Norman realized two things. One, he was in the basement to a Vampire's house. Two, that vampire was about to kill him. Suddenly it didn’t feel worth it anymore. He was a man with a mission, he swore to clean the world of vampires, yet now as he was looking into the red eyes of death the only thing he wanted more of was time with his family.

His son, his daughter, his wife. He thought of the three young boys who had been dragged into this without really knowing what they were getting into. He thought about how he should have told Joan what they were planning. He thought about his wife and her constant bickering about the Christmas tree. When was the last time he had kissed her and said he loved her? He couldn’t remember.

Tears flooded his eyes. He blinked them away and in that blink, Lyssa was upon him. She lifted the 230-pound man with ease and threw him hard against the basement stairs. He felt his back pop in several places and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to get up. Something was broken.

“Dad!” Ryland called.

“Please don’t kill me, I’m sorry,” Will begged.

“You come into my house, you hurt me, you hurt my Rebecca! You’ll all pay for this. How dare you! After everything I’ve done. After all my co-operation! You are a disgrace to your kind.” She spat at Norman.

What could he say? He felt stupid. Why had he thought this was a good idea? The girl may only look 17 but he was reminded then just how much older, wiser, and more powerful she was compared to him.

Lyssa grabbed the stake off the floor and walked over to him with it.

“I’ll show you how it feels.” She said.

“No! Please don’t!” Ryland begged.

Lyssa picked up Norman by the collar of his shirt. He was crying and blubbering like a child.

“I’m sorry.” He said.

“No, but you will be,” Lyssa replied.

Then she shoved the stake right into his chest.

He screamed out in pain and cried at the top of his lungs.

“Dad!” Ryland cried.

Lyssa watched him cry out, a cold look on her face. She was not fazed by his cries of anguish, after all, she had heard cries like that before.

“They used to call me the red widow, I’ll show you why,” Lyssa said.

She turned to face the remaining boys.

Ryland grabbed Tyler with his good arm and stood up to run. He flung the boy over his shoulders and looked at Will.

“Grab Dean and run!” he shouted.

Will didn’t have to be told twice, he ran over to his friend and picked him up by the chest, dragging his feet as he stumbled out of the darkroom. Ryland ran. Lyssa was faster. She grabbed him by the throat and dug her nails into his skin before ripping out a large chunk.

A crimson river ran down his chest and he let out a gurgled cry before falling to his knees.

“Time to die, Human,” Lyssa said.

“Lyssa No!” Bex ran in.

Lyssa hissed and withdrew her hand away from Ryland before she could rip out his neck.

“Oh my god, Lyssa! Look what you did! We have to get them help, fast!” Bex ran over to Norman.

He was gasping for air and clutching at the stake in his chest.

“They deserve to die!” Lyssa spat.

“No one deserves to die! Just help me, come on, hurry!” Bex cried as she lifted Norman up to his feet.

Lyssa watched as Bex, a mere 115 pounds tried to support the weight of the 230-pound man. Her legs shook in protest and she grunted and she pulled the man up.

“Why are you helping them, they just tried to kill us,” Lyssa said, honestly curious.

“We have to hurry, help me! Come on, before he dies.” Bex cried.

Ryland was holding his neck with his good hand and tried not to breathe too hard or more blood would spew out.

Lyssa felt her eyes turn back to normal and she sighed. Then she walked over to Norman and lifted the man up.

“I’m going to take you to the hospital if you survive you won’t tell anyone what has happened here today. If I find more slayers at my doors step I won’t just kill you. I’ll kill your whole family, starting with your pathetic son! Am I clear!?”

He sputtered out a yes. Lyssa gave Ryland a warning look before vanishing, taking Norman with her. She reappeared about a minute later and grabbed Ryland and disappeared again. She repeated this process until the house was empty of all vampire slayers.

When Lyssa reappeared the last time Bex ran to her.

“Sit you’re hurt.”

“So now you care?” Lyssa said bitterly.

“Shut up, we don’t kill people anymore. Remember? We are the good guys, good guys don’t kill people. Never.” Bex took off her shirt and began to wipe the blood off of Lyssa’s nearly healed wounds.

“Sometimes good people are forced to do awful things,” Lyssa grunted as she plucked a wood chunk out of her chest.

Bex hissed in pain herself but pressed on.

“I’m sorry,” Lyssa said.

“Don’t, it’s your pain, not mine.” She said.

“Still.” Lyssa forced a smile for her.

Bex was crying silent tears as she tried to remain composed, but then it suddenly dawned on her. The only way the slayers could have known where Lyssa lived was if Joan told them. Her hand paused mid motions.

Joan had betrayed her.

She felt angry, sick, confused. How could Joan do this to her? Did she really hate Lyssa that much?

“Joan…” Bex trailed off.

“I know,” Lyssa said.

“No… it can’t be. She wouldn’t do that… no. No.” Bex shook her head.

Lyssa couldn’t deny that she also felt betrayed. She had thought her and Joan and reached some type of understanding between them. That Joan would never hurt Rebecca, but if she did this then she almost killed Rebecca and that was unforgivable. She felt her rage spike up again.

Joan would pay.

“Lyssa no,” Bex said out loud after hearing Lyssa’s thoughts and feeling her emotions.

“She did this, she has to pay. She was supposed to be your friend, my friend… She did this. She nearly killed us, she sent them here. She has to pay.” Lyssa stood up.

“Lyssa no, don’t.” Bex grabbed her hand.

“I’m sorry Rebecca, but I have to.”

“Then take me with you, I want to know why she did this. I need to face her. I don’t want you to kill her, but I need to know why.”

Lyssa nodded and picked Bex up in her arms together they speed off towards Joan’s house.

Joan was sound asleep in her room. Oblivious to everything that had just transpired. That is until a loud rapping at her window startled her awake. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.

“Hello?” she called to her darkroom.

The banging on her window startled her again and she turned to it. She got up to investigate, grabbing a silver knife she kept under her pillow for protection. She turned on the light before walking over to the bedroom window. She pushed it open and leaned out. Before she could react two hands grabbed her and pulled her out of her room and threw her onto her front lawn.

Her eyes met Lyssa’s.

“Jesus, you scared me. What the hell?” Joan stood up.

“What do you mean what the hell? I’m asking you that! How could you do this to me!?” Lyssa spat.

“To us!” Bex added.

“What?” Joan rubbed her eyes which adjusted to the night sky.

She saw the awful shape Lyssa was in, covered head to toe in blood.

“Christ! What happened to you?” Joan walked over to her.

“You know exactly what happened!” Lyssa grabbed her by the throat.

“What the hell!? Put me down!” she grunted.

“Why? I thought we were past this!” Bex screamed.

“What are you two talking about?” she struggled to break free.

“Your family came to my house to slay me! How could they have known where I live if you didn’t tell them! I trusted you!” Lyssa spat.

“What! I had no idea, wait… are they okay? Did you kill them!?”

Bex eyed Joan in confusion.

“Stop lying to me. How could they have known where to go, how to find me, if you didn’t tell them!”

“I don’t know! Let me go!” Joan cried out.

“Lyssa, I think she’s telling the truth.” Bex placed her hand on Lyssa’s arm.

Lyssa narrowed her eyes and dropped Joan to the ground.

“Did you kill them!?” Joan bounded back up to her feet.

“No, but I should have.” Lyssa spat.

“Where are they? What did you do?”

“What did I do? What about them! They nearly killed me and Rebecca! They got everything they deserved. Our peace treaty is over! If I ever see your faces again I will end you!” Lyssa spat.

“What did you do! Where are they!” Joan pointed her knife at Lyssa.

“I put a stake in your father's chest and ripped your brother's throat out. Then I dropped them off in the parking lot of a hospital, which is more than they deserve. Be grateful I let them live at all.”

“You monster!” Joan’s eyes watered.

“They attacked us first!” Bex came to Lyssa’s defense.

Joan turned to her in confusion.

“They nearly killed Lyssa. I could feel it, Joan. I almost died! They almost killed me. Killed Lyssa. They took it too far. I’m sorry but I’m with Lyssa on this one. At least they are alive, that’s more than they were going to do for me.”

“Bex…”

“Goodbye Joan, I would hurry to the hospital if I was you.” Bex backed away and tugged Lyssa with her.

“You dug your grave Slayer. Our treaty is over, our trust is over. I don’t ever want to see your face again.” With that Lyssa grabbed Bex and zoomed away.

In the parking lot of the hospital, Joan’s dad struggled to call out for help.

“Aw, it’s almost sad.” Lacy walked over to him.

“Bite off more than you could chew old man?” McKinley mocked.

“Please,” Norman begged.

Ryland was already inside the hospital as he went to go get help, taking the three boys with him. He had no choice but to leave his dad and go get help.

“Please what?” Lacy put her foot on the stake in his chest and pressed down lightly.

He coughed and his eyes got wide.

“You hurt my prey, you almost killed her. If anyone is going to kill my Val it’s me. For that, you must die.”

“Also, we just hate vampire slayers.” McKinley shrugged.

They picked up Norman and sank their teeth into him at the same time.

He gasped in shock and as his vision faded away he watched as hospital staff came running out to look for him.

“Have mercy… On… me…” Were his last words before the life faded from his eyes.

Lacy threw him on the floor and then she and McKinley vanished into the night once more.

Norman Miller was declared dead on sight.

Joan got to the hospital and ran towards the mess of flashing lights and hysteria. Somehow she just knew. She pushed past onlookers and police officers to the scene where nurses covered his body up with a sheet.

“Dad!” she cried out.

An officer grabbed her from behind and prevented her from running to him.

She kicked and screamed in the officer's arms, tears streaming down her face. The world fell silent around her and she looked at the body of her father, a stake in his heart, his eyes open wide in shock. The blood was gone from his cheeks.

She felt numb, unable to process what had happened. She fell to her knees in a crying fit. She was crying at the top of her lungs yet to her, the world was silent.

A moment of silence for her father.

Rest in peace Norman Miller.

A vampire slayer,

A husband,

A father.