<span style="color: #80FF00">Aaron slept like the truly dead, if the dead can dream. At first his slightly concussed brains simply through random images together, before blending into one singular sequence of events. <span style="font-style: italic">He, Sarah, and a few other young slayers in the company of a couple veterans had been sent to eliminate a small grouping of vampires that had made themselves a nuisance in a nearby decent sized settlement. Four year old Relina had not been very happy to see him go. Aaron had soothed her by promising that he would call in and return just as soon as he was able to. The more grizzled warriors keep their silence while the younger ones banter back and forth. The others tease Sarah and Aaron about liking each other. Of course, if they did get romantically involved officially, they could no longer be partners with each other. When the more grizzled warriors aren't around they hold hands. Before they mobilize, Sarah gives him a quick kiss on the lips, which makes him blush and the others subdue laughter.<br/><br/>The signs of a vampire layer are all there. They had been nesting in abandoned house, well fortified against the sun. There was about ten in all, almost not a challenge for the group. Killing them was easy. Until one got smart and turned the tables against Aaron. The female vampire had intended to kill the young slayer, but Aaron had dodged, and would missed the attack entirely had he not tripped bringing the vampire down with him. Agony instantly shot through him as the vampires claw like nails tore through the flesh of his eye and scraped against the underlying bone. His scream of pain echos in the present day, a strangled scream as he twists on the laid out sleeping bag. He remembers gunshots, the vampire dusting. Some one trying to tell to lay still but their voices are so distant. Sarah maybe screaming in the background. So much pain it seems his whole world is made out of it. Finally he passes into the peaceful world of oblivion.<br/><br/>The next thing he is aware of is the sound of helicopter blades, but even that doesn't last long because of the haze from the drugs. When he wakes again, bright lights are flashing as they transfer him from the helicopter into a stretcher. Wakefulness comes again to him slowly. Pain is still there, but it's more a dull throb than what it had been. And there's something warm pressed to his uninjured side. It's a struggle to open his good eye, but as soon as he does he spots the red hair that belongs to Relina.</span> Aaron opens his eyes, casting about for his daughter, forgetting for a second where he is. "Relina?", he questions, a note of panic in his voice. And then he catches sight of Relina cleaned up, her still wet her fanning out around her shoulders, and Dagger, whose soaked to bone not looking happy.  </span>