When falling, it's always nice to have something soft or supportive to land on. Logan, was neither of those and the only positive about our arrival was, well, we didn't have to worry about how to announce our presence. Every part of me hurt. My legs were left on Logan's chest and we didn't move from the broken bits of what had been some kind of table. The cheap cracked wood thankfully didn't splinter to stab us and the flooring left a smoky trail of dust in the air around our landing space making us both cough.

"You ok?" I wheezed, struggling to get the ability to sit up and move.

With a grunt of effort, Logan shoved my legs off him and I rolled to the side, my arm just missing the piece of metal that had once been part of the tables leg.

"Been better!" He coughed back, groaning as he managed to sit up, "I think I've dislocated my shoulder."

For a second, it was easy to forget where we actually were, and trying to shake it off I got up so I was bent over on all fours. Taking his good arm, I pulled him up into a sitting position and just as I was about to see about popping it back into place, the vampires brought us back to reality as they separated us. Logan cried out as they yanked backwards on his sore arm, and as I was forced to stand I realised I had been wrong about nothing stabbing us. A tear in my shirt had blood pooling on my side and a fragment of glass jutted out the wound.

Bleeding around vampires, not my best idea.

The two that had hold of me, roughly shoved me forward towards the center of the group. Dusty, concrete flooring scratched the side of my cheek as I fell, my body not offering any kind of attempt to make my next fall any easier. I thought I had kept in shape, but I was wrong. This was hell. I may have kept up my fitness, but my resistance to pain was non existant right now.

"And who might you be?" If there was ever a cliché vampire image, this guy was it. Tall, lean, dressed in Goth inspired clothing - the only thing missing was a cape and a bad Romanian accent. I half expected him to say 'I vant to suck your blood' or something just as lame.

I barely get a chance to consider standing or even responding when his boot is kicking my side, thankfully not where I had been cut. I'm flipped over so now I'm on my back, gasping for breath and fighting back the urge to vomit.

"I said who-"

"Yeah I heard you asshole!" I manage to get out, putting my hand at my side, I bit my lip as I pull out the stupid piece of glass and dropped it beside me.

The thud of his boot getting closer has me turning my head and as he moved to kick me again, I catch his foot and twist as hard as I can. He isn't expecting it and my hold has him losing his balance making it that much easier to hurt his ankle. I don't think I broke it, but hopefully enough to make him back off for a few minutes. He falls with a groan and I get up, unable to stop my scream as the throbbing ache in my side intensifies.

Why am I here, I shouldn't be doing this!

"Elise look out!" Raya screams over at me, and sure enough the other vampires approach to take me down. That is until one stops, sniffing the air and as I pull my hand away from the wound, all their eyes follow the movement.

"Oh, shit!" I curse as the thump of fist hitting skin sounds from behind me. I don't dare look back, if there are more vampires - I'd rather not be aware of how many are going to turn me into a chew toy. Yet rather than be mobbed by vampires, Logan sends two stakes into the pair closest to me and I close my eyes as they turn to dust.

"Guns!" Logan yells, and looking down I forgot how armed I was. I pull them out, throwing him the one that doesn't have a bloody handprint on the trigger and send a round into the those who had been planning on making me dinner. "Go get the others!"

I don't need to be told twice, using the bullets to clear my path over to them. Raya is trembling in either fear or excitement, I'm not sure and Keiran looks as if he is one breath away from passing out. Sam sits there silently, taking the dagger I throw her way to start trying to get through the locks on the cuffs around her ankles.

I've got one cuff off Raya when someone grabs my hair, pulling my backwards in a bid to drag me away. Instantly my hands go up to get the hands off my hair, and Raya comes to my rescue as she takes the dagger from Sam to plant into the vampires neck. A spray of blood comes over me, but it works because as he fumbles with the knife he lets me go and I get up to finish him off.

Looking towards Logan, he is mobbed and the number of vampires seem to have tripled in those few minutes I spent with the others. This is not good at all.

"Get those guys out, I'll fight them off!" Sam is free and at my side, snapping me out of the trance I fell in while watching as more vampires come my way. She does look better compared to the last time I saw her, but she is still so tiny I can't imagine how she'd go against those monsters. I don't really have time to worry about it and drop down beside Raya.

"You're hurt Elle!"

"No shit."

"Good to see you though," she smiles. In all this craziness, she smiles. Her skin is dirty, and old cuts only have dry blood around them now. Her fit frame is thinner though, her hair lacking a healthy shine as only filth covers all three of them.

"Got it!" I get her free and start on Kieran. Instantly she is pushing his hair back from his face, gently caressing his cheek as she whispers into his ear. He barely responds, and then I see the gash on the side of his head. That looked like it would have hurt. "Ok, you're both free!"

Raya helps me stand, and then we both try to lift Keiran. The strain across my middle has me stumbling, unable to support his weight as well as my own.

"Go, get out of here!" Sam yells, waving to her right as she takes on two more vampires. Looking in that direction, there is a door over in the corner.

"Come on," I sigh. Biting my lip I taste blood, focusing on that rather than how much everything else is hurting. It doesn't really help.

We shuffle forward, and slowly Keiran wakes up enough to start taking his own steps rather than just be dragged. It makes it easier on me and getting to the door, I end up kicking it open. The cold night air is refreshing and looking back, Sam and Logan have moved toward the door too, acting as a barrier between us and the vampires. It's a losing battle, even with how undertrained the vampires are. They can't fight. They don't know how to block hits, I don't think half of them even know what they're capable of with strength and speed. If they were older, more experienced, we'd be dead already - especially in these numbers.

"Please tell me your car is nearby?" Raya looks around the darkness desperately and clutching my side, I sink down to my knees.

"No. It's somewhere else." I can't even remember the direction I parked in. It's getting harder to focus and staring at the light in the distance, the world starts to tilt.

"Elise, let me look," she turns me into the light of the doorway and I can feel her careful touch around the cut. "Shit. You need a hospital, this isn't just a scratch."

"It's fine. Let's get out of here." I'm not even convincing myself anymore.

The wound hasn't stopped bleeding, the warmth of the liquid was oozing down my side and I was scared to look. She might be right about needing a hospital. The fact I was feeling faint only broke down some of the stubbornness that was building up around me. Rather than keep moving, Raya sat beside me and took of my jacket, I didn't care as she ripped the material until she applied pressure making me scream out at the sudden impact on it. "Sorry! Something needed to be done!"

Logan and Sam came running out, slamming the door shut behind them. Logan was struggling to keep it closed and Raya leapt up to help him while Sam struggled with a plank of wood to help block it off. Once that was done, I was barely conscious.

"What happened?" Logan yelled, dropping down beside me.

"She got stabbed, can you carry her?" Raya and Sam helped Keiran and in seconds I had the weightless feeling of being lifted.

"Bunny, wake up. Stay with me now, I've got you!" Logan mumbled over and over as our group ran over to the fence. "We can't climb out!"

No shit captain obvious, but I keep my thoughts to myself this time.

"There is a gate around here somewhere, we were driven in." The muffle of voices that followed were too hard to focus on, that was until the revving of an engine drowned them all out.

The smashing sound of metal that followed had me wanting to block my ears, only instead I stayed helpless in Logan's arms. I couldn't see and trying to move was just as impossible.

"Jord!" Logan yelled out, and the running started again.

"Who is - Elise?" Came Jordan's reply and the movement of being pulled away from Logan gave me the ability to scream out.

"Get her out of here, she needs a hospital, now!" Raya demanded, and opening my eyes the bright lights were blinding. They were headlights, it was a car - we were saved.

"Go, take my car. We'll clean up here!" I don't know who that was, but his voice was more demanding than Raya's. Whoever he is, he was clearly the one in charge.

"Thanks bro, CJ - you coming or staying?" Jordan called out as I was gently placed against something soft, the aroma of leather and cologne mixing together in perfect harmony.

"Staying, I'll meet up with you after."

The bang of doors shutting made my head throb more than it already was. As the car took off, the tender caresses against my hair broke through the pain.

"Stay awake Bunny, come on. We're nearly there!" Logan whispered. I felt cold, and the warmth of his touch was soothing only it was lost on me as I did the opposite of what he was asking and let myself fall asleep. He should really know by now I never do what he wants.

-x-

Slowly I opened my eyes, cringing at the bright lights above me. The click that followed had me cautiously peeking out only to find them off. The gentle lamp light was much easier on my eyes and this time I was able to open them long enough to focus.

"Hey sleeping beauty," Zane greets, leaning closer towards me I realize I'm in bed, in a hospital.

"I hate hospitals."

"I know." He smiles, reaching out to hold my hand I sit up with a groan.

"Hey Zane," I return his smile. Opening my arms in his direction he carefully reached out to hug me. "It's really good to see you!"

"Back at ya. So clearly you've been keeping out of trouble. What happened to school and shit? You weren't lying to me were you?" He let me go, sitting back in his chair and pointed at the bunch of flowers on the bedside table. "Got you those."

"You, you brought me flowers?" I asked in disbelief, quickly folding down the blanket and peeking down my gown to make sure I was still in one piece, "I'm not dying or anything am I?"

"Funny. No. I was being nice! Just don't tell anyone, I'll deny it."

It was hard to remember being intimidated and scared by the Slayer beside me. Since that night at the portal, we had become friends. I think mostly it was because he feels like he owes it to Reece to keep in touch with me. Underneath his hard exterior, he is actually a really nice guy. Loyal. Serious. Buyer of flowers for the sick and injured.

"Secret is safe with me. So do I need to call the doctor or something, how long was I out for?"

"I got here just after one. They stitched you up, pumped you full of drugs and doctor should be doing his rounds in about ten minutes. So sorry kid, you're not dying this time."

Looking around I spied the clock on the wall above the door to the bathroom. "Five o'clock - is it morning or night?"

"Morning," he answered with a yawn.

"So what, you came rushing over when you heard I got hurt?" I teased, though I was really confused as to how he was here. I only spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and he was in Canada.

"Kinda. Aaron was sighted around here a couple of days ago. When I heard one of my team talking about Keiran I phoned your brother hoping he might have some more info and found out what happened. You could say I was in the neighborhood."

"Where is Jordan?"

"Sent them all home, they were pissing me off. What's that Tracker doing with them?" He yawned again, making me yawn with him.

"Apparently they're all friends now. Do you know if everyone else ok?" I felt a little guilty for taking so long to ask about the others.

"Yeah they're fine. Got a booster shot of that funky plasma shit the doctors love so much these days and dinner, getting fed helps."

Before I could answer the doctor walked in, smiling as he saw I was now awake. "Good morning Miss Bunting, how are you feeling?"

"Good, well, better than I was before!"

"I'm going to go get coffee, I'll be back later," Zane excused himself and the doctor inspected the wound, applying a clean dressing.

"You've responded quite well to treatment, a couple days of rest and the healing should take care of itself. I'll get the nurse to give you another shot of Plasagic with breakfast and-"

"Plasagic?"

"Yes, it's quite marvelous really. I can see on your history you've had it before."

"Oh the plasma shit?" I used Zane's description and the doctor only smirked.

"Right. You were given a blood transfusion upon arrival too, but like I said, you're healing well. It pays to be our kind sometimes, humans could die from less than this." He scribbled something on his clipboard and took my blood pressure before leaving.

When Zane walked in with his coffee, I was drooling from the smell. "Hungry?"

"Starving!" I groaned, trying to smile sweetly at him in hopes he'd go find me food.

"Breakfast is at seven," he pointed to the table beside me and sure enough a sign was there telling you what to do if you had any special dietary requirements.

"Hey, just throwing it out there. Want to get me out of here?"

"Now?" He raises his eyebrows, not believing me.

"Well yeah if you'll stop on the way back to my place for breakfast?" I asked hopefully.

"Not a chance sunshine, you're stuck here for a couple of days!"

"Yeah right," I mumble, there is on way I'm staying here for another hour let alone days.

"Go back to sleep, and I'll go talk to him about when you can go." He has his serious voice on, and I know I'm not going to be getting out of here with his help until the doctor says so. Luckily the bed is comfortable and either I am healing well, or the drugs they gave me are amazing as I don't even hurt now. Staying awake is nearly impossible since he put the idea of sleep into my mind and before long I'm out of it.

The rattle of the trolley outside my door wakes me up and looking at the door, a nurse walks in with a tray, smiling. "Good morning!"

She sits the tray on the trolley table at the end of my bed, only instead of bringing it closer she takes a needle off it and lifting the sleeve of my gown smiles as she jabs in the pointy end. "Won't hurt a bit!"

"Yeah right," I snap, frowning as the burning sensation runs up my arm.

"Sorry, usually talking as we do it is enough of a distraction to stop the initial sting," She pushes a strand of greying hair behind her ear before rubbing a sterile wipe over the area where she just injected me. "Enjoy your breakfast!"

As she leaves, Zane returns instantly looking at my tray. "What you got?"

"Nothing for you!" I glare, making the nurse laugh as she keeps pushing her trolley down the corridor.

"I gave you flowers!" He argues, and I only shrug.

"Get me out of here and you can have all of it?"

He only shakes his head and sits down, while I lift the lid to find French toast, strawberries and maple syrup waiting for me. Since when did hospital food get this good? I make a show of enjoying every single bite, while he just sips his coffee.

"Think that's going to work?"

"Come on, you know I can't handle these places. What did the Doctor say?" I give in and end up sharing.

"See how you are in the morning and then you're still on bed rest for a week at least. A day Elise, you can handle a day in here."

"Right and you're going to play nurse and sit there with me the whole time?" I push the tray away and move up the bed, trying to hide how much hurt to do.

"No, I got shit to do. Stay. If I so much as hear you tried moving out of here, I will make sure they put guards on the door." He finishes my juice before leaning over to kiss my forehead. "I'm serious, stay. I'll come back later. Sleep or something."

"I hate you," I mumble, crossing my arms deciding to take the mature way out and sulk.

"You hate everyone. Sweet dreams Hunter!" He winks as he walks out and I'm left wondering if he was serious about the guards.

-x-

Knowing my brother and the gang are going to be coming back, I request no visitors which makes me day peaceful enough to get some more sleep. By the time it's nearly four o'clock and after another shot of plasagic, I decide I have to get out of here. Who ever was put in the room down from me keeps screaming and the thought of being underground has me feeling claustrophobic. Thanks to the drugs in my system, thats the only thing I'm feeling and leaving my room the corridor is clear.

I don't get very far before a nurse appears up ahead and I quickly dart into the closest room.

"Can I help you?" Turning to face the bed, for a second I think it's my Mum laying there reading a magazine.

"Ah, well, don't suppose you have any clothes I can borrow?"

"What kind of trouble you in?" She asks, more amused than anything else.

"No trouble, yet. I'm surrounded by jerks who think they know better than me."

"Are you that Hunter they got in last night?" I nod and she shakes her head, "check the wardrobe"

"You're actually helping me?"

"Yes, I couldn't sleep and listening to what was going on out there was rather entertaining. I can't wait to see what happens next if you're found to be missing."

"I really want to know more, but I gotta go!" I pull on a sweater and finding a pair of jeans, do the same thing.

"I'm guessing boyfriend, ex, brother and best friend?" She rests her hands in her lap and its then I see the bandage under her hair, covering the side of he neck and part of her shoulder.

"No boyfriend, kind of an ex, yes to brother and best friend?" I fill her in and annoyingly she doesn't have any shoes in here.

"Mouthy woman, the guy with her didn't say much. Tattoo on her arm, black hair-"

"Raya, um yeah best friend." Apart from Penny, she was the closest thing I had to a best friend and I actually did like her.

"They care about you, remember that." She smiled knowingly, and while she may not be my mother, she was someone elses. That smile said it all and a part of me ached with something that could only be homesickness.

"I will. Thank you."

Getting to the elevator was easy and stopping by the nurses station, an old pair of worn white sneakers found their way onto my feet. They were a size too big, but after being tied tight enough that didn't matter. I had no phone, no money and no idea on how I was going to get home and stepping out of the elevator I froze at the sight of Logan sitting on the chairs in front of the front desk.

"Going somewhere?" He walked over looking more than pleased with himself, "Zane wasn't kidding when he said about putting a guard on your door."

"Are you planning to take me back down there then?" I challenge.

"Well, I could because even poking you right now will probably hurt and I doubt you'd put up much of a fight," To prove a point he went to poke me in the ribs and just flinching away made the pain medication disappear. "See!"

"Jerk."

"But, come on." He turned to start walking out of the building and I hesitated before following after him.

"Where are we going?"

"Did you want to go home?" Logan stopped, and taking his keys out his pocket dangled them in front of me teasingly.

"Well yeah, but what's the catch? I doubt you're going to just let me walk out here."

"It was Jordan and Zane who wanted you to stay in. The doctor said you'll be fine if you don't over do it in the next couple of days. Honestly, no one thought you'd be in there for as long as you were and the pair of them were fighting bad this morning over it."

So I'd gone from having a missing brother, to one I never see and now I have two over protective big brothers and what ever the hell Logan was. "You mean I could have just asked to leave rather than sneak out?"

"Kinda. Doctor would have told you no, it's why I'm waiting out here not down there. You just missed CJ. He had day watch." Logan shrugged and kept walking, so I followed.

The drive home happened in silence and since I had left my phone at home, I had no way of telling Matt I'd have to cancel tonight. Lost in thought, the sight of my car parked on my driveway had me paying attention and worse than that, Matt's car was in the street.

"So do you need anything? I can go get groceries and stuff if you need it? Jordan will be around with dinner about seven." Logan started talking as he pulled up behind my car and seeing Matt stand up from where he was sitting on the steps had us both staring at him wide eyed and speechless. Well, almost speechless.

"Shit!" I gasped, quickly getting out as the look on his face had my stomach falling, "Hey!"

"Hey babe!" He greeted cautiously, eyeing up Logan as he hugged me.

I couldn't hide the groan of agony as his arm pressed against my side, and biting my lip I had to close my eyes as I tried to fight back tears. If anything, it helped distract Matt from glaring at Logan as he stepped back to look me over.

"What's wrong?" The concern in his voice made me feel guilty. I couldn't tell him the truth and I regretted everything I had done in the lead up to now. Who was I kidding, thinking I could be with a normal human?

"You ok?" Logan called out, not making it any easier for me as locked up his car.

"And who are you?" Matt asked, looking between the pair of us. My voice got stuck in my throat, but Logan wasn't having those issues.

"Logan, and you're Matt right? Nice to meet you!" Logan extended his hand and Matt shook it, the competition obvious between the pair.

"Yeah that's right," Matt was still waiting for me to speak and swallowing my pain, I took a deep breath.

"Logan's an old friend, we were just catching up today. Ah, Logan, could you just go inside and check on that snake problem I told you about, down by the river? There might be one on the patio?" I prayed he'd pick up what I was talking about and he did, quickly nodding as he offered a smile to Matt.

"Sure, give me a sec!" He took my keys out of his pocket and ran over to the door. Alfie would be worried since I never came home last night and things were already awkward enough without him making an appearance.

"Snakes?" Matt asked doubtfully and smiling up at him I nodded.

"Yeah, he has dealt with them before. Look, Matt, I can't go out tonight."

"Thought so, are you alright? You look like you're in pain?" His eyes looked me over and considering I was carefully holding my side, it was a bit of a give away and as he reached out to life my sweater it hurt more to try and stop him. "Shit! Ellen, what happened?"

Something dark crossed his face then, something I hadn't seen before. "Did he do this to you? Is that why you haven't been answering my calls?"

"No, no, no!" I quickly mumbled, "Logan took me to the doctors, I had a fall." Well, it wasn't a complete lie.

"A fall?"

"Yeah, look, you know how we sometimes joke about my secret spy life?"

He only nods, the anger gone yet he isn't really believing me. "Yeah?"

"This is kind of to do with that." Logan appears in the doorway and gives me the thumbs up. "Come on in, we need to talk."

Going inside Logan stands awkwardly by the back door and I can't do what I need to do with him here.

"Thanks for your help, but you can go now."

"Are you sure, what if-" I hold up my hand, shaking my head.

"No it's fine, bye Logan!" I don't leave much room for discussion and he hesitates before nodding.

"Ok, nice to meet you man." He smiles at Matt and once the sound of his car reversing disappears, I sink down into my sofa with Matt coming to sit beside me.

"Can I see?" Matt moves the hem of the sweater up to see the bandage. All around my skin is still bruised and his whole body seems to wilt as he frowns at me. "This looks pretty bad. Shouldn't you be in hospital?"

"It's nothing, I'm a quick healer." I play it down, yet as his fingertips brush around the edges he may as well be stabbing me all over again.

"So what's going on Elle? You've been weird these last few days, ever since the other night really and-"

"And I'll tell you as much as I can."

Which I do. Sure some parts are left out, demons are switched to just bad people and the mess last night is severly under told. He sits there and simply nods at the right moments, something I do actually love about him. He is so calm, patient - kind; and way to good for me.

"I can't risk anyone putting you and me together. It's more dangerous than you will ever understand and I never should have dragged you into it in the first place. I'm sorry, but we're over." I didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did. Most of it wasn't for the loss of a 'boyfriend', but rather a friend. A real friend, not found out of circumstances or a need to tolerate each other. He liked me for me, who I was inside not just who I was supposed to be. I didn't want to lose that, but I had no choice.

I hurt him, I could see it in his eyes despite how hard he was trying to hide it. I walked him out to his car and we gently hugged goodbye. He didn't argue, he didn't get defensive and after he kissed me for the last time, he smiled. "It was good while it lasted. I always knew our relationship had an expiry date, you are something else babe. I wish you all the best, Ellen Bradshaw. That's not even your name is it?"

"No, it's not. Matt, I'm so sorry, I just. Thank you. You don't know how much these past few months have meant to me."

And that's how Matt and I broke up.

I wouldn't have expected much else from him yet as I walked back inside to Alfie who was waiting at the back door for me, all I could hear was Reece because he too had said those exact same words about our relationship having an expiration date. I locked up the house after letting Alfie inside and once he curled up in the living room, I went and laid down on him taking what comfort I could get.

"Alfie fix Elissse?" His tongue flicked out over my side, and I knew he was more than capable of fixing my wound, but he couldn't fix me.

"Not this time Alfie."

----

Now that chapter is over with in her life, time for the Elise we all know and love to make a comeback.... How are you liking things so far?