Wil watched helplessly as Alex was dragged away by their insistent neighbor. Controlling the urge to sprint after them and drag him back, he shifted his gaze to the lovely woman beside him. He gave her a half-grin. "Um, hey."

Jenna flicked a glance up at him through long, pale lashes. "Hi," she replied softly, then went back to an intense study of her feet.

Wil nodded, then started studying the room. Unsurprisingly, his eyes seemed drawn toward Alex, and he watched as the human was led over to a tall woman and engaged in a conversation that seemed to leave him rather disconcerted.

"That's Sophia," came a shy whisper, and he once more turned to look at Jenna.

"Yeah? Who's she? Not tryin' to hit on my Alex, is she?"

Smiling briefly, Jenna shook her head. "No. Probably trying to recruit him, though."

"Recruit?"

Brushing her hair behind her ears, Jenna finally looked at him straight on. Her brilliant, violet eyes startled Wil momentarily, but he quickly recovered. "Uh-huh. She's always on the lookout for new additions. She's, um, she's...a proprietor."

Wil blinked. "Proprietor? Y'mean a pimp?" He bristled, all set to go snatch his lover from the woman's evil clutches.

Jenna giggled, eyes sparkling merrily. "Not really. She just, um, arranges...dates. Between her clients and willing employees."

"Sounds like a mighty fancy way of saying' she's procuring johns for her herd of hustlers."

"Mmm, not really. I mean, everyone who works for her is willing, they pretty much call the shots on the 'dates', and no one has ever gotten hurt...except for once when Sophia went after a client who marked up one of her boys. People were finding pieces of that guy around town for *weeks*. Sophia is *very* protective."

"Huh." Wil brightened when he saw Alex point his way while shaking his head at the woman. He held still as she assessed him, giving her a cocky grin.

Again Jenna giggled as she watched the by-play. "Oh boy, now she's probably gonna try to get you both as a two-for-one deal."

"Yeah, well, she's gonna be out of luck, then," he growled, relieved when Mellie finally returned to lead Alex off in another direction. "So," he said, changing the subject. "Mellie said you could tell me a few things. Y'know, about bein' a vampire an' all."

"I guess. Um, big stuff. Sun is bad, stay away from pointy bits of wood, losing your head will dust you. Fire is a big no-no too."

"Right. Pretty much got those figured out on my own." Wil grimaced as he was jostled by a passer-by. "C'mon, let's move out of the way." He led Jenna off to a less occupied area, snagging a couple of glasses of blood that were carried by on a tray. He handed one to the other vampire.

"Thanks." Jenna sipped gratefully, then asked, "So, what did you need to know about, then?"

Wil thought about it. "Well, what about this 'Sire' thing? What's that?"

"Ok. See, once a vampire is strong enough, he can sire either minions or childer. Minions are generally pretty dumb, they do the dirty work. Childer start out as fledglings, and are smarter and stronger, generally because they get a bigger dose of the sire's blood during the turning process. Plus, the vampire who sires them tends to sort of take the fledglings under his wing, so to speak, but minions are pretty much left to fend for themselves."

Wil shrugged. "Sounds simple enough. What's all this about some Slayer girl, though?"

Jenna gasped. Her glass slipped trough trembling fingers to shatter against the floor. Sorrow-filled eyes gazed blankly at Wil, and he stepped closer, concerned.

"Hey, you all right?"

Jenna backed away a step, shaking her head. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she took sharp breaths of air. Frowning, Wil hustled her away from the large gathering, searching until he found a deserted room. He pushed her down into a chair, patting her cheeks gently.

Blinking, Jenna slowly came back to awareness, looking around in confusion.

"What happened?" Wil asked, taking a seat beside her.

"I was..." Jenna rubbed at her nose, sniffling. "I was...remembering."

"Remembering what?"

Jenna didn't respond for long moments, then she visibly braced herself and began to speak. "Three years ago, I died. And then I woke up again."

******

Jenna hung precariously from the tree branch, balancing carefully so she could reach out and tap gently on the window. "Leesha!" she hissed loudly.

A moment later, the window slid open, and a dark-haired girl poked her head out. "Jenna!" she whispered loudly. "What are you doing here?"

Jenna grinned. "Come on! Today was my last day of school, and I want to party! I'm free at last!"

"Well, you might be free, but *I* still have classes. For another week. Mom'll kill me if she finds out I snuck out!"

"Well, don't tell her, silly!"

"Jenna!"

Jenna pouted. "Alicia," she whined, "Pleeeeease?" She attempted her best puppy dog look, which must have worked because Alicia disappeared from the window, returning after a minute and swinging herself out over the ledge.

"Back up so I can get out!" she admonished softly, and Jenna complied.

Quietly, the girls made their way to the base of the tree. Once on the ground, Jenna smiled happily, gently taking Alicia's hand in her own. "Thanks," she said gratefully. "The night just wouldn't be complete without you." Leaning in, she laid her lips over the other girl's, kissing her softly.

Hours later, they lay in a secluded glade, holding each other close as they recovered their breath. Jenna trailed her hand along damp, flushed skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight. "You're so beautiful, Leesha."

Alicia arched under the feathery touch. "Mmmm," she purred. "So are you. So bright, like sunlight."

"And you're so dark, night to my day."

"And we'll always be together?"

"Forever and ever."

There was silence as they held each other, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Finally, Alicia spoke again.

"We should get dressed."

"Don't wanna." Jenna licked a bare shoulder, then kissed it.

Moaning, Alicia moved away. "If we start again, I'll *never* get home. And I *do* have class in the morning."

"You could skip."

"Jenn!"

Jenna sighed heavily, then sat up and gathered their clothes, sorting through and pulling out her own. She watched as Alicia dressed. "I can't wait until you graduate next year. Then we can go away from here, move in together. Not have to hide any more. From your parents *or* mine."

Alicia finished dressing, smiling at Jenna. "One more year. We can do it."

"Yeah," Jenna breathed, pulling her in for another kiss. "As long as we have each other."

Alicia snuck in a quick grope before smacking Jenna's still-bare ass. "Get dressed, you!"

Jenna gave Alicia a final kiss, then watched as her lover ascended the tree, sneaking back into her bedroom. With a wave, she turned and left. Walking briskly, she made her way down the dimly lit street to her house, only a half-mile away. She had almost reached it when a strong hand latched onto her arm, yanking her off the sidewalk and into a dark alley.

She opened her mouth to scream, but another hand clamped down over it, blocking her cries. Staring in horror at the deformed face in front of her, she flinched back as the hand released her arm and reached up to stroke her throat. Jenna struggled, but somehow the hands held her pinned to the wall behind her.

"So pretty," crooned the voice, then a tongue appeared to lick over inhumanly sharp teeth. "It would be such a shame to kill you. Such a lovely little treat. I could keep you forever."

A muffled shriek sounded as thin lips grazed her neck, then teeth pierced her skin. Jenna's struggles became weaker and weaker as her vision dulled. Through a fog, she felt something pressed to her mouth, a salty taste flooding into her. Reflexively, she swallowed.

"That's it," coaxed the voice. "Drink deep and come back to me, pretty. Then I can have you for eternity."

Jenna shuddered as the dark encompassed her.

Alicia woke, blinking sleepily. The pounding on her door continued and, groaning, she stumbled out of bed and wrenched the door open. "Huh?" she asked incoherently as she rubbed at her eyes, squinting at her mother. "Wazzt?"

She came quickly awake at the look on her mother's face, a mixture of concern, anxiety and sadness. "What? What's wrong?"

"It's...your friend Jenna. She's..."

Alicia felt cold finger of dread wrap around her heart. "What. She's *what*?" she demanded.

"I'm so sorry, dear. She was killed last night. Her body was found early this morning, she's de--"

"No!" Alicia slapped her hands over her ears. "No! It's not true! You're lying!" Backing into her room, she slammed the door shut before collapsing onto her bed. "No," she whimpered, curling into a tight ball and rocking herself. "No. You promised, Jenna. You said forever. You *promised*!"

Crying brokenly, she huddled on her bed, tears drenching her pillow.

It had been a lovely funeral. Alicia couldn't help but keep thinking that over and over as she sat numbly by her lover's grave.

She'd gone through the day in a trance, ignoring all the well-meaning words of comfort directed her way. No one knew. Know one knew what Jenna had *really* been to her. Unable to stand the platitudes any longer, she'd finally left, returning to her house and locking herself in her room. Eventually, her mother quit trying to cajole her out, leaving her to grieve alone. And at sunset, she exited her room through the window, making her way across town to the freshly dug grave that was her love's final resting-place.

Alicia brushed a hand over the words engraved on the headstone. Two years. They'd had barely two glorious years together before being so cruelly separated. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she sobbed harshly.

Jenna woke, gasping. Dark, so dark. She tried to sit up, but couldn't. Trapped!

Frantic, she clawed at the lid to her cage. Fingers easily shredded through the satin covering, then ripped through the wood. Jagged chunks fell around her, and she paid no attention to the splinter that wormed their way under her nails. Finally, *finally*, the wood was out of her way. Fingers sunk into soft earth, and she dug her way up through the confining soil. Her gown caught on an edge of wood and, frustrated, she kicked it, breaking it off.

A hand burst through the ground, grasping convulsively at the night air. So close now. Jenna dragged herself up, emerging from the mound like a child being born. Spitting dirt from her mouth, she crouched on the small hill, panting. A low cry made her jerk her head up, and she met the astonished eyes of her lover.

Alicia had scrambled away as the grave had begun to tremble beneath her. She watched in disbelief as a pale hand shot forth from the ground, and a dirt-streaked woman crawled out. She gave a cry when she recognized Jenna, disbelief mingled with desperate hope surging through her. "Jenna?" she gasped out, holding back a scream when her lover's beautiful violet eyes briefly flashed yellow.

Jenna shook herself, staring around in confusion. "I was...there was a man. In the alley. He..."

Squashing the momentary flash of fear that surfaced in her, Alicia darted forward and wrapped her arms around Jenna, pulling her in tightly and rocking. "Jenn. Oh my god, Jenn! You were...they said you were dead!" She pressed feverish kisses to the smudged face, laughing and crying breathlessly.

Jenna found herself caught up in the rhythm of her lover's heartbeat, the pulse of blood inside her veins like a siren call. She struggled to concentrate. "I don't...understand. What...what happened?"

"You're back! You promised you wouldn't leave, and you came back for me!"

"Not precisely," came the venomous, hissing voice behind them.

They whirled, Jenna flinching back from the man that some part of her recognized. "No..." she moaned.

"What? What is it? Who is he?" Alicia clutched Jenna to her, glaring at the intruder.

"Me? I am her master, her creator. I *made* her what she is. When I saw her last night, I knew she would be mine." He cackled at Alicia's look of outrage and denial. Then he turned his burning gaze upon Jenna. "Come to me, Childe. Come to your Sire and master."

"No," Jenna whispered shaking her head. "No, no, nononononono," she chanted, her voice growing louder with every repetition.

A look of pure fury crossed the man's face, and he stalked forward. He grabbed one of Jenna's arms, jerking her off the ground. "You *will* obey me, Childe!" he growled, belting her hard across the face.

Alicia's eyes narrowed at this violence toward her lover. Scanning the area, she covertly picked up one of the sharp hunks of wood that had been dragged out of the grave when Jenna had emerged. She crept after the man, who was even now dragging Jenna away. Leaping, she plunged the makeshift weapon into the man's back, and he spun about, glaring at the bloody piece of wood she'd retained.

"You little bitch," he snarled, casually flinging Jenna away from him. "I would have let you live, but now? Now you will pay for that." He jumped at her, tackling her to the ground.

Alicia struggled futilely as sharp teeth lowered themselves to her neck. Then the man pulled up with a jerk, twisting about to gaze in disbelief at his newly created childe.

Jenna stood, another chunk of wood clenched tight in her fist, glaring poisonously at him. "Don't. You. Touch her!" Again she struck, knocking him off the other girl. Simultaneously, both girls attacked him, plunging their weapons into his body over and over until, by chance, one strike managed to pierce his heart. He had one last second to stare in complete shock at his lovely Childe and her ferocious lover before he collapsed into dust.

The girls fell to the ground, clinging to each other once more.

******

"Wow. Pretty intense." Wil patted her hand in sympathy. "But you managed to dust him."

"It was luck. Pure and simple. We surprised him, caught him off guard."

"Still. Quite an accomplishment." He frowned at Jenna's still-trembling hands, leaving the room briefly and returning with another glass of blood.

Jenna sipped at it, slowly calming.

"So, what happened then?"

"Well, we managed to find someone who could explain just what the hell had happened to me. We were pretty shocked to find out that, yes, vampires were *very* real. So, I learned about what it meant to be one. I spent a while worrying that I might lose control and hurt Alicia, but that never happened. Like I said, childer, even the youngest fledglings, are stronger than minions, and don't have a burning need to kill indiscriminately."

"So you stayed together, then?"

Jenna nodded. "Yeah. Alicia refused to be afraid of what I was, she wouldn't leave me. But everyone we knew thought I was dead, and, well, I *was*. So I found myself someplace to stay during the day, and kept seeing her secretly, visiting her in the night when no one would know." She snorted wryly. "In other words, things were pretty much the same as before, except I no longer lived at home."

"How long did that last?"

"I managed to convince Alicia to finish school, even though she wanted to just run off with me right then. So that situation lasted for an entire year. After her graduation, we returned to our glade and made love again; and as we lay in the moonlight, she asked me to turn her."

******

"What!?" Jenna bolted upright.

Alicia watched her calmly, fingering the silver locket Jenna had given her for graduation. In it were two tiny pictures, one of each of them. "I said, I want you to turn me."

Scooting back, Jenna shook her head violently. "No. *No*. I can't. I *won't*."

Ignoring her protests, Alicia explained her reasoning. "Look, I'm human, you're a vampire. Ergo, I will eventually age and die, while you have the potential to live forever. So I want you to turn me, that way we'll never have to be alone. Like we promised each other. Together, forever."

"I...I..." Jenna swallowed, then stared her lover in the eye. "Leesha, are you sure? Absolutely positive?"

Alicia smiled. "Forever with you? No being all old and gray and wrinkly while you stay young and beautiful? Like I even have to think about that. So here's the plan; you turn me, we make mad passionate love in our glade one last time, and then we get the fuck out of this town." She tilted her head to the side, baring her neck.

Jenna kissed her soft skin. "I love you," she breathed before her fangs slipped gently into Alicia's flesh.

Alicia's eyes fluttered closed, and she raised her arms to embrace her lover. "Love you too, Jenn."

When she felt Alicia's pulse weaken, Jenna pulled back, biting open the vein in her wrist. She held it to her lover's mouth, relieved when the woman began to lap at the blood seeping from the wound. As they exchanged blood, both could feel themselves drawn closer together, forming a deep bond that they'd never dreamed could exist.

When it was finished, Jenna carefully dressed then lifted Alicia's still body, carrying her to the shelter she'd fashioned nearby. No sunlight penetrated this place, and they would be safe during the long hours of the day until her Childe rose the next night.

The sun had finally set, and Jenna once more picked up the body of her lover, easing out of their shelter and back into the glade where she wanted Alicia to wake. She settled back, waiting.

An hour passed, then another. Then, finally, Alicia's body quivered, her eyes popped open, and she sat up, blinking. Her eyes lit on Jenna, and she smiled, lurching forward.

They kissed, melding themselves together. Then Alicia pulled back. "Jenn...inside me. So hungry, it's burning inside me. I need..."

Jenna lay back on the soft grass, grinning in understanding. "Come, love. Feed from me."

Laughing, Alicia pounced, kissing pale flesh before sinking her fangs in, feasting on her Sire's taste.

Jenna closed her eyes, moaning. She could feel herself being drawn into her lover, and her body tingled with desire. She clasped her hands to Alicia's head, holding her in place.

Then, without warning, her hands were empty. She gasped, eyes opening to see a small blonde girl standing over her, smug grin on her face and sharpened stake held in her hand.

Horrified, Jenna looked down at her dust-covered chest. Her lover was gone, and all that remained was the sparkling locket which had been around her neck.

"Hey, don't worry, she's gone now," came the cheerful explanation. "She can't hurt you any more."

Jenna's fingers sifted through the dust to pluck up the locket. She raised shocked eyes again, shaking her head. As she stared, the young woman held a hand out to help her up, and she felt rage building in her chest. Her features shifted, and the girl jumped back, raising the stake again.

"Why?" Jenna questioned brokenly. "She...she never hurt you. Never hurt *anyone*."

The girl snorted. "She was a vamp. And so are you. And me...I'm the Slayer." She shrugged. "It's kind of in the job description for me to dust you."

Jenna blinked through the tears in her eyes. She sat frozen as the girl drew closer, almost welcoming the thought of that stake puncturing her chest and sending her to join her lover again.

"Buffy! You find it?"

The girl glanced behind her, and another girl, a redhead, crashed into the formerly serene glade, coming to a halt as she saw her friend standing over what was apparently a vampire.

"Willow, I'm kinda busy, you mind?" Buffy turned back to finish her job, looking around in confusion when she saw that the vampire had vanished.

Jenna ran. She ran hard, sobbing, pushing her way through the woods blindly as tree branches lashed at her. Perhaps if she ran far enough, fast enough, she would wake from this nightmare in which she was so terribly alone.

A root tripped her, and she went crashing to the ground. Rolling, she righted herself, bringing her clenched fist close to her face. She opened it, and Alicia's locket tumbled into her lap. In the palm of her hand lay the remnants of her lover's ashes.

With her other hand, she opened the locket, seeing the face of her beloved as it had been such a short time ago. Carefully, she poured the ashes from her shaking hand into the locket, then snapped it shut. Clutching it to her breast, she howled out her anguish into the uncaring night.

******

Jenna fingered the locket around her neck, openly weeping. She barely noticed Wil's whispered curses, or the arms that came around her shoulders to hug her close. She pressed her face into the offered chest, soaking it with her silent tears.

The door opened, and Alex stuck his head in, grinning. The grin slowly slid away as he saw Wil holding the other vampire in his arms. Something akin to jealousy flickered in him, until he noticed how Wil was shooting him a pleading glance as the woman in his arms shook with her sobs.

He knelt next to them, reaching out a comforting hand. "What is it? Is she ok?"

Wil hesitated, then gave Alex an abbreviated version of the tale Jenna had shared with him. Alex's eyes narrowed with anger, and he rubbed soothing circles on Jenna's back.

Between them, the two held her and rocked her, whispering gentle words in an effort to alleviate her obvious pain. Eventually, she pulled away from them, wiping her swollen eyes.

Wil could almost feel the pain of loss that Jenna must have experienced. To have her childe and lover torn away from her like that... He snarled. "We should find the bitch an' kill her," he muttered.

Alex nodded. "Damn right."

Jenna shook her head frantically. "No! No, you have to stay away from her! She's the Slayer!" She gripped Wil's shirt convulsively. "She'll destroy everything you hold dear, everyone you love," she pleaded, flicking a glance at Alex. "She doesn't care who she hurts, she's a killer!"

Wil patted her hand awkwardly. "Shh, ok, ok. If you want us to stay away from her, we will. But if she comes after us on her own, she's fair game!"

Sighing with relief, Jenna released the blonde's shirt. "Thank you," she whispered.

They all sat in silence for a bit, then Jenna stood. Shaking herself resolutely, she held out her hands to the two men. "Come on, guys. The party's still going, and we should get back to it."

"You sure?" Alex asked. "You look like you should probably call it a night instead."

"No. I'm not going to let *her* ruin tonight for me." She pulled them up and strode from the room, determined to have some fun.

*****