argue, but thought better of it. His eyes had once again come to rest on Reagan, who was holding Adam’s hand on the other side of the table.

"We should go now," he finally said. Kane looked at him, then nodded.

"Yeah. Catch her when she first wakes up, if she’s been turned like you said," Kane looked back at Isabel.

"Why would we lie? That asshole bit her and almost killed her. Not only that, but he knew what he was doing when he did it. I think he wanted to change her. Keep her as his little pet. It’s those damn powers she has…" Adam quieted down when he saw the others looking at him. "He wanted her to change, so he changed her. Changing someone into a vampire is like that."

Isabel looked at him, fascinated. She hadn’t known that, had never really given it any thought. Usually, if she had to think about it, she thought it was more like a virus, spread through contact when a person was bitten.

"That’s beyond the point," Reagan said, finally voicing an opinion. "Whether or not she’s changed, she’s still Trinity. And she’s all by herself. We should all go help her out."

"I don’t think that’s…" Taker said as Kane came out with, "That’s not a bad idea."

The two brothers exchanged another glance. Isabel got that feeling again of silent communication. Finally Taker nodded. "Yeah, I guess. You guys will want to watch and make sure we don’t try anything."

His voice sounded strange to Isabel as she looked at him. Glancing at Kane, she wondered what the hell was going on. Something was up, that was for sure, and the two brothers weren’t letting them in on all the details.

"So we’re all going," she said, standing. The others followed suit. "Let me grab my keys. We’ll take my car." Without waiting, she turned and left the room. She was in a hurry now to see her sister; there was something very close to fear that had settled itself into her stomach. She knew it was silly; she had nothing to fear from Kane or Taker, but it didn’t change the fact that the feeling was there.

The sun didn’t really bother her; she knew from Adam and the others that the sun didn’t hurt when it was at its weakest. "At least I’ll be able to watch the occasional sunset," she muttered to herself.

Her change was happening very slowly. It had been two weeks since Rob had tried to kill her. She’d left the motel and driven here, barely able to stay on the road but somehow finding the strength. The first few days she spent sleeping, around the clock, only waking occasionally from dark dreams that she couldn’t remember.

Her body slowly healed. At the end of the first week, she’d been able to get up and move around more, but only at night. The first time she’d forgotten and gone outside the sun had burned her skin; it had felt like being slapped in the face with a red-hot frying pan. The exposed skin had blistered and turned a violent looking red, but it had faded after a while.

The next thing she noticed was food. She couldn’t make herself eat anything. Not even her favorite foods looked appealing. Trinity had grilled a steak out on the back porch one night and had ended up scrapping the whole mess. It had no taste, and the one bite she’d managed to choke down had made her violently ill.

She wasn’t feeling hungry now. She knew the need for blood would eventually grab her, but for now she was content to just sit here and listen to the quiet. This vampire thing was taking some getting used to. All of her senses had been heightened; she could smell the water of the lake, could hear the soft sounds of mice moving in the field next to the cabin. She found she could block it all out if she thought about it, dampening her senses back down to human levels.

Trinity fleetingly thought about calling Isabel and the others, then changed her mind. She wasn’t ready just yet to talk to them, to explain her reasons why she needed to be alone. She wasn’t sure she understood it herself.

At least her powers had not been diminished by the change. She’d worried over that for a while. But nothing indicated that anything had really changed in that department.

Trinity stood up and moved off the porch, heading to the edge of the water. The cabin had its own private beach, soft white sand leading to the water. She kicked off her shoes and stood there for a few minutes, staring out over the lake.

Full dark came on quickly this far away from the city. When it was too dark to see much human-wise, Trinity turned to go back to the house, her footsteps faltering.

Taker stood at the edge of the beach where the sand met the grass, staring silently at her. For a minute she caught a glint that was something like…she shook her head. She didn’t know what it was. It had flashed so quickly that she wasn’t even sure she saw it. For the briefest moment, she was sure his eyes had turned red.

"Trinity…" his deep voice carried all the emotion his face was missing. She bit her lip, standing her ground as he walked toward her.

"Just stop right there," she held up a hand as he drew closer. Taker stopped and looked at her in confusion.

"Trinity…I thought you were dead…Kane and I got pulled back to Hell…" he stopped talking, watching the way her eyes narrowed.

"And you’ve come back for Adam," she finally stated. The whole reason for her change was suddenly much clearer to her. Adam had become a mortal; Trinity had given up her mortal life so she might protect him and Reagan and whatever bond they’d developed.

Taker cocked an eyebrow. "No. Adam is safe."

"Then why are you back?" she began to move to his right, circling around him so she wouldn’t have to walk too close to get back to the cabin. "And where’s Kane?"

"They’re on the way. Had a flat tire a few miles back," he smiled a little. "I was on my bike. Isabel gave me directions."

"What do you want?" Trinity asked. Every bit of instinct was telling her something was wrong, terribly wrong.

"You. I came back for you," he took another step toward her. "We can get the other girls to make you mortal. We can be together now."

"Bullshit," Trinity took a step away from him. "What’s wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong, Trinity. I need you…" he stepped closer. Trinity again backed away, unconsciously baring her teeth. Taker stopped moving and tilted his head as if listening to something. Trinity watched as his hands went to his head, his palms pressing against his temples.

After a few seconds, he looked up at her and smiled. Trinity felt a ripple of unease run through her. He didn’t just look odd, now he looked…cold. For the first time she saw what his death had done to him.

"Go away, Mark. Just…go back to Paige’s and leave me alone," she finally said. At the sound of his name, the hands once again rose to his head, gripping his temples. Taker’s eyes closed. He seemed to be fighting with himself.

Trinity began backing away from him while he was distracted, her eyes never leaving him. Taker was slowly sinking to his knees on the sand, muttering under his breath.

He suddenly opened his eyes and looked directly at her; this time it wasn't a trick or an illusion. His eyes glowed a dull red, a color that reminded her of blood. Smiling that cold smile again, Taker rose to his feet and lunged at her.

If Trinity had not moved when he’s first been hit by whatever had happened, Taker would have had her. With a speed she had never possessed before her change, she turned and sprinted for the house. She’d almost made it, was only a few paces from the steps leading up to the porch when she was knocked forward.

She landed on her stomach with a grunt, all the air in her lungs forced out as Taker’s weight slammed into her and pinned her down. Trinity couldn’t breath…she tried to pull in air but nothing happened.

Taking advantage of her stunned condition, Taker straddled her legs and yanked her onto her back. His hands were tearing at her shirt, pulling the thin material to shreds as he ripped it from her.

Trinity finally pulled in a deep breath, then started fighting him, raking his face with the nails of her left hand. Taker snarled at her and hit her on the jaw with the back of his hand, momentarily stunning her again. He grabbed her wrists with his large hand and squeezed tight, pulling her arms above her head.

"Why are you fighting me now? You practically threw yourself at me before," he hissed against her ear. "This is what you wanted, remember?" He chuckled and roughly grabbed her breast and squeezed it. Trinity whimpered in pain and tried to roll him off of her, but he anticipated her. He jerked painfully on her arms, making her wince. Tears filled her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Taker leaned forward, putting his lips on her neck. His tongue flicked out over the skin, making her shudder. His hand still squeezed her breast, his fingers digging into the tender skin. "You taste good…" he muttered, his teeth nipping her. Trinity bucked up against him, trying to throw him off. Taker laughed at her effort, rearranging himself so his chest was pressing against hers. He still kept his tight grip on her wrists, but mercifully the hand on her breast had moved.

Taker stared down at her, the baleful red of his eyes glowing like two coals in his dark face. He slowly lowered his head, crushing her mouth, his tongue forcing its way between her lips.

Not thinking, Trinity sunk her teeth into it. Hot blood jetted into her mouth and she swallowed it eagerly, not letting go even as Taker tried to pull away. He let go of her wrists, grabbing her head and trying to slam it back on the ground. Trinity put her hands on his shoulders, dug her nails in, then rammed her knee up, into his unprotected crotch.

She released his tongue and shoved on his shoulders as Taker gasped for breath above her. She managed to get him most of the way off; enough so she could scramble away from him on her hands and knees before attempting to stand up.

The blood had done something. Instead of feeling sore from his rough treatment, she felt energized. Trinity turned to look at him, shocked to see him already coming for her again. She turned to run but was stopped dead in her tracks as his hand tangled into her long hair. She was jerked back into him, squirming as he wrapped his arms around her, pinning her hands to her sides.

"Want to play rough, huh?" that mocking tone was back in his voice again. He pushed her forward, toward a picnic table that was situated next to the porch. The tabletop was at Trinity’s stomach level; she tried to prepare herself for what was coming but didn’t have time as Taker shoved her into the wooden surface.

The wind was once again knocked from her and she was dimly aware of his hands on her shoulders, pressing her face down onto the table. She could not believe…he’d come back just to rape her? The thought kept running stupidly through her mind. Taker’s hands held her pinned to the table. One of them snaked under her, working the button fly of her jeans.

"Mark…no…" she managed to gasp out. Taker froze, his grip easing up almost immediately.

Trinity was afraid to move, to even look over her shoulder. She gave a little scream as his hands grabbed her again, pulling her up and spinning her to face him.

She looked up into Taker’s green eyes. "Trinity…run…get away from me…" his voice was strained, pleading. Whatever he had just been, it was gone for now, but Trinity could sense it lying just under the surface.

"Mark…" tears choked her up.

"Go…before he makes me hurt you," Taker met her eyes one last time then pushed her away from him. Trinity stumbled a little then turned and ran for the house, not seeing Taker as he feel to his knees in pain.

Trinity blindly ran into the house, slamming the door shut behind her, locking it. She tried to catch her breath, still crying a little, still in shock. What the hell was going on?

Taker had…no. Trinity shook her head. Mark had stopped the attack on her. Someone…something…was using his body. Using him to get to her for some reason.

She knew what she had to do…had known it since the night she’d had that nightmare of Taker getting hurt, stabbed…finally shaking out of her stupor she ran through the house and up the stairs to the loft she was using as her bedroom.

Trinity looked around wildly, her eyes going back to the stairs leading down. There was a loud crash from the kitchen, followed by the almost musical tinkle of glass falling on the floor. Heavy footsteps moved on the creaking floor beneath where she stood.

It was him. She didn’t have to see him to know it. Mark had not been able to control his body for long, but he’d given her one small chance…

She spotted her overnight bag sticking out from under the bed and grabbed it, ripping at the zipper to get it open. The footsteps were coming up the stairs now, not rushing. She had nowhere to run from here. Trinity frantically dug into the bag, hissing out a curse as her finger was stuck with something sharp. She grasped cool metal, and pulled the dagger out of the bag.

Trinity had picked it up on the way out of the motel room two weeks before. She hadn’t known why, but she sensed that she would need it again. She’d only looked at it once, taking it from the bag and cleaning it until it glinted in the light, then putting it away again. She barely remembered doing it.

The steps halted, and Trinity straightened up. She slowly turned, hiding the dagger behind her back, meeting Taker’s red gaze. He was smiling again, looking calm and rational.

"Now…why do you insist on running from me?" He did not come closer, but eyed her speculatively. "Could it be you just wanted to use me for a quick fuck? Just playing with the dead man’s emotions a little?" He chuckled. "And now you just want to leave me out in the cold. I don’t think so."

"You know that’s not true Mark," Trinity said softly. Taker’s eyes flickered but the response to his name was barely perceptible.
Trinity heard the sound of a car outside, pulling along the gravel drive. She stomped on the flicker of hope that welled inside her, knowing that if she waited for the others it would be too late for her. Taker was done playing around.

"I know more than you think, little girl," Taker’s voice changed, from his deep warm tone to something much colder, harder. Trinity watched him warily, but was distracted at the sound of a car door slamming shut outside.

Taker saw her glance away from him and jumped at her, hoping to end this quickly. There would be no more fight in her when he was through. He grabbed her shoulders, letting his weight carry them both back toward the bed.

Trinity barely managed to bring the dagger in front of her before he crashed into her. As she fell backward, she grabbed him, making sure he fell with her. His full weight landed on top of her, pressing her down into the mattress. She could feel the silver handle of the dagger pressing painfully against her stomach. But she could also feel the warm flow of blood as the dagger sank its way into Taker’s abdomen.

Taker blinked down at her in surprise. Slowly he pushed away from her, stumbling to his feet. The dagger protruded from the upper left side of his stomach; red blood was soaking through his shirt. "No…you can’t do this…"

"I can…" Trinity got up and grasped the handle of the dagger. Looking into those red eyes, she fought back tears. "I can release you Mark."

His eyes cleared a little, the green showing through the red. "Do it…" he managed to whisper.

"No!" Again his eyes went fully red. "You can not!"

Trinity started crying as she yanked the dagger from his stomach. Taker fell to one knee as pain flash through him. The red eyes looked at her, flaring brightly.

"You can’t kill me! I am Hell! I am…"

"You’re the next best thing to a vampire," Trinity cut in, trying to stem the flow of tears. "A vampire is nothing but a parasite living inside an unwilling host. And the only way to kill the parasite…" She met his eyes again, getting a better grip on the dagger. "I’m so sorry Mark. Please forgive me. I love you…" the last she said in a whisper as she drove the dagger forward, deep into his heart.

Taker’s body stiffened and he slowly fell onto his back on the floor. His hands gripped the dagger, but he couldn’t pull it out. Trinity knelt beside him, putting her hand on one of his, watching as the red slowly faded from his eyes, leaving nothing but green. Taker gripped her hand, squeezing it a little as his eyes slipped shut. His grip loosened, and Trinity started crying again.

There were running footsteps on the stairs and people shouting her name but she didn’t hear them. She was aware of someone pulling her to her feet, and arms wrapping around her. Trinity closed her eyes, letting Isabel hold her close as Kane got on his knees next to his brother.

"Trinity…what happened?" Isabel’s voice in her ear was soft but demanding. Trinity looked around, her eyes avoiding Taker’s body on the floor. Reagan and Adam stood near the bed, watching Kane on the floor. Paige stood at the top of the steps, looking pale.

"Where’s Matt and Jeff?" It was the only thing she could think of to say. It occurred to her that she was truly going into shock.

"It wasn’t quite sunset when we left," Paige said gently, her eyes never leaving the body on the floor.

"Fix him…" Trinity said softly. Isabel looked at her with a frown.

"Trini, he obviously went postal…"

"No. It wasn’t him. Fix him Izzy. Please…" Trinity was crying again. Isabel bit her lip and glanced from Paige to Reagan.

"I’m for it," Reagan said softly. Adam laid a hand on her back, encouraging her. "We can…" Her words died as Kane suddenly rocked back on his heels, clutching at his chest.

"What the hell?" Isabel pushed her sister behind her toward Adam. Kane was moaning softly, obviously in great pain. His breath was choked in his throat as he gasped for air. Isabel moved toward him, but stopped as he suddenly fell onto his back, eyes closed. "Kane?" She stooped down between the two brothers.

His eyes fluttered. Kane took one gasping breath then another, color returning to his ashen cheeks. His hazel eyes met Isabel’s, and he blinked a few times in astonishment.

"I think I just…" He pushed himself shakily to his feet. "Something just happened. I don’t know what it is."

"You’re human now," Paige said wondrously. They all looked at her in shock. "I can sense it. Like Adam. You’re not drawing from us anymore."

"So Hell came through on his deal anyway," Reagan muttered. Trinity was shaking her head.

"No. I don’t think so." Not even aware she was moving, Trinity found herself standing in front of Kane. "Hell was inside Mark. Controlling him. I think what you just felt was him dying, releasing you from your contract with him, Glen."

He looked surprised at the sound of his name on her lips, but smiled a little. "But Taker…Mark…what about him?"

Trinity looked down at him finally. The fact that his body had not disappeared like Rob’s had meant something more needed to happen. "We bring him back, if we can. I brought him back once before." She was remembering the night when she’d woken up next to his cold body and had somehow called him back. "I think I can do it. I just need help." The last came out in a pleading way as she looked at her sisters and friends. One by one, they all nodded.

"You’re sure this is what you want to do?" Isabel asked gently. Glen had moved his brother to the bed, then he and Adam had left the girls to do their thing.

They’d each used their power on him, Reagan going last, but nothing had happened. It was what Trinity had expected. She had made Paige and Reagan go downstairs with the guys, asking Isabel to stick behind for a minute.

"You can stop worrying. Nothing is going to happen to me," Trinity assured her. "I’m a vampire now, remember? Can’t die?"

"I realize that," Isabel said sarcastically. "But what if this doesn’t work? You can still get hurt from this."

"Hush and go talk to Glen, would you?" Trinity smiled a little. "He’s probably going crazy down there having to listen to Adam." She caught Isabel’s hand as she turned away. "Just…don’t worry Ok? If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work." Isabel nodded and squeezed her sister’s hand, then turned and left the room.

Trinity looked down at Taker’s body, trying to concentrate. Isabel had done her thing; the two stab wounds were little more than shadows on his chest and stomach now. He was technically dead but he’d been healed; it had to mean something.

Trinity slowly rested her hand on his chest, trying to remember exactly how she had done this the last time. "Mark?" she whispered softly. There was nothing, no reaction like she’d felt the last time. She lay down next to him and held his hand, making herself relax. Closing her eyes she tried to just use whatever power she had to reach out and find him. For a few minutes, there was nothing. Then she felt a faint…tremor. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was. It was gone almost before it started, making Trinity think she’d imagined it.

Sighing, she opened her eyes…and was no longer lying in the bed. She was in a black room; there was no color anywhere, just solid black walls, floors, and ceiling. She let her hand touch one of the walls, pulling back in amazement. It was so real, not at all dreamlike. She turned in a circle, freezing when she finally got a glimpse of the wall behind her.

Taker was hanging there, two black chains holding him up off the floor and on the wall. His head was hanging down, his long hair covering the front of his face. Trinity took two shaky steps toward him, her hand going to her face to wipe away tears that had begun to fall again.

"Mark?" she heard herself ask, but her voice sounded strange. Taker moved a little; he seemed to be in a very deep sleep. Trinity forced herself to move forward, until she was standing right under him. He was almost a foot off the floor, putting the shackles on his wrists high out of her reach. She reached out slowly and touched his stomach, sighing in relief at how warm he felt. He was still here; still somehow alive. Hell had chained him up and he couldn’t get back to his body. One final way of screwing Mark out of their deal.

Taker felt something touching him and groggily lifted his head up a little. He frowned, trying to clear his blurry eyes. "Trinity?" His voice was little more than a whisper. She smiled up at him, sniffling a little as she tried to stop crying. "What are you doing here?"

"I’ve come to get you," she said. "I have to find a way to get you down from there though."

"But…" Taker frowned. "If you’re here…that means you’re…dead…" Talking seemed to require a lot of his energy. "Hell…is after you. Did he…"

"No, don’t you remember?" Trinity asked him. She ran her fingers lightly over his stomach. "You stopped him. You wouldn’t let him hurt me."
Taker hung his head down again. "I didn’t know if it was working…It took all my strength to do what little I did." His head came up and his eyes met hers. "What happened?"

"He’s gone. Probably somewhere down here again, roasting I hope," Trinity said coldly. She looked at the chains. She had to get him out of her. He was fading out; the longer they stayed here the less of him there would be.

"He had the key," Taker said slowly, as if reading her mind. "He sent Kane back before me…the next thing I know, I’m chained to the wall watching myself disappear. I don’t even know how long I’ve been here."

"Too damn long," Trinity muttered. She touched one of the chains and pulled on it experimentally. To her shock, it crumbled under her fingertips, leaving powdered black dust in her hand. One of his legs swung free. "What the hell…"

"You said he’s dead. His magic no longer applies," Taker said thoughtfully. Trinity went to the other leg and touched the chain to the same effect. Taker dangled above her from his arms. She reached up and grabbed the waistband of his leather pants, pulling on him, stumbling in surprise when the chains snapped above them and sent him crashing to the floor.

Trinity dropped down next to him, helping him roll onto his back. He looked so tired, so…drained. Taker managed to smile up at her. "Thank you." His eyes fluttered a little bit.

"Hey…no sleeping on the job," she joked weakly. Taker managed to open his eyes up, but he was growing paler by the second. "What the…what’s happening to you."

"I don’t know," Taker whispered. "I think I’m finally going to die for real. No Hell. No nothing. Just…darkness."

"You aren’t going to die now," Trinity said forcefully. "Not again. I’ve lost you twice already. You owe me."

Taker smirked. "I don’t want to leave you Trinity."

"Then don’t," she said, her voice hard. She grabbed his hand. "Come back with me. Live your life." She smiled a little. "Glen is human now. He changed when I got rid of Hell. You have that chance too you know. But I can’t take you back if you don’t want to go Mark."

His eyes focused on hers. Trinity leaned down and kissed him gently. "I love you Mark. If you don’t come back with me I’m going to stay a vampire forever so I can be miserable for eternity." The threat got a little chuckle out of him.

"You might regret saying that…when things get back to normal…" He whispered. Trinity shook her head.

"No I won’t. I mean it Mark," she looked into his eyes. He lifted a hand to push a strand of dark hair away from her face.

"So did I," he finally said. "That night…"

"I know." Trinity pressed his hand to her cheek. "Come home with me, Mark. Please."

There was no answer. Trinity realized with a start that he was no longer touching her. Her eyes flew open and she sat up in the bed, Mark’s body next to her.

Trinity was standing over her, looking at her with worry on her face. "Finally. You were out for like two days, Trini. We all thought you were dead."

Trinity ignored her sister, frantically turning to look at Mark. There seemed to be no change at all in him, but he didn’t look any worse either. She put her hand on his chest, ignoring Isabel’s questions. There was nothing, no sign of him at all. Sighing, she turned back to her sister, then yelped in surprise when her hand was gripped tightly.

Mark was looking up at her, blinking sleepily. If she hadn’t known better, she’d have said he had just gotten up from a very long nap. He was starting to shiver again as his body warmed up. "You came with me," Trinity whispered relieved. Isabel had stopped mid-rant to stare down at Mark, who was trying to sit up. Trinity helped him, holding onto him tightly.

"Go get the others," Trinity said to Isabel. Isabel nodded and turned to go, throwing glances back over her shoulder every two steps.

Trinity helped Mark move up until his back was resting on the headboard. She pulled a blanket over him and nestled close to him, trying to share her body warmth with him again. "I feel…different…" He seemed to be at a total loss for words.

"You’re mortal now. Human," Paige’s voice came from the head of the stairs. Mark looked at her, confused.

"How can you tell?" He asked, looking down at Trinity. She shrugged and hugged him tighter.

"It’s just something we can sense," she whispered. Glen moved past Paige and sank onto the bed next to Mark. He grabbed his brother’s hand, staring at him.

"She did it…" was all he could say. Mark nodded slowly. Glen was smiling, then let go of him. "Your scars are gone."

Mark looked down at his chest and stomach. Someone had taken his shirt off. Instead of the tangle of twisted scars he had grown used to there was nothing but smooth skin. The only thing that remained were the tattoos on his arms.

"I guess I got to keep a souvenir," he said wryly.

"Hey, I still have the mask," Glen joked.

"We still have work to do you know," Reagan piped up from the spot she was standing in next to Adam.

Mark looked down at Trinity and kissed the top of her head. "You go, do your thing now."

She nodded and reluctantly slipped away from him, letting her sisters lead her down the stairs.

Isabel walked through the almost knee-high snow, grumbling under her breath. She hated winter, all the cold air and the snow that she couldn’t stand driving in. She stopped at the edge of the yard, looking out over the lake. Her breath puffed out in front of her and she shivered a little.

Leave it to Paige to want an outdoor wedding in the dead of winter. She and Matt had finally settled on a date, one week before her thirty-first birthday. The snow would make a pretty backdrop. Isabel just wished it would snow in July. When it was warm.

She was about to turn when something thumped against her back. She whirled around and glared at Glen, who was standing there, tossing a snowball from hand to hand. He was just like a big kid sometimes. She tried to look stern but had to smile a little when he tried to look innocent and put the snowball behind his back.

They’d been married for close to two years. The only reason they’d waited so long to do it was because she wanted him to have options. She’d thought she was being rather unselfish. He was, after all, newly alive again. Why should he settle for the first woman he came across?

He’d been insistent though. Glen never even looked at another woman. She’d finally done what she wanted to do in the first place; committed herself to him totally. They’d had a small wedding, just family and a handful of friends in a small church in town.

Glen walked up to her, dropping the snowball and kissing her on the tip of her nose. "Ready to go inside and warm up?" He asked with a smirk.

Isabel laughed. "Depends on what your idea of warming up is." She let him take her hand and lead the way back to the house they had all rented for the month. There were enough bedrooms for everyone with plenty left over. It was more like a mansion than a simple lakeside vacation home.

They went into the kitchen, stomping snow off their feet. Jeff was sitting at the table, munching his way through some popcorn and watching his girlfriend, Karen, as she made hot chocolate. Jeff had waited until it was almost too late before making his decision to turn human again. They had all smelled an ulterior motive, and he’d introduced her as Karen. She was a headstrong girl who tolerated his many personality quirks, throwing out enough quirks of her own to keep him interested.

"Want some?" She smiled at Isabel and Glen, who were shrugging out of their heavy coats.

"Yes, please," Isabel said sweetly. She still loved to annoy Jeff, and the easiest way to do it now was to be extremely polite toward his girlfriend. Karen thought it was hilarious, and played along.

"Not a problem. Marshmallows ma’am?" Karen winked at Isabel as Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Yes, thank you ever so much," Isabel sat at the table and rubbed her hands together.

"No, thank you!" Karen plunked the cup down on the table with exaggerated carefulness. "It’s my pleasure!"

"Cut it out," Jeff said moodily. "You guys sound you’re competing for doormat of the year or something."

"Why do you let them get to you?" Glen asked him with a laugh.

"Cuz he’s secretly in love with me and wished I’d talk to him that way," Karen said, bringing more hot chocolate to the table.

"Yeah, right," Jeff muttered, smiling a little.
"Where’s the rest of the crew?" Glen asked, finally noticing how quiet the house was.

Jeff smirked. "Well, Paige and Matt are probably practicing for the honeymoon," this earned him a smack on the arm from Karen. "Reagan and Adam went into town for her doctor appointment. And Trinity and Mark kinda just…disappeared." He shrugged. "They’re hard to keep track of."

"Reagan finds out if it’s a boy or a girl today," Isabel said, talking to no one in particular. She was looking forward to having a kid with Glen. Someday. When she was older.

‘It’s a boy," Reagan said from the doorway. No one had heard her come in, but she was smiling happily as Adam came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her expanding waist.

"Great! You can name his after me. I’ll teach him how to dye his hair…" Jeff shut up at the look Adam threw him. "It was just a thought, bro," He said with a laugh.

"Keep all such thoughts to yourself please," Adam said, trying to sound forceful. That got a laugh out of all of them as Reagan and Adam sat down to discuss baby plans with Isabel and Karen. Jeff and Glen exchanged a look. Neither of them could see what the big deal about a baby was.

Trinity was outside, standing not far from where Glen had pegged Isabel with a snowball. She was lost in thought, trudging through the deep snow to get to the dock that was going to be the site of Paige and Matt’s wedding.

Things had worked out so well for everyone. Matt and Paige, finally getting married. Reagan and Adam, running off almost 4 years ago to Vegas to get married, now having a kid. Jeff finally finding somebody that could understand him and love him in spite of, or because of, all of his little idiosyncrasies. Isabel and Glen surprising no one by tying the knot.

She heard the sound of laughter and smiled, heading toward it. Mark was sitting on the end of the dock, his back to her, his leather coat wrapped around him. "Hey," she said softly, moving to sit next to him. Mark looked up at her and smiled, shifting Elizabeth so he could put an arm around Trinity.

Trinity looked at her daughter, who gave her a sleepy smile. Her twin sister, Emmalynn was toddling on the lake, which was frozen solid. She would fall every few steps, laugh, then get back up and try again.

She and Mark hadn’t waited. They’d gotten married just a few months after Trinity had been turned back into a mortal. With all of the guys except for Jeff human, the group had spread out, with Jeff as their go between. This was the first time since Isabel and Kane’s wedding that everyone was together.

Mark had moved her to Texas, where they seldom talked about the events that had brought them together. Trinity had gotten pregnant, bore twins who were named for Isabel and Mark’s sister, and passed her thirtieth birthday with no fuss at all.

The loss of most of her strange power had effected her little. With two little ones learning how to get into everything, she’d hardly had time to think of anything except for them. She sometimes lay awake at night, wondering it the three new girls who inherited the job that she’d had were ready for it. But that time in her life seemed like a dream, hazy around the edges.

Emmalynn fell again, and instead of laughing began to cry. Trinity hopped down from the dock and made her way carefully to her rambunctious older daughter. She picked her up from the ice and went back to her seat next to Mark, cradling her in her arms. She had scrapped her hand on a jagged piece of ice and it was bleeding a little.

Elizabeth frowned, probably thinking of joining her sister in crying. The two of them did everything else together. Instead, she surprised them all by leaning over and taking Emmalynn’s pudgy hand in her own.

"Emma ouch," her baby talk was plain as day, making her parents smile at each other. Mark eyes sparkled. It was obvious that he was completely in love with his two little girls who shared their parents’ dark hair and green eyes.

"I think we should take her to the house, get that scratch…" His words died on his lips. Emmalynn was no longer crying. She was smiling at her little sister in evident relief.

Trinity looked at Emmalynn’s hand, cradled in the hand of her sister. The scratch was slowly closing, the blood seeming to disappear.

Mark met her eyes, seeing the shock there. "It doesn’t have to mean anything, Trini."

Trinity hugged her daughter closer to her. He was right of course. She still had some of her power, couldn’t she have passed it on to her daughters?

The thought still in her mind, she looked at Mark, a wry smile on her face. "I suppose we’ll have to see what happens in fifteen years."

Mark nodded, gently pulling Elizabeth away from her sister and standing up. He helped Trinity gain her feet, and they made their way back to the house.

"In fifteen years…" he said softly. Trinity glanced up at him.

"We’ll get them ready, just in case. Or we’ll find a way to stop it before then." Mark nodded and they carried their children into the house.