A/N: This is a very, very, VERY cheesy Scud/OC story. It's only a one shot, and I don't know, it's sorta really lame, but I kind of like it. Anyway, I'm putting it out there. Hopefully someone will enjoy this :D

"Damn it, Scud!"

She said that a lot, in the two years I've known her she's had to've said that those three words at least three hundred times. Always with a different tone. Calling me out for something. Scolding. Cursing me for making her laugh. Joking. Though the way she had said it just a minute ago... It was the saddest tone she'd ever used. No joy, no anger, just... sadness. Betrayal. Deception. It was me, all along it was me double crossing them, selling out them out... I was the trickster, and she had fallen right into the trap, she and the men she'd known the longest, trusted far more than me. Blade and Whistler, I'd actually grown to like them... Well, B, at least... Not that old bastard so much.

She was like them, with her attitude, her strength- she was taught by them, of course, she was like them. But I knew her every habit and where it stemmed from, knew what kind of mood she was in just by how she spoke, I could pick her out of a crowd just by knowing the way she walked. Two years is a lot of time to get to know someone... And I got to know her very well.

She was unforgiving, when she did a job she gave it her all, she was tough, yet goofy, she could crack a joke, then in the same second kill you before she delivered the punchline. On the shorter side, blonde, pale, and these honey brown eyes that you just wouldn't believe... I mean... Uh, she's- She's pretty, basically, is-is what I'm getting at. She's 20 years old. But she was 18 when I met her.

"Crud?" her nose scrunched, brow knitted together to form a look of confusion and disgust, "What kind of name is Crud?"

"It's Scud." the young mechanic tried to over pronounce the nickname, "Real name's Josh, but everyone just calls me Scud." a freshly rolled cigarette bobbed between his lips with every word he spoke.

The teen raised brow, and shot a glance at Blade before she flicked her eyes back to the new guy. She gave him the most thorough once over he nearly felt the need to cross his legs or seek refuge behind something he felt so exposed from her scrutinizing gaze. A tiny upturn of the corner of her mouth came with an obnoxious fluttering of her eyelids, "Well, I'm sure they do." she muttered, then gave a floppy wave over her shoulder, "Alright, Mud. Nice meeting you, I'm sure I've got something to take care for someone right now, probably. We'll chat later, looking forward to it, bye." she spoke quickly and left the building before the boy could even reply. A reply of correction, mostly.

Scud looked at Blade, he took a long pull from his cigarette while a thumb jerked to where the girl had made her exit. Blade simply shrugged, "She'll get back to you." and with a smothered smirk he headed for the stairs.

"What's her name?" smoke escaped his lips and nose as he questioned the dhampir ascending the steps.

Blade paused, turned his head the slightest bit to mutter over his shoulder, "Call her River."

'River', aka Amelia Nile, became an orphan at the age ten. She came from an unprosperous family, the very defintion of dirt poor. Every week they faced the great decision of keeping the roof over their heads or buy groceries. They made it work enough to survive. To keep themselves alive, to be there for Amelia. Poverty was a difficult hole to climb out of, and after a long discussion they knew what they would do. In an attempt to gain cash, an absurd amount even, and quickly, they would sell their daughter as a familiar to a wealthy vampire. Amy had agreed to be put on the market. And just as soon as she was put out she was snatched up. It was settled in the delsolte kitchen of the Nile home, the vampire glyphics tattoo was put behind her ear, and little Amelia was encouraged to make it a good goodbye. That's when complications arose.

Her parents had the idea in their minds that once they were stable again they could get their daughter back, buy her back if need be, but the vampire merely laughed and explained he would be keeping her forever. They immediately repealed their offer, they couldn't do that to her, they loved their daughter, and no amount of money could change their minds.

The vampire slaughtered her parents right then, right in front of her, and before she could even blink, or take time to wail in despair or call for help, the vampire had disintegrated into ash. She looked around, looking for her hero, but there was no one else, she was all alone in her decrepit house. She looked down and found a knife was in her hand... She had done it. Somehow, she had killed him. She slayed the monster.

The front door creaked open and she jumped into a defensive stance, though the repercussions of what had happened moments ago shook her limbs. Her parents were murdered in front of her and she had just turned their killer into dust. At just ten years old. The two men at the door had witnessed it all... That's when she met Blade and Whistler.

She told me that story about the fourth week of me being part of the team. I thought she was brave, and I told her so, but she disagreed, she believed if she were really brave she would've killed that vampire before he took her parents' lives.

Sometimes she was hard on herself, but most of the time she was a total goofball.

"She's been praticing for months, years even, all the preparation, all of it for this day, for this moment. She's going for the gold and I think she's gonna get it." she spoke in a deep voice, mimicking an announcers voice. Scud shook his head as he continued to work, he tried to ignore her, but- her voice took on a higher tone, "I don't know, she's always a little shaky on the landing. If she doesn't stick it, she'll surely land into a pile of spare parts and get the silver, and that will just not end well. And her coach will surely break her legs, as promised. There is definitely no lack of pressure here. She's taking her position, the crowd is quiet..."

River took in a deep breath before she started at a run, she rounded off then moved effortlessly into four back hand springs before she landed with steady legs and she stuck her arms out with a bright grin on her face, "Ooh! She sticks the landing! The crowd goes wild!" she jabbed a finger to the mechanic, "You owe me ten bucks."

"Whatever, I said five of those flippy things." Scud smirked and stepped away from his work to light up a cigarette.

She rolled her eyes with a smirk of her own, "Damn it, Scud, if you won't pay me then I'm going to watch cartoons." She flipped her blonde hair dramatically and stepped into her boots before she disappeared through the winding shop and sat on a stool in front of the little television set. Power Puff Girls was her favorite show, Scud hated it when she put cartoons on, but he'd eventually grow to love them.

The day I caught her drinking from a blood bag, A positive type, was the day she told another story. Another story about her family, that explained her little secret. Somewhere down the line in the Nile ancestry, one of her family members made it with a vampire, her grandmother becoming the bastard child of that encounter, half human-half suckhead, like B... Though, different circumstances... obviously.

River was 1/8 vampire, so she didn't exactly get all the advantages B had, she was slightly stronger and quicker for a human girl her size, but even with that small amount of vampire DNA in her she had the thirst. She said it usually came once a year and had begun when she was 14.

For a while I was confused. Not because of anything she did, but because of what I felt. I wasn't scared of her, just like I wasn't scared of the B-man...well, not very scared. I felt sorry for her, she had been through so much shit and she was just barely considered a legal adult. She cried after she told me, not tears of sadness though, tears of shame.

She was 19 when I started to notice things, notice my new feelings for her. When not in the shop I found myself hiding around corners just to watch her train with B. She was mostly human, but she still held her own against him. Hand to hand and sword play, she was good. Target practice, she was deadly. She was so dangerous, but I admired her power... as well as physical attributes that exerted said power.

"Damn it, Scud. Quit staring at me like that." she mumbled without even a glance upward from where her eyes were focussed on cleaning a beretta.

"What? I wasn't staring." Scud quickly defended himself and busied his hands with- something, anything.

"Yes, you were." she was putting the gun back together then, still not looking his way.

"No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were."

"God, you're like a 12 year old." he huffed and put his head into his hands, elbows on the worktable, effectively hiding any sort of blush that might have come to his face, his hair also flopped down in aid.

She let out a laugh, the gun was completely put back together and she left it there on the work top as she slid off the stool she'd been perched on, "I saw the way you were staring, and you sure as hell wouldn't stare at a 12 year old like that."

She left the shop after that, trotted up the stairs without a glance back. And he took in every little movement until she was completely out of sight. He sighed and lit up a cigarette. Here he was, 26, working for a dhampir and his ward who he wanted to bend over his work bench and just-

"Crap." he groaned, irritated about the sudden realization of his feelings, and cursed the way she effected his body like he was 16 years old again. He had to busy his mind, busy his hands, he needed a task to wait this out so he could stand again without embarrasment...

Later that night River had him pinned to the wall, her fingers tugged on the zipper of his jump-suit and pushed the sleeves from his shoulders as her mouth assaulted his. Blade had gone to Moscow, and he wanted River to stay behind and guard the place, and Scud. And in a way she wasdoing that, only... less attention was paid to the hide out.

He enjoyed her precise, dominant nature, he wouldn't- couldn't- deny it. But once she had dropped to her knees, his eyes rolled back into his head with a choked sob, he couldn't take it anymore. Half way undressed he tugged her up and pulled her to his room. His hands moved everywhere at once, tore off her clothing as fast as he could, all while having a battle out between their mouths.

Even beneath him she tried to take control, and she eventually succeeded, sinking onto him, they shared a short cry of relief and pleasure. He let her stay on top, but only for a minute, her slow, thorough movements were all well and good, but he had been dreaming of this night after night, it was finally real and he wanted -needed- it bad. Her domineering disposition subsided quickly when he switched their position, and she let him pound mercilessly into her. Seeing saw stars, she couldn't catch her breath, between cries and moans she managed to call his name.

"Say it again." he rasped. In fear of piercing his skin, her fingers clutched the pillow beneath her head, "Josh!"
He told her to say it again and again, and after a while she was close to screaming it, until she sighed and fell limp...

"Damn it, Scud." she spoke through breaths, chest still heaving while beside her he puffed away smuggly on a cigarette.

That night I discovered the thirst comes out when things get 'exciting'. She's never bitten me though, I've offered, but she thinks that even though she's just barely a vampire that she'll kill me or turn me. I don't think so, I thought she was the strongest girl I'd ever met, though...

I was there the first time she got shot. She was so scared, in blinding pain, B had her in the passenger seat, she sniffled and winced, tears came down her cheeks, but she refused to cry out. He carried her to one of my work station tables, and without a question, I shoved everything off and laid down a relatively clean cloth over the top of it.

He set her down, her eyes were squeezed shut and I moved closer to her, "Watch her, I need to get some things to remove the bullet." Blade had ordered in his usual calm tone.

Scud nodded and stepped closer, her hand was clutched tightly onto her left shoulder, vibrant red spilled through her fingers as she pressed onto the wound.

He wasn't sure what to say or do, but then Blade came back with a tray of tools, a curved needle and some wirey thread.

"Don't try and keep it in, this is going to hurt." he warned her and moved her hand away before ripping her shirt from her shoulder.

Surgical tongs appeared in his hand and he plunged in. That's when she started to scream, her hands grabbed out frantically and latched onto Scud. One hand held tightly onto his jacket sleeve, the other crushed the fingers of his left hand.

Her screams were agonizing to hear, they echoed through the building and came straight back to him. Her tears fell harder and faster, and her grip became tighter as Blade searched for the bullet.

"It hurts so much, Josh." she whimpered before another scream ripped from her throat.

"It's okay, Amy." he leaned down, his vacant hand pushed away the sweat soaked hair plastered to her forehead. "It's alright, it's almost over." he spoke softly, and looked up to Blade for confirmation. The dhampir nodded, clamped around the bullet- he pulled it out.

River's screams ceased, she cried quietly as her wound was cleaned and stitched up.

In her room she lay on her bed, in her drowsy, major blood loss state she slurred at Blade, "Thank you."

He nodded, "Just don't scare me like that again."

She nodded with a sleepy grin and he exited the room, Scud was about to follow but she called out for him, "Come lay with me?"

He obeyed and stroked his fingers through her hair, hoping the soothing feeling would lull her to sleep, she needed the rest, "You know something...I think I like you, Scud." she mumbled, then laughed, "I'm in like with you."

He snorted quietly, "I'm in like with you too, River."

I knew it was more than like though. She was the first girl that ever really gave me the time of day. She was like a superhero or something. Like a Power Puff Girl, god, I hate that show, but she made me love it.

I had her too, I had her like she had me, and I was going to fuck it all up 'cause Damaskinos got to me before they did.

When they rescued that Whistler guy she acted like it was Christmas, but at the same time, she acted as mature as possible. "River?" he wondered as he approached her, "Is that really you?" he chuckled, "Hell, I must've been gone a while, I leave you a girl, come back and you're a woman."

He hugged her tightly, and she hugged back just as tight, "I don't know, I'd say I'm still pretty childish."

I noticed the relationship she shared with those two men. They were like father figures to her, people that worried about her, protected her. Blade shared with her the trait of being part human part vampire, while Whistler knew the pain of losing family members to blood thirsty suckheads.

When she fought Nyssa, Damaskinos daughter, I finally got to see her in action, not just practicing with B-man, and she was good. She was un-fucking-believable. All that training and she almost took down a pure blooded vampire...

The Bloodpack had worried me, at first I thought they would kill River, I never thought they'd hit on her, but she was quick on her feet, "Sorry, what's your name? Puta, was it?"

The vampire growled and advanced toward her, but B stepped in front of her, guarded her easily. She snickered quietly and sent a wink my way. She was a crazy girl, but...I was crazy for her.

The House of Pain, I didn't like the idea of her going in there, but, Ms. My-Middle-Name-Is-Danger went in anyway.

Though 30 minutes from sunrise she shouted at me with those same words, "Damn it, Scud!" she jumped in through the open hatch on the roof, her boots crunched on the shattered glass, pushing the glass deeper into the carpet. She looked around before looking at me, my chest still heaved and my heart still pounded out of my control, "This is why we can't have nice things!" she scolded me like I was a child that broke a vase or something.

A smile broke across her face, "Can't take you anywhere."

She sighed and looked up, an orange glow took over the sky and grew brighter with each minute, "I can't believe these suckos talked him into this."

An autopsy and an epic sewer fight later this is where we were. Armed guards surrounded us, their lasers on each of our bodies.

I'd just been outted and she was kneeling on the floor, her eyes were so sad, sadder than when she talked about her parents, sadder than when she talked about her shameful thirst, sadder than when that bullet was in her shoulder. She dropped her head, shaking it, "Damn it, Scud."

I couldn't do it. I had plans, yeah, but then I met her. If she wasn't here, I would have gone through with it! But no! She was there, she was here, and she made me care. Shit!

They were going to kill me, I didn't know exactly which, the Bloodpack or Blade, Whistler and River, both had reason to kill me. Whistler was taken away, leaving me with just the two of them.

He made a move to finally end me, but her voice chimed in, "Even the most disreputable of traitors deserve mercy..." her eyes moved to me, "Until they're justly punished."

And there it was, I knew she was too proud or shy to say it, but there it was, in those words that spared my life. She loved me. Even with all the shit that I put them through she loved me... She was going to beat my ass once we got out of here, though, there was no doubt about that... But everything will eventually be mended, right...? Hopefully...

I mean, hey, this is Amelia 'River' Nile we're talking about, the Queen of Unwaver, and she was saving my neck...

She did beat my ass, physically and mentally. It took about four months for us to get back to where we were before the Damaskinos. Me being the lover, she being the fighter.

Needless to say we left Prague, we left the country, in fact. Never too far, literally just a phone call away, from Blade and Whistler though, they were her family, and in a way became my family.

She refuses to where my ring, in fear of enemies knowing about me and using me against her, though she shares my last name. It took a long time for her to agree, but when she did, tears were falling down her cheeks and she mumbled with a chuckle, "Damn it, Scud."