Once More, With Strangeness

Chapter 16

 "He is back?" Malcolm asked. "He's back on this plane? He was just walking in the woods?"

"I am pretty sure he wasn't just out for a leisurely stroll," Becca muttered, grimacing as she shifted position on the couch. Her wounds were already far better. Her face was damn near healed, just a slight hint of bruising still. Her ribs were definitely getting there. She could breathe easily again. They were just sore when she moved too quickly or stayed in one position for too long. "I am positive he was on the hunt for me."

"But then why did he leave you alive?" Jax asked and then catching himself, added, "I mean, overjoyed you're alive but Malcolm said he is obsessed with killing slayers. What? He just came to beat your ass, give you a warning, and then vanish into the night?"

"He said if he killed me now, I would miss out on all the fun," she huffed. "Look, I knew the asshole had to be planning something and obviously he is. I have no clue how he got out of that place, but he's here now. We have got to stop him before he can put whatever plan he has in place."

"I understand, but we do need to know how he escaped," Malcolm stated. "It could help us understand what he's planning. Why enter the Upside Down, under the ruse of wanting to rule it, to simply leave it again? There had to be something there that he needed for whatever he is plotting next."

"Yeah, but Malcolm we've looked in every single book we can think of," Ivy added. "There's very little about the Upside Down anywhere. I don't know where else to look for information."

"Or we just find Spike and I beat him to a bloody pulp until he gives up his plan," Becca seethed, slowly sitting up. She was pissed. She hated that vampire. She knew he was up to something. And he'd taken her down, something she hadn't experienced since her first year of slaying. She was itching to get her hands on him and repay the favor.

"Considering how you fared this time, I am not certain that is the best plan," Malcolm stated, looking at her over the top of his glasses.

"I may have let my guard down a bit," Becca confessed. "I

didn't actually expect him to give me that much of a challenge. Vampires are my bread and butter. I just assumed he'd be like the others. I won't make that mistake again."

"I don't really like the idea of you going up against him again either," Eddie added and when she shot him a look of annoyance, he held up his hands. Adding gently, "I mean, not alone anyway. I would feel a lot better if you had me along for backup."

"Yeah, well, that proves difficult when you're still wanted for

murder and can't exactly go traipsing through town, hunting for a vampire," Becca snapped and immediately felt guilty when he looked away. She'd hurt him and she knew that was one of his biggest concerns. It hadn't been fair. "I'm sorry. It's just...it's the truth. I would love to have you by my side to take this bastard down but we also can't explain a sighting of you when everyone thinks you're dead and you killed people."

"No, I know," Eddie agreed, nodding. "I just wish that I could be more helpful. I wish I could do anything that isn't just sitting in this goddamn house all the time."

"Well, we may be close to helping you out with that," Ivy offered. "It may be slightly illegal...and we might be framing someone else for murder, but it could work."

"What?" Becca asked, turning to her friend. "Look, I want Eddie's name cleared as much as all of you, but we can't just go framing some innocent person for murder."

"Well, not exactly innocent...and the person is already dead," Robin said, shrugging. She looked over at Eddie. "Jason Carver."

"Who's Jason Carver?" questioned Jax.