Blood or Love

Jack's eyes flashed open. He had no time to think of the impossibility of his fast reaction. He only knew that he'd caught Matt's wrist just in time, holding it steady as the human used all his muscle and weight to drive the stake deeper, trying to force it to Jack's heart.

But Jack had no problem holding him back. He looked up at Matt's face, pink and straining with effort. Then he heard Benson scream.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her rushing to the couch. She started pulling on Matt. "Get off him! Matt, get off him!"

But Jack held him fast. Suddenly, he gave a jerk, and the bones in Matt's wrist snapped like twigs. Matt screamed. Jack released his hold and Matt flew onto the floor, his useless hand taking the stake along with him. But his impact with Benny toppled her backwards over the coffee table.

"Benson!" Jack swung around, planting his feet on the floor.

She pulled herself up on her elbows, and her eyes widened. Matt was reaching for the stake with his other hand, the one that still worked. But Jack was quicker.

He kicked the stake away. Then he reached down, grabbed Matt, and threw him across the room. Matt hit the top of the love seat and sailed on over it, then skidded across the floor, only coming to a stop when he crashed up against the far wall.

Jack reached a hand down to Benny. "Are you OK?"

Benny looked up at him from beside the coffee table. Strands of her long hair lay every which way; the short skirt had slid even further up her thighs. Her eyes were wide and wild like a frightened animal when she looked from his waiting hand to his face. She raised her hand slowly to accept his, but he didn't give her time.

Instead, he grabbed her and jerked her up on her feet. She stumbled against him and his arms went around her, steadying her. He didn't smell her blood, but there was no doubt she'd have bruises and scrapes. He let go of her and shot a seething look across the room to the man curled up on the floor. Bruises and scrapes were far less than what her boyfriend was going to get.

Benson tugged on him, causing him to glance back down at her. She'd burst into tears, pulling his shirt up to look at the hole in his chest. "Oh god, oh god," she wailed, wiping at the small amount of blood. It was already congealing. Brushing her hands away, he turned his attention back to the other side of the room.

Jack saw flashes of red. After the initial shock of being attacked by Benny's date, all of his senses felt primed and ready to go. There was no more nausea, no headache, and no weakness. He was just ready to do more damage.

"Wait, Jack, wait." Benny took his arm from behind, trying to stop his advance. "Jack, please, stop."

Jack didn't stop.

Benson held onto him, trying to hold him back with all her might, but he just dragged her with him across the hardwood floor. Despite her pleading, he only paused when he was standing directly over Matt, who was moaning and shaking on the floor.

Jack glared down. "I should kill you. If I was fully vampire, you'd be dead already."

Jack finally realized Benson was still clutching his arm, and he shook her off easily. His gaze returned to the injured man at his feet.

"Maybe you thought you were doing a good thing here tonight, or maybe this is a way for you to play hero on your internet forums. I don't give a damn. But you used Benny to get to me, and that pisses me off."

Matt was crying softly, holding onto his broken wrist, his breathing labored. He tried to sit up a couple times, but couldn't make it.

I probably broke some ribs and who knows what else with that toss, Jack thought, satisfied.

A red mist winded its way through his vision, and he took a few deep breaths. He crouched down over Matt, who cowered further away. Jack liked the power that was rushing through him-the awakening strength and energy.

"Benny's begging for your life, so I'll let you go. Keep me off your website, and don't send anyone around me or my family. Come near any of us again, and I won't be so gentle. Understand what I'm saying?"

Matt just groaned and twitched on the floor.

Jack grabbed him by the throat and hauled him up so his feet were inches from the floor. It was like lifting a kitten. Oh yeah, the vampire strength was returning, and it felt great.

"Am I clear or not?"

"Y-yes," Matt choked out.

Jack dropped him back to the floor. Matt grunted and crumpled into a heap on impact. His hand went to his throat. He coughed and sucked in air.

"Good. Now get out of here before I change my mind and kill you slowly and painfully."

The idea appealed to Jack a lot, and he thought that should have bothered him. But it didn't.

He glanced over at Benny. She was standing a few feet away, her light brown eyes huge and filled with tears, hands over her mouth in shock. But he felt nothing at that moment except the desire to kick some ass.

He turned back to the man at his feet. Jack didn't know if true vampire slayers existed-people with superhuman strength and ability. He'd never encountered one before. But Matt sure as hell wasn't anything but plain ol' human.

Matt, holding an arm across his ribs, struggled to get to his feet again. Impatient, Jack leaned over, grabbed his arm, and started dragging him toward the door.

Benny found her voice, but it was garbled with tears. "I don't think he can walk, much less drive himself, Jack."

"He better. Cause if he's still on my property in two minutes, I'm gonna rip him apart piece by piece."

Jack yanked open the door, slung Matt over his shoulder, and carried him out to the black S10 where he dumped Matt behind the driver's seat. He reached in past the quivering man and started the truck. Then he shut the door and leaned against it, his hands draped casually across the open window.

Matt's body shook; he looked as if he was trying to get control of himself. "G-give me a minute. Can't shift with my right hand."

"You're not gonna have a right hand if you don't leave now."

Matt suddenly found a way to drive, because he threw the truck in gear and peeled out, screeching at the corner and disappearing into the darkness of the countryside.

* * *

Kim returned later that night, her mood bright, the tiredness visibly relieved from her eyes.

This is encouraging, Jack thought when he opened the kitchen door. "I take it the meeting went well with the good doctor?"

She looked surprised to see him on the other side, and her sudden smile lit up the room. "Jack, you're feeling better?"

He grinned and reached for her. "What do you think?"

He pulled her into a tight embrace. Kim's hand went to the back of his head, caressing hair that was still damp from his shower. When she pulled back, she looked at him with disbelief in her eyes.

"This is amazing."

He followed her gaze to the kitchen table with the open newspaper and half-full cup of orange pekoe tea.

When her eyes snapped back to his, her voice was full of excitement. "Dr. Kitcher can help you-he's the real thing. He's set up a lab and recreated Dr. Campbells's antidote. And, guess what? You have an appointment there tomorrow evening. Savannah, Georgia. I've already booked the tickets."

"Georgia? Tomorrow?"

Kim was silently clapping her palms together, the excitement radiating from her. "Two of Dr. Kitcher's assistants will meet you at the airport and escort you. They'll have to tranquilize you, cuff you..." Her eyebrows pinched together. "He said it's for everyone's protection...including the lab. But by the time you wake up, you'll be OK-you'll have the antidote inside you."

Her smiled faded when she saw the look on his face. "What's wrong? You look good and you feel good now, right? It's three hours by plane. It shouldn't be too hard on you."

"Yeah, but that's just it." He pulled a chair out for her at the table. When she sat down, he took his own seat again. "The thing is, I'm maybe feeling a little too good."

"Oh."

He watched her blue eyes and knew the exact moment when she got his true meaning.

"OH. That doesn't mean what I think it does, does it?"

He nodded grimly.

Her eyes registered apprehension, but a slight smile turned up the trembling corners of her mouth. "Do I need to break out the NoVamp?"

He shook his head. "It's not that bad yet. I'm in control of my mind. I'm not hungry, and if I do get hungry, you guys have me well stocked." He nodded toward the refrigerator. "If I thought I was any threat to you and Benny, I'd go fall on a stake right now, you know that. You know how much I love you both."

"And we love you," she said, reaching over to touch his cold cheek. "You've always had a strong will...and besides, you'll be at the lab soon." She rushed on with the rest. "I'll be with you before you know it. You don't have to worry-they know how to take care of vampires."

"Wait a minute, aren't you coming with me?"

Kim's eyes lost their twinkle again. "I can't take off work tomorrow, but I'll catch a late flight in tomorrow night." She reached for his cup and took a long sip of the tea. "I hate to send you alone." She sighed. "That's the only bad part. Do you want me to ask Benny to go with you?"

He shook his head. "She has school. And, I doubt she'd want to spend any time with me now."

Kim's voice picked up excitement again for a moment. "The next time we're all together, you'll be OK, you'll be fixed." She shook her head and rubbed at her eyes, fatigue evident on her face. "I know you're strong, Jack. I'm not worried."

He didn't say anything at first. Then he took her right hand and brought it up to his cheek, nuzzling against it, enjoying the warmth. His own skin felt so much colder lately.

"Kim...sweetheart, I don't know how to thank you. You've worked nonstop to find help for me for the last ten months. All your effort has finally paid off."

"It's more than worth it." She smiled back at him. "Did Benny bring her date over?"

He knew he'd have to talk about that sooner or later. "Uh, yeah, about that," Jack said, adjusting his position in the chair.

"Jack? What happened? Did you do something to him?"

"Maybe a little something," Jack glanced down at the table, then back up to her. "But I went easy on him."

"Jack!"

"He attacked me. I had to defend myself." He pulled up his t-shirt to show her the already fading scar on his chest. "Thought himself a slayer."

Kim looked from Jack's wound to his face and back again, her eyes and mouth wide open. "Oh my god," she whispered. "You could have been killed!"

She ran around to his side of the table and threw her arms around him. She held him tight for a while. Then she raised up.

"Where's Benny?" She looked around the kitchen as if her sister-in-law might be hiding there.

Jack drained the rest of the tea and set the cup down. "Up in the guest room. I talked to her when Matt left, but she wasn't in much of a mood for it then. She wanted to go straight up to bed."

Kim nodded, eyes still wide. "I'll check in a bit to see if she's asleep, make sure she's OK."

She stood up and stretched. "A shower sounds real good about now, and then I'll see you in bed, Mr. Roberts, now that you're able to get yourself off the couch." She gave his shoulder a lingering, playful squeeze.

Jack's cock twitched at that. It seemed like forever since he'd been in bed with his wife. He adjusted himself and watched her ass walk out the door to the living room. His eyes settled on the fridge for a moment, then back down to his paper.

Jack finished the paper, rinsed out his cup, and went upstairs. He walked past their bedroom and the harsh sound of the blow-dryer in the bathroom, on to the room at the end of the hall. He put his ear to the door and listened to the sound of Benny's heart and the soft rush of her breathing.

He felt really bad for her. After Matt left, he'd tried to calm her down, make her realize everything was OK–he wasn't hurt, he wasn't mad. She kept crying and apologizing, all the while backing away from him, her fear rolling through the air.

For once, he didn't feel like lecturing her about anything. He even told her he was sorry she had to see that; he hadn't intended to scare her. But she wouldn't be comforted, wouldn't go near him. Instead, she escaped upstairs, closing and locking the door behind her.

As bad as he felt about it all, Kim's news made him realize it would all be over soon. Help was less than 24 hours away. Again, his wife had come through for him just in time-the reversion was happening faster than he'd imagined. He thought of Dr. Campbell's subjects who'd reverted quickly.

I'm not like them, he decided. He could fight the parasite; he was strong mentally, just like Kim said. He'd proved that back when he first turned into a vampire, mentally fighting it all the way until Kim found help.

He moved silently back down the hall to their room, undressed, and stretched out under the covers. It had been so gradual, he hadn't noticed just how bad his night vision was on the antidote until now when it was wearing off. Things around the dark room stood out in fine detail.

Moments later, Kim came out of the bathroom and slipped into bed beside him, completely naked.

He pulled her smooth body against himself and inhaled her fresh smell. His face nestled against hers, then he dropped soft kisses along her cheek and jaw, enjoying the excited thud of her heart. He moved down to her neck and was aware the second she stopped breathing.

Lingering at her throat still, he nuzzled and kissed gently on the pulse that ticked below his lips. But Kim was quiet, unresponsive. Too quiet. Except for her heart. It was kicking wildly beneath his palm.

He raised his lips a few inches from her sweet skin. But there was another smell mixed with her own scent, one he recognized easily-fear. His mouth went back to her neck.

"You're tickling me. Jack, stop it!"

"What?" He raised up, looking down into her wide, blue eyes. "You love it when I do that."

"Well...tonight it just tickles."

He bent down again and planted his lips against hers, relishing her warmth and sweetness. Gripping her shoulders, he settled the top half of himself over her.

Kim whimpered and pushed against him.

He broke the kiss and moved back again, frustrated. "Come on, I'm not tickling you. What's wrong?"

"You're not letting me breathe," she panted, a hint of anger and something else in her voice. He watched her chest rise and fall, sucking in air.

Jack let out a sigh and leaned down on one elbow next to her. "Sorry," he said, pushing a hand across the lock of hair that had caught in his eyes. "We haven't done it for two weeks now. I thought you'd want to. You know, when you come to bed naked, that's always been the signal."

"I know." Her tight voice softened. "I do want to, it's just..."

"Just what?"

"I...I don't know. Nothing. Nothing at all. I'm sorry, just go ahead."

He blew out a puff of air in frustration. "You know I can't if something's bothering you. Come on, tell me."

"It's just that...I'm a little nervous."

"Afraid, you mean. Of me."

Kim groaned softly. "I guess it's what you told me downstairs, and the fact that we're this close to fixing you...if something were to happen less than 24 hours from your injection..."

Jack rolled onto his back, and his head sunk into the pillow. His eyes went to the ceiling fan over the bed. The fan wasn't moving, and he stared at the dust particles that had collected on the blades.

Kim hesitated for a moment, then rolled on her side totward him and laid a hand on his face, feeling gently over his features like a blind person might. "Look, I'm sorry," she said.

He took her hand and kissed it. "No, it's OK. You're right. I'm always telling Benny that vampires are nothing to mess around with."

She nodded once. "It was OK while the antidote was still in your system. But I know how doing this would excite you, maybe in the heat of the moment, you'd...lose control. I just remember how it was before you had the injection, what you were like."

He sighed and dropped her hand. When he spoke, his words came out clipped. "Well, we do need to be careful, don't we?" He sat up and gave a pathetic-sounding heave of his chest. "I'll go downstairs and sleep on the couch...as usual."

"No, wait, Jack." Kim grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

What was wrong with him? He never acted that way, never tried to manipulate Kim before. He felt a moment of disgust at himself. But hell, he'd been under a lot of stress after all. His mind and body had endured so much since he'd first been turned into a vampire.

That's what's going on, he reasoned. No wonder he wasn't acting or thinking like himself. He didn't feel dangerous, but was he going to end up brain-damaged from it all?

Kim's hand moved up his bicep and over his firm chest to the spot where the stake had punctured. It was barely a dent now in his otherwise smooth flesh. She scooted closer and pressed her lips to the tiny scar.

When her tongue flickered down to his nipple, he closed his eyes and exhaled. He took her short, soft hair in hand, petting it while she trailed her wet lips across his skin to the other nipple, working her hand down his stomach. Jack almost couldn't restrain himself.

He'd waited so long, wanted her so bad. When Kim's warm hand landed on his hard cock, his whole body jerked. There was a burst of red fireworks inside his closed eyelids. Lust saturated him, along with a twinge of hunger and a sudden pain in his skull. Mercifully, the hunger and pain left almost as soon as they hit. His eyes popped open, and his breath caught in a panic.

He felt disoriented, as if he'd been unconscious but didn't know how long. Kim was still stroking his cock, so it must have been only seconds. But he couldn't shake that strange feeling, the same feeling as when he drifted off to sleep on the couch and woke up to find the movie he'd been watching was over.

Alarmed, he reached down and caught Kim's wrist in his hand, holding it motionless but still wrapped around his cool, hard flesh.

"What's going on?" His voice came out low and tight. "I thought we just said I'm too dangerous for sex."

Kim's voice was soft and seductive, but he could also hear the bone-tiredness behind it. "Only you know how you really feel. I trust you, Jack. Do you think you're dangerous?"

He heard it in her voice-she wanted to just give in, just this once, and not have to think about what was best, what was safe. Jack leaned toward her. He smelled her arousal, thick in the air, and he breathed it in deeply. Swirls of red smoke puffed through his mind. He suddenly felt angry.

Kim should know better than to lay the responsibility at his feet. So...a part of her was obviously in denial. But then again, she hadn't seen what happened earlier with the wannabe slayer...didn't know how much his vampiric power had returned...didn't know he could see every pore on her nose in the dark room. The thump of her heart made him smile. She wanted him.

He shook his head, trying to clear it, willing himself to calm down and think it through. He was getting his vampire powers back, but it was nothing to worry about. This wasn't like when he was first turned. Then, the blood thirst had been the worst thing...so strong, so powerful. Frightening in its intensity. This wasn't like that at all. He wasn't even hungry.

I'm in control of myself, he thought. I'm not even thinking about blood, and if I get hungry, there are 36 tubes of it in the fridge downstairs.

Kim squeezed her hot hand on his cock and total lust shot through him. It had been so long since they'd been together like this. He wanted her. Now.

"No," he said, releasing her wrist. He pushed her back on the bed and wrapped himself around her nude body. "I'm not dangerous at all."

As he kissed her, he felt her relax in his arms, slowly at first, but then she eagerly kissed him back. She moaned against his lips when his hands slid down the sides of her body to the dip in her waist, and on down to her slim hips and thighs.