The Arrangement

For those that have been following this tale I thank you and want to let you know that although this is the last chapter it will continue. There is a whole other world of adventures for Jade and Ayden to explore. It just may not be right away.

My heart felt thanks goes to the Guild and apollona who has lived up to his namesake :)

Please enjoy and comments and feedback are always welcome.

***

Life returned to some semblance of normal over the next couple of days. Jade had made contact with her work and told several white lies to cover her absence. Although physically well enough, she wasn't exactly emotionally ready to go back straight away. Thankfully the partners were very understanding and told her to take all the time she needed.

Jonathan was another problem entirely. His father Peter had almost reported him as a missing person thinking that he'd relapsed into his old partying and self-destructive ways. It took a great deal of smoothing over by both Jade and Jonathan to convince Peter that things were all right. Jonathan had left for his own place promising to return soon. Jade was grateful to have a friend that knew the complete truth, someone that she could have a laugh with about the absurdity of it all.

Ayden was working, trying to manage his various businesses considering how he'd neglected them while he was looking for Jade. He was also trying to decide what to do with his vast wealth on the off chance that he didn't survive the encounter with Marcus. He was determined to make sure that Jade was looked after for the rest of her life. There was also his long suffering assistant Karl to consider along with the numerous charitable organizations he supported. Collecting all the appropriate documentation into a clearly labelled folder he put it aside and started the most difficult task. A letter to Jade. A letter explaining everything she'd inherit but more, his love and utter devotion to her. He wanted to tell her to go on without him, get married, have children, and have a normal life. It shattered his heart into a million pieces to even consider these thoughts but he was determined that she would be happy.

While Ayden was pouring his heart out, Jade was upstairs cleaning up. It was a mundane task but it made her happy that she could at least contribute something to their home. She chuckled to herself as she picked up Ayden's discarded pants off the floor. For such a capable man, Ayden was often a little scattered with his clothes. He never put them away, choosing rather to leave a trail around the house that either Jade or Karl would have to track down. Jade diligently went through the pockets before placing the pants in the laundry basket.

Finding only a folded piece of paper she pondered on whether it was appropriate for her to look at it. Curiosity won out as she reasoned that if it was trash then she didn't need to bother Ayden with it. As she read the note Marcus had left her breath caught and she leaned heavily on a table grateful for its sturdiness. He hadn't said a word, not one word. How dare he keep this from her? She was positively fuming as she stormed her way to his study.

"When were you going to tell me about this?" Jade spat as she threw the paper in his face.

Ayden grabbed the note and cringed. Never, was when he was going to tell her about the deal with Marcus but he wasn't stupid enough to tell her that. "I was waiting until you were feeling stronger." He said weakly and it sounded hollow even to his ears.

"Bullshit!! You were going to go and fight him and not tell me. How could you? He'll kill you." She was screaming now.

"Calm down Jade, it will be fine." He tried to sooth the incredibly irate woman in front of him.

"Fine? Fine? How can it be fine Ayden? It's two against one, or did you conveniently forget about Julia? You don't honestly think she'll sit on the sidelines when there is pain and violence to be had?" Jade practically growled.

Ayden had considered Julia's involvement but dismissed it. He had no choice; he would go through her to get to Marcus, hell she had some payback coming too. "I can handle it." He said quietly.

"All right then, I'm coming too." She said firmly.

"No!" Ayden yelled as he jumped up out of his seat, fangs descended.

"Ha! You get no say. I'm coming. If you don't like that choice then change me, make me like you so I can fight too." She said surprising even herself.

"Out of the question." He snarled at her, his protective instinct coming to the fore along with his vampire.

"Don't you give me that whole 'I am vampire hear me roar' routine. It doesn't work on me. And why not, I want to, don't you want to be with me forever?" she exclaimed.

Ayden blanched at the very thought of attempting something so risky. He didn't know the mechanics of a conversion other than what Jade had explained. What if it went wrong? He wouldn't be able to live the fact that he was responsible for her death. No way. "Jade, listen to me, it has nothing to do with me wanting you. I can't risk you. I have no idea how to do that and I will not take the chance that it could go wrong. You are too important." He tried to explain.

"Well if you aren't going to change me and you won't let me come, then you can't go!" she said throwing her hands up in the air exasperated.

Ayden started to chuckle. She was magnificent in her anger, hands on hips, eyes shooting fire. His chuckles quickly escalated to full scale laughter while Jade looked on in annoyance. All this laughter was diffusing the tension somewhat. Tension she needed to show him how serious she was. But it wasn't working, and started failing miserably when Jade began having trouble keeping her face straight. She loved to hear him laugh, it was the most magical sound and her second favourite thing he did. Soon enough she was laughing along with him realizing that it was a little silly trying to tell a 400 year old vampire what he could or couldn't do no matter how much she wanted to.

The laughter faded as Ayden gathered her in his arms. Jade buried her head in his chest and inhaled that wonderful scent that was solely him. They both knew that this topic needed to be addressed, but for the moment, the need to express their love for one another took precedence. He picked her up bodily carried her to their room where they engaged in her absolute favourite thing in the world.

***

On Friday evening Ayden went out to feed, adding another layer of guilt on his soul as he didn't tell Jade. He needed to be strong for what was coming and he couldn't bring himself to feed off her. He had already decided to fight Marcus, the situation needed closure, but he didn't want Jade in harm's way. He wasn't going to tell her. He let himself back into the house to find Jade along with Jonathan in the dining room.

"Oh Ayden, Jonathan came over for dinner while you were out. I hope you don't mind?" she said cheerfully.

"No problem. I'm actually glad you have company since I have to go out again later and sort out some business issues." He said trying to be casual but cringing mentally.

Jade accepted his comments without question and continued her conversation with Jonathan. Ayden hung around not really listening or participating until he had to leave. He'd decided to head out earlier than the arranged time to check out the area in case of any traps Marcus may have set. With him, you could never be too careful.

Throughout the evening Ayden kept looking over at Jade, trying to memorize every little expression on her face, the way she smiled, every nuance. So many times he was about to confess and tell her where he was going. Then he recalled what had happened to her and this served to steal his resolve. No matter what, she would be safe. If that meant he had to lie to her then so be it.

All too quickly it was time to go. He went over to Jade to say he was leaving but the emotion of the moment caught up with him and he dragged her into his arms kissing her passionately. Ayden poured all his love and determination to come back to her into that kiss. He never wanted to let her go.

At first she seemed hesitant but she succumbed to his mouth and melted in his arms. When they broke apart Jade was slightly breathless, a blush creeping onto her face considering Jonathan was still present.

"What was that for?" she admonished jokingly.

"I have to have a reason to kiss the woman I love?" he asked smiling at her. That heated look always made her week at the knees and this time was no exception. She collapsed back on the couch chuckling as Ayden left. Jonathan just shook his head at their antics.

***

"Earth to Jade, come in Jade." Jonathan said as he tried to get her attention.

"Sorry Jonathan I was a million miles away." She apologized.

Over the last half hour Jade had started to feel increasingly distracted. She was barely paying attention to the DVD they were supposed to be watching or the conversation. She felt bad considering that Jonathan had offered to stay and keep her company. Something felt out of place, like the strange feeling you get when you can't remember if you've locked all the doors before you left the house.

"What's the matter?" Jonathan asked.

"Nothing I guess. I just feel weird." She said unable to explain. She thought over Ayden's strange behaviour earlier, that kiss felt like good bye. Like a forever type good bye.

Suddenly Jade got up and raced to Ayden's study. She didn't know why she was going there or what she hoped to find, there was no rhyme or reason to this strange sensation plaguing her. Jonathan followed closely behind concerned about her behaviour. Jade threw open the door and stood in the middle of the room. She felt stupid now, there was nothing in here, simply Ayden's study like it always was. She almost chuckled in relief when her eyes fell on the folder at his desk. It sat alongside two envelopes, one addressed to her, the other to Karl.

Jade ignored the envelopes and picked up the folder. As she slowly leafed through page after page of legalese, catching a word here a phrase there, realization dawned on her. He went to meet Marcus and he wasn't planning on coming back.

"The lying bastard!!" Jade shouted as she threw the folder onto the desk. Jonathan looked at her questioningly. "He's going to meet Marcus, Jonathan. And by the looks of it he's already planned for the possibility that he'll not be coming back." She choked on the last part. Jonathan put his arms around her as the tears started to flow.

After the initial shock Jade's crying turned into tears of rage. She stormed out of the study and into the living room. She quickly grabbed her bag and keys and was on her way out when Jonathan grabbed her arm.

"You'd better let me drive." He said. Jade looked at him gratefully. "So, any idea what we are going to do when we get there?" He asked calmly.

"Not a clue." Jade said honestly.

"It's always good to have such a well thought out plan." He said smiling as he started the car and took off.

***

Ayden sat quietly at a picnic table as he waited for Marcus to show up. He'd carefully explored the area several times and had determined that there was nothing lurking out there for him other than Marcus and Julia. As he sat there he pondered how little he actually knew about fighting. The only fight he'd ever been in was the one with Marcus all those hundreds of years ago. He'd read a little about some of the more ancient Oriental arts but he'd never been interested in learning the skills. He knew that this would probably end up one sided with Julia in the mix, but he hoped that his determination and sheer force of will would carry him through like last time. Except this time he wouldn't be so merciful.

Ayden tried to block out all thoughts of Jade, he didn't need the distraction. However several thoughts still managed to sneak in. Realizing it was a futile effort to try and not think of her, instead he decided to focus on her smile and the way her eyes looked when she saw or heard something that amused her. Yes that would be a perfect last image to hold onto.

A slight rustling immediately brought him out of his reverie. It was so slight that it could have been mistaken for the wind, but he knew better. He stood and waited for Marcus to appear. Ayden waited unmoving for several long minutes before Marcus actually strolled into the clearing wearing a maddeningly confident smirk. He just itched to wipe that smirk right off his face, maybe take the whole face with it, now there's a thought. There was no sign of Julia but he was sure she was sulking about somewhere nearby.

"Ayden. Long time no see." Marcus drawled. Ayden took a moment to calm himself; it wouldn't do to let Marcus have the upper hand so quickly.

"We must just keep missing each other, don't we?" he retorted. "Where is your little friend?" he wondered.

"Right here." Said Julia. Ayden turned to see her coming from the opposite direction. He was going to have to be very careful now. "How's my little pet doing? Does she miss me?" Julia said with saccharine sweetness trying to bait Ayden.

Ayden maintained his position as they moved closer. He ignored Julia's little barbs, they weren't important; he needed to focus on what Marcus was going to do.

"It is time we finished this." Marcus said as he dropped to a half crouch allowing his full vampire to emerge. Ayden responded in kind.

The two vampires slowly circled each other, each looking for an opening, an opportunity to attack. He also had to keep an eye on what Julia was doing. At the moment she seemed content to sit on the sidelines but he knew that wouldn't last. Suddenly a fist connected with Ayden's stomach. Marcus was standing a few metres away smiling at Ayden's doubled over form. So that was how he was going to play it, well turnabout is fair play. Ayden burst forth and at full speed hit Marcus squarely in the jaw hearing satisfying crunch before darting out of the way.

Marcus snarled his displeasure before attacking again. These lighting quick attacks, to and fro, lasted for several long minutes as both vampires sported gashes, broken bones and bruises that where already healing. Ayden moved again to approach Marcus when he felt something attack him from behind. Julia. He had lost track of her and now paid for that mistake with the sting of her teeth sinking into his neck. He quickly dropped low and flipped her over his head. She connected with the ground with a deep thud, there was no time for rest though as he picked her up and used her as a shield between himself and Marcus. For a split second Ayden considered killing Julia while he had her in his hands, but this in his mind was a cowardly option. Instead he mentally shook himself; this was between him and Marcus, no one else. He effortlessly threw Julia clear across the clearing before setting upon Marcus again.

This time the two vampires were locked in a more traditional hand to hand combat, albeit faster than the human eye could detect. Ayden tried to block as many shots as he could while doing his best to land some of his own. It wasn't working very well due to his inexperience and he was becoming distracted by the incessant throbbing in his stomach. The last time that happened ... Jade. A powerful right cross connected with his face as he heard Julia's high pitched squeals of delight.

***

Jade and Jonathan parked the car and tried to make their way to the picnic area as quietly as they could. This was not a simple task since there was barely any light illuminating the way. Several times they thought they were lost when they came upon the path again.

"So do you want me to look about for any sharp pieces of wood?" Jonathan asked. Jade looked at him like he was insane. "You know the whole stake through the heart thing?" he explained.

Jade nearly broke out into nervous laughter but regained her composure quickly. It was absurd really, what did she know about fighting vampires? She'd never asked Ayden about how to go about killing one. Oh, by the way honey how do I go about killing you if I need to? Indeed wouldn't that have put a dampener on the mood? Instead she just stood there and looked at Jonathan helplessly as he took her hand and they moved forward again.

Jade was only able to see the clearing when they almost stumbled right into it. She saw a blur of motion off to one side but it took her a while to realize that it was them. They were already fighting. To her utter shock she saw something fly across the clearing and land not too far from where she and Jonathan were standing. It was Julia. Jade froze, seeing her again had brought back every moment of the fear and pain experienced at the woman's hands and it rooted her to the spot.

Jonathan wasn't so paralysed, he grabbed Jade's arm and dragged her away trying to put as much distance as he could between them. He was running now, his blood pumping in his ears, his only thought to keep Jade away from that creature. Suddenly he felt himself jerk backwards and a consuming pain emanate from his arm. He let go of Jade and screamed at her to run. Julia loomed over him and her beautifully evil face was the last thing he saw before he went flying through the air and darkness claimed him.

Jade didn't see Jonathan being thrown into the woods; she'd taken his advice and run. She didn't know which way she was going as branches lashed at her face and arms. Momentarily she too felt herself jerked back to come face to face with the image of her nightmares.

"Hmmm leaving so fast pet? The fun has only just started and you know you don't want to miss out." Julia drawled as she grabbed her and dragged her back to the clearing laughing the whole way.

Ayden's heart sank as he saw Julia drag a terrified Jade into the clearing. Why couldn't she have just stayed at home? Tonight, her wilfulness was not her most endearing quality. At least she wasn't harmed from what he could see. He stepped back from Marcus and waited to see what would happen. He couldn't attack now there was too much danger of her getting hurt.

Marcus laughed as Julia handed Jade over to him. He ran his hand over her hair and across her breast for good measure rejoicing in the hiss of anger coming from Ayden. Jade trembled in his arms and he enjoyed the rush of power that her fear gave him. He took a moment to memorize this moment; it was not one he wanted to forget in a hurry.

"Marcus." Ayden hissed. "Let her go and I will come willingly. You can do what you like, just let her go."

"No!" yelled Jade and Marcus at the same time. Marcus laughed at the little human's protective instinct. It amused him. "As your little human here said Ayden, no. It wouldn't be as much fun without her." he said holding Jade securely to him.

"Come on Marcus, it's me you want. Just let her go, she has nothing to do with this." Desperation colouring Ayden's words.

"Ayden, why can't you just see that she has everything to do with this? It is your unnatural affection for these vile little animals that has led us to this point. Maybe if she dies you will come to your senses and realize that they are nothing." Marcus said. "Then again may be not." He smirked as he heard the tortured snarl that came from Ayden when he mentioned the human's death.

Without warning Marcus sunk his fangs into the human's neck and drank long and deep. He knew the blood would both fortify him but the act would cause Ayden immeasurable pain. Adding insult to injury, he chose to rip at her throat instead of simply withdrawing his fangs causing a large gash in her artery. Even though he hated to waste clean blood, it pleased him that the human's precious life force was steadily pumping out of her.

Ayden tried to convey a sense of calm and confidence to Jade. Their eyes never wavered from each other's throughout the exchange. He saw the fear and confusion there, but more importantly he saw the love she felt for him. Love he returned desperately. This scene was all wrong