Crowley slammed forwards onto dry, withered grass. They were in a park. A park inside the abandoned city of Shacklestone. In the distance stood ominously silhouetted buildings, some ruined, but most still intact, and a few with lights in the windows.

'That - was - AWESOME!' he exclaimed. Then he noticed Jack, and the absence of anyone else. 'Oh, right. They're all dead.'

----

Dianne was now alone on the plain beneath a clear night sky. If she looked west, she would see Bloodwater a few miles away. To the east lay Opalway, and to the south lay Sovereign. She wasn't extremely far from home.

Ryder had waited, but when the portal disappeared and Dianne hadn't returned, he sent the three vampires out to search for her, while he picked up Armin and began to carry him to Pythia.

{Figuring out where she was, Dianne picks up the hammer, shifts back, and begins the flight back to Sovereign. With the rage gone, she was now worried about Armin. He looked pretty hurt when she saw him.}

{Jack just kind of sat there in shock, oblivious to Crowley's presence.}

Jack: "He's dead....She killed him...She wouldn't even give us a chance...."

Crowley shifted back to human form, absentmindedly scraping some blood from under his fingernails.

'Yeah, well... I guess you idiots didn't know what you were getting into. Should've done better, shouldn't you?'

Ryder landed outside Pythia's house, shifted and walked for the door. He knocked, glancing worriedly at Armin. The vampire was unconscious and covered in blood. His pulse was very weak and erratic, likely because of the damage to his heart.

Jack: "We never should have taken this job....This is all Sam's fault!"

{Jack weeps bitterly.}

{Pythia opens the door in her sleepwear. Seeing Armin's state, she gasps.}

Pythia: "Damn it, Armin what did you do this time?"

'Who's Sam? That old geezer in the prison?' said Crowley with interest. 'You wanna go back and drown him in his own blood?'

'Uh, Crowley and Carl tried to rescue the prisoners... Armin chased them... he got hurt... and I think Dianne's gone on a murder rampage,' said Ryder as he carried Armin inside.

As Dianne flew back, one of the vampires spotted her. He was in the form of a bald eagle. //Dianne?// he said. //Ah, you're alive. That's good.//

Jack: "What?! Hell no! We barely got out alive and you want to go back? Besides, he'll be executed tomorrow anyway..."

Dianne: "Where's Armin? Is he alive?"

{She asks, her voice thick with worry.}

Pythia: "Quickly, bring him inside. Put him on the table, Ryder."

{Pythia runs off to collect her supplies.}

'Cool,' said Crowley. 'Well, this sucks. Your brother /owed/ me for helping to save your sorry ass, and now he's dead.'

//How should I know? The last I saw of him, he was covered in blood and being taken away by Ryder,// said the vampire.

Ryder went into Pythia's work room and laid Armin down on the table, removing his jacket. He had ruined another shirt with blood and gunshot holes.

Jack: "I didn't see you trying to help him..."

{Dianne just groans, flying faster for the city.}

{Pythia returns with her supplies, working on removing the bullet from Armin's chest.}

Pythia: "That's a tad close to his heart..."

'I wasn't /that/ desperate to keep him alive...' said Crowley.

Ryder leaned back against the wall, watching with concern. 'Yeah, it was pretty brutal... He's been shot in the leg as well.'

{Once the bullet was removed, Pythia first mended his chest trauma.}

Pythia: "I'll deal with his leg right now, but I need to make sure he won't die."

{Jack offers no reply, simply sitting with his head in his hands.}

Armin's breathing and pulse gradually stabilised as Pythia healed the damage, though both remained weaker than usual, and he didn't wake up.

'I hope Dianne's alright,' said Ryder. 'She kinda charged off through the portal, chasing those guys.'

Pythia: "I hope so too. Much like Armin, she can act recklessly too."

{Pythia made short work of his leg wound.}

Pythia: "Ok, he's good now. Now, we wait for Dianne."

Ryder remained leaning against the wall, silent and waiting.

After gazing blankly over the Shacklestone horizon for a minute or so, Crowley yawned. 'OK. So what are you gonna do now, pretty boy?'

{Jack slowly stands.}

Jack: "Steal a car, get the f$&k out of Vallis, and take some time to mourn and figure things out..."

{After a few minutes, Dianne bursts through the door. She drops her mace haphazardly and immediately goes over to Armin.}

Dianne: "Armin?!"
{She takes off her helmet and puts her ear to his chest, her expression becoming relieved when she realizes he's alive.}

'Wow,' said Crowley boredly. 'Here I was hoping you might embark on some epic quest for revenge. That'd give me something interesting to do.'

As Dianne dropped her mace, Ryder shuffled away from it with a wary expression. He'd seen that thing incinerate Sarah like paper.

'He's OK,' he said. 'Everyone's OK.'

Armin stirred for the first time, turning his head slowly and wincing.

{Dianne raised her head to look at Armin.}

Dianne: "What the hell were you thinking?! Jumping through that portal alone?! You almost died!"

Pythia: "Dianne, I-I don't think he can hear you..."

Jack: "Maybe I will Crowley...In time...But we'll need a lot more than just the two of us..."

Crowley shrugged. 'Well, if you ever want my help... maybe I'll help you. Or maybe not. I like fun, but don't think I'm beholden to you or anything.'

'I /can/ hear you...' Armin groaned. He opened his eyes a crack. 'Look, I'm sorry. But I had to. I'm the only one who was fast enough to get through the portal and if I hadn't followed them, they would have all escaped.'

Dianne: "Armin you could have died. It would have been fine if they got away, they would have come back for Sam anyway. Your life is too important, don't you get that?"

Jack: "We'll just have to see. See you, Crowley..."

{With that, Jack walks away into the ruined city.}

'It wouldn't be 'fine'. You saw they teamed up with Crowley, right? That means they could warp into anyone's house, any time, and kill them... They could go after Fred, or Pythia - or hell, they could warp into our house and kill Esme... We've got no defence against portals... Sometimes you've got to take risks.'

Crowley didn't reply. He watched Jack walk away, then shifted to dragon form and took flight, a crow-winged silhouette against the night sky.

{Dianne made a frustrated face, s then sighed heavily.}

Dianne: "Point taken. But I'm making you wear armor from now on."

'I'm not always going to have time to put armour on... Never mind. Can we just go home now?'

Pythia: "You two are good to leave. Ryder, come here, your arms are bleeding..."

Dianne: "Ok, but I think we'll need a ride."

'If you give me five minutes, I can get my car and bring it over here to give you a lift,' said Ryder as he stepped closer to Pythia to let her heal him.

Armin slowly sat up on the table, then stood. He swayed a little and leaned into Dianne. 'Sorry. Not quite up to par yet.'

{Dianne wraps an arm around him, helping him to a chair.}

Dianne: "Thanks Ryder, we'll wait."

{Pythia heals Ryder very quickly.}

'Thanks, Pythia. OK, I'll see you in a minute.'

Ryder left, skirting Dianne's dropped mace as he went.

Armin settled back in his chair, conserving his strength.

'So... what happened after you showed up? I think I vaguely remember you killing Sarah, but not much after that. The Tussocks are dead, right?'

Dianne: "Sarah's dead. Incinerated on impact. Carl Tussock met the same fate, but Crowley opened another portal and he and Jack got away."

'Oh... I guess we still have to worry about those two, then... Though, maybe they'll think it's not worth the trouble messing with us again.'

Dianne: "I hope so...But if they show up again, they're both dead. Crowley won't survive next time."

'He seems to survive everything. But, we'll see. I can't see Crowley staying loyal to Jack, so maybe we won't have to deal with him next time.'

Armin leaned his back back, closed his eyes and continued to wait for Ryder's return.

Dianne: "Yes, we'll see."

{Dianne simply stays with him, waiting for Ryder.}

After a few minutes, they heard the faint sound of a car engine outside. Ryder appeared, sticking his head through the doorway.

'Alright, guys. I got the car.'

He ducked back outside, while Armin climbed to his feet, a little more steadily than before. He started to follow Ryder, moving slowly and tiredly.

{Dianne grabs her helmet and mace and heads out after them, briefly saying goodbye to Pythia.}

Dianne: "Ryder, pop the trunk for me please."

Ryder opened the trunk before climbing into the front of the car. Armin got into the back seat, slumping down in a comfortable half-reclining position.

{Dianne put her weapon and helmet in the trunk, then got in next to Armin.}

Dianne: "Ok, let's go."

Ryder set off into the night. It was rather late by then and the streets were quiet. Armin didn't speak throughout the journey, preferring to just sit and conserve his energy.

After a while, they reached the country lane upon which Dianne's house sat.

'Alright, here we go. Have a nice night, you too. And be careful. Jack and Crowley are still out there.' Ryder's tone was worried as he stopped the car.

Dianne: "Don't worry, Ryder. We'll call if anything happens. Let's go, Armin."

{Getting her things out of the trunk, she sees if Armin needs any help.}

Armin got himself out of the car and started to walk up to the house, staying close to Dianne's side.

'I need to take a quick shower before bed... I can smell blood and Crowley on myself.'

Dianne: "Go ahead. I'll rinse off after you."

{Dianne opens the door for him and follows him up.}

Armin dragged himself up to the bedroom first, to gather his sleepwear. Then he went into the bathroom to rinse off. After about five minutes, he came out, with damp hair, free of blood and freshly changed. He left the shower running for Dianne.

'I'm gonna go and wait on the bed,' he said with a yawn.

{By that point, Dianne had put away her weapon and armor. Walking for the bath, she pauses to kiss him on the cheek when he passed,}

Dianne: "I'll be right out. Just relax."

Armin glanced back at her with a faint smile, then trudged into the bedroom, whereupon he sunk onto the bed with a groan of contentment. Esme was already fast asleep, curled up like a cat.

{After a few minutes, Dianne emerges with damp hair and smelling of lavender. She lies down next to him, pulling him close and stroking his hair.}

Dianne: "Goodnight..."

Armin, barely awake, snuggled up to her gratefully, letting himself get lost in her presence and the lavender scent.

''Night...'

(Skip?)

(Yeah, you can go first if you want. Armin will probably sleep a bit late.)

(Ok)

{That morning, Jerry was alerted to his father's escape attempt, and the fate of Sarah and Carl. He decided to head down to the prison for some final words with his father. Dianne was comfortably asleep, her arms still wrapped around Armin.}

The prison was more heavily guarded than usual. Both regular human guards and some of Fred's vampires were watching over the place, inside and out. They inspected Jerry carefully before allowing him to pass.

Armin remained snuggled against Dianne, looking warm and content.

{Jerry heads down to the prison block. There, still in his cell, was the old man.}

Sam: "...Boy?...Come to spring me?"

Jerry: "Come to say goodbye. No one can save you now."

The guards remained silent while they spoke, though some of them glanced at Sam with disgust and hatred. He clearly wasn't popular.

Sam: "...So this really is it, huh...Never figured it would end this way...Always thought I'd die on the job..."

Jerry: "This didn't happen in a vacuum, Dad. Your actions led you here. You could have stopped at any time. You chose not to."

Sam: "I was doing what I thought was right...but it wasn't worth it...everyone we lost..."

(You can continue)

Jerry: "I tried to warn you. Lucci tried to warn you. I don't understand why you refused to listen."

Sam: "Son, Hunters have always had their run of things. I didn't think we'd be treated this way. Seems times have really changed."

Jerry: "Indeed they have. You refused to see it."

Sam: "Well, son...this may be the end for me, but you have your whole life ahead of you. I love you, son."

Jerry: "Dad..."

Sam: "Next time you see your mom, and everyone else, tell them I'm sorry. I didn't mean for things to go this way."

The guards, at that point, stopped giving Sam dirty glances and respectfully turned their heads away, pretending not to listen.

{Jerry stopped talking, getting a little choked up.}

Sam: "Goodbye, Jerry. I'm sorry."

{After that, Jerry briskly leaves. He couldn't stand to look at him anymore, knowing what was to come.}

The guards watched Jerry leave, one or two quietly nodding at him as he went.

'Selfish old man,' one guard muttered. 'Got half his family killed for nothing.'

At home, Armin stirred a little, nuzzled into Dianne's neck, and slowly cracked his eyes open.

//Mmhm... morning, is it? Day of Sam's execution... if the old man hasn't managed to escape...//

He felt better than the previous evening, but still slightly weaker than usual. He didn't try to get up or wake Dianne.

{Sam didn't reply. He just sat against the wall, contemplating.}

{Dianne stirred slightly, but didn't wake, mumbling incoherently.}

Dianne: "Meat man ruined my steak again....my day is ruined...."

'Why do you sleeptalk so much these days...?' Armin murmured drowsily. 'And what are you even talking about...?'

Ivy was sitting under a tree outside Jerry's house, texting. She glanced up when she heard him approach. 'Are you all right?' she said curiously, seeming to catch his demeanour.

{Dianne doesn't reply, seemingly falling back to sleep.}

{Jerry clearly doesn't look happy.}

Jerry: "I just said goodbye to my dad who's going to be executed later today, of course I'm not alright, Ivy."

'Oh. Well, /I/ didn't know what you were doing.'

Ivy considered for a moment, unsure what to say.

'I'm sorry to hear that. You should really take some time off work. For yourself. After everything that's happened...'

Jerry: "Yeah...to make funral arrangements..."

{He very unenthusiastically heads inside.}

Ivy sighed and didn't follow him. She remained sitting outside, quietly texting, lost in thought.

A short while later, Armin awoke from a doze and looked at Dianne again. He was still feeling the lingering effects of blood loss and what the fight had cost him. It manifested as a familiar thirst.

'Hey, wake up...' he mumbled, poking her.

{Dianne stirred, swatting at his hands.}

Dianne: "Mmmmggfffhhhh.....Stoooooop....."

Armin, looking half amused and half exasperated, settled down against her neck.

'Fine, you giant lazy lizard... I'll just lie here and wait for you to decide to wake up, shall I?'

Dianne: "'M not lazy...Just tired..."

{Opening her eyes, she starts to sit up.}

Dianne: "What's wrong?"

{Jerry did go inside to make funeral arrangements, but not before bringing out his bottle of jack. He's never been one to turn to alchohol, but he was having a rough morning.}

Armin squinted up at her, seeming to find even the dim light slightly uncomfortable.

'Good morning... I need some blood, to help recover from last night... But I don't think I really have the energy to go hunting... You got any solutions?'

Dianne: "Yeah...Barnabas, go catch a rabbit..."

{She rubs her eyes tiredly.}

Dianne: "What time is it?"

Armin groped for his phone on the nightstand. 'It's about 11AM. It's not that early.'

He settled back, draping an arm across her in a lazy manner.

Dianne: "So....Do I get up now or.....are we waiting for the rabbit?"

'Well, /I/ should get up, I guess... We don't want Barnabas dragging a dead rabbit onto our bed...'

Armin lay there for a moment, trying to muster the will to sit up.

'You should just let me drink your blood, then neither of us would have to get up,' he said jokingly.

Dianne: "Only if you were dying, my sweet."

{Leaning down, she kisses his cheek, then nips his neck, then picks him up as she stands, carrying him out of bed.}

Esme lifted her head with a look of surprise as they left, then jumped down and padded ahead of them.

Armin grumbled good-naturedly, letting her carry him away. 'Only if I was dying? How very ungenerous.'

Dianne: "Yep. You fell in love with a miser."

{She says mischievously. Carrying him downstairs, she takes him to the rec room, sitting him on the bean bag.}

Dianne: "Here. Barnabas should have the rabbit shortly. I need to go change."

'Alright...'

Armin settled comfortably there, gazing around the room.

//Wonder how Jerry's doing... I mean, he's known for days, but a lot of his family are dead... People he grew up around... and his dad's being executed later...//

{Barnabas shows up, minutes later, with a live rabbit.}

Barnabas: "Here you go. Have at it."

'Oh. Thanks.'

Armin seized the struggling rabbit, snapped its neck and drove his fangs in at almost the same time. Despite the ferocity of the scene, it was very clean. Not a drop of blood was spilled as he ravenously drank.

Barnabas: "Poor bunny. Well, vampires gotta drink."

{Dianne walked in, dressed in a t shirt and jeans.}

Dianne: "Feeling better, or should Barnabas get another rabbit? There are tons in the garden."

Armin glanced up at her, still fastened onto the rabbit's neck. Then he pulled out and wiped his mouth.

'No, I just needed enough to get my energy up. I'll hunt later.'

He stood up, planning to go out and dispose of the corpse.

Dianne: "Alright. Too bad neither of us know how to cook rabbit."

'Eh, you could skin it and grill it over a fire pretty easily if you wanted, but not today.'

He carried the rabbit to the front yard and tossed it into the bushes, then walked back.

'Something will eat it.'

Dianne: "If you say so..."

{Walking into the kitchen, Dianne starts breakfast.}

Dianne: "If we're going to stay here, we'll need to make a market run."

'Yeah... I guess we should do that today.'

Armin leaned against the kitchen doorway, absently watching her cook with a thoughtful expression.

Dianne: "Yeah, before the execution. We need to be there. Hopefully it's uneventful."

{Breakfasts in hand, Dianne heads to the dining room.}

'It should be, but things rarely seem to be uneventful when they involve us,' he observed.

Esme joined them to eat her breakfast.

Dianne: "Yeah, but it doesn't hurt to hope."

{She begins to eat in silence, contemplating.}

Dianne: "I'm looking forward to the holidays, Those are bound to be fun."

'Especially after all this. Heh, I'm looking forward to giving everyone their presents. Yours took some real thought, but I think what I got in the end is OK.'

Dianne: "Really? I can't wait to see it. I know you're going to love your gift. Maybe a little too much to be honest."

'What's that supposed to mean?' he said, amused. 'Well, now I really want to know what it is.'

Dianne: "Too bad, you'll get no clues from me. You'll just have to wait until Christmas."

{She states, smiling mischievously.}

'Spoilsport.'
Realising at that point that he was still wearing his nightclothes, Armin trudged off to get changed while they were eating breakfast. He returned in a blue sweater and old jeans, having thrown out yet another shirt last night.

Dianne: "Nice outfit. Have you run out of shirts yet?"

{She asks teasingly.}

'I've got more back home. But here, yes.'
He looked over at her with amusement.
'Don't laugh; I get shot all the time.'

(Mobile Colors sucks. It destroys all my line breaks.)

(Yes it does.)

Dianne: "Heehee. And here I thought I got hurt too much. You just seem to be a magnet for bullets."

'I think it's partly just... the way I fight. I don't always care if I get hit once or twice; in many circumstances, winning is more important than a few cuts.'

Dianne: "Yup. Completely reckless. No wonder Rex is worried sick about you. But perhaps you have a point. Sometimes, we can't afford to let them win."

(Posting new room)