Sometimes I like to think I am, well, bad ass. Typically when I get too confident, a reality check sets in and rather than be bad ass, I end up on my ass. Today wasn't one of those days and Kieran was on his back with the rubber spear at his throat for the third time in ten minutes.

Holding his hands up in defeat, I raised the spear over my head and jumped around victoriously. "Don't look so sad, you only got beat by a girl!"

"Whatever Bunting," he groaned, rolling onto his side before slowly getting up. "I don't know why I listened to CJ, you are a Bunting and-"

"Listened to CJ?" My good mood deflated and no amount of endorphins was going to make me happy again.

"Yeah, he was telling everyone at breakfast how you don't want to be a Hunter blah blah blah!" Penny stopped filing her nails and joined in the conversation. Why she continued to follow me around when we didn't actually like each other was beyond me.

"I think he just knew how to make an easy twenty bucks!" Kieran stretched his back, the pair of them completely oblivious about the discussion taking place. The verbal blows hit me harder than what Kieran had thrown at me. Even now my reputation still stood as it had months ago.

The Hunter who won't, or couldn't.

"You look like you had a lot of tension to work out Ellie, maybe you can go see your little Slayer friend. That was him right, the missing guy?" Penny taunted, watching me for a reaction and I didn't disappoint.

Despite the fake tip of the weapon, I threw it with enough force that wooden bar splintered and embedded itself in the punching bag beside her. She screamed, leaping away from it as if it was about come alive and Kieran stood watching in shock as I stormed over to her. Common sense kicked in at the right time and I tried to ignore the others who all stared and stopped their own workouts.

"CJ doesn't know what he is talking about, none of you do!"

"Elise, I didn't mean it like that." Kieran came over to guide me away from Penny who slowly got up before walking out. "Sorry, I should listen to Dad not gossip!"

"It doesn't matter, let them think what they want." Going on the treadmill, I started to run like I could actual go somewhere and with a sigh, he got on the exercise bike beside me and left it at that.

--

By the time I finished in the gym, I was literally exhausted. Kieran had told me to stop a hundred times before giving up and leaving me be and now I was really regretting it. Taking a long hot shower I decided I couldn't avoid Logan forever even though I wanted to and with some of my own clothes back I felt more relaxed. Deciding to be the bigger person and go see him, I should never have let him just go last night. He had gone to his own room down the other end of the hall with the Trackers after his delightful two am wakeup call and now it was mid-afternoon so I figured he should be awake by now. Hopefully after getting some sleep he was in a better mood and if since he hadn't come out for breakfast or lunch I went to the kitchen and got something to take up to him as a peace offering.

Walking across the hall, I just gone around the corner to the stairs when I saw movement above me on the balcony. Rather than keep going, I stopped and hearing the all too familiar giggle my stomach churned. Making eye contact with Penny, she turned quickly and giggled again.

"Oh Logan, you're too funny! I'll save you a seat next to me at dinner!" She pranced along the balcony as the door above me closed and I watched her as she went down the other set of stairs. Once we were on the same level, she paused to look back over to where I still stood and smirked victoriously. Tossing her hair over her shoulder she carried on back to the main area and I didn't know what to do. Thankfully Logan made the choice for me and came out a few minutes later.

He hesitated at the top of the stairs, before walking down and taking a deep breath I smiled up at him.

"Hey you!" Awkwardly I pushed his shoulder, attempting some kind of friendly interaction when inside I really wanted to know what I just saw. "Sup?"

"Sup?" He looked at me doubtfully, and glanced down at the plate in my hands.

"You missed breakfast and lunch, thought you might be hungry."

"Penny bought me something up earlier, but-"

Screw being the bigger person.

"Never mind then," Turning on my heel I tried to resist the urge to run away.

"We need to talk! Elise, stop!"

I did and looking back at him he still looked tired. Downside he looked good too, his hair was messy like he had just got out of bed... or like he had just being something else in bed.

"No, I wanted to talk last night and now I don't really feel like it! Enjoy dinner with Penny tonight!" I kept walking and annoyingly the sound of his steps came after me.

"Green isn't your colour Bunny!"

"Green isn't my - what?" Turning again I nearly ran into him and the meaning sunk in. "I am not jealous!"

"Really? So you don't care that she just left my room or asked me to sit with her?" He was testing me, and as we made eye contact I looked away quickly.

"No, I don't. Why would I?"

"You were bringing me a sandwich?"

"To be nice. Thank you for coming and well, as you can see I'm fine now - not kidnapped and you can run along and go back to being animal control, even if that includes having dinner with a dog."

"That's it? That's all you've got?" He taunted.

"That's it." Passing a bin, I dropped the plate in it only he kept following.

"Can you at least tell me what happened? What I've heard is you were attacked by vampires?"

Oh god, don't do it - grow up and walk away. Let it go! I don't even listen to myself and stopping again, I put my hands on my hips and glare at him. "Then you already know what happened. Did Penny tell you about that?"

"You are so jealous!" He laughs. I slap him well try to as he sees it coming and blocks my hit. "Temper temper!"

"I'm jealous? What the fuck was last night?"

He stops laughing. "What was last night Elise?"

"Oh so now you want to know?"

"YES!" He yells, waving his hands up dramatically.

"Then you should have stopped last night."

As he reaches out to stop me from leaving, I shove him away and I don't see him again until dinner service. Sitting between Raya and Jodie, the three of us took turns rolling our eyes at the ridiculous display Penny was putting on over on the Tracker table. Chris sat beside Kieran and Grant opposite us and the confused trio occasionally looked behind to see what we were all staring at.

"Ah, what did we miss?" Kieran piped up first, and Raya only sighed before pointing at Penny.

"That Hunter gives us all a bad name!"

"She isn't so bad, she threw some good parties back in the day!" Chris followed earning a glare from Jodie. They didn't know what was going on, but the fact I was in a mood directed over there meant they all were too. I didn't know having girlfriends could be so - empowering.

"What do you know? You wouldn't have gone to her parties!" I argued, knowing full well he had graduated when she started to try and get her own reputation at the Academy.

"I went to one last year!"

"Did you now?" Jodie leant against the table and Chris swallowed nervously.

"You went to visit your sister and so I went and caught up with some old friends. Jordan was there!" He looked at me like that made a difference and instead I kicked him under the table. "I give up."

The guys got up and left us to go watch something on TV leaving the duo to get out of me what was going on. I told them about last night and when Logan made eye contact with me, I didn't drop it this time which made it even more awkward.

"So, you're dating?" Raya asked confused.

"No."

"But you "like" him?" Jodie glanced over and seeing us staring at each other frowned.

"No."

"I'm a girl, and even I'm confused!" I looked at Jodie who smiled innocently, "Ellie, if you like him - why are letting that thing hang all over him?"

"I don't like him!" I snap a little too harshly, just as Zane and Reece take the other guys seats.

"Who?" Zane dives right into the conversation and Jodie shakes her head.

"None of your business!" She argues.

Reece looks in the direction I had been staring and chuckles to himself as he starts to eat.

"What's so funny?" I sit a little straighter, resisting the urge to kick him under the table.

"I give it, ten seconds before he is over here trying to mark his territory!"

"He's getting up!" Raya whispers and the whole table turns to look at Logan as he stands. Penny glances over not impressed and Reece got it wrong. Logan doesn't come over and instead walks out. The table of Trackers all look over, before going back to their dinner and Penny sits back sulking.

"Trackers!" I growl under my breath, no longer hungry.

"Give the guy a break," Zane adds his two cents worth as if he knows everyone and everything. I'm not feeling very social anymore either and without another word I go and hide in the library.

I'm not alone for long.

"You ok?" Reece comes to sit opposite me and I cringe a little to the left to keep some distance between us.

"Yeah?"

"It's not my place, and I don't know what's going on with you and the Tracker-"

"No you don't because there isn't anything. Can you just go, please?" I go back to flicking through the archives. The database is the same as the one at the Academy which is synced to the Network. I don't know why, but the discussion with the vamp who staked himself is filling my mind and reading through Slayer diaries, I can't help but think we're missing something.

"You don't have to be scared of me Elise."

"I know and I'm not. I just want to be alone."

He doesn't leave and looking up from the screen, the first good memory breaks through the night that keeps haunting me instead. Thinking of our impromptu make out in the library makes me blush and I pray he can't see that in the dim light of the tablet screen.

"Look, is it going to be weird because we had..."

"No - that was what it was. Nothing more." I go back to scrolling and he sits up to look at my screen.

"Good, cause I hoped nothing had changed since then especially after you know."

"That has more chance of making it awkward between us," I look up to find him staring intently at me and goose bumps break out over my skin. That familiar feeling of panic expands in my chest and I try to read about the vampires involved in making the treaty eventuate. "Don't get the wrong idea - but we were definitely a onetime thing."

"Can't deny I am disappointed but I get it. Friends?" He held out his hand.

"Friends." I agreed and reluctantly took it. The second his hand wrapped around mine I closed my eyes and could only see the fangs before he tried had kissed me to get the first taste of blood. I dropped it and stood up, the tablet falling from my lap. He moved to pick it up and as he stood in front of me, I stepped back.

"Just ah, give me a second."

"You are scared of me aren't you?" He asked softly, almost disappointed.

"I can't help it, I'm so sorry and trying to get over it and it's hard!"

"Tell me about it." He put down the tablet and went to walk away. Instinctively I stopped him, pulling him against me in a hug instead.

"I'm trying, I just need time. I meant what I said last night, you're not alone - you have people who will fight for you now."

Slowly his arms came around me, and my fear began to diminish. "Thank you."

"Anytime. But really, can you go now. I do want to be alone and not because of all of that." Smiling we parted and as he kissed my forehead I didn't feel like running away.

"You are one in a million, and just so you know; I don't believe a word of what they say about you."

"Unless it's that I am ridiculously amazing and don't forget good looking!" I joked, and he only laughed as he walked out. Once I was alone again, I sat back down feeling more at peace now I didn't have to keep pretending everything was fine and got back to reading.

I had just found something about the battle one clan of vampires had put up when sirens started blaring from out in the hall. Forgetting it, I rushed out to the main hall like all the others and finding Reece with a few other Slayers, stood by them.

"What's going on?" This whole thing was new to me and I didn't take the sirens as a good thing.

"The fae, they're bringing someone in." One of the Slayers shared, standing up on her toes to try and see over the taller people in front of her.

"So why the noise?"

"It's to alert hospital staff, come on." Reece grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the stairs that led to the small lounge area between the Slayer and Tracker rooms. From there we could see over the majority of the hall space and a couple of others appeared to stand beside us. In all, maybe a hundred of our kind were down here at the moment and already I saw some faces missing as well as some new ones.

The blue light in a corner by the wall that separated the bar area from the dining started to flash and a panel slid open that had two doctors running out with a stretcher between them. "We're near the hospital?"

"It's all connected. This one of the smaller hide outs compared to others because the space is shared with the hospital. That's why Raya and those guys are here, once she could leave hospital they took her straight here to fully recover." Reece clearly didn't want to talk about that side of it, so I only nodded. Spying me from downstairs, Jodie and Chris came up to stand with us too.

A ball of white light filled the space the doctors made in the crowd and sure enough, two fae women appeared holding a woman who looked to be in pretty bad shape. Reece tensed beside me, stepping back from the railing and looking up, his eyes were wide with fear. I recognised the state she was in to be like his when he was dropped off at my house and now was a good a time as any for me to get over my own issues.

"Reece, look at me!" I turned him around so his back was to the scene below. Jodie helped me guide him down to their room, and as I sat him on the bed his face had paled and his hands were shaking. "Reece, you're safe. No one is going to get you here."

He didn't believe me and as someone who had suffered their own share of panic attacks in recent time, I did what everyone else had done for me and helped him through it. Eventually, he calmed down and as he laid on the bed I sat beside him until he fell asleep. Jodie stayed with him as I left, needing my own space to breath and instead I walked right into Logan. I didn't get to process anything as he hugged me, and before I knew what I was doing I had burst into tears.

"Is she going to be ok?" I finally asked, stepping back I wiped my eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"I think so, they didn't wait around for long. Apparently the Slayers are all talking. That was Alison Winters!"

"Why do I know that name?" We moved to sit on the staircase. Everyone had disappeared now the excitement was over, and most had gone to bed.

"Her great grandmother was the real Buffy."

"Oh! Of course!" No wonder the Slayers were in a buzz over it. The Winters were famous for the scandal Francis Winter caused when she actually fell in love with a vampire. It's cliché now thanks to pop culture and humans fascination with the supernatural, but back in the late eighteen hundreds, Francis was the one who started the trend.

Her diaries were also found by a human in the fifties and a few clever people got involved in tweaking them a little and turning them into bestselling novels. By the eighties, everyone forgot about them and they had a minor comeback in the nineties when vampires became cool and knowing both stories, clearly the popular show had segments of Francis's life in it; vampire slayer and falling for vamps is the obvious part.

Slayers don't ever love vampires, just like we don't go gaga over demons and Trackers aren't setting up a kennel with their shifters. Theirs is the only case ever known that didn't actually end in death and destruction. Vampires are attracted to Slayers for the blood only. To get as far as starting some kind of sexual relationship is well, impossible. The vamp would have given into its nature and need to feed or the Slayer would have to kill it. I don't even know how anyone could see beyond the blood sucking corpse to get close enough to one for a relationship to form. As disgusting as it all is, it's interesting.

Kind of like a train wreck; you can't look away even if you want to.

In that fairy tale, Vamp and Slayer broke up like any normal couple, though it's rumoured Francis loved to be bitten and the addiction to the whole thing was mutual. She ended up being torn apart by a werewolf and needless to say, the Winters try and forget that part of their history.

"Any idea on what happened?" Grant appears from the hospital passage with some of the other older residents and no one looks happy, not even the fae who stands alongside looking more like an angel amongst the rough looking men and women.

"Maybe your friend will know?" Logan goes to stand as Grant looks over to us and pointing at me, he waves me over. "See!"

"Come with me?" I stay sitting until Logan gives me his hand and I follow him over.

"That was Alison Winters Ellie, she was found being swarmed by a group of eighteen vamps. The other two slayers she traveled with were killed and her sister, Opal - was taken. The fae spooked them with fake sunlight and was able to take her away." Grant watched me closely the whole time, as if waiting for me to realise something. Looking up at Logan, he didn't seem to know anything either.

"Ok?"

"Do you know much about the Winters Ellie?" The older woman I didn't know spoke up.

"No?"

"Your brother never mentioned them?" Grant looked at the fae hopefully and I only shook my head.

"No, I haven't seen him. Maybe CJ or Zane will know?" What did that have to with Jordan? "Why?"

"Before she became unconscious, she kept asking me where Jordan Bunting is and made me promise to keep him safe." The fae's soft voice was like a summers breeze, warming the coldest parts of my soul. She wasn't annoying like the others I'd come across, but then I wondered if she was also trying to use her influence on me to keep me calm. "You may go dear."

Turning I walked back to the stairs with Logan before what just happened sunk in and turning back, they were gone. Sighing I went back to the library and finding what I was reading, I was going to back to sit with Reece.

"Where are you going?" Logan hung back in the doorway, and I didn't want another argument.

"To sit with Reece and be a friend." I made sure to emphasize that point before he started to presume things again. Not that I cared what he thought.

"Nothing happened with Penny, she is the one who told me you were here and has been acting like a friend. Do you know how worried I've been since you were taken? I found that office you were in, it was a mess and clearly something big had happened there. If she didn't call when she did, I don't know what I would have done!"

I have to look up at him now as he stands in front of me; way too close. Maybe not close enough as my body betrays me and subconsciously I lick my lips as I lean into him. As if we've done it a million times before, his hands curl around my waist to rest on my lower back.

"Sorry about that." I curse myself for sounding so pathetic, yet my eyes flutter down closing, as his head is tilted lower towards mine.

"Ellie! Are you in - oh god! Sorry!" Raya practically walks into the wall as she makes her quick escape, at least attempts to escape and Logan and I spring apart as if we were caught doing something else.

"Yeah, coming Raya." I don't look at Logan as I rush to her side, linking our arms we practically run into the hall.

"What. Was. That?" She demands. Clearly the tiredness that had plagued her since her own attack was lifting and she bounded around like a fan girl at a concert.

"Nothing that can end well, what did you want?"

"You should really," She stops as I make sure she knows not to finish that sentence. "The Slayer girl just asked for you, they're going to take you to the hospital to see her!"

"Great!" I mutter sarcastically and getting to the doorway in, it reopens and the fae is waiting. Clearly the invitation in doesn't include a plus one and as the door closes behind me, the fae touches my shoulder. Instantly I close my eyes, opening them again I feel a little dizzy and sure enough, Alison is in front of me on the bed. Her wounds have been cleaned and dressed, the hospital gown taking place of her town and bloody clothes. Bite marks line her arms and she had stitches on her forehead which make me shiver.

"I'll give you a moment." The fae walks out and as she leaves, Alison opens her eyes. They look almost demonic as redness dominates the whites of her eyes. I'd never seen such bloodshot eyes and instinctively step back from the bed.

"Elise?" She croaks, coughing and she points to the cup with the straw on the table beside her. Putting down the device I had been trying to read from, I oblige and help her with the water. "Jordan, is he here? Did they bring him?"

I shook my head, trying to keep myself together as I took in more of her bruised and swollen face. Underneath it all, she would have been quite pretty.

"They, they need us." Her head dropped back into the pillows, and for a second I think she has passed out. "We can't let them find us!" She whispers.

"Us, like me and you?"

"Yes." Opening her eyes, they're filled with tears and as they roll down her cheeks I can't stop a few of my own.

"Why?"

"I don't know! The vampires," she started coughing again and getting her the water she shook her head, "said they are bringing him back!"

"Bring who back? The Lord Alpha?"

"I don't know. They didn't tell me who, but they were close to finding Jordan too!"

The Winters were only known for the scandal, they weren't apart of the treaty or anything else. Why would the vampires be after them and helping the wolves find Jordan?

Lost in thought, her silence wasn't noticed until the fae came back in. "Come, let us give her some time to rest."

I didn't have a choice as we went back into the hall only now all the lights were out and looking at the clock by the dining section, I'd been gone for two hours. The fae disappeared as quick as she had come and going to the bar, I grabbed a bottle and found a booth in the corner so I could finally read.

Nothing anywhere mentioned the Winters and starting on what the Network had of Francis's diaries, the detail in which she wrote about her relationship with the vampire. She never mentions his name though, just refers to him as V and it's easy to see why the humans had decided to publish it. Francis actually loved this V, by the end I was even feeling more empathy for her and her forbidden love. That was until the end caught my attention and it was where the diary finished.

'Telling V we cannot continue to live this way was a mistake. Two villages suffered for the weakness my heart holds for him and that weighs heavily on my conscious. I could not kill him, so to end the bloodshed I promised I will stay at his side and not refuse his bed.

While he has me, his thirst is sated.

I know what I must do since I cannot take his life and to take my own will only result in my return as one of them. I have shamed my family enough and it must end. We cannot be in the one world together and I must send V back to the place his kind escaped from.

I just need to learn how.'

"She learnt what to do!" I whispered excitedly. It's not going to just be the Lord Alpha coming back, but this V guy as well which is why they were after the Winters.

Running up the stairs, I headed to Logans room. Only I'm nearly there when Reece opens his door and waits for me to get closer. That was how it all happened last time and if he was expecting anything to have changed in the last few hours he had another thing coming.

"How are you now?" I lean against the wall, looking him over.

"Better, thanks for that."

"What are friends for right?" I smile, looking towards Logan room and freeze as a shadow goes up the stairs and in the dim light that lines the balcony, the flash of red hair is undeniable. Reece stops to look and this time when he grabs my arm to pull me into his room, it doesn't go further than the doorway and we watch as she goes to his door. She doesn't seem to knock, slipping right on in.

After a few minutes she hasn't come back out.

"That probably looks worse than it is. Go over there!" Reece encourages, and I look at him doubtfully.

"Doesn't matter what he does, there is nothing to say." And as if I want to walk in on that. Just friends he said...

"Elise, it's two am and you were on your way to his room. I think it does matter."

"I'm glad you doing better, I'll talk to you later." I didn't want to get into a discussion over feelings with him of all people, and went to my own room.

I didn't know what to. I hate Logan, I hate him and Penny and this whole set up. There was only one place I wanted to go and oddly it involved a demon. It was't like the love Francis had with V, but escaping to Alfie would be easy. I'd go through the hospital, get to freedom and go before the majority were even awake.

Grabbing my bag, I didn't get far in my packing before there was a knock on the door and thinking it was Reece, decided to ignore it and went and got my toothbrush from the bathroom. Coming out, Logan instead stood in the doorway and closing the door he looked at my bag and then back to me.

"What are you doing?" His voice was like gravel, and turning on the lamp it was hard to deny what was going on now.

"What does it matter? Isn't Penny waiting for you?" I snapped back. Maybe I was jealous.

"Oh you saw that? Then I'm guessing you didn't see the part where she was then kicked out?" He retorted angrily, moving to my bag he started taking out my things. "You're not leaving."

Running over I snatched my bag from him before he grabbed it back and dropped it on the floor, sighing dramatically. "Will you just stop?"

"No! I'm leaving and there is nothing you can do to change my mind!" Before I could go to retrieve my bag, he grabbed my upper arms and stopped me in my tracks.

"Sure about that?"

I didn't get a chance to think it over, protest or do anything else as he kissed me. It was better than I remember from what happened in the bathroom back home and as his hands let my arms go, I was to lost in the moment to move or fight him. I didn't want to admit to myself I had been wanting this and somehow my arms found their way around his neck.

Actually, this was more than just wanting something. I needed him. Judging by the way he held me and with the urgency of his kisses, I didn't have to wonder if the feeling was mutual. Taking a breath, we lost our shirts and tilting my head back he ran his hands through my hair before going all over my body. Goosebumps broke out where ever he touched and his lips moved down my neck making me shiver in anticipation.

Slowly he pulled away, leaving me aching to close the distance he put in place as his eyes roamed up and down hungrily. "I was wrong, green is your color."


"You're a jerk," and this time when I kissed him, there was no one to stop or interrupt us. Even the voice in the back of my head that usually told me being too close to him was a bad idea wasn't there. That turned out to be a good thing as the last of my items were pushed off the bed. Piece by piece what remained of our clothing joined the pile on the floor.

“Are we actually doing this?” He whispered into my ear as I let him lower me onto the bed.

“Not if you ask that question again.” I broke away, smirking and pushing his shoulders back took control. For some stupid reason, I thought of Reece. He and Logan have never been alike, comparing them is like black and white and this was no exception. Reece had been more dominant yet gentle and something I’d never forget. With Logan it was like all of our frustrations started to come out with our actions, not words. For everything I did to him, he gave back and it was so much more satisfying than arguing with him would ever be. He was easy to read, then again so was I – each moan and gasp acting as a tell tale sign over how to torture each other more in the most pleasurably frustrating way possible.

I guess he could change my mind because I wasn't going anywhere now.

-----

So ah, Loges and Bunny finally got it on. Are we :) or :( about that and how it all went down or should there have been more lead up, more action durnig/after?