Summary: "If it was going to be any organ, it's no surprise it would be that one."

Rating: T for language and gore.

Author's Notes: A belated Valentine's Day gift for everyone. Beyond the title, this shares nothing with the 'HIM' song. Enjoy!

"Vampire Heart"

The tranquil silence of the February evening was interrupted suddenly by a shrill scream. A chorus of gasps followed from all around the diner. Heads turned, people left their seats, and all eyes made their way to the wide windows looking out to the street.

"What the hell?" Sheriff Louis Stevens demanded, hopping off his stool at the counter and making his way to the door. The silence that descended was deafening, more agonizing than even the scream that followed.

Silence descended upon them once again, thick and palpable. No one dared to breathe, dumbfounded as to who or what was screaming.

Dora Mae Whittier was the first to break the mood. Whipping around from the kitchen, she slammed a sandwich in from of Megan Doyle's seat at the counter. The young woman nearly jumped out of her skin from the sound along with several others around her. She turned on a heel as if she had been attacked.

"Jesus, Dora Mae!" Louis snapped. The sound had even given him a fright.

"Anything else for you, hun?" Dora asked Megan, ignoring Louis' comment completely. Megan rolled her eyes and suppressed a groan.

"Your hearing aid's off again, Dora!" Megan shouted. Whether Dora Mae actually heard her, no one knew. Her face barely registered that Megan had been speaking. Either way, the situation was remedied in a moment.

"Damn thing's been doing that all week," she scoffed. After fiddling with it a little more, Dora Mae lowered her gaze back on Megan. "Now, anything else…"

The scream came back with a vengeance, punctuated with the occasional cry for help, though the words were almost incoherent. The voice echoed through the narrow alleys surrounding the diner, causing Louis' hands to leap from the doorframe to his weapon and his walkie.

"What in the hell…?"

"Quiet, Dora!" Louis commanded. He held the walkie in the air, signaling for everyone to be quiet. They obeyed, Sherriff's tone leaving little room for argument. Only the soft whimpering of six-year-old Nadine Wicks could be heard from the back booth, interrupted by the gentle whispers of her mother, Jenna, not to be afraid. Louis cast a concerned glance around the room, inspecting their faces, before bring the walkie to his lips and pressing the 'talk' button.

"Oh my God…"

He dropped his hand, shooting his gaze back to Jenna. The rest of the colour had drained from her face and she had Nadine's face pressed into her stomach to hide the young girl's eyes. Shakily, Jenna raised her arm and pointed out the window to the street beyond. Louis felt his stomach tie itself in knots at the expression of terror working its way onto the other faces in the diner. Only Dora Mae and Megan suppressed it, though neither could pull their gaze from the window.

Hurriedly, Louis strafed around the corner to the window and stared in the same direction.

His jaw dropped and the blood drained from his skull at a sickening rate.

"That's Lara Mills!" Ed Turned exclaimed pointedly from the booth next to him. "Christ, Lou – that's Lara Mills!" The older man's eyes narrowed. "She's not bleeding, is she?"

It was hard to tell. From the distance, Louis could only see the faint outline of a person and the blurry details belonging to it. Platinum blonde hair flew into a wild cloud above her head as her red dress twisted up her thighs in wet knots. The second he saw the boots, though – those knee high, heavily embroidered cowboy boots – he knew it was Lara. Since finding them at the widow Grange's garage sale two years back, Lara had never been seen without them.

He squinted for a better look, unable to make out much in the darkness. Scanning her body for any sign of injury, he tried to determine whether Ed had been right or not.

Dora Mae took the liberty of doing it for him. "Oh my God," she breathed heavily, "That is blood."

And it was. Louis' eyes finally adjusted to the darkness and found both Ed and Dora to be correct. The dress wasn't really red at all. Blood had fully saturated the sparkling white of her Valentine's Day dress, though whether it was hers or not, no one was sure.

"Jesus H. Christ," Louis cursed as he moved back to the door, raising the walkie to his lips. "Mother of God: all units. I need all units to Baker Street Diner."

"It's gonna take a minute, Sherriff," the dispatcher answered curtly. "Got a field party going on out of Old Shambles."

"Well, make it quick," he demanded and slid the thing back into his holster. He cocked his gun and reached for the door.His hand had barely brushed the handle when he felt an ironclad grip on his arm. The touch sent his weapon hand swinging towards his assailant. Megan ducked to avoid the blow, then gave Louis a fierce tug away from the door.

"Don't," she said, using the same tone Louis had used to silence the diner. He tried to pry himself from her grasp, but couldn't look away.

Megan raised her voice. "Don't go out there, Louis. Whatever you do, don't go out there."

He struggled with her again, still unable to free himself. When that failed, he slammed a hand against the doorframe. Megan barely blinked. "I'm going."

Her voice lowered sternly. It was same voice she used in church when she spoke the Apostle's Creed. "She can see us. She knows we're here and she's headed straight for us. Gesture from the windows if you want, guard the door, and make sure your units are on the way. But whatever you do, don't you dare leave this building."

Louis went still. The look in her eyes was something he had never seen before. Megan was known for being resolute – dedicated student, devout Catholic – but never had she ever looked at him like that. Never had she ever looked at him like he was going to die.

His hand eased from the door handle. Megan exhaled and led him back into the safety of the diner.

"What do you think she's screaming about?" Jenna asked. Nadine moaned loudly from her mother's side, falling silent as her baby sister gurgled happily in the booster seat next to her, happily oblivious.

"Don't go there right now, Jenna," Louis told her. He moved to the window, watching Lara draw closer and closer to the diner. Her blue eyes were now visible, wide as saucers and filled with tears. She closed the last of the distance in a matter of seconds, leaving everyone staring behind her, searching for an assailant.

Lara burst in through the doors with a tortured wail, falling to her knees as the door slammed closed behind her. She buried her face in her hands and crawled to the wall.

"Lock the door!" she shouted frantically. When no one moved, she pulled her face from her palms and screamed again. "Lock the damn door!"

"Lock the fucking door, Sherriff!" Dora Mae snapped.

Louis jerked out of his reverie and made a mad dash for the door, snapping the lock shut. Lara curled into a fetal ball and let out another sob.

Ripping off his jacket, Louis lowered to her side. "Lara?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She ripped herself from the touch and slid along the wall away from him.

"Lara, you're shaking," he told her. She didn't seem to hear him, hugging herself as tightly as she was. Louis shot a glance around the diner, begging for help. Nobody moved. He turned his attention back to Lara, prepared to speak again, when she beat him to the chase.

"He's dead!" she screamed, lifting her head from her arms. "Brian's dead!"

Nadine let out a sob. Jenna and Ed collapsed into their seats. Dora Mae's jaw dropped and she reached for her heart. Louis stopped breathing. Brian Everett had been Lara's boyfriend of almost four years now. The two had met in ninth grade and been an item ever since. Rumour had it she had been expecting a wedding proposal tonight, and judging by her dress, she probably had been. The bloodstained fabric was brilliantly embroidered with tiny, crystal beads in intricate patterns across the bodice while the neckline swept halfway down her chest. Louis couldn't think of a single boy in town who wouldn't have proposed to Lara right than and there, blood covered or not.

"Slow down, Lara," he soothed. She seemed to be doing so of her own volition by the time he had spoke. "Just slow down and start from the…"

She swallowed the lump in her throat and stared at him, deadpan. "He was murdered, Sherriff. Murdered. I don't care what anybody has to say about it when they see him. Brian…" she choked on her sobs, but managed to contain herself. "Brian was murdered."

Baby Sophia laughed in the corner as the others gasped. Lara continued to weep uncontrollably as Louis finally managed to drape his coat around her shoulders without frightening her. He placed his hands on both her shoulders to get her attention and spoke again.

"I need you to start from the beginning, okay?" he prompted.

"What's there to say?" she sniffled. "He's dead!"

"Okay, okay…" he could hear Nadine sobbing madly in the background, a dark juxtaposition to her sister's jovial chuckle. He took a deep breath and tried to hold it together. "What happened?"

Lara tossed her head sassily. "We were having dinner," she stated obviously. "And then things started to get…" she made a gesture with her hand, urging the others to fill in the blanks. "Just as we were…" again with the gesture, "He just…freezes up. And then…"

She trailed off, choking on her words.

"And then…it killed him!"

"What?" Louis demanded. "What killed him!"

Lara shook violently as she shifted, placing a hand against her bare, blood covered chest. In barely a whisper she answered him.

"His heart."

Louis' eyes widened. Of all the possible responses, he would never have expected that one. Not in a million years.

"What about his heart?" he inquired softly.

Lara gave her head another toss. "What do you mean, 'What about his heart?' It fucking killed him! That's what I mean! It chewed its way out of his fucking chest and fucking killed him!"

"His heart did that?" Dora Mae asked breathlessly.

"Fucking right his heart did that!" Lara snapped. She brushed several tears from her face and locked eyes with Dora Mae. "Made a hole in his chest three inches wide and then started sucking the blood out of him!"

She let out a long wail, sobbing from the memories. Louis tried to comfort her as best he could but was rebuked frantically by the young woman. He cast a glance around the diner, again begging for assistance but received none. Everyone was in a trance, staring at Lara without daring move towards her.

For a moment, the only sounds in the diner were sobs. Nadine was practically ripping her mother's blazer lapels from her chest as Jenna held her babies close to her. Even Ed and Dora were shedding a few tears as Lara wailed endlessly from the floor. Megan's gaze was on the floor, glazed over as she lost herself in thought, and all Louis could do was cast the occasional glance out the window, praying for back-up.

"Makes sense."

His eyes moved to Megan immediately. She had finally found the conclusion she was looking for. The lucidity had returned to her gaze which she moved around the room, focusing on the others with her.

"If it was going to be any organ, it's no surprise it would be that one."

Louis rolled his eyes. "You don't think this is some kind of Valentine's Day apocalypse, do you?"

Megan didn't answer him directly. Her expression said it all. "The heart is a vampire. It's been drinking your blood since the day you were born."

Lara let out another wail, calling Louis to focus his attention back on her. He ran his hands down her arms, trying not to think about what Megan had said, but found himself focusing on it nevertheless. It's been drinking your blood since the day you were born. Who the hell thinks of things like that?

"Bloody Catholics," he hissed under his breath. Lara glared at him.

"Fucking…"

For the second time that night, the silence was interrupted by Lara Mills' scream, only this time she was joined by Nadine, Jenna, Ed, and Dora Mae. No sooner had she opened her mouth to curse Louis, the power in the diner was cut and the lights died, leaving them alone in darkness.

The lights from the street cast long ominous shadows across the floor, creeping up the walls and across the countertops. The winter breeze whistled as it raced through the streets, crying out in a haunting melody as Louis urged everyone to be quiet and stay calm; everything would be all right.

"Everybody on the ground!" he shouted. Everyone dropped to the floor. With his weapon at the ready, Louis rose from the ground and peered over the window sill.

The street was empty; silent as the grave.

Turning to the door, he stared out through the glass. There was nothing there.

He breathed a sigh of relief, though he was still unsure of why he was so uneasy. Hearts didn't kill people; people kill people. Lara's mind had to be playing tricks on her.

Thump…

Gasps again, this time even from Louis. Jenna kept her hand pressed flat over Nadine's mouth and shushed the baby over and over, though nothing could keep Sophie from giggling about the situation.

There was a small tap on the door, followed by another thump. Louis tightened his grip on his gun until his knuckles were white and his tendons were popping.

It couldn't be.

He inched across the floor, staring down at the sidewalk at the base of the door. The thumping continued as millimeter by agonizing millimeter was unveiled to him, each time showing nothing but concrete. He reached the door frame before he finally found what he was looking for, the dark lump throbbing at the edge of the door. It pulsated in time with the thumping, churning like a piston beyond the glass.

"What the…?"

The lock sprang open above him. Slowly but surely, the door crept open.

Megan reached for the crucifix around her neck.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Lara moaned from the floor.