The Pendant

A/N: I don't know about you guys but I was sick of the ship so no more ship. I hope you all enjoy. First real fight with Jade and James I hope I didn't mess this up to bad. As always reviews are welcome and very much appreciated.

“All ashore who’s going ashore,” came the call from the ships loud speaker. Jade could not have been happier about leaving the ship behind. After the incident with the mermaid the crew seemed to tread lightly around her. They cast suspicious glances her way and spoke about what she might be when they thought she could not hear them. Little did they know she could have heard a pin drop in the helm from the cargo hold but she was not about to tell them that.

The only thing that had saved her was James. He seemed to be her comforting shoulder, always there when her stress levels were at breaking point. It did not help that her food supply run out and she had gone several days with barely enough to eat, the conditions she was living in was enough to drive anyone crazy and yet he had been there. He would talk to her like she was just another person not some freak. She hated to admit it but he had been her saving grace for the last few days aboard the SS Pain in the Ass.

James gave her a smile before heading up the ladder to check their surroundings. She knew it was not dark yet but let him go anyway. He seemed to want to take care of her and who was she to tell him no. For the last few years she had been the strong one. Chris was a wonderful man but he was not someone that took care of other people. Chris had been a firm believer in taking care of each other but what that translated into was Jade watching him, Jade paying the bills when his band could not get a gig, Jade cleaning up after the two of them, and Jade being the pillar of support when things got tough. She really had not minded because he never asked her to do those things, he would have never asked her to do anything for him. She just knew that was what needed done, so she had because she could.

She had not just taken care of Chris but the city as well. Occasionally, she would get paid to handle certain situations much like a bounty hunter and what she had made from those cases would last the two of them for months. Chris had always laughed and said not many people could afford his Purity.

She sighed; thinking of things that had been could never bring anything good to her life. She needed to move on. What was in the past was in the past and if she could not focus on the now she would end up getting both her and James killed. That was the last thing she wanted to do. She silently vowed to protect the other man with her life if that was what it took. She had never met a human that did not judge, other than Chris, and she did not want to let him down.

“Sky is black again. Looks like another storm is coming,” James said as he headed back down the ladder. At the bottom of the ladder he turned, his face filled with worry. “Are you feeling ok? You’re not green anymore but you don’t look healthy either.”

“Fine, just hungry. Is the Jeep on the dock?” Jade staggered a little as she stood up. She lifted her eyes to James. The green of her eyes was flecked with red as she took a few deep breaths. “Do you wanna get the bags and get the Jeep started?”

James stood still. His eyes searched her face for something she could not grasp. For the second time since they met his eyes were filled with worry and concern. His sharp cheekbones even better defined as his sapphire eyes studied each line of her face. Jade looked down at the ground before bending over to pack up the bags. James did not move to help he just continued to look at her.

“James if you didn’t want to get the bags all you had to do was say so.” She hoisted her bag over her arm. The motion caused her to stumble, she reached her free arm out to brace herself. She felt strong arms around her waist and leaned into the solid chest. The sound of blood pumping through veins made her head swim with hunger.

“I’ll get the bags after I get you to the Jeep. There should be something in there for you if there isn’t we will figure something out. If I have to hog tie a wild animal or feed you from myself to get you strong enough to hunt I will.”

“I told you not to offer that to me James.” Desperation filled her voice. “Don’t ever offer yourself to me like that.” Her eyes locked with his. She expected to find fear and panic, she expected to smell it but she did not. All that was in his eyes was concern, concern for her. Not for his own well being like any normal person, she was sure of that but for her. She closed her eyes, leaning her head on his chest, “I don’t know if I could stop James. We can’t risk that.”

“I can’t risk losing you.”

She breathed deep, locking his scent to memory. This was the first time she was close enough to the man and allowed herself to scent him, learn him, commit him to memory. His scent was like nothing she had ever experience before, cedar, earthy, musky, intoxicating. If he left today she could track him for days, weeks, months just from his scent alone.

“Jade did you hear me?” James put a finger under her cool chin and lifted her head until their eyes met. “I asked if you could walk.”

“Yeah.” She pulled away from him. His scent filled her, she quickly wondered why she had not smelled it before, but pushed it from her mind. She pulled herself up the ladder, cursing her body for refusing to act the way she had wanted it too. She felt weak. She knew it was from the lack of a proper feeding and hoped that the Jeep would have at least enough to get her strong enough to hunt.

Jade could feel his body heat as he followed her up the ladder. It came off of him in waves, licking her cool skin, and sending shivers along her spine. She could feel the heat touch her in her cheeks. She raised her hand to her face, hoping she could feel the heat under her finger tips, praying that for the first time in five years that she was blushing. Cold finger tips touched cold cheeks.

“Jade are you alright?”

“Fine.” She closed her eyes for a moment then continued to the upper deck.

Once on deck James placed his hand on the small of her back, her swords and bag slung over his left shoulder. He led her down the ramp to the dock, giving a small wave to the captain before disappearing from sight. A deep growl erupted from Jade’s lips as they touched the deck.

“Jade?”

“Get to the Jeep.” Jade grabbed one of the swords from the baldric over James’s shoulder. James dropped the bags and grabbed the remaining sword. “Get to the Jeep.”

“Sorry we are a team which means we fight like a team.”

The sound of heavy boot falls echoed on the empty dock. The deep growls and piercing red eyes broke through the darkness of the dock. Two large male figures stepped out of the darkness and under a lamp post.

The larger of the two wore tight boot cut blue jeans with holes in the knees. His shirt was missing the sleeves and showed his bulging muscles. He had a band tattoo that wrapped around his upper left arm. The tattoo was of a snake swallowing its own tail. The smaller man wore baggie jeans, construction boots, and a red flannel button down shirt.

“What are you two suppose to be deliverance rejects or cowboy wanna be’s?” Jade scoffed

“Timothy sent us ahead to make sure you had a right proper welcomin’ committee.” The larger of the two said, thick southern twang making his words almost impossible to understand.

“He sent you ahead?” James asked, never once shifting out of a fighting stance.

The smaller of the two spit over the side of the deck, “Yup. He had some things that needed taken care of in the states. Sent us on ahead to take care of the trash before he got here with is new favorite child.”

“So what does that make the two of you then, if he has a new favorite?” Jade smirked as they shifted in agitation.

“Never you mind about us little girl.”

Jade growled deep in her chest, her face shifting to its demon form, “James these are katanas. Swinging swords not thrusting swords got it?”

“I’m not a complete moron.”

“I know that but you are a scholarly type. Not offence intended James just wanted to make sure you were clear.”

“Would you two stop whispering? You know we can still hear you.”

“Yeah well are we gonna chin wag all day or are we going to fight so I can get on with my day?”

“Let’s get her Clem!”

“Bout damn time Cletus.”

Jade stopped and looked at the two men, a smirk covering her fangs, “Cletus and Clem. Are you kidding me? Timmy sent a Cletus and a Clem to kill me?” A loud cackle erupted from her throat. The sound made James jump and soon joined into her laughter.

Jade and James continued their laughter with mumbled Cletuses and Clems. Jade had small trickles of tears greeted the corners of her scarlet eyes. Their laughter echoed across the dock. Their laughter drowned out the sounds of the two very angry vampires starting towards them. It was not until the large thick fist of Cletus made contact with Jade’s small jaw that the laughter stopped. Jade’s body flew through the air and crashed through several large wooden crates. Her katana slid across the dock.

“Shit!” James jumped and gripped his sword ready for the fight.

“Son of a bitch!” Jade growled as she brushed the small chips of wood from her body.

Cletus rushed at her prone body. She jumped over him landing gently behind him, her coat billowed behind her as she turned to face his back. She could hear the sounds of James and Clem fighting behind her further down the dock. She sent her heeled shoe into his back. Cletus stumbled forward and roared.

His long fangs glistened in the lamp light, spittle foamed at the corners of his lips. He quickly regained his balance and as he turned Jade punched him. The contact made him stagger but only briefly. Jade looked at him in shock. She was used to hitting people and having them go down.

“Little girl ain’t used to fightin with the big boys, are you?”

“I can cope.” She jumped and kicked, the top of her foot connected with the underside of his chin. He fell backwards, further breaking the already demolished crates.

“Bitch!” He screamed as he spit blood from his mouth. His teeth still colored a deep crimson. He pushed off the ground and lunged at her.

She fell backwards under his weight. She used his momentum to continue the roll, trapping him below her. She sent punch after bone crushing punch into his ridged face. She could feel his nose shatter under her fists. His borrowed blood flowed like a river from his now deformed nose.

He reached up and grabbed her wrists. He used his weight to roll them over. After a bit of struggle he gripped both of her wrists in his left hand and pinned them above her head. He let his right hand trail down her body, caressing her leather bound breast. He let his tongue slipped across his lips. “Pretty little girl think I will use you up before I kill you.”

Jade looked up into his glowing red eyes. She could feel the weight of his body pressing down on her. She could hear James fighting in the background and hoped he would not see what was going on. He could not afford to be distracted. Cletus’s blood splashed across her face, dripping into her ridged forehead and trickling down the side of her face.

He shifted on her body as he ran his down to the waist band of her leather pants. His cool fingers danced across the exposed skin between her shirt and pants. He smiled down at her as the borrowed blood dripped down her face. She parted her lips and let the cool liquid flow down her throat. She could feel it burning in her veins.

His fingers tugged at the button of her pants as she swallowed the blood pouring from his shattered nose, the blood staining her porcelain skin. She pushed her hips up and twisted. This was just enough to offset Cletus and loosen the grip on her wrists.

She pulled her hands free and pressed her thumbs into his eyes. She could feel them pop beneath her pressure. Cletus screamed and staggered back off of her. He pressed his hands over his eyes. Jade felt around the ground until her fingers brushed against a solid piece of wood.

Cletus shook his head the blood splattered along the dock. Jade kipped up, her heals making no sound as they landed on the dock. Cletus scented the air and turn towards Jade. He lunged for her but she stepped to the side, thrusting the shard of wood in his chest. He staggered for a moment before combusting into a cloud of dust.

Jade turned towards the fight taking place a little further down the dock in time to watch James slice through Clem’s neck. Jade cocked her head to the side and smirked. For the first time since the trip started she realized that maybe she would not have to spend the time taking care of James.