She had never before met a monster so… trusting… She had honestly thought that he was waiting for her to accept his presence, to let her guard down, so he could kill her.

Regardless, she didn't feel any regret as her grass green eyes stared emotionlessly down at the whimpering vampire, his apricot skin losing color quickly as flesh that had appeared young and healthy seemed to almost deflate and melt away. Dark bags began to show under his betrayed obsidian eyes, his shirt became loose on his body as his chest lost some of it's form. Ever so slowly, he was dying, becoming nothing more but the rotting carcass she was certain he truly was.

She honestly could not believe how easy it had been… How this vampire had been able to hold such a large territory was beyond her.

She had arrived in this city some days ago, having been hunting down two rogue vamps that had murdered a number of families closer to New York. By the time she had arrived, strangely enough, one of them had been dead, and the other one in hiding. She had been met with this one before her. He had smiled so welcomingly, she had prepared herself, waiting for when he would try and call her into death's embrace. It wouldn't have been the first part.

Instead, he had stared at her as if confused, blinked, and then kindly asked her why she was holding a stake and what she was doing out in the woods so late.

That night, after having cautiously told the blood sucker why she was there, without telling him her occupation, of course, in hopes of having his support… At least until she killed the remaining vamp. From that meeting forward, he had assisted her in the capture and killing of the rogue.

It's burning carcass stood off to the side, the blank hollow eyes of it's still decaying skull staring blankly as the blood sucker that had been so willing to help her finally fell to the ground, sucking unnecessarily at the air as his one hand clawed at the weapon that had been driven almost straight through his heart.

She had been off by hardly a hundredth of a centimeter, or else he would be dead by now.

He continued to hold her eyes, his mouth opening just to spurt out blood. It took another minute, than the hurt disappeared, leaving behind hurt anger. He hissed as he slashed feebly in her direction, his skin eerily pale and his eyes strangely dull. The sheen had left his raven hair.

"Vampire." She said coldly, her pink hair fluttering in a small breeze that passed by. "Did you honestly think I would trust you?"

For long moments, the other only wheezed, staring up at her as he collapsed fully onto the ground, no longer able to each lift a finger to his own aide.

"… Out…" His voice was so hoarse, it could have been nothing more but a whispering breeze. "… … Get… … Out…!"

She turned her head up, staring repentantly down at the boy. "You have no power to tell me what to do. Face it, vampire, you are done for."

Something in his eyes warned her… Frightened her, actually. Not rage, not anger, but even betrayal.

Pity. He stared at her, his dying eyes filled with pity.

In the next moment, she understood why.

She screamed before she was even aware of being in pain, the sound of flesh ripping from flesh and bones breaking apart a background noise to her as she collapsed to the ground in a whimpering gurgling choking specimen of a dismembered human. The hand -as well as the arm attacked to it- that had held her stake was now… somewhere else. There was now a decent sized hole to peek through in her belly as well as one eye missing.

Through her last eye, she could only watch, and just barely that, the shock her body felt was so great, death so close… Yet not close enough to spare her, it seemed.

Red. It was the first color she noted of this newcomer. The deep burgundy color of his cloak seemed to be carried on the nonexistent wind like a pirate's flag, the blood red of his hair choppy and thick looking, standing in limp spikes about his head. Blue-green eyes, staring with so much fury and hatred down at her, it terrified her more than the knowledge of what had just happened to her. They seemed to say, glaring at her as they were, was that she was not dead yet, and he could make her last moments so much worse.

Blood rose and coughed from her mouth, her leaf green eyes staring almost uncomprehendingly as the newcomer walked to the side of the fallen vampire, wrapping his arms around the now near true-dead raven as he bit deeply into his own wrist. He cradled the other vampire to his chest, pressing his bleeding wrist to gaping lips. Seconds later, his darkly shadowed eyes lowered to half-mast, his mouth sliding open to reveal the tips of two pointed fangs, his head angling down to stare at the suckling vampire, color already returning to former apricot skin and flesh as well.

She choked on her own spit and blood. To heal that fast… An ancient? And they way he was treating him! Like a… Like a ….

There was a whine from the raven haired boy, the luster back into his hair, giving it it's shiny gleam. His skin was still paler than having formerly been and his body still somewhat shallow, but he opened his lids to reveal smart and aware obsidian orbs, arching his body towards the redhead with a whisper from his lips.

Just like that, she was a voyeur, watching as their mouths touched against the other's and their tongues twisted together.

She couldn't have been more disgusted.

Blue-green eyes snapped to her, as if catching that thought. She didn't care…. Couldn't care, really. Her vision was already blacking out, scents around her had long since avoided her, and she could no longer feel a thing. She could hear though, and she could hear the tiny uncertain beat of her own heart.

And then she could hear a voice speaking directly into her ear.

"You deserve worse punishment for coming onto my territory, using my mate for your own benefits, and then attempting to kill him… The first, I allowed, if not because I would have eventually had to do it myself. The second, just barely, and only because he wanted to assist you and believed it to be a partnership. The third? The third is why you're not dead yet. We are going to leave, and you shall die slowly, here."

She wanted to deny that knowledge. She didn't want to be alone! How was she to know that the vampire she had attempted to murder had not been the ancient who controlled the city, but the ancient's mate?

One lesson her mother had always tried very hard to pound into her head, was to never, ever, take down the mate of a vampire without taking out the more powerful one first. The lesson to go with that? Vice versa was just as important. It all basically came to one understanding: If you don't have the force to kill vampire mates, then avoid them.

She was one woman… Who had foolishly nearly killed a mate of an ancient. Even newborn vampires were considered dangerous with mates! This…

This was the worst blunder of her life… And she was paying for it.

Words were spoken again, this time in a tone she knew better, yet the emotions behind it different.

"I am sorry, Sakura… I can not save you… Perhaps you will allow me to give you peace?"

As if she hadn't nearly killed him. It angered her that he was so calm, so forgiving and apologetic. She was so pathetic, the vampire she had just tried to kill was saying sorry to her!? Had she been able to, she would have spat on him, and then tied him to a post to watch the midday sun.

As it was, she couldn't deny it. She wasn't certain what sound she was able to make escape her throat.

"Lee, she doesn't deserve your mercy."

The deep hoarse voice growled. The voice speaking to her sighed.

"Everyone deserves mercy in the end, Gaara… No one is so evil that they can not at least die quickly."

And with that statement, everything went silent. Her heart stopped after having her neck quickly twisted so as to instantly destroy the blood vessels which allowed the free flow through her head to kill her within only seconds.

… It was peaceful… Here, in the dark…

How sad that she learned her momma's lesson the hard way.

INSPIRED BY 'SONG OF THE SILENT NIGHT' BY DARKPRISM AND LUNAKALOTIS!!!!!!!!!! Or, as you would better know lunakalotus, jekr-dementor2! Yes, I suggest you read the story! It can be found at Y!gallery, and livejournal. … My story has nothing in common with is aside from the fact that Gaara and Lee are vampires, and are mates (or, very close to being so in the next two chapters XD)