I do not own Larten, Arra, Darren, Glada or Vampire mountain.

I do not own any of the songs included.

The piano, Larten and Darren.

(Darren's point of view)

Darren was lost. He hated to admit it but he was. No-one could judge him though because he was lost in the tunnels of Vampire Mountain. He was actually looking for his mentor, Larten Crepsley. At this moment in time Larten was most likely grieving over the loss of him ex-mate, Arra Sails. Her death hit him, hard. He was there when she was stabbed by the vampaneze, his name was Glada. He stayed with her as she died and long after as well. Darren didn't know what he should do. He could go and try to comfort Larten, but what if Larten was ashamed to be crying. Or Darren could leave him to grieve. He spoke to Seba and he said that he had gone to see Larten in his cell one night and he wanted to be alone. Seba said to give him some time and then go and see him, so Darren did. The only thing was Darren didn't know where Larten was. He checked in Larten's cell but it was empty, he checked in his own cell but no-one was there. He walked around and came upon Arra's old cell. He poked his head around the door but found no-one. Darren continued to walk around the mountain. He was determined to find Larten. He heard a noise in the distance, and he followed it. It was the sound of a piano. Then he heard a voice join the piano. I man's voice broken with sobs. He walked up to the hall and looked through the window in the door of the great room. He saw a long room, it was nearly empty, and the only thing it held was a piano and a man at the piano. The man had a red cloak and flame coloured hair. Darren knew immediately that it was Larten. Darren was shocked. Larten was playing the piano and singing. He was actually really talented. Darren began to recognize the song, it was 'Never say never' by the Fray

Some things we don't talk about

Better do without

Just hold a smile

We're falling in and out of love

The same damn problem

Darren walked into the hall quietly and stood behind his singing mentor.

Together all the while

You can never say never

Why we don't know when

Time and time again

Younger now then we were before

Don't let me go,

Don't let me go,

Don't let me go,

Don't let me go,

Don't let me go,

Don't let me go

Picture, you're the queen of everything

As far as the eye can see

Under your command

I will be your guardian

When all is crumbling

Steady your hand

You can never say never
Why we don't know when
Time and time again
Younger now then we were before
Don't let me go,
Don't let me go,
Don't let me go,
Don't let me go,
Don't let me go,
Don't let me go.

We're falling apart
And coming together again and again
We're coming apart
But we pull it together
Pull it together, together again

Don't let me go,
Don't let me go,
Don't let me go,
Don't let me go,
Don't let me go,
Don't let me go.

He finished the song and looked down at the piano keys and started to cry. Heart retching cries from deep inside his heart. I reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. He jumped slightly then turned to me.

"That was amazing. Was it for Arra?"

"Yes." He replied simply. He looked pained at the mention of her name. "She loved it when I sang to her, but I hardly ever did. I wish I could change things about mine and Arra's past. I wish I was there for her more and I wish I never left her at the mountain."

I looked into his eyes and he began to cry. I pulled him into a hug and allowed him to cry into my shirt. We sat there for most of the day and Larten became relaxed. He pulled away from me and tried to compose himself, it didn't work.

"I am sorry. I am supposed to be the brave one, the one that does not cry."

"Don't be sorry, Larten. To get over her you have to cry, it's natural."

"Thank you, Darren. You being here through this has helped me more than you can understand."

"No problem, anytime. I liked your song. It was 'Never say never' by the 'Fray'. Am I correct?"

"Yes. I heard it a few years ago and I liked it. It just fit my mood today and the lyrics were very meaningful to me."

I smiled slightly and he asked me something that sort of surprised me.

"Do you want to sing?" I was shocked by this. Reason 1. Before now I thought Larten hated music. Reason 2. Did he mean sing with him or to him or what?

"You do not have to if you wish not to. I just thought it would be nice."

"I don't know how to play the piano."

"I do. You sing and I'll play."

"Okay. Do you know 'How to save a life' by the 'Fray'"

"Yes. I think I do."

He began playing and it was the correct song.

I waited until it was time for me to begin.

Step one you say we need to talk

He walks you say sit down it's just a talk

He smiles politely back at you

You stare politely right on through

Some sort of window to your right

As he goes left and you stay right

Between the lines of fear and blame

You begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life

He looked at me in surprise.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing is wrong. You are really good."

"You are better than me."

"Thank you. Anyway lets continue."

Let him know that you know best

Cause after all you do know best

Try to slip past his defense

Without granting innocence

Lay down a list of what is wrong

The things you've told him all along

And pray to God he hears you

And pray to God he hears you

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice

You lower yours and grant him one last choice

Drive until you lose the road

Or break with the ones you've followed

He will do one of two things

He will admit to everything

Or he'll say he's just not the same

And you'll begin to wonder why you came

Larten joined in for the chorus. His deep voice mixing well with my higher one.

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life

How to save a life

How to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life

How to save a life

We finished the song at I looked up at him.

"Can we do another one?"

"Sure, we can. What do you want to sing?"

"I'm not sure. What about you? Any ideas?"

"I am not sure if you would know the songs that I know."

"Try me."

Larten ran his fingers over his scar, he was thinking.

"I have one."

He began to play the music and sing along to it. This song was faster than the others and I knew it was older. I knew it though. It was 'These arms of mine' by 'Otis Redding'

These arms of mine, they are lonely,

Lonely and feeling blue.

These arms of mine, they are yearning,

Yearning from wanting you.

And if you would let them hold you,

Oh how grateful I will be.

I joined in to show that I recognized the song

These arms of mine, they are burning,

Burning from wanting you.

These arms of mine, they are wanting,

Wanting to hold you.

And if you would let them hold you,

Oh how grateful I will be.

Come on, come on please let them.

Just be my little woman.

Just be my lover.

I need me somebody, somebody to treat me right.

I need your arms, loving arms to hold me tight.

I need your, I need your tender lips, to hold me,

To hold me together when I'm around you.

The song ended and he looked at me, with a confused look on his face.

"How did you know that song?"

"I just did. It is off one of my favourite movies. Dirty Dancing."

"Oh. Ok then your go."

"Do you have a guitar?"

"Yes. It is in that closet. Wait here."

He flitted to the closet, which I think was a bit unnecessary. He came back with an acoustic guitar in his hands.

"Here you go."

I picked a few of the strings. They needed tuning. Luckily I knew how to tune the guitar by hearing. I tuned it quickly and began playing.

I decided to play 'This love' by 'Maroon 5'

I was so high I did not recognize

The fire burning in her eyes

The chaos that controlled my mind

Whispered goodbye and she got on a plane

Never to return again

But always in my heart

This love has taken it's toll on me

She said goodbye too many times before

And her heart is breaking in front of me

I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore

I tried my best to feed her appetite

Keep her coming every night

So hard to keep her satisfied

Kept playing love like it was just a game

Pretending to feel the same

Then turn around and leave again

This love has taken it's toll on me

She said goodbye too many times before

And her heart is breaking in front of me

I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore

I'll fix these broken things

Repair your broken wings

And make sure everything's alright

My pressure on her hips

Sinking my fingertips

Into every inch of you

Cause I know that's what you want me to do.

"So did you recognise it?"

"No. I did not. It was really good though."

"Thank you."

"Well, we really should get some sleep."

"Ok, uh Larten?"

"Yes?"

"Where are we?"

"I thought you might be curious. Well Arra loved to sing and she loved music but she did not want anyone to know about her gift. So I got a sledge hammer and made this place."

"Wow. You built this hall? Does anyone else know about this place?"

"No. The only people that know of it are you, me and Arra."

I saw a tear slide down the side of his face. I wiped it off with the pad of my thumb.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"No. Not for that, but for helping today. I sort of had fun. But I have to ask, how did you find me?"

"Well, I thought I should come to see if you were alright. So I checked your cell but you weren't there I checked all the halls and you were no-where. And then I kind of got lost and I heard you singing so I went to the sound and found you."

"Oh, ok. I was just wondering." He said and tears came to the corners of his eyes.

"Damn these tears, I wish I could stop, but every time I think of her. I-I-I just can't help it." He said and he began to cry once again.

I pulled him into another hug and he clung to me tightly. I rubbed his back with my hands.

"It is going to take time, Larten."

"I know. Darren? Can I tell you something really personal that I didn't even tell Arra?"

"Sure, if you want to."

"I sat with her when she got stabbed and I held her hand, I told her everything was going to be okay and that she would live. Her last words were 'I love you Larten' then she closed her eyes for the last time. I never got to say it back to her. I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I never told her that I loved her back. That I loved her more than words could even begin to say. Or that life is pointless without her." He cried into my shirt and a moved us over to the piano stool so we could both sit down. He continued crying and pushed his head deeper into my chest. He calmed down after a while and I felt his breathing slow down and deepen. I looked down and found that he had fallen asleep. I felt so bad for him and so sorry for him. I knew it would take a long time for him to get over her. Actually I don't think he ever will. I picked him up into my arms, he was surprisingly light for a full grown man, or maybe that was just my vampire strength, and began walking down to his cell. I got to his cell without any interruptions, all the vampires had gone to sleep for the day. I laid him down into his coffin but didn't close the lid. He looked so peaceful and calm. I sat in a chair next to his coffin and fell asleep.

I woke up the following night to find Larten sat up looking at a band he had wrapped around his wrist.

"Hello, Larten. Are you okay?"

"Hello Darren. Yes I am fine but I just remembered the band she gave me when we were mates. I have never taken it off since she gave it to me." A silent tear came from his eye and I knew that he would never really get over her, never. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him. He returned the embrace and pulled me into his coffin. He held onto me tightly. As if his life depended on me being there. Maybe it did.

"Thank you or everything, Darren. I want you to know that you may think I do not like you at times but I think of you as my son and you are what I live for now."

"It's ok. I want you to know that I think of you as my dad. I think I am actually closer to you than I was to my real dad."

"I love you, Darren. As an assistant and as a son."

"I love you too, Larten. As a mentor and as a dad."

We fell asleep in each other's arms. I really do think of him as my dad. He is more than that to me. He is my life and I am his. I would help him through the difficult times and he would me. I couldn't live without him and he couldn't live without me.

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