Dead in the Water

(Amanda's POV)

I was prepared to die. I knew my time had come. I went down fighting the best I could. Drowning brought me here. I could not take anymore breaths nor hold it any longer. Some might say I gave up but I fought as hard as I could. I would like to say that my death meant that others could live. By letting Martin live, he can help the others. Why should he have to die to save me?

I was surrounded by light. Was I in heaven? Then like a flash, the light quickly faded and I was brought to a void of sorts. I wasn't dead. No, I am breathing again. I am alive again.

I hear voices but I can't open my eyes. I must be half concious. Wait, no, this isn't what I wanted. How am I breathing? Someone brought me back but who if Martin doesn't have any air?

"Are you sure you want to do this, man?" I heard Paul asked.

"Paul brought me back." I drift in my thoughts.

"I have to. She won't make it to the hospital and they need her." Martin sighed.

"You love her that much?" Paul asked.

"No! Martin, no!" I tried to scream but no sound came out of my throat.

"I do. You know what to do after this is over, right?" I asked.

"Yes." Paul nodded upset.

"Paul make him stop. Don't let him try to save me, Paul." I pleaded in my thoughts.

"Paul, it is the only way to save Amanda and to stop Ian." I heard Martin reply.

"No, Martin. This isn't what I wanted. I was happy. You have to live." I tried to scream.

I could feel Martin start to caress my face and pull my hair back. He had lifted me up some in his arms. I would struggle to move but I am just too weak to make him stop. In fact my heart isn't even beating like it should.

I felt his lips on mine and then I felt two puncture marks on my neck. I managed to let a tear loose as I felt it fall down on my cheek. And then there was silence. I was no longer semi-concious. I was drifting into a dream.

"Martin?" I let out as I found myself in a beach house. I looked around and saw that it was the one from my dream I had the other night.

"Remember this place?" I heard as two warm arms slipped around my waist.

"Am I dead?" I asked not sure exactly what was happening.

"No." Martin replied as he spun me around.

I looked in his eyes and grabbed him, not letting go. "Why? I didn't want to lose you. It should be me, not you." I whispered as more tears started to fall and he held me tighter.

"It was my job to protect you from the moment I was turned. Your friends need you and so does your sister. It's not me. Elissa is fighting Ian but she is going to need some help and that comes from you. This is not something I can do as much as I want to right now for the way Ian hurt you. But I can give up my life for yours. You are that important to me and this is my vampire ability." Martin spoke.

"By you doing this, I will never see you again?" I asked although, I already knew the answer to this.

"I will be here." He said pointing to my heart. "Always."

I looked around the room. "You had the same dream. It was a wonderful dream." I sighed.

"I know it wasn't real but you could sort of consider it a memory if you want. I want you to know that I take everything we had together with me. I love you and you living makes me happy more then anything. That, and the fact that you can kick Ian's ass when this is over." Martin smirked.

"I don't want to leave this, not yet. I don't want you to leave me. I love you. What am I going to do without you? You can't leave me. Look at how long it took for us to find each other again."

"You will go on. You will laugh again and be strong again. I won't ever leave you because I will always be in your thoughts and your heart." Martin smiled as he wiped a tear from my eye.

"I love you." I said leaning up to kiss him.

After what seemed like a very long kiss, Martin pulled away. "It's time. I have to go."

"No!" I grabbed his arm as he tried to turn from me.

"Amanda, you have to live. You know what you have to do. You just refuse to see it. I will be with you. I love you." He said kissing me again.

"Time to wake up." I heard echo in my thoughts as my eyes fluttered open from a tapping of rain falling from the sky.

"Martin!" I raised up from the ground. It was drizzling but not yet a heavy rain.

"He's gone." Paul said which made me turn to look at him.

"No! I refuse to believe it!" I yelled as I turned to see Martin laying on the ground beside me. I grabbed onto him and held him in my arms.

"Martin, wake up. Please, wake up. This isn't funny. This is just like a dream I had." I said outloud not meaning for Paul to hear.

"Amanda, what happened in your dream?" Paul asked.

"I woke up and went to shake Martin awake only he didn't wake up and then I woke up from the nightmare and Martin pretended to not wake. That's what he is doing now. Wake up, Martin." I said crying again.

"Amanda, " Paul scooted closer to me, "Martin gave his strength and energy to you." "Martin is gone." Paul said as he touched my shoulder.

I looked down at Martin's face and touched his cheek. "You know what you have to do. They need you." Paul said as the rain continued to fall.

I nodded my head and gently put Martin back down. I stood up and when I did, I felt so alive more so then I had ever before. I could feel my heart beat fast and I felt ten times stronger then I have ever before. My senses were heightened and in overtime. My mind became clear and I had one thing only I needed to do; kill Ian.

I didn't like it but I understood why Martin had done what he did. He saved my life so I could save others. He made me stronger then a normal slayer. I was different. I had all the vampire abilities, minus the special power ones, combined with the slayer ones. Nothing could get past me now.

"Hey, you will need this." Paul said as I started off towards the woods.

I turned to grab a stake Paul tossed me. "I will be back." I replied as I darted off through the woods.

I had remarkable speed and my adrenaline coursed through my veins. I don't think I had ever ran this fast before. The rain continued to fall but this time it fell harder. I was left out in the dark, yet I could see fine. My new abilities helped me to focus on where I needed to be.

I heard screaming and shouting and knew I was almost there. Yes, I was there as I saw lights up ahead. Ian was going to pay for what he did to me. I was a changed girl, all because of him. I lost my love tonight and I would not lose anyone else I cared about. My sister needed me. I couldn't be there for her when she needed me most when Ian turned her but I can be there now.