Disclaimer: I do not own Being Human. It all belongs to the amazing Toby Whitehouse.
This is based on the last scene from episode 8, It's mostly a Hal story but i've tried to make sure Tom and Alex are in it just as much :)
This is my first ever fanfic so please go easy on me and please review, Hope you all enjoy it :P
Rated: T
-X-
Chapter One:
A muffled sound of shouting broke the silence in the house, waking Tom suddenly. He rubbed at the dark shadows beneath his eyes as realisation set in that he had to get up again. He hadn't had much sleep latley, not since Hal had begun his 'Detox', and it was starting to take it's toll. He lifted his blanket and stumbled out of the bed, searching for the door handle in the dark.
''GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF THIS CHAIR!'' The sound of Hal pulling at his restraints could be heard from the top of the stairs, and each one would need to be tightened again before Tom could even think of going back to bed- At least a half hour then, he thought.
''HERE COMES THE FUCKING HOUND!'' Tom didn't reply, he found himself growing used to Hal's torment, and prefered to pretend that he wasn't even there, that he was somewhere else. Asleep, perhaps?
Alex appeared beside Tom in an instant, causing him to flinch away from her.
''Don't do that!'' Tom hissed as he straighted up.
''Sorry...Can't help myself'' she replied, smirking.
Hal was shaking in the chair, dripping with sweat. His eyes un-moving, focused. The dark, grey shadows beneath them stood out against his icy pale skin. He hadn't slept in days, prefering to stay awake. The nightmares that came with sleeping were too much for him to handle, they reminded him of his past...the lives he had ruined.
Worst still, they tempted him and made the hunger worse.
''YOU, BITCH. RELEASE ME!'' He yanked hard on the restraints, loosening them slightly every second.
''Hal, stop it. Your gonna' break them straps'' Tom trudged over to the chair, gripping hold of them and tightening them back to their origional place.
''I Want to break them, ARE YOU FUCKING THICK?''
Hal struggled desperatley to loosen them again, but he didn't have the strength. He had used up so much energy over the past week, screaming and attempting to break free.
''Your not looking too good, well, your looking worse than usual. Maybe you should quit your whining and go to sleep, because we're not going to let you out.'' Alex crossed her arms smugly. There was something entertaining about irritating Hal, even when he was like this.
''I dont want to fucking sleep.'' His eyes darted to her face, and the look in them forced her to step back. She found that being dead didn't matter when she was around Hal. As soon as she saw that look in his eye, she knew what he was capable of and it scared her.
There was a subtle change, and his eyes were normal again. In a split second he could snap though, and it only put Tom and Alex on edge.
''Sleeping isn't going to help me.'' the sadness in his voice was clear.
''It will mate.'' Tom walked around the chair, checking for any more loose straps before he wen't back to bed. Hal simply rolled his eyes.
''Well, im done here. Go to sleep. I ain't coming back down.'' Tom marched off to bed, yawning as he went. He switched the light off at the bottom of the stairs, sending the room into darkness.
Hal leaned his head back against the chair, giving up in the battle to stay awake. The headrest wasn't comfortable but he was too tired to care. Even still, the thought of sleeping frightened him, how pathetic he thought. An old one frightened of going to sleep. It wasn't as if he had no reason not to be though. He knew it would be a matter of time before his subconcious came back to haunt him.
Alex watched him as he fell asleep, chuckling quietly before vanishing into another room.
-x-
The light from outside split as it shone through the cafe blinds, landing on the tables and reflecting off the freshly cleaned floor.
''Excuse me.'' a womans voice broke the silence from behind Hal, who was scraping cooking oil into a bucket. He turned around immediatley, startled by her presence.
She was young, around nineteen years of age. Her hair was a rich dark brown, contrasting against her pale complexion. Her eyes emerald green, overlooked by long black eyelashes. She smiled at him politley before opening her mouth to speak again.
''Could i get a coffee?'' She waited for a reply that never came. A look of confusion crossed her face ''Are you okay?''
Hal was staring at her neck, at the pulse beneath her skin. She blushed, embarrased by the strangers glare, causing her cheeks to glow a rose red. Instinctivley, he stepped closer, unaware of what he was doing. He stepped around the bar and stopped directly in front of her, listening to the quickening of her heart.
She stepped back, a wary expression on her face. ''What...What are you doing?'' Her words went un-heard. He continued to step closer, forcing her to move backwards until she was pressed up against the wall beside the door.
''Your scaring me...i..i need to go...'' her eyes flickered to the door handle centimetres away from her.
His arm lifted, blocking her passage to it. She looked back at his face, and it wasn't the same. His eyes had turned a deathly black and before she could open her mouth to scream, she felt a sharp pain in her neck.
He cut through her throat, continuing to bite as the warm blood filled his mouth. The taste so sweet as his hunger began to diminish...
-x-
''NO. NO. STOP..'' Hal was screaming in his sleep, covered in sweat. His hands shaking as he wrestled with his restraints, nearly snapping them in half as his head tossed from side to side in panic.
''HAL, ITS OKAY.'' Tom grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him in an attempt to wake him up.
''HAL. CALM DOWN, ITS A DREAM MATE.''
Hal's eyes snapped open, fear set deep within them. He stared at the floor as he choked on his own breath, his whole body trembling. His fingers gripping the chair with such a force that Tom thought it might break.
''Hal! it was just a dream!'' Hal's breath began to slow as he registered Tom's words but he showed no sign of changing. His fingers still gripped the chair and he was still shaking.
''I need to get out of this chair...'' His voice was low and filled with desperation. He lifted his face and looked directly at Tom, his eyes glassy and pleading. ''Please, Tom. It's killing me...im so hungry.''
Tom looked away. He found it hard to deny Hal of freedom when he begged like that. When he was so obviously in pain. When he was so obviously suffering. He wanted to do as he asked, let him go. He wouldn't though. It wouldn't help him, as soon as he was set free, he'd kill someone. It would make everything he's done so far meaningless, and he'd be even more of a slave to the blood than he was right now.
''Why won't you listen to me! I can't do this anymore!'' his voice almost broke ''i just want it to stop.'' He was still staring at Tom, his eyes watering. ''You don't understand how much it hurts...every day... It just get's worse and worse and i can't take it longer...Im beg-.'' he stopped mid word and tightened his grip on the arms of the chair, his face scrunching up as if he were in pain.
Alex stood beside Tom, watching. She never knew what to say at these parts, she wasn't good with words and her sarcy comments wouldn't be appriciated right now.
''I can't let ya' out Hal...'' Tom kept his gaze on the wall beside the door.
Hal's head snapped up ''FOR FUCKS SAKE. I DON'T WANT TO SIT IN THIS FUCKING CHAIR...I AM FUCKING STARVING.'' he was gripping the chair even tighter now.
Tom jumped, the sound of Hal's raised voice catching him by suprise. It was impossible to know what would happen next with him, his moods would change without warning.
''LET. ME. THE. FUCK. OUT!'' The look of desperation disapeared from his eyes and was replaced by darkness. He yanked on the restraints with a strength that Tom had never seen before, causing the metal hook at the base of a strap to bend under the pressure.
''Hal...Stop. Stop what ya' doing mate...HAL STOP IT.'' it was too late now. The strap snapped, freeing one of Hal's arms. He grabbed hold of the other and ripped it off his wrist like it was nothing. Before Tom could even attempt to stop him, he tore the strap across his stomach that was still pinning him to the chair and in seconds he was stood up in front of it.
Tom stepped back, knowing it would be impossible to try and pin him down again, not when he was like this. He'd never seen him so out of control. He gripped the stake in his pocket, hoping to use it only as a last resort.
''HAL. YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN. OH GOD...SHIT SHIT SHIT.'' Alex ran and stood beside Tom, a panicked expression on her face as Hal began walking toward them.
''I Dint' think he'd be able to break dem' straps!'' Tom shouted as he held the stake at his side. ''We're not gonna be able to pin 'im back down now, i've never seen 'im like this!''
Alex spotted what he was holding in his hand ''Wait..your not actually going to use that on him are you!'' The look on her face was that of shock and disbelief.
''Well i can't let him kill me!'' Tom was backing up toward the stairs, his eyes focused on Hal.
''Yeah well you can't kill him! After all this work we've done!'' Hal was getting closer as she spoke ''This isn't his fault!''
Tom ran up the stairs and into his bedroom, slamming the door shut with a force and baracading it with his bed side cabinet. He stood at the other side of his bed, gripping the stake in anticipation of Hal's arrival. His footsteps echoed loudly through the house, getting closer every second.
''Im going to rip your fucking throat out, DOG.'' Tom could see the shadow of Hal's feet beneath the door as he spoke. He turned the handle and pushed against it, only to be held back by the cabinet in the way. Hal chuckled and stepped back.
''Imbecile.'' The word was quiet, but loud enough for Tom to hear. The way Hal said it almost made it sound like he was smiling. All of a sudden there was a loud thud.
He was kicking the door.
''Did you honestly think...'' there was an even louder thud ''...that you could keep me out with a fucking cabinet?'' He laughed to himself again.
''Worth a try mate...'' Tom muttered back.
The door shook as he kicked it once more, breaking one of the hinges. After a final push the cabinet fell forward, allowing Hal to get in. He pushed the door aside and walked through, smirking at Tom, his arms by his side and his fists clenched.
''HAL! STOP!'' Alex appeared in the bedroom, a panicked expression on her face.
''Oh here comes fucking Casper.'' he walked straight past her, his eyes focused on Tom.
He was in front of him in a matter of seconds, still walking forward, forcing Tom to reverse until his back touched the wall. His arm flew up and he gripped Tom by the throat, choking him until he couldn't breathe.
Tom lifted his arms up in a pathetic attempt to try and release himself, but it was impossible. Hal was too strong.
''HAL STOP IT! YOUR HURTING HIM!'' he didn't stop but instead continued to squeeze Tom's neck even harder.
Suddenly, Hal's body jolted and he froze. For a second, she thought that she had gotten through to him and he was back again. His head turned and he looked directly at her, the look in his eyes that of shock and confusion, as if he had just come out of a trance.
''Hal..?'' she asked, caution in her voice.
He loosened his grip, his arm dropping by his side as he staggered back, his hands shaking. Panic crept over his face as he looked down. She ran and stood beside Tom so she could see Hal's face.
Alex gasped as she saw it, her eyes darting to Tom who was coughing from having almost suffocated. Just beneath Hal's ribcage was a large stake. The area around it turning crimson from his blood.
He closed his eyes, the pain of it clear in his face before falling to his knees.
Tom straightened up, still struggling to breathe. He looked down at Hal, who was staring at the stake, his hands hovering over it as if to check that it was real.
''I...I had to do it..Im sorry...You weren't gonna' stop...'' Tom was breathing heavily as he spoke.
Hal's mouth had filled up with his own blood, he attempted to speak but the words were replaced by gurgling. He looked up at Tom, his eyes glistening with fear as his hands continued to hover over the stake. He touched it and let out a muffled cry of agony, placing one hand on the floor for support. The blood now dripping down his chin and onto his shirt.
Tom ran towards him, kneeling down until he was at the same height. His eyes a picture of guilt. He knew the wound wasn't fatal, he had made sure of it. After all, the only way to kill a vampire is a stake threw the heart. Still, this was the last thing he ever wanted to do, but he had no choice in the matter. It was this or allow himself to be ripped to shreds by his best friend, which was inevitable considering how out of control Hal had been at the time. He looked into his eyes. The monster that was there only minutes ago was nowhere to be seen, only deep routed pain lay beneath his hazel glare.
''Oh my god! you...you staked him!'' Alex was frozen in the same place, watching as Hal choked on his own blood.
''It won't kill 'im, only if it was in the 'art!'' Tom shouted back, not paying much attention to her. He was more occupied with what to do with Hal, who was beggining to loose conciousness.
''He's coughing up blood!'' Alex was panicking. She'd never seen somebody get stabbed (or staked) before, even if they were already dead.
''I can see that! we need ta' get the stake out, then it will heal.'' Tom replied, trying to stay calm.
''I can't believe you staked him! Look at him, Oh my god!'' Alex was shouting back, almost hysterically.
''Do ya' think i wanted to do it! he was gonna' kill me! I 'ad to!''
''Couldn't you have punched him or something!''
''He 'ad me by my neck, i couldn't breathe! Do ya' actually think i could of knocked him owt! he was off his 'ed!''
Alex opened her mouth, but stopped before she said anything else. Tom did have a point. She'd never seen Hal like that before, it was as if he were a completley different person. She actually thought he was going to kill Tom at the time. It was just such a shock. She still hadn't fully processed this new world that she'd been forced into, and it was moments like this that allowed reality to dawn on her.
Hal clenched his fist as another spasm of pain ran through his body, forcing his teeth together in an attempt to stop himself from screaming. He fell forward, his supporting arm almost giving way. Tom gripped his shoulders and held him up, dodging the blood dripping from his chin.
''Alex, give us a hand moving 'im.'' he turned around and looked at her ''Were gonna' have to get that stake out.''
Alex tutted ''Great, just how i wanted to spend my night''
