She pumped her legs steadily, her heart beating hard and fast. She listened to the quickening steps of the person behind her as she turned her run into a sprint. Why is he doing this?? She thought in terror. Looking back she saw a hungry look in his eyes, why is Danni doing this ?…..her thoughts were cut short as she felt a steal tight grip incase her shoulder painfully tight. Letting out a small scream, she was wrenched around to face her assailant. He was a tall young man with broad shoulders, long dark brown hair and icy blue eyes. Upon his face he wore a menacing grin "You can't get away from me tawny!". She could feel his hands clench her hair as hot tears ran down her cheeks, she squeaked in pain. "You were mine" she heard him say in anger "mine!" He threw her down to the cement; in his voice she noted a sliver of sadness "Why? Why did you think you could run? You know they can never run, never…" in the distance Tawny heard feet pounding against the pavement, she saw the outline of a figure, then blackness.
"Daddy look!" said Tawny as she ran up to her father. She had long silky brown hair, bright blue eyes, and she wore a light blue dress. Her father, a tall well built man in his late twenties, bent down to look at the picture she was holding. "James darling, can you help me please?" Tawny heard her stepmother's fake-sweet voice in her ear and could sense something was wrong.
"Yes Harmony, just a second" replied her father, slowly he bent down to Tawny's height and looked into her eyes, "Daddy and Mommy have to go for a while and we'll miss you" she said gravely and Tawny could see tears welling in his eyes. "I could come with you Pa...You don't have to go alone"
"I won't be alone Tawny, Mommy will be with me. But I need you to stay here for me, ok?" Slowly Tawny nodded as her father wiped away a fresh tear. She could feel the needing in his voice and decided it was best to listen to Daddy. "When will you get back?" she asked softly
"I'm not sure yet "He replied giving her a hug " But I won't stay away for too long, I promise"
Tawny hugged her father, knowing he was lying to her. Slowly he moved away from her and towards her mother who gave her a cold look before getting into the car. Tawny watched the car pull away from the house, felt her nanny's hand on her shoulder, but the only thing she let into her world was the car disappearing into the distance.
"Daddy…" she whispered softly, then let her voice raise itself higher and higher, "DADDY"
"Daddy!" Tawny woke in a hot sweat, screaming for her father. Slowly she raised herself up into a sitting position and looked around. Wiping the sweat off her forehead she saw she was in a dull colored room, machines lined the wall and in the corner she saw a figure curled in a chair, fast asleep. Slowly she laid herself back down, realizing she was in a hospital room; she felt a hard and painful thumping in her head beating like her steady pulse. She closed her eyes tiredly, trying to forget her dream. Hearing a small "Thump" come from the corner Tawny smiled that must be Dawn…. She thought as she looked over at the figure that fell out of the chair, it was still fast asleep. Fighting the urge to throw something at him, she closed her eyes again and drifted off into the darkness of her dreams. But soon she awoke to the sound of voices around her.
"How is she?"
"I don't know, she hasn't woken up since I've been here"
"Maybe it's you, you could be causing some kind of psychological issue with her mind"
"Shut up"
She heard a small laugh "I was just joking with you Dawn"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah" he chuckled slightly
"You two give me a migraine" Tawny said softly as she opened her eyes to a blinding light and two handsome young men. She smiled softly at the looks on their faces and let out a laugh. "What, didn't think I would hear you?"
"Nope" Said the tall well built young man with long brown hair that curled slightly at the end. She recognized his loving green eyes; it was Johnny, her best friend. Slowly Tawny turned her gaze to Dawn; he was a handsome man with short golden hair with purple tips, longingly deep brown eyes and a very nice body.
"Hey Tawny " Dawn said in a soft, loving voice
"Hey sunshine"
Dawn gave a soft smile before sitting next to Tawny. "You were out for awhile"
"Yeah but luckily I didn't miss you falling out of you chair last night!"
Dawn turned a light pink, "You saw that?" he asked as Johnny laughed behind him.
"I'm always watching you fall, why would I miss that one?"
"You're--such--a—klutz" Johnny said in between laughs.
Dawn immediately lost his smile, blushing profusely
" Oh yeah Dawn did I forget to tell you that last week Johnny lost his cool in front of a girl in the mall and did a face plant?" Tawny said and immediately Johnny turned scarlet and stopped laughing and Dawn smiled at her with a "thanks for the save and the blackmail" kind of smile. Slowly Tawny moved her hand towards his and brushed it lightly. He pulled away, standing quickly and making a move for the door, "I'm going to get some coffee, would you like anything to drink?"
"Soda" Johnny replied as Tawny looked at Dawn and shook her head. As he left the room, Tawny turned her longing gaze to Johnny, "Why does he still do that?"
"Do what? About piss himself when you get near him?"
"Yes"
"Because he likes you"
"Well then he should say something instead of running away when I flirt with him" She said
"I know, I know" Johnny said simply
"So….. What happened?" asked Tawny softly, referring to the previous night
"Well that's the thing; we don't know entirely what happened" Johnny said gravely, "All the stuff we know is someone signed you into the hospital"
"Who?"
"We don't know. They didn't give a name or anything. Just said to call Dawn"
"Well
that's odd, how would he know Dawn?"
"I'm not sure but
you really scared the shit out of him. He's been here since you got
admitted in. Hasn't left except to go to the bathroom and get coffee"
"Wow….how long have I been here?"
"About two days" he said with a laugh
"Wow, Dawn really can hold out cant he?" she said sarcastically
"Well he's held out for about a year so I'd think he could last two days" Johnny said and was immediately hit upside the head by Dawn who had walked into the room. Looking at Johnny with a "you're lucky she's here or I'd have kicked your ass" look Dawn thrust Johnny's pop into his hand before turning to Tawny and handing her water. Reluctantly she took it and gave a small yet angry "Thanks." Tawny could see a look of hurt in his eyes as he sat down in the chair he had slept in the previous night.
"So, besides my sleeping habits, what have you been talking about?" Dawn said with a fake smile.
"Just about what happened the other night" Johnny replied simply
"Can you remember anything Tawny?"
"Nope" she fibbed, Johnny gave her a knowing glance, this is something they would have to talk about later. "I'm tired of this place! When can I go home?" she asked Dawn, purposefully knowing he wouldn't make her stay.
"You're free to go as soon as you get dressed" replied Johnny with a smile. Tawny smiled back He always knows what I'm trying to do.
"Ok well get my clothes and let's go!" Immediately Dawn fetched her pants and shirt, fumbling slightly with her underwear before handing them to her, "These aren't the clothes I had on the other day!"
"Yeah, I know." said Johnny with a grin." I picked them up from your place so you'd have fresh things to wear"
"Great, now I'm going to have to count my panties to make sure none are missing!" she said with a smile.
"Maybe one or two…" Johnny replied as Dawn gave him an evil look. "All for Dawn of course…OW! What the hell!" Dawn gave a satisfied grin at the place on Johnny's head that would soon be the new home of an egg sized lump.
"Well, let's get out of here!" Tawny said before kicking the boys out of her room so she could change.
* * *
"He-he daddy, do it again! Do it again!" little Tawny demanded from her father. With a happy smile he obliged crossing his eyes, puffing out his cheeks and wiggling his ears. Laughing with satisfaction Tawny ran away playfully as her father chased her.
"Daddy stop!" Tawny said as she burst into an uncontrollable laughter while her father grabbed her sides and tickled her with his long, slender fingers. In the corner of Tawny's tear-swollen eyes she could see her mother watching her and her father play. Immediately her laughter stopped and her father let her down onto the soft ground.
"Harmony" James said quietly to Tawny's mother as she glared at Tawny with disgusts and hatred. "Harmony, get inside now!" He demanded as Harmony attempted to move towards Tawny. In anger the woman slowly moved back into the house and James turned back to Tawny. "Baby do Daddy a favor and go play down the street with little Johnny." Slowly Tawny shook her head. She didn't want to leave her father with Harmony. She didn't like them being alone. "Please Tawny?! I promise when you get back we'll go get some ice-cream from Sweet's ok?" Reluctantly she nodded and watched her father move into the house. Quietly Tawny moved towards the kitchen window, it was always open so she was sure she could hear what they were going to say.
As she peeked over she heard Harmony's raising " Why the hell do you spend so much time with that little brat?!" she demanded
"Because she's my Daughter!"
"No she's your dead wife's daughter! She has no reason to be with you"
"Do not talk about my wife! I am Tawny's father and I swore I would be here for her!"
"You also said you would be here for me! Giving all your attention to a brat like her isn't being here for me!"
"She's your stepdaughter for Christ's sake you could at least ACT like you like her"
"Why should I waste my time with a runt like her when I have my own child to think of?!"
"… What child?"
"Our child James, the one who will be raised as a single child by his father and mother!"
"I will not leave my daughter."
"You will!"
Tawny stared, amazed at what she was hearing. She was to be a sister. Harmony's trying to get daddy to leave me! But Daddy can't leave me…I'm his daughter and he loves me… Tawny's thoughts drifted as her father's voice came again.
"Fine". He said in defeat, "But tawny doesn't find out about this! And you are to be kinder to her till we leave!" Tawny was shocked at what she heard but knew she heard right, and as tears weld up in her eyes she ran. Tawny ran till she reached Johnny's tree house, where she knew he would be, and was in his arms telling him what had happened. "You can stay wif me Twany!" Johnny said through lost teeth, "you can stway up here and I'll bring you food, that ways you're never alone!"
"I'm never alone Johnny" Tawny said as Johnny looked around her empty house. Reluctantly Johnny sat down on the couch, drinking the soda he still had left from the hospital "Maybe if you get a cat…" He thought to himself.
"Yeah what's it going to do is someone breaks in? Hiss it to death?" She said with a smile.
"Fine how about a dog?"
"Nope"
"Why?"
"They lick people."
"So do I but that doesn't stop you from letting me in your house!"
Tawny laughed before saying "Yeah maybe I should rethink the 'No leashes in the house' rule."
"Why, so you can be a bad little puppy for Dawn. Are you going to make him punish you?" Johnny said with a sly smile.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Hell yeah! If it involved Dawn getting laid!"
"Have you….have you two..." Tawny stammered quietly
"Yes you were very clear on the question, I'm positive I can answer you now!" He said playfully," Now in plain English could you finish the question?!"
"Well have you two talked…about….him and..."
"You!" Johnny finished her sentence with a small smile, "well maybe…what will I get if I tell you?"
"You won't get anything and you'll like it"
"Very stern babe! Well fine, since were such good buds", He thought for a minute about what he was going to say, "he really does like you, but he doesn't want to move too fast…"
"It would help if we weren't immobile!"
"Good point." He said with a laugh
"So he doesn't want to move too fast…what did you tell him?"
"That the least he could do is move a bit or give me the ok to move myself!" He said in a joking manner but Tawny wasn't pleased. "Why don't you make a move?" He asked with curiosity.
"Because!"
"Because….Why?!"
"I've tried a dozen times to show him I'm interested but he doesn't seem to understand!"
"Oh he understands but doesn't know how to react! Just make a major move on him that he can't resist!" Johnny suggested, knowing full well what he meant. Tawny tipped his soda can farther up as he drank, forcing soda down his nose. With a splutter, gasp and a gulp of air, Johnny resurfaced with a soda/snot covered shirt and tears leaking down his cheeks to the corners of his mouth. "That was so not cool!" He exclaimed to Tawny as he stood up rubbing his nose. She grabbed his upper arm and led him to the front door. "Maybe you should go home and take a shower! A cold shower"
"Ha-ha. Very funny!"
"What-ever. Just go"
"Fine but I have my cell with me if you need anything!"
"Ok ok now go!" Tawny said as she pushed him out of the doorway and onto the sidewalk, closing the door behind her. Gradually Tawny began to let herself relax and took in her surroundings. After about a half hour of being back home she finally headed upstairs. Johnny forgot to check the upstairs…She thought as she headed for her room. Pausing for a second at her door she opened it slowly and peered in, relaxing when she saw nothing abnormal. Cautiously Tawny walked into her room and over to the window to open the curtains and let in some light. As she looked out the window her thoughts drifted to Dawn. Why is he so shy…Johnny can tell I like him and I know he likes me…but…Blaring music came from downstairs, rousing her from her thoughts; Tawny made her way down stairs to answer her cell phone as it reached the last part of the song she had chosen for her ring tone.
"Hello?" Tawny said into the phone
"Tawn-Tawn" A voice rasped on the other end, "Tawny you can't hide from me!'
Tawny quickly put the phone back on the receiver, her stomach turned as she dialed Johnny's number.
"Hello??" Johnny's answered
"Johnny." Tawny felt like she couldn't breathe, "Johnny, he just called…"
"Hold on I'll be there in a minute" Johnny said in a rushed tone, then all she heard was the dial tone. Johnny didn't even take a break when he got back to Tawny's; grabbing her tightly by the arm he towed her out to his truck. "You're staying with me and Dawn" He said as he started the car.
"What about my stuff?"
"I'll come back later for whatever you need but for now I'm not leaving you alone"
Tawny rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to hang with you all the time. I'm a lady. I need my space"
"Well your space now has room for two" He said gruffly, a hint of sarcasm flickered in his word's, and his eyes.
Tawny smiled "Thanks, Johnny"
* * *
Dawn walked through the front door, stepping onto the soft grass outside. He took a deep breath, letting the warm air fill his strangled lungs. He felt slightly sick, queasy, but couldn't help but feel like he had to go out. Maybe I'll feel better after a drive around town he thought to himself as he lightly slid into the driver's seat of his black '67 Chevy Impala. The leather seats rubbed his skin softly, making goose bumps rise all over. He laid his head back against the seats head rest, feeling sicker every minute that passed. Maybe I shouldn't go out if I'm feeling like this…he thought as he pulled his keys and cell phone out of his pocket. The silver cell phone sparked when the sunlight hit it, tiny scratches shone here and there from abuse over the past year. His stomach wrenched and convulsed violently as the light reflected off his phone and shone into his eyes, deep chocolate brown suddenly flashed and flared to an icy light blue as Dawn screamed inwardly and Danni smiled viciously on the outside. With a triumphant sigh, Danni settled into the seat of the car, rolling his shoulders and flexing his muscles, as he dialed Tawny's number. Ring, Ring, Ring, the phone sounded like an annoying insect as he tapped the steering wheel waiting for her to answer.
"Hello?" Tawny's voice sounded uncertain, even scared, as she waited for an answering voice
"Tawn-Tawn", Danni said softly, "Tawny, you can't hide from me…"
The dial tone sounded harsh and unsympathetic to Danni's ears. Slamming the phone shut and tossing it into the passenger's seat, Danni flexed his fingers in anger, trying to keep calm. But apparently he wouldn't have to keep up his mask for long; Johnny came charging out of the house as if his life depended on it, running to his truck. "I'm going to get Tawny", he yelled as he slammed his car door and started the engine. Danni smiled to him-self, watching Johnny pull away and head down the street, he let his mask fall. The sound of bones shattering filled the air, Danni bit his lip to keep from screaming out loud; fighting through the pain as his face and body rearranged itself. Soon the short beautiful golden hair that belonged to Dawn was now long and dark brown, baby-ish cheeks wear now sunken in and his jaw line was more prominent. Finally Danni straightened him-self, blood trickled down his chin from the bite marks he left in his lip, and he wiped it away. Time to go to town… He thought as he pulled out of the driveway and headed for his favorite hunting spot.
* * *
It was almost eleven when Tawny walked over the threshold into Johnny's house. She could smell a mixture of Axe cologne that must have been Johnny, and Passion which was obviously Dawn. She could hear a slight murmur coming from the front room. She had obviously called Johnny during one of his infamous Vampire movies, most likely Queen of the Damned. Tawny could hear the hurried clicking of claws against the wooden floor as Johnny's German shepherd, Angelus, ran into the room and leapt on her, knocking her backwards into Johnny who had just entered behind her. Johnny automatically wrapped his arms around Tawny to prevent her from falling. Fevered licking commenced as Angelus realized who had just entered his house. The cold feeling of the dog's nose made Tawny laugh with joy. Johnny, propping her back up on her feet, grabbed Angelus by the scruff of his neck and pulling him away.
"Go lay down, Angel" Johnny commanded. The dog automatically disappeared into the kitchen and flopped down on his bed with a lazy thud. Johnny sighed softly, shut the front door, walked into the front room and sat down. The recliner he had sprawled himself in was old and torn, with permanent butt prints in it. It was his chair; Tawny had grown up sleeping in it with him when they were younger. After Johnny's dad died he took it with him when he moved here, it was his most precious item. With a sigh Tawny kicked her bags to the side and walked into the front room and plopped herself into Johnny's lap, curling up to his warmth. "How can you watch this garb?" Tawny asked Johnny; who was watching intently..
"Very easy, I put the DVD in the DVD player, press play and sit down"
"You know what I meant"
"You're just jealous you're not a vamp" Johnny replied simply, never breaking eye contact with the TV. His warmth made her eyes start to droop slowly, and as Johnny wrapped his arm around her she snuggled closer to him. She wasn't jealous she just didn't understand the fascination with things that weren't real. His fascination with thing that weren't real. She laid her head gently on his chest, drowsily; his heart beat seemed to be nonexistent. That's strange…. she drifted further, it's so fast…Johnny tightened his grip on Tawny as she fell into a deep comfortable sleep.
