Author's note: This fic takes place after the movie. The featured characters are Star and Laddie, so if you don't like either of them then feel free to click on the "back" button.

Disclaimer: The Lost Boys belongs to its respective owners and others associated with legal rights.

"A Child's Mourning"

The Emerson family began the painfully slow process of cleaning up the house. Earlier, Edgar and Alan Frog speedily made their exit when Lucy "volunteered" them to help out.

Sam grinned at the sight of the boys running down the dirt pathway towards the rising sun. "Don't worry, Mom. I have a feeling I'll be running into them pretty soon. I'll guilt trip them as long as needed."

Nearby, Star was carefully removing broken timber from the remains of the fireplace when she realized someone was missing.

Scanning her surroundings, all she saw were Lucy, her father, and Sam.

Michael emerged from the kitchen and offered her a can of soda. "What's wrong?"

"It's Laddie," Star replied as she started looking frantic. "Where did he go?"

"He's probably just tired. Poor kid went through a quick transformation and it must have zapped a lot out of him."

"I guess, but I still want to check up on him. Can you hold onto that drink for me?"

Michael nodded. "Sure."

Star excused herself from the group and searched the rooms on the first floor. Half of the house was in ruins, but she was able to navigate through the rubble with ease. By the time she made her way upstairs and into Sam's room, she spotted the young boy.

Laddie was sitting on the edge of Sam's bed, his back facing the door. His shoulders were trembling and quiet sobbing was heard. It brought memories of the late nights in the cave, where a teary-eyed Laddie would sometimes nudge her awake and ask if he could sleep with her so that the bad dreams would go away. But now, they no longer would have to sleep in the cave because they were no longer members of the coven. They were free... but at what cost?

Carefully, Star nudged the door open and slipped inside.

"Laddie?" she called out softly as she approached him. "Hey, what's the matter?"

The boy hastily rubbed his eyes with the back of his sleeves. "Nothing," he mumbled as he slid off the bed and looked over at the person he viewed as an older sister, his face flushed from crying. "I'm okay."

Star went over and knelt in front of the boy and pushed back the long bangs plastered against his damp cheeks. She obviously wasn't convinced of his response. "Are you sick?"

Laddie let out a shuddering sigh and shook his head.

"Then you wanna tell me what's wrong?"

He shook his head again.

Star grew concerned. It wasn't like him to keep things from her. They'd formed a close bond during their stay with the vampires because they were the only two half-vampires within the dysfunctional family. Both were on the verge of transforming into members of the undead and they both saw each other as pieces of humanity they could cling onto for as long as possible.

Looking down at his scuffed shoes, Laddie finally spoke up.

"Dwayne?" he asked shakily. "Dwayne… He's… he's… Is he really…?"

Swallowing a lump in his throat, he choked back a sob. "I-I didn't… I didn't want him to die, Star! Why did he have to do this with David and Paul and Marko?"

Biting her lip, Star drew him into her arms as he started bawling. Tears soaked through her shirt as he clung to her like she would disappear at any moment. Out of all of the boys, she knew that Dwayne had been the kindest to Laddie. The rest had minimal contact with the child but they were civil to him never the less. For whatever reason, Dwayne took it upon himself to watch over him and at times, act like a doting older brother. Despite having been snatched from his family, Laddie appeared genuinely attached to Dwayne, even when the vampire could be quiet and composed one moment, then calculating and cruel the next (actually, that described all of them…). Paul, Marko, and David didn't seem to object to their relationship or make a big deal about it.

Even after the events which transpired hours ago, when the vicious vampires sought revenge, Laddie missed Dwayne. She had a feeling he'd always view him as a brother, one he would never see again. Star couldn't help but wonder if the boy had stumbled upon the remains of the dark haired vampire.

She hoped he hadn't.