Saya stared up at her celing. She wasn't dead. Death should have taken her, she was drained of blood. But her ceiling was staring back.

Slowly, she pulled herself into a sitting position on the couch. What night was it? The red on her couch caught her eye and she ran her hand over it. It was dry. Like it had just sat there. She touched it again, then her hand touched her arm.

It was bandaged differently. She'd barely been able to open the guaze, let alone wrap it when she'd gotten home. She started, and sort of collapsed half way through. But someone had rewrapped it. It was neat and clean, and someone had tied a tourniquet to help stop the blood flow.

She listened. No one was in her house. She was alone. But she was alive.

"Oh shit.." she mumbled as she pushed herself off the couch. Standing was a dizzying experience. Bolts of hunger shot from her stomach outward. She was weak, and she couldn't concentrate. She stumbled over to her computer, squinted at the screen, then clicked the clock.

It was Saturday, November 8. Almost 11 at night.

Saya closed her eyes and tried to think. Friday...Thursday...Wednesday. Wednesday had to be the last time she fed. She'd gone out Thursday, but she never found a meal before...

A sound. Her eyes opened and she listened. Upstairs, footsteps, voices. She relaxed. It was Saturday. People were allowed to be out late. It was okay.

She sat down in the desk chair and held her head in her hands. She needed to eat, but that meant standing up again. And that just sounded horrible at the moment. Slowly, she used her nails to cut through the guaze on her arm. She pulled it off and stared at her skin.

It used to be perfect. Flawless. But now it bore scars. Two scars. If the bullets had been lead, or if she had been conscious enough to clean her own wounds, there would be no scars. But the silver of the bullets coupled with the loss of blood had made the wounds heal themselves as she slept, and scars were what a body knew to do. She felt her hand over the other side of her arm. She could feel one more scar, near her wrist. Only one bullet had went through. That must have been the one she lost all the blood from. The other one in her elbow had simply sat in her arm, burning away at her muscles happily.

She held her arm out straight in front and made a fist. Her forearm ached but it worked. She tried bending her arm at different could do everything with her arm she could before. It hurt. Anything that needed her elbow caused shocks all through her shoulder. She was healed enough to function, but there must still be some damage to finish fixing.

Sighing, she worked the scarf down her arm, and it fell to the floor silently. She stared down at it, and kicked it with her foot. "It's your fault...Isn't it?!" She glared. "Who tied you? Huh?? Who marched into my house, dug in my stuff, cleaned my arm, and tied you?!"

The rag laid there, doing nothing. She demanded an answer, and it stayed silent.

"Damn you..." She kicked it again, this time under the desk. "Damn you."

Saya's head snapped up at a noise outside, which caused her to then grab her head in pain. She closed her eyes and listened intently; someone was at the door. They were knocking. They didn't live here. They weren't human.

"God..." she muttered as she stood and headed toward her door. "Why the hell did you have to do this tonight..." She climbed the stairs and opened the outer door.

Keiran stared at her. "Saya..? You're awake?"

She stared back. He knew her name... He was wearing black jeans and a white unbuttoned shirt... He looked concerned.

"...Saya?"

"It was you, huh?!"

"What?"

She poked his finger into his chest. "You! He was protecting you!"

"He? He who?"

She looked around quickly, and then back at the vampire on her porch. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "The tourniquet. You tied it and he was protecting you."

Keiran stared blankly for a minute. "...Well, I uh, I tied it. But I don't think it was trying to protect me..."

"You bastard!" she shrieked. "Don't fucking lie to me! How much did you pay him?!"

"...Pay?"

Her voice quieted again. "Are you stupid? How much, as in money, did you pay, as in hand over money, him to protect you, as in to protect you?!"

"What are you talking about, Saya?" Keiran backed down the first step to put some distance between the two.

"How much?!" She stepped forward.

"I..." Keiran stepped back another step. "I... paid him... two hundred..."

She smiled. "He's easily satisfied, I see."

Before Keiran could move, teeth ripped into the skin at his collar bone and strong hands pushed him against the ground. He gasped and shoved his hands against her shoulders, without moving her.

"Saya!" He pushed harder. "Damn it!" His eyes squeezed closed as he tried not to revel in the erotic signals that passed through his body. "Saya..."

The blood flowed over her lips in gentle passion and strength. She bit harder and pulled more blood from the skin, beautiful blood, it pushed down her throat, bringing new life to her body. The muscles of the man twitched under her hands, and she felt pressure on her arms, but he tasted so good.

"Saya...Stop!" Keiran moaned under her weight. He couldn't fight anymore, he could barely push against her. "Saya...Don't... Don't kill me..."

A voice, through the red mist...She could hear it, it pushed away the feelings and brought her back into reality. She knew that voice.

"...Keir...an?" Saya slowly stood up and backed away. She stared down at his face, at the blood seeping from the wound. Her eyes widened and she grabbed the railing on the stairs. Blood dripped from her mouth, her hair fell in messy lines over her face.

Keiran pushed himself into a sitting position and stared back. The sexuality was wearing off and coherant thoughts were once again forming in his head.

"You feel better right?"

She nodded, no words.

"Healed up?"

Another nod, short and quick.

"Saya-"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." Deadpan voice.

"You had no idea what you we-"

"That doesn't matter. I should be able to control myself."

Keiran faltered. "Things- Saya-"

"I drank from you." Her eyes clouded. "I drank from you Keiran! I enjoyed it. I wanted more. I wanted to press you against me and suck every last drop." Her voice dropped low and serious. "But it was you."

"We kill indiscriminately."

"I don't. I do discriminate."

He sat there. Nothing to say, no strength to get up. He stared at her.

"You have to go see the Council tonight, don't you?"

He nodded.

"I..Where's Shawn? Did he make it back to you?"

"Yeah... He did."

"You're in danger..."

"What?"

"I know what you taste like. I liked it. You're in danger now."

He shrugged. "I was in danger before... It's not the safest thing to associate with a bounty hunter."

She sighed. "I... I guess I should help you... my fault..."

"Yeah, whatever."

Saya reached down and grabbed Keiran into her arms. "We should clean you up or something." They disappeared into the apartment complex.

All of Shawns series is ©2003 Sara Nameth. Do not steal this from me, you won't like me when I'm mad.