"Hello Lulu, miss me?"

If I had been more prepared I could have beaten Michael but I wasn't and now here I was even more defenseless in front of him. In the last three years I had prepared myself for the chance he would come back only I had hoped to take a page from Buffy's book and be waiting for him in some kind of cute but practical outfit, weapon in hand for a battle of epic proportions.

Clearly that wasn't happening.

"Girls!" We instantly turned to see Owen running down the street and at his arrival the two vampires feeding off Michael stopped, sniffing the air they left the corpse and walked towards us their eyes trained on Owen as Terry joined him.

Our cavalry had arrived.

But our own distraction didn't go unpunished and I was ripped away from Mandy's side, the firm body behind me that smelt like leather and cigarettes holding me tightly I found her gaze and the terror in her eyes only caused mine to triple.

"Come with now and I won't kill your friends" He growled in my ear and panic blocked my mind from comprehending what he had actually just said. From behind Terry and Owen I saw two more vampires chasing them as the trio headed forward eagerly and the red of Michael's blood was smeared around their faces like a warriors paint, ready for battle. They were newborns, but still five against two wasn't a fair fight and Cam ran to help, leaving his place but Ryan was quicker, leaving me in a second his arm came out and knocked Cam over. He managed to get up and watched Ryan closely.

"Cam!" Mandy cried, unable to move as Ryan rolled his neck not bothering to take a similar defense stand that Cam had. He didn't need to, Cam didn't pose a threat. My mind was in overdrive as Cam took a swing. I could stop this; I just had to go with him.

"Don't you dare" Mandy warned, knowing full well what I was thinking but then I realized something else.

Vampires can't go inside unless they're invited in.

We needed to get back to our apartment.

If we left, he would chase and the others could get away.

"Come on" I mumbled, my voice hoarse it was hard to work out what I had actually said and grabbing her hand I tugged her back towards the building. Pain throbbed in my back and down my legs, the stairs were going to be impossible but what choice did we have? I barely felt her hand in mine; my skin was red from the cold that was unrelenting in its own attack against us. I opened the door, pushing her in first. "Get to the apartment ok?"

"You better not pull any stupid stunts and lock me up there and play hero!" She warned, dragging me towards the stairs we made it to the first landing before I heard the groan of the door being opened. "Go!"

Mandy shoved me towards the next stairs and losing my balance I grabbed the pole, urging myself on as she didn't move. "Mandy run!"

"Oh my god Luke" I didn't get to turn before I was getting picked up, tossed over his shoulder like a ragdoll I couldn't bring myself to protest and Mandy ran ahead, sprinting down the corridor she opened our door and Luke took me inside, putting me down in the entry he went to walk out.

"Where are you going?" Mandy asked, moving after him. Words were exchanged and leaning against the wall by the kitchen I couldn't be bothered eavesdropping. The fact was, I had taken a beating tonight and I was only human. I had nothing to regenerate me except for time and with Ryan here I guess that was running out.

"Luke wasn't here ok?" I nodded as Mandy locked up the doors and coming back to me she hugged me tightly, pulling away as I flinched in pain. "Sorry"

"It's ok. Mandy we can't stay here, we're trapped" I slumped down to the floor, wiping my nose with my sleeve the dried blood pulled on my skin as a big to clear it.

"Luke told us to stay put, I trust him. You should too" She walked over to the window, closing the curtains she didn't tell me what she saw and instead helped me stand and took me into the bathroom. "Don't have the water to hot, you're like ice"

She turned on the shower, checking the temperature she helped me undress and guided me in. Even barely warm the water had my skin crawling gasping in agony I pulled away. Each bruise was tender and the cut on my chin stung as the water was tainted red against the white tiles and slowly the burning sensation faded as the warmth was restored to my body and I curled up in the corner of the shower wishing to disappear into the wall but I didn't and the banging on the door had Mandy leaving me alone, closing the bathroom door as she did so.

I didn't need to get up to see who was there as the way she screamed Cams name was enough. I grabbed the shampoo and soap from the ledge in the shower, starting to wash myself as the sounds of shouting entered the bathroom and as the door creaked open I froze.

"Are you ok Lu?" Peeking out the shower the door was barely open and all I could see was his hand on the door knob.

"I'm fine. I'll be out in a second" The door clicked closed and I leaned back resting my forehead on the tiles I watched the swirl of bubbles fall down the drain, holding my hands up beside me I turned my head slightly to see the scar he had left me with. When I had been in hospital after Ryan had attacked me, in a bid to make me feel better my Dad told me that scars are what remind us that the past was real, and that I had survived it.

Getting out the shower I dried off, frowning as I caught sight of myself in the mirror. Michaels hit hadn't been as bad as the one the incubus had served me but he had made his mark and the welts in my side were now more like graze marks from where his nails had dug in. I was tired, the adrenalin long gone but despite being sore I knew I would be ok. Once dressed I headed out to the lounge where Owen sat deep in thought and Mandy handed Cam a cup of tea, sitting beside him she quickly got up seeing me. Despite the stiffness, I could walk and put my hand up stopping her from moving. No one said anything for what felt like hours and Owen was the first to break the silence.

"Wanna share anything with the group Lucy? We got a call from Luke saying get to your place and arrive seeing that" His voice started of calm but as he finished he was yelling and I pulled the blanket up over me as if that would hide me from his attack.

"Mr Stevenson we can explain" Mandy started but he stopped her.

"No. I want to hear this from Lucy" He said dryly.

"That was Ryan" I stopped, what more could I say?

"And who is Ryan?"

"The one who gave me this" I held up my wrist and he nodded, seeming to accept that fact but I wasn't sure how much he knew about the vampires "It's not just a scar from when I was attacked. It's called a mark"

"And what does that mean?" Cam asked, looking at Owen before back at me and that told me they knew nothing. Would they think differently of me if they knew the truth?

"Nothing, it's something that can happen when a vampire attacks" I lied, pulling the blanket tighter. "Did Terry. Is he..."

"He's cleaning up. Another patrol arrived as we had called them in on our way. The newborns seemed to be there as more of a distraction. What do you know of 'Ryan' "He exaggerated on his name and Mandy shifted uncomfortably. Considering they were risking their lives tonight I decided they needed some kind of truth.

"I didn't know he was a vampire, they only existed in Anne Rice novels and on Buffy back then. Even when the Coming Out happened nothing changed right away until the first wave came through our home town and then some stayed before the war broke out" I paused, looking at Mandy who was biting her bottom lip and fiddling with the hem of the cushion. This was as much her story as mine. "Oddly we were never bothered by the vampires. I guess it makes sense now but when the fighting got bad we stayed in our house and since Ryan said he was part of Humanity he would bring us supplies and pretty much kept us safe. He would go out 'fighting' in the war, sometimes he was gone for a week or more but he always came back"

"He tried to find my Dad" Mandy spoke softly, but I knew she was struggling to hold back her tears now.

"Ryan missed my eighteenth birthday. I was just happy he came home safe"

"Did he get changed while he was away?" Cam asked, he spoke gently and took Mandy's hand as she held her breath, knowing what was next.

"We were going out for dinner but we didn't go to the restaurant he had told me about. There was a property just out of town. He said he had organized a surprise for me there and instead of going into the house there was a barn" I left out the candles, the rose petals and perfect setting he had set up but I could still smell the hay and dampness of the barn. I didn't realize I had stopped talking until Mandy spoke up.

"He wanted to change her into one of them and unknowingly she had walked right into it" She said bitterly. "He had fooled us all this whole time"

"It started like a normal date, we'd been together for over a year but then he started asking me what I thought of forever, about being immortal and I said it must be more of a curse than a gift. He tried to tell me otherwise and somehow ended in an argument. The last thing he said about it is that I didn't have a choice. His face changed and I freaked, trying to run but he caught me easily and then attacked me"

"How did you get away" Cam asked captivated by my story.

"I saw a stake, those wooden ones with the tags tied on top by a bale of hay, a pile of them and I was able to reach over and get one. He laughed, said I wouldn't be able to stop him and then rather than using his fangs, he completely bit my arm" I didn't tell them how he cut his own wrist and mixed his blood in mine, shivering as I could still feel the sensation of his tongue licking over the wound. "I whacked him with the wood, enough to make him drop my arm. That really just pissed him off and he got up talking about how I should be more grateful and if I really did love him then I'd let him do this. Instead I used all my energy and staked him through the heart"

"Holy shit!" Cam exclaimed, almost excited as tears streamed down my cheeks but he didn't notice that. It hadn't been that simply, we had struggled, my arm was aching and I could feel the loss of blood taking its toll on my body but the end result was the same.

"That doesn't kill them" Owen stated, pointing out what was now obvious. I wiped my eyes and watched Mandy do the same.

"No shit. No one had told me that, it wasn't exactly broadcast on the news and he had made sure we had been sheltered to what was going on around us. I ran, I grabbed the keys and ran. I passed out and crashed the car a few miles from home and a friend of my Dads found me, took me to the hospital and called my parents" I looked at the scar, wondering what could have happened if I hadn't got away. I would be here like this now.

"A week later I was released. They had to be positive I was going to be ok and not change. I wondered if I had killed him, all I could think about was the crack of his bones and the feeling of his flesh being torn apart and it was a nurse who told me staking them didn't work, so we went back to the barn to find it had been set alight, the house too" Mandy nodded, we had gone through the rubble and ash to try and find some sign I had been able to do it but there was none.

"I found the ad for this apartment and we thought moving would be a good idea. We walked around town looking for him, but he was gone. Then the treaty was signed and so we decided to start fresh here and that's about it" Mandy finished.

"You knew him and didn't know he was a vampire?" Owen asked in disbelief.

"No. He wasn't any different in daylight; we spent a summer by the river. He ate our food, drank alcohol and worked. When the vampires came out he didn't fit the warnings Humanity put out. It's not like I can smell them" Cam looked confused at my dig at Owen who glared in warning.

"So he lived like a human, completely?" Cam was amazed and I wanted to punch him.

"Yes"

"You were dating him?" All eyes fell to me after Owens question and I nodded. "Did you"

He hesitated and I clicked on to what he meant and without warning my cheeks went red and now I really did want to die.

"Shit" Cam sat back in the chair and Owen coughed uncomfortably as there was a knock on the door.

"Owen" He didn't say anything as he opened the door, a rather unharmed Terry stood there expectantly. "It's all cleaned up"

"What about the other one, the blondish guy?" Owen asked and I knew he was referring to Ryan.

"Gone, we couldn't track him. When we pulled up he left it was like he disappeared"

I didn't want to hear that. I wanted him dead and gone and for the last few months to be rewound. I wanted our old boring life back where Mandy would ask me on Friday what I was doing on the weekend knowing it was nothing and we'd watch old movie reruns and stick to our routine. But those days were long gone like the simplicity of the nineties. Why couldn't Nostradamus predict this? Some kind of warning would have been nice.

"Thanks Terry. Take the guys and go back to base. Cam, go with him - I want you checked out by the doctor" Cam obediently got up; giving Mandy a quick hug and kiss he followed Terry out leaving just the three of us. Getting up I followed Mandy towards the front door.

"Well thank you for sharing that Lu. He isn't some new vampire is he?" Owen looked tired and where his clothes were torn I could see no marks on the exposed patches of skin. Neither did Terry.

"Is Terry a werewolf too?" I blurted out.

"Yeah? Focus Lu, Ryan was it - he isn't a normal kind of vampire is he?" His patience was wearing thin and I rested my head on Mandy's shoulder as she put her arm around my waist and we leant against each other finding some kind of comfort in the fact we were both ok.

"Oh I'm very normal werewolf" Owen turned growling as Ryan stood in the doorway, glancing around the doorframe we all froze.

Vampires had to be invited in.

"Oh right, here I am unable to enter the residence of humans without an invitation" He said it sarcastically as if reading from an invisible sign. "What ever will I do?"

"You have no business here" Owen moved so his large body hid us from view and making the most of it headed behind the door as Mandy followed. My axe was on the other side of the door way which I wouldnt be able to get to without put myself in clear view. As if reading my mind Owen grabbed the handle from the stand, holding it at his side.

"And what do you plan on doing with that?" Ryan teased, through the crack between the door and doorframe I peeked out watching as he leant back on his heels. "Oh right, dog boy can't do shit without a full moon"

"I don't need to change to kill vampires" Owen growled, throwing the axe down towards us he cracked his knuckles in warning and I didn't hesitate in picking up the weapon knowing that was why he did it.

"Lulu, don't make me hurt your friend. I told you what I wanted you to do and you didn't. I'm out of patience and your friend is about to be out of luck" He looked right at me through the gap. Mandy's hand tightened on my shoulder as my own held the handle which was feeling heavier than it ever had before. I don't know how I'd go swinging it but I would do the best I could if it came to it. But we were safe inside, trapped but that would give us some time to think.

"Fuck off" The door was slammed shut as Owen took a step back, exhaling deeply. Mandy started towards the kitchen as I went to Owen. We had moved just in time as the door was thrown back against the wall and a furious looking Ryan glared back at us, his face changing as he came into the doorway. I screamed in surprise and before Owen could react Ryan had knocked him down onto his back.

He was in the apartment.

But we hadn't invited him in.

Rolling as Ryan's boot went towards his head, Owen just got out the way and went to grab the vampire who dodged his hand and as Owen knelt to stand, Ryan was behind him and bought his arm around unnaturally until the pop like crack had Owen growling in pain.

I took my chances and took a swing with the axe but my movements were slow and he grabbed the handle easily, yanking it from my hold the blade was resting just under Owens ear. "Now here's a lesson on how to kill a werewolf...."

The blade was moved upwards as Owen struggled, the pain in his arm not helping as Ryan dug his knee into his back and I only stared in horror as he took the swing that would end Owens life.

"No!" Mandy jumped onto Ryan's back, somehow one of the kitchen knives was now in her hand. I had been so distracted I hadn't even noticed and watched helplessly as she went to dive the blade into his neck but Ryan easily threw her off. This wasn't a training run through in the ring, this was real life and we were out of our league. Taking the blunt end of the axe, Ryan rammed it roughly against Owens temple, knocking him out instantly as Mandy struggled to get up and I dropped down to help her.

"One more time, come with me now or they die" He chuckled slightly, the twisted sound making goosebumps to appear over my kin. "Well it's more like if you are carried, dragged or throw out of here, they die. You will come with me"

Either way my future was going into his hands and I wouldn't risk playing with my friends any more. Mandy shook her head, telling me no but it wouldn't matter what she said or did, my mind was made up.

A life for a life.

Or in this case, two for one.

"I love you, no matter what happens you're my sister. Look after Mum and Dad ok?" I kissed her forehead and stood, cringing slightly as I did so and took a step towards Ryan as Mandy grabbed my leg, scrambling to get up she burst into tears.

"No, don't do this Lu! We can fight, we can win!" She screamed, her fear was felt in the air thicker than perhaps my own as she clung to me desperately. I fought to control my own tears, the surreal thought of walking willingly to whatever he had planned only seemed to offer me some kind of serenity rather than the fear I was expecting.

"It'll be ok" I hugged her tightly as she trembled against me forcing herself to nod as Ryan roughly grabbed my arm.

"Sentimental little thing isn't she?" He mocked, shoving me towards the door.

"Wait" He rolled his eyes as his face returned the human side. "Can I at least grab my jacket?"

"No"

"But it's cold and..."

Taking back his hold on my arm he dragged me down the corridor and glancing back Mandy stood their torn as to what to do. Leaving the building there was no one around and since I only had socks on my feet, the wet was quickly absorbed by them. I didn't dare speak as we turned the corner, spying the motorbike I knew that was our ride out of here. I used to love going on the back of his bike but now I refused to go near it.

Fight or flight.

I tugged to try and free my arm, his grip only tightening to the point where I cried out.

"Get on"

"Like hell"

"You loved the bike," He said sounding hurt and a little confused.

"I used to love a lot of things" He didn't miss the double meaning and his frown only increased before all emotion left his face and from the bag strapped to the side he threw me a leather jacket similar to his own. I looked at it for a second as he climbed on, the bike roaring to life he looked at me expectantly but the fact this was my old jacket had some kind of conflicted feeling pushing in the back of my mind.

"Put it on or you'll know how cold it really is" Nodding I did as he said but as I zipped up the front I had an idea. Getting on it felt to familiar and after revving the engine a couple of times he reversed it, turning onto the road the thrill of being on the back hit me and instinctively my arms went around his waist.

We took off down the street, weaving through what cars were on the road and passing a Night Watchers van I looked in, not seeing anyone I recognized in the front I was so thankful we began to slow and as we took the corner I pushed my leg up and over the bike and took my chances rolling off. I tried to get up my body protesting the horror I'd been subjecting to the last couple of hours and glancing up the bike stopped at the side of the road and I was again running out of time.

The road wasn't well sealed here and the socks were only thin. Looking up it was the Night Watchers van that stopped, the passenger opening his door he called out, his lack of interest obvious.

"Are you ok Miss?"

The next thing out of my mouth got his attention and he was out of the van in seconds, banging on the side of the van as he did so.

"Help! He's a vampire!"

I ran as best I could, stopping at the van as a couple of others got out and ushered me inside.

"Just drive, don't try and fight him" I begged, but they weren't listening.

"You're safe now Miss" The drive spoke to me like a child, not believing me. There were six of them, what could one vampire do? I would be skeptical too but they didn't know Ryan.

"Give her to me or you die" Ryan warned simply and looking around the van I went through their bags. Finding a pair of boots that might fit I pulled them on and seeing the gun grabbed it, checking it was loaded. Sure it wouldn't kill him but it would help slow him down. After not finding anything else I could use I got out of the van as the first guard when down and started running back towards home, stopping as two other vampires appeared from an alley way.

"You have got to be kidding me!" I screamed frustrated, their confused faces only infuriating me more.

"All alone girly?" The brunette asked and I didn't miss the hunger in his eyes.

Cocking the gun they both laughed, shutting up as two shots rang out into the night and the blonde fell to the ground holding his head screaming in agony. The other stopped, weighing up his options and as his eyes flicked behind me he gave up and ran. Turning I wish I had followed his lead and raising the gun glaring at Ryan as the other vampire was still wriggling on the floor behind me.

"Are you done?" He bent over, ripping the other vampires shirt to wipe the blood of the guards from his hands.

"Let me go or I'll shoot," I threatened, clicking the barrel in place my finger trembled on the trigger. He sighed dramatically and moved so quickly he had back against him without the gun and his arm around my neck.

"I said are you done?" I went limp, forcing him to carry me back to the bike and once there he sat me on first, leaning in close to my face. "Try anything like that again and I will kill you. You've used up all your chances and I've been very generous so far" I closed my eyes as he kissed my neck, not missing the sharp point of his fangs scrapping along my skin. "Understand?"

His voice was raspy in my ear and I nodded. Satisfied he climbed back on and once more the engine was purring with life. He reached behind to grab my arms, bringing them around his waist and looking back the van sat by the corner with the lifeless bodies surrounding it.

It wasn't just me trouble was attracted to, but everyone I came into contact with too but at least Mandy was safe and I hoped Luke still had a plan.