Lita walked out of her apartment building, and smirked. "Okay, I'm going to get him today. He won't even know that I'm coming," she thought as she walked to her new job. Since she lived on her own, and has to support herself through college, Lita took a job as a computer clerk as a nearby office. She walked up to the small building she worked in, and looked around. "He knows I always use the back door, so today, I'll use the front." While working at the Isayoi Computer Firm, Lita has come to know a lot of her co-workers extremely well. One in particular named Leander Cassidine, whom she always called Lee.
Lita walked through the front door and entered the always empty lobby. "Good. He's not here." Lita walked over to the elevator, and was about to call it, when she stopped. "I always take the elevator. I think I'll use the stairs. It's not that far up." Lita walked over to the staircase, and quietly opened the door. She then walked up to the second floor. The landing was empty, and there was no sign of anyone being there. "Alright, almost there, and no Lee." Lita's eyes widened as she felt a cool familiar hand on her wrist.
"Going somewhere Lita?" a young man's voice chuckled.
Lita turned around and looked at him with narrow eyes. "How'd you...But I.... Damn you Lee," she stammered out, playfully hitting his arm.
"It's nice to see you too," Lee laughed. He was taller than Lita, and had long black hair tied into a ponytail with vivid green eyes. His skin was soft, but always pale. At times, he seemed to almost glow. Lee and Lita walked up the stairs to the third floor. "So, trying to sneak up on a person, huh? That's not very nice," he teased.
"You do it to me all of the time," Lita protested. She walked over to her desk, and looked at Lee. "How do you do that? I can usually hear everything around me, but I can't hear you. And how do you always know when I'm coming into the office?"
Lee smirked. "If I tell you, you may be even more confused than you are now. Are you sure you want to know?"
"Well...yeah. If I didn't, I wouldn't've asked."
Lee shrugged. "as for you not being able to hear me...that's my little secret. And if you don't mind, I'll keep it. As for your other question..." Lee leaned over to Lita's ear. "I can smell you when you walk into the building," he whispered softly into his ear. Once he pulled away from her, Lee saw that her green eyes were glazed over. "shit, I didn't mean to do that. Oh well, it'll pass as soon as I walk away from her," he thought. "I'll see you later Lita," he smiled charmingly as he walked away.
Lita began to blink away the hazy confusion in her mind as Lee walked away. Even though she heard everyword Lee whispered to her, she still felt like she under a spell of some kind. "Yeah, bye Lee," she said lowly as she sat down.
Later that night, just after work, Lita was straightening up some papers on her desk, when she heard a low rumble. "What the hell..." Her thought was interrupted when she heard a crash from just out of a near window. Lita ran to it, and her face paled. "Lee," she whispered.
Three floors below, outside Lee fell back onto the grass. He looked an saw the dark figure attacking him. "Balthazar," he grunted as he fought his way to his feet.
A tall man, even taller than Lee, towered over him. "Hello again Brother," Balthazar said smugly. "Honestly, I would say that it's good to see you, but frankly, it's not."
"Then why are you here?" Lee asked.
A loud thunderclap rang out as s downpour started. Balth's white skin glowed as the rain beat against his black hat. "Simple. The Time of the Lady will be here in a month's time. I don't want you in the way,so, little brother, I'm here to kill you." A flash of lightening lit up the dark sky.
Lita ran out to into the parking lot, and saw the two men. She stayed back, and tried to listen, but the rain drowned out most of their speech.
Lee's eyes slightly widened as he sensed Lita near. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Balth. "I was not... Nor will I ever be your brother," he shouted defiantly.
Balth also sensed Lita. He then laughed at Lee's statment. "You say that now. But six hundred years ago, you would never have dared. Is it because of the girl behind us?" he asked.
"Leave her out of this," Lee shouted. He wanted to look and see if Lita was still watching them. He wanted to give her some sort of sign that everything would be alright. But he knew that if he took his eyes off of Balth, they would both be dead.
A blinding shot of lightening crashed right between the two men. Lita shielded her eyes, and turned away. It waas a few minutes before she could focus and turn to the two. Once she did, the sight before her terrified her more than what brought her out there.
Lee was lying on the grass unconscious, and Balth was standing over him, holding what looked like a wooden steak. Lita then heard what Lee told her earlier that morning. "I can smell you when you walk into the building." Lita pulled out her power-stick, and instantly transformed into Sailor Jupiter. "I won't let you hurt him," she thought as she focused all of her energy. "SUPREME.....THUNDER......DRAGON!!!" she shouted.
As the dragon shaped lightening shot out at Balth, he looked up. Just as the attack was about to strike, he disappeared. He reappeared on a nearby rooftop. "She must be his lover. Either that, or she's in love with him. That's almost funny. A MORTAL, IN love with one of us. She is a strong fighter though. She MUST be mine," Balth thought.
Lita quickly transformed back into her street clothes as she ran to Lee's side. He was covered with scratches and cuts. Lita gently picked his head up into her lap, and brushed his hair away from his eyes. "Lee," she whispered.
Lee pried his eyes open, and looked at Lita. "I knew you were here," he whispered.
Lita smiled softly as she tried to lighten the mood. "Let me guess, you smelled me."
Lee fought his way to his feet, and looked at Lita. "Yes, I did," he smirked. As Lita also stood, he looked deep into her eyes. His eyes seem to glow as he spoke his next setence. "Go home, and forget what you saw," he whispered.
Lita felt the urge to do what he said. It almost over-powered her. Almost. "No," she whispered back. As Lee stepped away from her, the strange urge went away. "That man almost killed you. I want to know what's going on," she said sternly.
"Why didn't it work? I should have been able to control her mind." Lee looked at Lita's beautiful face, and sighed. "I'm fine now. Thank you for worrying about me, but you really don't have to."
"That's not an answer Lee." Lita looked into his green eyes, and stepped closer to him. "Please tell me what's going on? That's all I ask."
Lee didn't know whether he should walk away from Lita, leaving her in the rain, or hold her in his arms for the rest of her life. He looked to the ground, knowing that neither on would help his present situation. "Is there someplace we could talk?" he asked quietly.
Lita gently took his hand into her own. "I live just down the block," she answered. They walked up to her apartment, and Lita slowly opened the door. She walked in, and turned on the living-room light. "Make yourself at home," she said softly as she pulled off her sneakers.
Lee walked into the apartment, and took off his shoes. "You have a lovely home," he said just for the sake of making conversation.
"Thank you," Lita said. She closed the door, and looked at Lee. "I'll be right back. I have to get out of these clothes," she said as she looked into his face. Lita then found herself fighting the urge to ask if he wanted to help her. "My clothes are soaked," she said as she pushed the thought out of her mind.
Lee saw the slight frown on Lita's face, and knew what her thoughts were. "Would you mind if I got myself something to drink?" he asked. He knew he wouldn't drink what ever he got; Lita just needed to be away from his influence for a little while.
"Sure, the glasses and cups are in the second cabinet to the right." Lita watched Lee walk into her kitchen, and sighed. "I'll be right back," she said again.
Ten minutes later, Lita walked out of her room wearing a green halter-top, and tan shorts. She was carrying a towel, and found Lee looking out of the window. "I got this for you. So, you could at least dry your hair," she said as she gave him the towel.
Lee turned around, and looked at Lita. "Thank you," he said lowly.
As Lee dried his hair, Lita noticed all of the cuts and scratches her wore before were now completely gone. "What happened to..." her sentence was cut off by the feel of Lee's stare. She looked into his eyes as he stepped closer to her.
Lee couldn't risk telling Lita what she wanted to know. He put his arms around her, and pulled her into his embrace. Once he felt her body against his own, he couldn't resist his urges any longer. He tilted her head up, and pressed his lips against hers. As Lita reached up to touch his face, their kiss grew to one of unchaine passion. Without thinking, Lee picked Lita up, and carried her to the sofa. As he laid her down, he began to hear her heartbeat beginning to race. Lee ran his hands up and down Lita's side,making her moan slightly. He felt Lita push her body against his, and realized that a hundred years without a woman in his life had finally caught up with him. Lee pulled Lita's halter-top up, and pulled away from her long enought to remove it. As he kissed her again, Lee felt her warm and hands unbuttoning his wet shirt. Lee moved one of his hands over her breast, gently rubbing it while still holding her warm body close to his.
Lita ran her hands through his hais. She never felt so much passion, or desire in any kiss that she had ever received from any ex-boyfriend. Then she realized that Lee wasn't even her boyfriend. "A minor detail" she told herself. Lita wanted Lee ever since the day she bumped into his desk at work. Now, here he was. With her, on her sofa, tasting her breasts. Lita leaned her head back, and moaned Lee's name.
Lee's senses came rushing back to him as he glanced up at Lita's face. "You fool. Don't damn this girl by doing this to her tonight. Balth said it himself, the Time of the Lady is in a month. After you stop him from choosing a Lady, then you won't have to worry for another three hundred years," he told himself. He kissed Lita again. This time he could hear her heartbeat calling his name. "I can't do this," he said lowly.
Lita looked at Lee strangely as he fixed his clothes. "What?" she whispered breathlessly.
Lee looked at Lita, and shook his head. It then took all of his concentration to gaze into her eyes. "Go to sleep, and forget everything that happened tonight," he whispered before kissing her again.
Lita tried to fight Lee's spell, but failed. She fell back into the sofa, sleeping peacefully.
Lee picked up the top she was wearing, and put it on her again. He then touched the side of her face. "Trust me Lita, this is for you own good," he whispered. Lee then stood, memorized Lita's features, and left her to sleep.
Three weeks passed, and Lita was still unaware of what took place in her apartment. She walked to the door as the bell chimed. Lita opened the door, and smiled at the stranger at her doorstep. "Hello, can I help you?" she asked.
A lean young boy, no older than fourteen handed her a golden envelope. "I was told to give this to you," he said.
Lita took the envelope and smiled. "Thank you she said as the youth walked away. She walked back into her apartment, and opened it. "An invitatation?" Lita looked at it more closely, and smiled. "it's this weekend, at the Moonlight Ballroom." Her smiled quickly disappeared. "And it's formal," she said sadly. A thought then came to her. "Rei still has that dress for me. That's formal. Hey, I spent two hundred buck on it. It better be formal." She walked into the kitchen, and placed the invitaion on the counter.
The young boy walked into a dark mansion on the other side of the city. He looked around the light-less greeting room, and saw no one. "I did what you wanted. Now can you stop getting into my head?" he called.
"As you wish," Balth said. He appeared just behind the boy, and picked the youth up by his shirt collar. As the boy screamed, Balth's fangs started to appear. The screams soon ended, as did the boy's life, when Balth bit into his neck, and drank all of the boy's blood.
Lita walked over to her desk the day before the ball. as she sat down, she saw a single rose waiting for her. "Who would leave me a rose? Darien's not here, he's in the States. And why would he give me a rose?" she asked herself.
Lee walked over to Lita's desk, and smiled. "I see you got my gift," he smiled.
"So, this was your handy work," she smiled. "What's the occasion?" she asked.
"I have to pass on our picnic tomorrow. It seems that an old family problem came up, and I have to handle it."
Lita's eyes widened. "Lee, I forgot all about it," she said lowly. "I'm sorry. I guess everything with the Ball's had me going bonkers." Lita then thought. "Well, at least I won't be stuck at home. And thanks for telling me ahead of time," Lita smiled. She stood, and gave Lee a small kiss on his cheek. "Happy birthday," she whispered as she walked to the copy machine.
Lee watched Lita walk from her desk to the copy machine. He remembered how close he came to sleeping with her those weeks ago. That was a memory that he would always hold in his heart. Or what was left of it. Lee then thought about the Ball Lita mentioned. "He wouldn't dare..." The thought of Balth knowing who Lita was, and how he felt about her, nearly terrified Lee. He got up, and walked to his own desk. "He wouldn't go after Lita. The only purpose that would serve is to piss me off." Lee's eyes then widened. "He wants he to be the Lady."
The next night, Lita loooked at herself in the full mirror in her bedroom. She sighed as the long black velvet dress she wore fit perfectly. "If only Lee would see me in this," she thought. Her hair was pulled pack in it's usual style, a pony tail. She wore a little make up, some lipstick, and eyeshadow. The dress itself was down to the floor, off the shoulder, and a huge rose decorated the bottom. Lita walked over to her dresser, and picked up what Raye called the "finishing touch". A gold choker which rested at the base of her neck. She looked at herself in the mirror again, when the doorbell rang. She walked to the door, and answered it. "Hello, can I help you?" she asked.
Balth stood in the doorway in an all black tuxedo. He wore a blood red sash across his chest which made him look like some kind of count, or other member of royalty. "Yes you can," he smiled. "I'm Count Balthazar De'Winter. I'm throwing the Ball you are going to."
Lita then instantly became afraid. "What do you want?" she asked. "And how do you know where I live?"
"I only want to escort you to the Ball. And you work with a relative of mine, Leander." Balth looked into Lita's eyes and his own black pupils started to glow. "Come with me," he ordered softly.
Lita's eyes glazed over, and she obeyed without question. After putting on her shoes, shall, and handbag, she walked to the elevator with Balth.
Within minutes, Lita and Balth climbed into the black limousine just outside of the building. Balth rested his arm around Lita's shoulders, and pulled her closer to himself. The limousine pulled away, and Balth looked Lita over. "You look lovely, dear, sweet, Lita," he smiled. He knew he wouldn't get a response, but he spoke to her anyway. With his free hand, Balth traced the top of the dress. "Yes. Very sweet," he whispered as he removed the choaker from her neck. Balth truned her head to him, and kissed her deeply. He then ran reached his hand under her dress, and ran his hands up her leg. He smiled as he felt her soft skin. Other women he knew would have worn pantyhose, but she didn't. Balth found this strange, and still very simple at the same time. Balth pulled away from Lita as he quickly removed her panties. "If I were Leander, what would you do right now?" he asked as he looked into her eyes.
Lita kissed Balth passionately. Her hands made their way down to the belt of his pants, and quickly undid both the belt, and pants. After she opened his pants, Lita lifted her dress, and straddled Balth. Balth then felt Lita's hands take his, and put them under her dress, around her waist. "I see why Leander is so taken with her," he thought. He then decided. "If I wait, and take her as I planed, Leander will surely be there to stop me. If I take her now, he won't be able to break the hold I have on her." Balth turned to the side, and laid Lita down. he unzipped the back of the dress, and pulled it, along with the white strapless bra she wore, down around her waist. Balth leaned down, and tasted her neck. The feeling almost drove him insane. When he first encountered Lita, he could smell how sweet her blood was. Her skin was just as sweet as her blood smelled. He quickly calmed himself, and pulled his pants down. He then mounted Lita, and iserted himself inside of her. Balth let out a small cry of pleasure, and inflamed passion. He leaned down and kissed Lita again. She seemed to have gained a honey-like flavor as Balth started to make powerful thrusts in and out of the her. After a half an hour, Balth climaxed inside of her. He looked at her as he pulled himself out of her body. She was still in her trance, under his control. Only now, she would be anything he said. Balth fixed his clothes, and looked at her again. "Fix yourself," he commanded gently.
Lita did as she was told. She pulled up her under-ware, and pulled down her dress. She also fixed her bra, anf rezipped her dress. Once she was done, Lita was sitting again, under Balth's arm.
Balth couldn't escape the aroma of her blood. He look down, and saw her neck. As his fangs appeared in place, he tilted her head to the side. Balth leaned down, and bit into her vein. He heard Lita as she let out a wince of pain, but paid her no mind. As her blood poured into his mouth, and hit his tounge, his eyes glowed brightly. The sent of her blood had only been a tease. The honey-like aroma was nothing compared to the actual taste. He drank about a cup ful before he pulled away from her. "I can't take too much," he thought. He wiped away the blood on her neck, and smiled. "I have fed well tonight. I thank you Lita," he said to her. He then reached into his pocket, and pulled out a black choker with a red rose in the center of it. "Put this on, and cover you marks. Never take it off."
Lita did as she was told, and sat back with Balth.
A few minutes later, they finally pulled up to a tall building. It was the tallest building in the city. From the Ballroom floor, it almost appeared to in space with all the stars, and the moon shining brightly just above. Lita walked with Balth, and stayed at his side, the entire night.
It was midnight when Lee walked into the Ballroom. He quickly looked around, and saw Lita and Balth. His eyes widened as he saw the choker around her neck. "Oh no, he's already starting," Lee thought. He then walked over to Balth and Lita. Lee looked at the older vampire with utter disgust. "You had to involve her, didn't you?" he asked.
Balth looked at Lee, and smiled. "Actually, she involved herself. That night I was so close to killing you, she intervened. That makes her involved."
"She has no idea what we are."
Balth laughed."You can't even say it. Can you?"
Lee looked at him with narrow eyes. "Release her, or I swear, I will see you burn in Hell."
"You do love her," Balth said almost in disbelief. After you ridiculed Xavier for loving a noble woman, you fall n love with this..."
"Lita. Her name is Lita. She is not a this, or a that." Lee then looked at Lita. "What we are, is a this, or that. she does not deserve to be damned to an eternal life of hate, and bickering. The magic spells, the watching those you care for grow old, and die right in your arms. Lita doesn't deserve that. Let her go."
Balth laughed. "You are a hypocrite. I knew it was a mistake to go of and raise that child."
"She had a name."
"Ah yes...Lady Lydia?" Balth looked at Lita and smiled. "I'll make you a deal. You have my word that I'll release her, if you meet me in two hours at my mansion, and live."
Lee looked at Lita, and gently touched her face. She stared straight ahead, not even acknowledging his presence. "I'll be there," he said just before leaving.
"Good, so shall we," Balth said as Lee left the Ballroom.
At two, Lee walked into Lee's huge house. He looked around, and saw a trail of lit candles. He followed the trail to a winding staircase. He looked and saw that the trail continued down the stairs. Lee carefully walked down the stairs, until he reached a large door. Lee walked into the room, and saw Lita, in her Sailor Jupiter uniform, standing at Balth's side. "What's going on here?" Lee asked.
"Simple. You love her so much, fight for her," Balth said. He then turned to Lita and smiled. "Destroy him. And bring me his heart," he ordered before leaving.
Lita bowed, and then turned her head. She then charged Lee, and jumped into the air. As she came down, she just missed kicking Lee in his face. Lita then turned around, and slammed her elbow into his face. Lee stumbled back, and caught Lita's leg. He looked into her still glazed eyes, and saw a small spark of light in them. "She's trying to fight him. She just may be able to break the spell he has over her." Lee threw her leg to the ground, and dodged the next series of blows from Lita. He was able to grab hre arms, and pin them to her sides. "Lita, listen to me, fight him."
Lita kneed Lee in his groin, and broke free of his hold. As Lee was on his knees, Lita raised her leg in an axe-kick aimed at his neck. Lee rolled out of the way as her leg broke through the stone ground. He backed up to the wall, when two small object cut the sides of his face. Lee glance over and saw Lita's earrings jammed into the wall behind him. Lee's eyes then widened as Lita rushed him, with her fist ready. Lee moved away from the wall and saw it crumble once her fist met with it. He then made a resolution. "I'll have to hurt her to stop her. Please forgive me," he thought as lita charged him again. Lee's eyes turned completely green as an emerald fire appeared around him. "I'm sorry Lita," he called as she approached. The fire formed a bubble, and gathered in his hand. Once Lita was close enough, Lee dropped to one knee, and forced the bubble into her chest.
Lita screamed as the bubble exploded, and she was thrown back. The black choker she wore fell off as she hit the ground with a loud thud.
Lee looked at her motionless body as he stood. He ran over to her body, and knelt at her side. "Lita, speack to me," he pleaded.
Lita opened her eyes, and looked at Lee. At his smile, she passed out.
Lee smiled as he saw her eyes back to their normal color. His smile disappeared as he saw the two puncture wounds Balth marked her with. "I swear, Balthazar, you WILL regret this night." Lee then picked Lita up into his arms, and carried her away from Balth's mansion.