REUNION

Ok so I thought some stuff was missing from episode 302 between Josh and Aidan. From the time Josh picked Aidan up at the payphone and the time he reappeared in the kitchen, clean-shaven. Plus during that episode there was this strange and wonderful moment in the kitchen where Josh places his hand on Aidan arm and lets it linger for a second to long. The look on Aidan face made me squeal. …Hopefully this story will put some context around that and the way I see it should have happened.

I don't feel that my stories are real stories but more like missing scenes of things I wanted and didn't get. Things that needed deeper exploration (ie: more air time, why is there never enough air time!) They run simultaneously to the show, think more like an undercurrent to the show we watch. I want to see the hidden relationship.

As always please review thanks!
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As soon as he hung up the phone, Josh placed a call of his own. He dialed Nora; he told her that he and Sally were headed out of town to pick up Aidan. Nora didn't believe him at first, he had to repeat it several times to make her understand. How? He wondered could it have taken them over a year and several dead bodies to get Sally back and a mere two days later Aidan magically returns from god-knows-where. Nora had so many questions; she shot them out one after another like cannon fire. Josh had no answers and all the same questions. He promised Nora that they would get answers and find out together, just like they had done everything else for the last 15 months.

As soon they got in the car Josh speed away from Boston, anxious to collect his friend. His foot pushed hard on the accelerator, he couldn't get where he was going fast enough, he wouldn't feel right until they were all back at the house together where they belonged. As Josh pulled the car into the parking lot, Sally squealed with delight as she spotted Aidan emerging from a phone booth. She sprang from the car and into Aidan's arms before Josh could even put the vehicle in park.

At his first sight of Aidan, Josh was flooded with an overwhelming sense of relief. Aidan was alive, they had spoke on the phone and now an hour and a half later he was standing right in front of him. A sight for sore eyes, his best friend alive!

Josh didn't know where to begin; he hovered nervously while Sally rejoiced in the moment leaping into Aidan's embrace. Josh was considering what his first words should be, when Sally abruptly shoved Aidan forward causing him to half stumble into Josh's arms, it felt so right. Josh said nothing as he griped him firmly, he felt Aidan return the hug so tightly that it almost hurt.

Much to Josh dismay his brain never turned off, the hug was intense and lasted seconds longer than is commonly acceptable among guys, in public. His thoughts abruptly turned to the awkward parking lot reunion as he quickly scanned the patrons for signs of disproval. 'Screw it' he thought selfishly, as he closed his eyes and let Aidan's joy wash over him. In that moment he didn't care, he had his Aidan back.

Aidan's exhaled in relief at being back with his friends. His mind was still playing catch up to his body's experiences and it soon circled back to the previous hug, questioning how he just hugged the now corporal Sally. Josh untangled himself from the strange embrace-turned-conversation as he found himself wedged between Aidan and Sally. Josh urged them all to return to the car just as Aidan senses made another discovery that blew his mind. "You don't smell like dog anymore."

They looked eyes for a second as Josh unconsciously rubbed at his scars and wordless shrugged before he turned away almost ashamed. Sally chimed in "Yeah it broke my brain too!" as she gleefully followed after Josh. Aidan was rendered dumbfounded and left standing alone as his friends made their way back to the car. Ignoring his pain he followed after them; operating solely on adrenalin and joy of the reunion.

Once inside the car, Aidan collapsed, his body melting into the passenger seat. Sally leaning forward from the back seat started in right away with the questions. On and on she went breathless asking questions one after another "What happened to you? You look like hell. What is with the Manson look? Where have you been? What's that smell? Suddenly she smiled widely "Oh…I can smell!" She giggled happily and sniffed at the air "Oh god, I can smell." she said less enthusiastically as she waved her hand in front of her face.

During the questioning Aidan sank further into the seat and leaned his head against the window as Sally's voice faded away. Josh not a werewolf. Sally not a ghost. These thoughts repeated over and over in his head. He shielded his eyes to avoid the light streaming into the car as he tried to set his thoughts right.

In Sally's new state of living everything seemed more vivid, more real. Including the dried blood that covered Aidan. "Why are you covered in blood?" She asked flatly, her question hanging in the air.

Aidan thoughts were pulled back to the moment by the sudden silence; soon he realized that she was waiting for him to answer. "What?" he mumbled as he turned to face the backseat of the car, making a respectable effort to hide his discomfort.

"Why are you covered in blood?" she repeated almost accusatory.

"Oh s'nothing." He attempted to wave her questioning away as he stared her up and down. "It's a long story." He lied flashing a week smile. "It's fine now." She looked strange to him wearing rolled up jeans and a tee. Gone was the gray outfit he had gown accustomed to and had missed so much during his time underground. She looked blindingly brighter; her skin had color and glow, especially now that gray hue that had surround her was gone.

"Aidan that's not and answer." Proclaimed Sally. Aidan ignored her words and reached a hand toward her, he stopped just short of touching. He was expecting to feel the rush of cold air infused with electricity that makes up a ghost's particles.

"Yeah." Josh agreed as he glanced over at him "What happened man?" His eyes leaving the road, "You been gone over a year and now all the sudden you call from a phone booth in the middle of nowhere," Josh turn his attention back to the road "and if you don't mind me saying…" Josh chuckled nervously"…you look like hell."

"What?" In shock, Aidan shot upright in and turned to face front again. "What did you say?"

"You… L lo look like hell" Josh stuttered feeling guilty as he watched his friend become visibly upset and start to shake. "Forget it, we'll talk later," he deflected "when we get home."

"NO." Aidan stated firmly. Josh shook his head, looking both surprised and apologetic at the same time. "Now." Aidan insisted. "What did you say?"

Reluctantly Josh slowly repeated himself "What happened? You been going over a year and now you call us from a phone booth in the middle of nowhere and you..look…" his words faded away ".…like hell" as Aidan began talking over him.

"Over.

A.

Year…"

Aidan repeated the words slowly one at a time. Clearly enunciating every syllable, not believing them as they left his mouth.

"Hey man…" Josh turned his head in time to watch as what little color Aidan had drained from his face. "It's okay." He reached over and gave Aidan's arm a nudge.

Sally learned forward in the car and put her hand on Aidan's shoulder. He instinctually covered it with his own, as she gave him a small reassuring squeeze.

"A year." It was starting to slowly sink in. "I was gone over a year?" He rubbed his face with his hands and exhaled all the air he had in him.

"Yes, we know." Josh replied, "Where were you? Nora and I, we searched everywhere for you. Why didn't you contact us until now?

"I," Aidan started "I couldn't."

"Why not? Were you in hiding?" Josh didn't want to push him to fast but really needed to know, after trying to find him for so long. "What happened with mother? With Suren?"

"Suren is dead."

"What?" Josh gasped.

"Mother, she…" Aidan paused "….she commanded Suren to kill me. I begged her to do it and when she refused, Mother staked her. Right before the counsel, in front of everyone." His voice growing tight though clenched jaw "Right in front of me!"

"Oh my god Aidan. I am so sorry." Sally began to choke up, "I know how much she meant to you."

"It's fine. " He dismissed her concern, his voice tight, and bitter. "Apparently, I've had a lot of time to come to terms with it." Its true Aidan had come to terms with her death. He loved her with out a doubt, but as he replayed his feeling during their times spent together, while he lie trapped in her coffin he came to realize that she was not the love of his life. There was someone else he loved more.

"Okay, that's good, I guess." Sally empathized slowly, before gently prodding "So where have you been?" she asked.

"I was underground." Aidan replied as a shiver ran up his spine.

"You were in hiding?" Questioned Josh "Is that why couldn't tell us where you were?"

"No, not like that." Aidan rubbed his temples as he spoke. "After mother killed Sur..." he couldn't finish so he tried again "Mother...she ground me."

"What she locked in your room with out supper?" Sally said with a smile that lit up her face and more than hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah something like that, only…." his voice cracked horse and raspy. "…only far worse." He lowered his head into his hands. "She buried me, underground," he paused "in Suren coffin." the last part came out angry, and full of injustice.

"What?" Josh reeled in shock and almost losing control of the wheel. "What? How is that even possible?" Josh couldn't comprehend. Josh had the wild thought that Mother buried Aidan covered in Suren ashes.

"It is possible, and Mother is cruel and she's done it before….to her own daughter!"

"What?!" Josh was now even more confused. "She did what? How?"

His voice giving way to anger now "80 years ago Mother buried Suern alive as punishment." Growing angry he continued "Eighty years, I waited for Suren. Every year I stood at her grave unable to help while Mother continued her insane cruelty. He held back the tears. "At last, Mother had me to dig her up," He used the narrow bit of sweater peeking out form under his leather to wipe his face "..only to lose her again."

Neither Josh nor Sally had any response. What could they say? Their brains were working hard on putting together the pieces. Sally thoughts flashed to scenes from old black and white horror movies, where vampires lie buried; undead in their coffins until some poor unsuspecting person disturbs them.

Eventually Sally whispered "Aidan it's okay your here now, …with us." Sally encouraged as she reached for him again. Aidan sank low in the seat and closed his eyes.

The year, the entire year, over a year in fact, Josh thought. All that time he was franticly searching for his friend. Aidan was underground, buried alive.

This brought into question everything Josh thought he knew about vampires. 'But how?' Josh wondered. How could Aidan survive, how could anyone survive? Josh had no illusions that Aidan was human; hell he knew that he was not even technically alive. That's is how they started this whole thing in the first place, because he and Aidan were different. They were supernatural bothers, the wolf and the vampire. Living together, sharing an unspoken bond; trying not to be the monster that they are.

This was a huge shock, more so now that he had just spent the last year studying nursing. He had questions. "How Aidan? How is that even possible that you're…'alive' now? How?"

"I don't know."

"How did you...?" the question hung. "How did you survive with no light or air? What about food?"

Aidan rubbed his eyes and yawned out an answer "Light and air are optional, but the hunger and the sickness. I thought I would go mad and fall to dust, but I didn't." he paused "I knew that somehow I could survive, just like Suren had." His sadness was palatable. "She survived for eighty years in that coffin. I knew I could too. I had to."

"But I thought vampires needed blood to survive."

"We do. It was torturous at first, but after a few days, or weeks or who knows how long, I begin to dry out. After that it became easier, well physically easier anyway. I think my body just went into a shut down mode. It did just what it needed to, to survive.

"My god that's amazing. So, what happened after you dried out, you what…slept?"

"No. God no. I wish it were that easy." Aidan looked at over at Josh who was listening intently. He started again slowly "In the darkness you can't tell if you are awake or asleep, alive or dead. Up, down everything loses meaning, it's so confusing to the scenes to be denied everything."

At this his mind broke just a bit as he confessed his fears "I'm not even sure…" He paused and wiped at his face. "…if I am….If I am here, with you guys right now or if I am still lying in that small dark space hallucinating this conversation."

"No man it's okay. Your here with us now." Josh reached his hand out and put it on his shoulder. "We're real."

"Must be," Aidan forced a laugh "because I can move." He stretched both arms out in front of himself, flexed his fingers, then turned his palms toward himself and for the first time noticed his filthy hands in surprise. "And the pain…" he winced as he shifted in his seat "…it feels… very real."

"It is." Josh reiterated with a smile that faded fast across his face. "Real. That is." Aidan half smiled in return happy to know that the pain he was now suffering was indeed real.

Aidan put his hand to up to his forehead to shield his eyes "And it is so damn bright, I feels like I'm it's on fire." Josh looked out the window. It was a gray overcast day, damp with drizzle, no sun in sight.

"Aidan this is real and it's all going to be okay."

But he was too late, in the short time Josh paused to take in the sky, Aidan had crossed his arms tightly over his chest and lowered his head and passed out.

"Josh shouldn't we keep him awake?" Sally asked, "Do you think he's ok?"

Josh had almost forgotten that Sally was even in the car. "I don't know Sally, lets just let him be for now, till we get him home."