She unlocked the door then held the gun out in front of her, the way JD had taught her, and waited for the door to open.
Kill him and I will kill you
“Holy shit,” Jonathon said as Sarah pointed the gun at his face. He stepped back. “Is that thing loaded?”
Instead of answering, she raised it higher so she was shooting above his head and pulled the trigger. The bullet imbedded in the wall. Nobody spoke. Nobody knew what to say.
Sarah filled the silence. “You all know I’ve been taking lessons so I know what I’m doing. So here’s what’s going to happen. Jonathon and Jason are going to talk. I’ll go along with whatever decision they make. To make sure they aren’t disturbed, I’ll be guarding this door. Do not think for one minute that I will hesitate in shooting any of you if you move toward me. I will happily kill you all if it means keeping Jason alive.”
Craig was the first one to drop his sword and step back, his hands in the air. She would do whatever it took to save JD, whether he wanted her to or not. After what she went through when Alex died, she wouldn’t survive losing another lover.
The rest of the hunters followed his example. “I need to call 7 back,” Doc said as he took his wife’s hand and led her away. “Nobody do anything stupid while I’m gone. That goes double for you Sarah.”
He went to his office and dialled the number for Sanctuary 7. “It’s Frank from 14 here.”
“What the hell is going on?” whoever answered the phone yelled.
“Sorry about earlier. We had a bit of a crisis. You might want to sit down for this.” He took a deep breath. “JD has been turned.”
“Shit. Has he killed anyone?”
“No. You picked up on him feeding off Sarah. She’s alright. We’re just having a little trouble convincing her we need to kill him.”
“Do you need another team sent over?”
“No,” Doc said hastily. “We will deal with the situation. No matter what happens, I need you to promise me that JD is our responsibility and nobody else will interfere.”
“If that’s the way you want to play it. Keep us informed.”
“I will,” Doc said and hung up.
“So what happens now?” Silvia asked.
“That is up to Jonathon, Sarah and JD by the sound of things.”
————————————-∞————————————-
Sarah turned her gun on Jonathon once more. “Feeling brave enough to come in?” He nodded his head so she stepped back. He slowly entered the room, Sarah keeping the gun on him the whole time.
“Lock the door,” she said. He complied and she lowered the gun.
Jonathon looked at JD. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking remarkably unchanged. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m not about to attack you, if that’s what you are afraid of. Sarah has managed to stave off the craving, at least for a while.”
“No, I actually meant what I said. Apart from the bloodlust, do you feel any different? The way you were screaming was horrendous. I never want to hear someone make that noise ever again.”
JD thought about the question, noting, as he did so, that Jonathon was keeping his distance. He could hardly blame him. “I feel surprisingly good,” he eventually said.
Sarah addressed Jonathon. “I’m going to leave you two alone. Do what you have to do, but I’m trusting you to do the right thing. Remember who it is you are talking about killing. Jason is not just a vampire. He is your brother. He is our trainer. We need him. We stay alive because of him. He can’t be replaced and you know it. Kill him and you are condemning us all.”
She then walked over to where she had left JD’s sword and picked it up. “If he has to die, the least you can do is use his own sword.” She held it out in front of her, but Jonathon refused to take it. She laid it on the side once more. “Suit yourself, but you won’t be allowed to get a different weapon.” She moved toward the door. “One more thing. Kill him and I will kill you.”
She then left the room and was thankful when she heard the door being locked behind her. Tears flowed down her face as she held the gun in front of her once more. She was putting her faith in Jonathon, but was aware that she might never see JD alive again.
All of the hunters were still there. None had picked up their swords.
“How are you holding out?” Craig asked her. He wasn’t angry that she was threatening his life. He understood what she was trying to do.
“Not good,” she said. “Sorry I’m having to treat you all like this, but I don’t really have a choice.”
“We understand,” Scott said.
“Is Jonathon safe in there?” Katie asked.
Sarah nodded her head. “I wouldn’t have let him in if I thought he would be in any danger. Jason won’t hurt him. I just hope I have convinced Jonathon not to kill him. Making him do it with Jason’s sword has helped a little, I think.”
“Sarah, it’s not Jonathon you need to convince,” Craig said. “It’s JD. Right now he’s probably doing his best to talk his brother into doing his duty.”
“Then let’s hope that my powers of persuasion are better than Jason’s.”
“And that he doesn’t play the trainer card,” Simon added.
————————————-∞————————————-
After locking the door, Jonathon began pacing the room. He was filled with uncertainty. He knew what his duty was, but Sarah’s words hit a nerve and he couldn’t deny that she was right.
JD watched him for a few moments, giving him time to make his decision. When it was evident that one was not forthcoming, he made it for him.
“You know what you have to do. You have my permission to use my sword. If you can’t do it, get one of the others in here. I will deal with Sarah.”
“It’s not that simple. I’m not ready to die.”
“Sarah wasn’t serious about killing you.”
“Oh but she was. And I have no doubt whatsoever that she would find a way to do it.”
“She would not commit cold blooded murder. She would end up in jail for Christ’s sake.”
Jonathon stopped pacing and looked at his brother. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“If you don’t survive this, she isn’t planning to either. Craig managed to save her last time. He knows he won’t be able to do it again.”
“Damn it.” JD ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He hadn’t given thought to anything past the fact that he was now a vampire so he had to die. He hadn’t considered the consequences.
Jonathon went to the chair and moved it so he could sit opposite JD without getting too close. He took hold of JD’s sword before sitting down. “This is just a precaution,” he said. “Sarah has faith that you won’t hurt me, but she does not have the experience with vampires that we both have.”
“That’s true. So what are our options?” He gave a humourless laugh. “Options. That’s a word I wasn’t expecting to be using. So how do we kill me and keep everyone else alive?”
“That isn’t the only problem. She was right about everything she said. We need you.”
“No you don’t. You are all good enough to carry on without me.”
“Don’t kid yourself. You may have taught us well, but we still need that big stick that only you can wield.”
“You will be found another trainer. Just teach him to be as ruthless as I am.”
Knowing that argument was getting him nowhere, Jonathon changed the topic. “I sit here looking at you and I don’t see a vampire. I see my brother. I see my trainer. I see Sarah’s boyfriend. I see a friend and advisor to everyone.”
“Then look harder,” JD said and displayed his fangs.
“Is that supposed to impress me?”
“No, it’s supposed to make you realise what I truly am now. I need blood. If I don’t get some soon I don’t know if I will be able to control myself.”
Jonatho
n stood up and began pacing once more. He looked at JD, then away again. He put the sword down. It felt wrong to be holding it.
JD launched himself at his brother, slamming him into the wall. “Do you have any idea how easy it would be for me to kill you right now?”
Jonathon didn’t flinch. “But you won’t. You have yourself under control. You always have done and I’m beginning to believe that you always will.”
JD released him. “We don’t know that.”
“No, we don’t. So the question we need to ask is ‘is it a risk worth taking?’.”
JD returned to the bed and sat on it, his legs dangling over the edge. For the first time in his life he had no idea what to say.
For a long time, Jonathon just looked at him, his indecision evident on his face. “Oh damn it all to hell,” he finally said and began to undo one of his leather wrist supports. He walked up to JD and offered him his exposed flesh. “Go ahead.”
“Are you sure?”
Jonathon nodded then braced himself for the pain as JD took hold of his arm and pulled him closer.
He winced as he felt the fangs penetrate the skin, then relaxed as the pain went away. JD took what he needed, no more, then sat back.
“Thank you,” he said. “I think.”
Jonathon inspected his wound, which was already beginning to heal, then put the wrist support back on. He went to the door, unlocked it and called Sarah back in.
As soon as she was in the room and the door was secure once more, she flicked the safety into place and put the gun in her pocket.
“Nice to see you’re still alive,” she said to JD. He opened his arms and she ran into them.
“You and my brother are both idiots.”
He kissed her neck, turned her around, placed his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.
“You were right,” Jonathon said to her. “I couldn’t do it. He is more than just a vampire and we need him.”
“So what happens now?” she asked. “I’ve been doing some research and I believe that between us we can provide him with enough blood to keep him alive without it causing us any damage. It’s the first few days that are going to be the problem.”
“We’ll need to discuss this with everyone who lives here,” Jonathon said. “They deserve a say in this.”
“THEY deserve a say in this?” JD said. “What about me? Doesn’t my opinion count?”
“No,” Sarah and Jonathon both said together.
“Excuse me, but it is my life you are talking about.”
“No,” Sarah said, “it is our lives and it’s about time everyone realised that.”
“I’m still your trainer,” JD said. “And as such you are supposed to do what I say.”
“Sorry,” Jonathon said, not sounding like he meant it at all, “but in this game, girlfriend and brother trump trainer.”
“You can punish us later,” Sarah said. “But for now we need to concentrate on making sure there is a later.”
JD shook his head. “I never thought I would see the day when you two collaborated together, especially against me.”
“See,” Sarah said. “Something good has come out of this already.”
“We need to have a family meeting to let them know of our plans and to see if they will accept JD staying here and remaining as our trainer.”
“And if they say no he can move into my place. I’ll give the address to 7 so that they don’t send hunters around.”
“Will you stop talking about me as if I’m not here,” JD said.
Sarah and Jonathon both ignored him. “So what do we do about a blood supply for the first few days if the others won’t cooperate?” Sarah asked.
“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”
“In that case, let’s go and see what our future holds.” She turned around and kissed JD. She instantly regretted doing so as the taste of blood filled her mouth. “You let him feed on you didn’t you?” she asked Jonathon, who nodded his head. “I really hope I get used to the taste soon,” she said as she pulled a face.
Then something occurred to her. “Out of curiosity, does all blood taste the same?”
“No,” JD replied. “There is a definite difference between you and Jonathon. I don’t know if that’s due to the type or the individual. I will let you know.” He didn’t add ‘unless I can find someone to kill me’. He had resigned himself to the fact that Sarah would do all she could to keep him alive and he would not do anything to stop her.
“Come on sis,” Jonathon said. “Let’s get this started.”
“Lock the door behind us,” Sarah said to JD. “And don’t open it for anyone except me or Jonathon.” She kissed him again then swore under her breath, making Jonathon laugh.
All of the hunters were still waiting outside. “Family meeting, dining room, now,” Jonathon said.
Craig ignored him and concentrated on Sarah. The look on her face told him everything he needed to know. “JD is still alive then.”
“Yes,” she said. “And he’s going to stay that way.”
Scott ran to get his parents and everyone sat around the dining room table. Between them, Jonathon and Sarah explained their plan.
“All we are asking for is your permission for JD to remain here and continue to train us. If just one of you says no, then we’ll take him away. He is our responsibility, not yours. It will be a blind vote so nobody has to feel guilty if they think having a vampire living under our roof is just too dangerous. We will leave you alone to discuss it.”
“There’s no need for that,” Craig said. “I vote yes.”
Before Jonathon or Sarah could stop them, everyone verbally cast their vote. They all said yes without hesitation.
“Why?” Sarah asked. She had been expecting them to at least discuss it.
“You aren’t the only one to love JD,” Simon said. “He’s more to us than just our trainer. We would all gladly die for him. Giving him a little of our blood is the least we can do.”
“Though we would appreciate it if you didn’t tell him that,” Katie added.
“I had better give 7 another call,” Doc said. “I’ll get them to pass the word around that JD has been turned, but is still one of us so is not to be touched and, should anything change, we will deal with it. I can’t see any of the other Sanctuaries having a problem with that.”
“And I had better call our parents,” Jonathon added. “It’s better they hear the news from me than from 7.”
“Go and get JD,” Craig instructed and Sarah left the room. She went straight to the medical unit and knocked on the door.
“It’s me Jason.”
She heard the door being unlocked and stepped back. “I knew it was you,” JD said as he stepped out of the room and took her in his arms. “I heard your footsteps.”
“Through the door?” she asked in surprise.
“I guess I have better hearing now. So what’s the verdict?”
She disengaged from his arms and took his hand. “They want to talk to you.”
Everyone looked a little nervous when he entered the dining room. He could understand why. He took a seat and pulled Sarah onto his lap. Seeing how relaxed she was with him might calm them down a bit.
Out of habit, he nuzzled her neck and instantly everyone tensed up even more. “Relax,” he said. “I know better than to take any more of her blood today and there is no way I would feed in public.”
“Speaking of which,” Craig said. “Do you need more yet?”
JD thought about it. “No. I can keep the craving under control for now. But I will need to feed again very soon.”
“So we voted to keep you here,” Scott said. “But there are a few conditions.”
JD raised his eyebrows. “What conditions?” He felt rather than saw Sarah’s jaw drop. That was obviously news to her.
Katie took over. “We were thinking along the lines of we provide you with blood and you drop the 5am training sessions.”
&
nbsp; “Think again.”
“How about you just lighten up on us a little?” Simon said.
“No.” He hugged Sarah tighter to him. They were just playing with him and he took this as a good sign.
“So what exactly do we get in exchange for keeping you alive?” Craig asked.
“You get to keep me as your trainer and therefore stay the top hunting team in the area. You get my promise that I won’t let Sarah loose with a gun again unless she’s taking a lesson with me and I’m the one who has to keep fighting her one-on-one instead of me making you guys do it.”
He couldn’t help smiling at her indignant, “Hey.”
“On a serious note, you didn’t have to do this for me. Thank you.”
Jonathon chose that moment to walk into the room. He handed his phone to JD. “They want to talk to you.” He didn’t need to ask who ‘they’ were.
“Hi,” he said, then pulled a face as he listened to his parents. “No, he isn’t winding you up. You’ll be getting a call from 7 sometime soon.” There was a pause as he listened to their reply. “Yes. I know. I tried, but Sarah didn’t really give us much choice.” Again he listened, this time rolling his eyes. “Yes, we believe we can make this work.” Again his parents responded. “It’s a little early to be thinking about that sort of thing. I’ve only been a vampire for a few hours.”
Jonathon gave him a questioning look, wondering what he was being asked. ‘You don’t want to know,’ he mouthed at him.
“Yes,” he continued. “I’ll bring her to see you sometime so you can thank her, but it might not be for a while. I’ll need some time to adjust.” This time the pause was longer. “Alright. Me too. Goodbye.”
He hung up the phone and threw it at Jonathon. “Don’t ever do that to me again. Next time, tell them I’m not available. I will speak to them when I want to, not the other way round.”
Jonathon ignored the reprimand. “Under the circumstances, it was pretty important that you spoke to them as soon as possible. You can punish me for it later, but I still think I did the right thing.”
JD smiled. “Speaking of punishment, you and Sarah are both going to be giving me an extra hour each morning that Sarah is here for the next two weeks. Do not gang up on me again.”
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