Sarah woke hearing Nick’s voice. He was shaking her slightly and her body was rebelling against being pulled from unconsciousness.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. We’re going out in another half hour or so and you’re coming along." She groaned loudly hearing that. She couldn’t believe how tired she was. Must be another side effect of the bite, she told herself. "How are you doing?" he asked looking at her deeply. His hand reached out to cradle her nape in his palm and delicately stroke his thumb over the new wound. His regret over what had happened with Brian earlier lingered so intensely in his eyes, it tugged at her heart.

"I’m okay, I think. Just really really tired."

"It’ll be that way for a little while, but you’ll adjust. From now on, you’ll probably find you have more energy at night then during the day. You’ll be listless, but unless you’re bitten the final time, you won’t go looking for blood."

"That’s good to know. I’ve already felt changes in myself. Today at the store, it was as if my sense of smell was heightened beyond belief. I didn’t think I was going to make it past the meat department. I’ve never felt that drawn to it before."

"That’s one of the new cravings you’ll experience. It’s okay to give into it and have meat. Just try not to eat it raw. It’ll be difficult to turn back once you do."

"Ugh, I’ll try to remember that," she stated, feeling her stomach lurch at the thought. She paused a moment suddenly refocusing on his other statement. "Nick, I really don’t want to go. I’ll be fine here," she mumbled.

"I’m not leaving you here alone. I realize it’s not exactly safe out there either, but I can protect you better if you’re with me." He dragged her into a sitting position, gently pushed back her hair and attempted to bring her more into wakefulness. "We might be stopping by one of the clubs first. Do you think you’re up to that?"

She nodded, forcing a smile to her face. "I think so."

"Good. Then change your clothes and get something to eat to build up your strength. I don’t think we’ll be gone that long but we never know what will happen. It could turn into a long night and I don’t want you fainting on me," he smiled, kissing her forehead quickly and stood up to let her move off the settee.

Sarah turned pushing the covers away and let her feet drop to the floor heavily. She leaned over her lap and tiredly dragged her palms over her face. "The things I let you talk me into," she complained.

She sensed Nick shorten the distance between them once more to slowly kneel before her. His warm, soft fingertips brushed her face to delicately secure several locks of her tangled hair back behind her ear then they moved beneath her chin to raise her face to his. He studied her longingly, his bright, blue eyes filled with concern and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It was very powerful and she almost felt hypnotized again, but it was different this time. More of a warmth flowing through her. When his hands trailed lingeringly down her arms and lightly caught her hands in his, for the first time in a long time, she realized she actually felt grounded. As if she undeniably belonged to someone. It was wonderful.

Nick’s voice was patient, understanding, making her know clearly of his sincerity. "I’m not doing this to be mean to you. I know how you feel about these hunts. I just don’t want to take any chances," he vowed.

"I know," she whispered back. "Sometimes..." Sarah bit back the words unsure she should go on.

"What?"

Her hand reached out to lovingly stroke over the side of his face. "Sometimes I just like to forget that you are what you are," she confessed quietly.

"You know what? Sometimes I do too," he stated smiling, slowly drawing her touch away. "Half an hour?" he asked, changing topics quickly.

She nodded and smiled back attempting to make her legs hold her weight as she stood. They did pretty well. The rest had helped a lot.

A little over an hour later, Nick and Sarah along with Howie, Tess, Kevin, Monica and a friend of Tessa’s named Christine were entering the huge double doors of The Dig—one of the less trendy dance clubs on the lower east side. Brian was strangely absent from their little group. It hadn’t really surprised her. Nick probably wouldn’t do so much as allow him to set eyes upon her after what had happened that morning.

Sarah wasn’t all that familiar with this place since it wasn’t in the neighborhood she usually patrolled. She’d been there only a couple times and she saw that as a good thing at the moment. It was less likely she’d be recognized. It wasn’t that large, but the music was good, the drinks were cheap and it drew a decent sized crowd. Located out of the way, it was renown in both vampire and slayer circles alike as prime hunting grounds. Sarah felt so strange going in there not as a feared slayer but as one of her former quarries. She was sure that absolutely all eyes had fallen upon her the moment they’d arrived, knowing she was in the company of vampires. Knowing that she was a traitor to her own kind.

As they moved across the room and she got the opportunity to more closely survey the crowd, she realized she was just paranoid. Actually no one was paying attention to just another bunch of young people coming into the club for a night out. It simply felt as if everyone knew exactly what was going on.

They found a large semi-circle shaped booth toward the back that offered an open view of the bar and dance floor and took their places. Sarah and Nick were on the outside with the girls toward the back and the rest of the guys next to them. Everyone ordered straight shots of alcohol and Sarah saw it as a little bit odd.

"Bartenders must love you guys," she commented. "You order expensive drinks and you can’t even drink them?" Absolutely all eyes turned to her as if she’d broken some implicit silence. There was just dead air until Howie appeared to take pity on her and jumped in just before Nick did.

"Alcohol is okay if its pure and we only consume a little. Anymore than a few sips and we can get intoxicated just like anyone else." The information surprised her. She’d never known that.

With the loud music and people packing the dance floor, it was almost possible for Sarah to believe that she wasn’t simply enjoying a night out with friends. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done that. It had to have been years. That comfort swiftly vanished when she began to take notice of how intently her group was checking out the rest of the crowd. It was the look of vultures hovering and it made a cold chill slither beneath her skin. Christine and Howie left to the bar soon after this then proceeded to the dance floor. They were both fantastic dancers and in no time had attracted several other partners. They separated and turned up the heat, seducing, tempting, attracting their potential victims like moths to a flame. Within minutes they were each paired up with one of these strangers and were leading them out of the club. Sarah knew she’d never see those people alive again and it made her heart ache for them. She understood better now why sometimes vampires turned down an easy meal for a more challenging one. They liked the thrill of the hunt. They knew they could best a human physically. There was no contest. Even with her strength, it was often all Sarah could do to take one down herself. No, the real exhilaration was in enticing the victim to come to them willingly. To encourage that trust then snatch it away. Somehow that seemed even crueler than the actual kill to her.

"Well, I don’t know about you all, but I came here to dance as well as eat. You game?" Tess commented, nudging Kevin. He seemed to be into the idea as was Monica and they all rose up to leave to the dance floor. "What about you, Nick?" she invited, blatantly ignoring Sarah sitting next to him. "You joining us or not? I could use a partner. There might not be enough of Kevy to go around," she purred as the vamp in question quickly denied the fact by wrapping his arm about her middle and tugging her against him fiercely. Tessa laughed, pushing away from him.

"Nah, that’s okay. You guys dance. I’m still kind of getting a feel for the place," Nick explained. The disappointment was obvious in Tess’s eyes.

"You never had a problem getting a feel for it when I was with you," she informed, smiling subtly at Sarah. She was deliberate about it, wasn’t she?

They cut out a path to the dance floor and started gyrating madly. It was like something out of Dirty Dancing with Monica and Tess hanging all over Kevin, grinding their long, lithe bodies against his seductively. And Kevin certainly wasn’t holding back either. The heat they were creating was so erotic, Sarah could feel the color rise to her cheeks and for several moments, she had to turn her eyes away. After awhile, her stare wandered back to Nick. She noticed he wasn’t looking in their direction either. He was scanning the crowd of moving bodies, observing them the same way the rest of the group had before, with the same dark desire brewing like a storm in his eyes and she had to ask about it.

"How do you know who it will be? I mean, what attracts you? Is it something physical?"

"That would be far too easy," he replied, still not facing her.

"What is it then?"

Nick’s gaze abruptly captured hers. "You really want to know this?"

"I’ve always wanted to know. I realize sometimes it’s just by chance. That the person just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But at a club like this, where a vampire can have their pick, they appear to choose more carefully. I’d like to know how someone gets singled out."

"It’s nothing the person can change about themselves. It’s not as simple as the color they’re wearing or their brand of cologne. We just know. Something about them calls out to us. I haven’t been a vampire long enough to be able to completely explain it myself yet, but Alex described it as comparable to a lion choosing his kill from a herd of zebra. The reason they decide on a certain one may not be apparent to the naked eye, but they still sense it strongly."

"So you look for weakness in some respect?"

"Maybe a fragile soul or spirit would be a better way to describe it. There’s nothing more attractive to a vampire than desperation."

"Did you sense that in me when we met?" Sarah tested hesitantly.

"Our meeting was by accident. I didn’t know you were there," he explained calmly, recognizing where she was going with this. Suddenly she felt a wall go up between them and saw Nick’s attention turn away. She followed his gaze to a young blonde female just leaving the dance floor. She couldn’t have been a day over eighteen if that. She’d been dancing with different guys all night. Dancing as if her life depended on it. Now she was at the bar drinking as if it didn’t. Sarah sensed Nick was contemplating taking her as his next victim and though she knew she had no right to try to change his mind, she couldn’t help but speak up for her.

"She’s so young," she observed.

"Not much more than I was when Alex brought me over. Actually not even that. She lied about her age to get in here."

"You can see that in her thoughts?" she asked incredulous.

"No, I can tell that from the way she’s acting. She just had a break up with a boyfriend, fight with her parents maybe. Something drove her here tonight. Something she’s trying very hard to forget." Sarah was fascinated by Nick’s ability to read people. She figured he’d probably had a lot of practice. The girl suddenly turned around and began pushing through the crowd frantically, heading toward the exit almost on a dead run.

Nick started to rise up. "I’ve got to go," he stated, urging Sarah to move out of the booth so he could get by.

"Please, don’t go after her Nick," she pleaded, the urgency of her tone reaching out to him. "She’s too young for her parents to be buying her a gravestone."

His voice was nothing but firm resolve. "Sarah, you know what I am. I have to do this."

"It doesn’t have to be her. I know I have no right to ask this, but couldn’t you let this one go?"

"And the next? And the next?" he filled in knowingly. "You’ll find excuses for all of them," he smiled at her attempt.

"No, it won’t be like that, I promise. I swear the next one is yours, whoever it is. Please Nick, just let her live."

"And if I told you she just rushed out of here with the idea of going home and emptying an entire bottle of sleeping pills into her system before her parents get back, what would you say?"

The statement took Sarah slightly off guard, but she didn’t let it deter her from her goal. "I’d say she still has time to change her mind. Let it be her choice. Not one you make for her."

Slowly Nick sat back down and took her chin softly into his hand. "Do you know how hard it is to refuse you?"

"At the moment, I’m hoping very, very hard," she smiled encouragingly and his look warmed.

"Was she really contemplating doing that?" she had to ask.

"I didn’t sense it, but it’s possible."

She suddenly couldn’t bear to look at him. "I’m sorry I interfered."

"No, don’t be. I know you care. About every single person here. You can’t simply turn that concern off and on. It was wrong of me to think you could. I won’t force you to come with us again," he vowed taking her hand into his. Sarah thought Nick was about to kiss her when they heard familiar voices breaking through the commotion going on around them. Monica, Tess and Kevin were still having the time of the lives on the dance floor and their gazes were instantly glued to them.

"Would you like to dance?" Nick asked turning to her. Sarah was shocked. She’d never been with a guy who’d even consider it.

"I don’t dance," she confessed uncomfortably. "And definitely not like that. The one time I tried, I frightened small children," she grinned and Nick laughed.

"You can’t be that bad. You just get out there and do what feels natural."

"I can’t," she stressed, hoping he wouldn’t push it. Nick read it in her and didn’t say anything more about it and both their eyes returned to Kevin and the girls. Sarah thought she sensed a part of him wanting to be out there with them having fun too. She seemed to be just one big bump on a log for him and she hated it.

A few more songs played while they sat in near silence. It was eating away at Sarah so intensely, when the next song roared to life with the words "Oh my God, we’re back again!" she nearly jumped. She smiled when she heard the lyrics. It was an oldie and the first tune she’d recognized in awhile.

Nick’s expression lit up instantly. "Wow, I love this song. Haven’t heard it in ages."

"I remember it too. Who is it by?"

"It’s called ‘Everybody’. I think it was one of N’Sync’s first singles. We have to dance to this one," he coaxed. Sarah didn’t move a muscle and Nick quickly scooted his body all the way around the table so he could stand before her. "Come on," he invited, holding out his hand. "I promise not to run away." She balked. He seemed to give up then suddenly his arms were under her and he was scooping her up against his chest effortlessly as she gave a small cry of protest. He carried her to the middle of the dance floor and let her down where she stood unmoving as he began to get into the song.

"Just try. It’s easy."

"Yeah, for you," she thought.

"No, not just for me," he echoed her complaint aloud. "I’ll prove it. Now just find the beat and move your body to it," he encouraged placing his hands on her hips. She was moving so rigidly, it was humorous and Nick was having a hard time keeping the laughter in check.

"One smirk from you, buster and I’m out of here!" she warned.

"No smirks here," he nearly grinned and caught himself. The laughter was in his eyes all the same, but Sarah couldn’t hold it against him. It was pretty funny. Nick was adorable when he wanted to be.

They kept working on it and by the end of the song, she was finally getting the hang of it and they were doing pretty well together. Nick moved fluidly and once he simply had her copy everything he did, her technique improved greatly. She was really getting into it and was eager to show off what she’d learned so they stood waiting for the next song to start up. But it wasn’t a dance tune this time. It was much slower with the meandering strains of a piano and mandolin in the foreground backed by a subtle Spanish rhythm, powerful vocals, and hauntingly urgent lyrics that absorbed you. A song called "Private Emotion." It seemed all too appropriate at the moment. Nick appeared to have no objection to remaining even though it wasn’t what they expected and he came up close, slipping his arms around her. Her hands rose up between them instinctively.

"Do you think we should?" Sarah had to ask.

"Why not?"

She glanced around them cautiously to see if the person was within earshot. "Tessa…"

Nick silenced her. "Do you honestly think this could make things any worse with her?" She smiled knowingly as he embraced her closely and she leaned into his shoulder. His entire being seemed to envelop hers and she felt safe. As if nothing could touch them. Sarah was so caught up in the moment, she could almost feel Nick breathe and she had to tell her feet to move as they fell into rhythm and their bodies all but became one. She let the words wash over her…

"Every endless night has a dawning day

Every darkest sky has a shining ray

And it shines on you

Baby can’t you see

You’re the only one who can shine for me

It’s a private emotion that fills you tonight

And the silence falls between us

As the shadows steal the light

And wherever you may find it

Wherever it may lead

Let your private emotion come to me…come to me

When your soul is tired and your heart is weak

Do you think of love as a one-way street

Well it runs both ways

Open up your eyes

Can’t you see me here

How can you deny…"

She could feel the burning stare of Tess scorching her back. She wasn’t liking this one bit and Sarah didn’t need to be able to read minds to know it. Her look caught hers once and she thought it was not a good idea to meet it directly again, so she simply closed her eyes and let herself become lost in the moment once more. She realized she was hearing the lyrics of the song echo near her ear and that Nick was singing along softly. She adored the sound of it.

"You have a wonderful voice," she complimented.

"Thanks," he pulled back smiling shyly. "I used to sing all the time. There was a point in my life where I wanted to be in a group like N’Sync, but it didn’t work out."

"Alex," she filled in knowingly.

"No, this was long before I even knew vampires existed. I just didn’t keep with it, even though I loved doing it. By the time Alex came along, I had already given up on that dream."

"Too bad," she commented, her look meeting his letting him know she was sincere and they weren’t just words. "I think you could have went far," she added, reaching up to stroke a few locks of his hair from his forehead.

Suddenly she felt a tenseness run through Nick. She couldn’t believe how perceptive she was of him now. He drew away slowly and she followed his gaze with her own. It was centered on a tall, blonde female who’d just entered the club. She seemed to have real purpose to her stride. Sarah automatically knew.

"You want her, don’t you?" she acknowledged sadly.

"No, not this time. She’s a slayer. We have to get out of here." Nick’s voice was nothing but stern warning as he took her arm firmly in his grasp and they sought out Kevin and the others. As they were making their way through the crowd, Sarah spotted Alex. She pulled back abruptly, halting them.

"What’s he doing here?"

Nick seemed reluctant to say, but knew she wouldn’t drop it. "Alex will deal with her," he stated coldly, trying to prompt her movement. She refused, looking at him with wide, hurt eyes.

"He’s going to kill her, isn’t he?" she asked, searching his expression for the truth. It revealed everything before he’d said a word.

"I told you he wouldn’t allow a single slayer to live. No matter if weak or strong. He gave us strict orders if we came upon any to leave them to him."

She looked back longingly and attempted to pull away from him. "But I have to talk to her."

"Sarah, if you talk to her, we’re as good as dead. Either by her hand or Alex’s."

"She’s one of the only survivors. I have to try to warn her. You don’t understand. We share a bond!" she fought back.

"You don’t anymore."

"Please, just let me talk with her for a moment, Nick," she tried, attempting to lever herself free of his grasp frantically. "Please!"

Just as she was able to break away, Nick caught both her arms in his hands harshly and swung her around to face him. His stare met hers deeply, drawing her full attention. "Sarah, she

could be hunting for you. We need to go." The thought made Sarah’s blood run cold and she reluctantly allowed Nick to wrap his arm about her shoulders and lead her out the door. Would she ever be able to accept the fact that she was no longer one of them? She didn’t think so.