This is my first fan story ever. I am not a writer nor would I ever pretend to be. I just keep thinking about why Aidan's hands were covered with dirt, and had to get it out of my system. I have read so many wonderful things that I had to join and try one of my own. Please feel free to review. Thanks
Disclaimer: Like everyone here I do not claim to own anything. I don't claim ownership of the characters, the show, or anything else.
After he was gone there was nothing more to do but scoop up the dust that was Bernie. Aidan carefully collected as much as he could and placed it into a mansion jar. He didn't know after all this time if he truly believed in haven or hell but he knew that the child deserved to be laid to rest properly, and not just left on the soft autumn carpet of the forest floor. It was only right that Bernie be granted a permanent home. He wanted to make sure that when the child's loved ones visited, he would be there to receive them.
At the cemetery, his hands clenched tightly around the wooden handle of the shovel, he began digging deep into the still soft soil, and the ground gave easily. The deeper he dug the darker his thoughts became. With each plunge of the shovel came the memories not just of this latest trail of death, but of all the countless lives he had stolen.
He thought of the children like Garity had suffered, because he stole the life of a parent. Of his own child who's only sin was having a monster for a father. He regretted Rebecca, Cara, the bullies. The worst were the faces he could not recall, thousands upon thousands of them, enough to fill an entire cemetery he thought. Sure is was less painful when you did not know your victims, but their faces at the moment you take their life could tell you all needed to know when the hunger was too much.
The sound of the shovel hitting the coffin snapped him back from his thoughts. Descending into the grave and unearthing the empty casket with his bare hands he placed the ashes inside and said a silent prayer, asking for forgiveness for the child's soul, fully knowing he was the one truly responsible for the deaths of the bullies.
At home Aidan was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of the front door closing. Quickly he straightened his posture and wiped away the tears. Seconds later Josh appeared across the table.
Looking sadly at the vampire across from him. "Did you find Bernie?"
Expressionless he replied, "I took care of it."
Josh managed to whisper out words meant to comfort, but that sounded hollow and unconvincing even in his own ears "you had to" than he turned and mumble, "I'll be upstairs"
After what felt like centuries, Aidan push away from the table and slowly made his way up the stairs to his room. He lowered himself onto the bed not bothering to wash away the dirt that lingered on him. Curling into a ball he closed his eyes and tried to make the images in his head disappear. Soon he fell into a state similar to sleep, only to toss and turn, he cried out in his dreams. Bolting upright in bed his eyes opened black, fangs extended as a painful growl escaped his lips, he gasped for the air he didn't need. Slowly his eyes cleared, only to see Josh standing off in the far corner of his room with Sally hovering nearby. Both wore looks of concern on their faces. Wordlessly Josh crossed the room and sat on the edge of bed, reached out and grabbed the icy, soiled hand that had both simultaneously doomed and saved Bernie.
Aidan couldn't believe that after all the mistakes he had made, that the warmth of Josh's hand and the comfort of Sally's presence, gave him hope and made him almost believe that he was not a monster and that he could still be human after all.