Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.
Thank you, wonderful reviewers. Here is another chapter for you.
Heart of Night
Chapter 2:
To Be or Not To Be
'Haha, very funny, Neil,' Archie replied dully, now irritated with the blonde.
'Neil, I killed Sybaris. She's nothing more than a fountain statue now,' Jay told him firmly, his annoyance returning tenfold. Neil said nothing, pulling the covers over his head and disappearing form view.
'Get up, Neil. This is stupid. A joke is a joke, but this has gone too far,' Theresa told him, hands on her hips.
Blood.
'Neil. Out of bed, now,' Jay told him firmly, grabbing hold of the covers and wrenching them off the slender blonde. Neil lunged, knocking them both to the ground and latching onto Jay's neck. The leader pushed at the lithe body, faltering as new sensations washed over him. Theresa grabbed Neil's arm, shrieking as she tried to pry the model off. His arm swung back, smashing into her lip and causing it to split, releasing small trickle of blood.
Herry let out a roar, slamming into the blonde in a tackle worthy of the NFL, and sending Neil flying. The blonde smashed head first into the wall, and slid down, leaving a slightly bloodied dent about four feet above the ground. He crumpled onto the carpet, unmoving.
'Jay? Are you alright?' Theresa asked, pulling the brunette to his feet. Jay nodded, rubbing a hand over his face as he turned to study his unconscious teammate. Squatting next to the model, he rolled the limp form onto his back, gently forcing apart the lips for a better look. Between the rows of perfect teeth, he found the two slightly elongated fangs of a vampire.
'He was telling the truth,' Jay told them quietly, 'We'd better get him to Chiron.'
'What if he wakes up?' Archie asked hesitantly, eyes darting from the blonde to Jay.
'We could tie him up,' Atlanta suggested, 'I've still got that unbreakable rope we used on Cerberus.'
Jay hesitated, then sighed. 'You might as well find a gag then,' he muttered, looking as though that was the last thing he wanted to do. Atlanta nodded, leaving the room as Theresa rested a hand on his shoulder.
'I'm alright. I'd better find him something to wear, though,' Jay murmured, 'Archie, give me a hand.' Theresa nodded, leaving the room with Odie and Herry in tow.
'You're not liking this,' Archie commented, passing Jay a white button up dress shirt and a pair of jeans.
'You like the fact that Neil was bitten?' Jay asked, carefully.
Sensing the danger, Archie backed up. 'No, I meant tying him up,' he amended, 'Just forget it.'
'I don't like tying him up because that shows a lack of trust. I have to tie him up, because I can't have him as a risk to anyone else,' Jay explained, running a hand through his hair.
'Neil will understand…eventually,' Archie replied quietly. Jay nodded, lips quirking in amusement. A knock on the door broke through the companionable silence that had fallen over the pair. It opened to reveal Atlanta with a silver rope and cloth. She tossed them to the leader and he caught them in midair, nodding to her.
Archie sat the blonde up and Jay pulled the slender wrists behind the model's back. Binding them quickly, he threaded the rope around Neil's ankles, trussing him up like a stuffed pig. The gag was easier, though Neil's head lolled pathetically into Jay's lap. Dispirited, Jay picked him up, managing to cradle him to his chest in the traditional bridal position. Neil's head rolled against his chest, the lids of his eyes fluttering briefly, though he didn't wake.
'Let's go,' Jay told them finally, nodding to the rest of the team waiting patiently in the doorway. They filed out silently, each alone with their thoughts as they tried to process this new twist of events. Filing out of the house and into the light of day, Neil stared to scream though his gag, withering in Jay's arms.
'What the…' Archie began, then added, 'Oh.'
Neil struggled, still screaming as his skin took on a pink tinge, warming rapidly in the sunlight. Jay staggered as the convulsing blonde fought to escape, his slight weight off balancing the larger teen. The brunette staggered backwards, loosing his footing and tumbling backwards into the dormitories. The shrieking ceased as soon as the light failed to touch him, and the blonde lay still across Jay's chest.
'Neil?' the brunette asked, receiving no answer. He groaned, settling his hand atop the model's blonde locks, desperately trying to come up with a way to proceed.
'You okay, Jay?' Herry asked, as the leader sat up, still cradling the blonde close. Jay nodded, considering this new dilemma.
'Archie, can you find a blanket to cover Neil with?' the descendant of Jason questioned, 'I don't think sunscreen will cut it.' The violet haired teen snorted, moving to collect the required item. 'Herry, can you pull the truck up closer?'
'Sure thing, Jay,' Herry replied, exiting the room. Seconds later, they heard the sounds of an engine starting up.
Theresa knelt beside Jay, stroking Neil's hair. The blonde looked like death warmed over. 'Poor Neil. What have you gotten yourself into?' she murmured, shaking her head sadly.
'Whatever happens, we'll get him through this. Together,' Jay told her glancing around at the rest of his team for agreement. They nodded solemnly. Archie draped a blanket over the blonde, grabbing Jay from behind and hoisting him to his feet. They left the dorm for the second time that day, this time without any other disturbances.
'There is not much we can do for him now,' Chiron explained, 'The best thing to do would be to keep him in quarantine until he become a little stronger. As he is still a fledgling, he should be able to learn to control the cravings. Unfortunately, until he does, access to him will have to be restricted.'
'You mean, we can't see him?' Jay asked, upset with this turn of events.
'I'm afraid not,' the centaur replied, shaking his head regretfully, 'We will have to keep him quarantined until he has a better grasp on his vampire side.'
'But that's not fair,' Archie told him, nearly whining. Chiron shook his head and stole a glance at Hera. She replied in kind, and the centaur sighed. A melancholy silence seemed to settle over the group, before it was broken by a soft cough.
'Neil!' Jay yelped, darting forward. Chiron grabbed his arm, holding him back. The blonde cracked open a sapphire eye, studying the scene quietly. Abruptly, he groaned and closed his eyes again.
'Did you get the license plate of the truck that hit me?' he asked, trying to rub his eyes. He stopped, tugging at the rope that bound his hands behind his back. Momentarily panicking, he struggled, eyes widening and nearly falling off the bed.
'He's tied up,' Jay snapped, jerking his arm away from Chiron, 'He can't hurt me.' Briskly, he strode to the bed, pushing Neil safely back from the edge. Archie, the remaining teen approached the bed cautiously as Jay sat down. Keeping Jay between himself and the blonde, the violet haired teen took a seat on the edge of the bed.
'Hey,' Jay murmured, stroking the blonde's hair, 'How are you feeling.' Neil gave him a look, and tugged pointedly on his bonds. Jay's face fell, 'I meant besides that.'
'I think I was hit by a truck,' Neil told him tiredly, pressing his head into the brunettes' hand in a gesture invisible to the rest of the occupants in the room.
'The truck goes by the name of Herry,' Archie quipped, gracing them all with both a lame joke and a quirky grin. Neil and Jay groaned, the brunette borrowing Neil's pillow to whack the jester with.
'Oh, goody. I hope you don't have lice,' Neil told Archie in a monotone. Jay laughed, his hand resuming it's earlier motions in the model's hair. 'So, what happened?'
Jay paused, mildly curious. 'You don't remember?' he asked, quirking an eyebrow.
'I remember telling you that Sybaris' daughter bit me and to get out of my room, but the rest is mostly a blur,' the slender by told them.
'You tried to eat Jay,' Archie replied dully. Jay made to shush him but the words were already out. Hera groaned, motioning to Chiron to leave the room, likely to explain the events to the rest of the team.
'I did what!' Neil gasped, face sheet white. Jay pulled him into a tight hug, and the blonde buried his face in the leader's chest, sobbing lightly. Muffled apologies emanated from the cotton fabric, and Jay shushed him.
'It wasn't your fault, Neil. You haven't learned to control it yet. Chiron says you're still in the fledgling stages yet, so you just need to learn to deal with it,' the leader told him comfortingly. Neil paused, before trying to pull away.
'You shouldn't be near me then,' the blonde sobbed, crimson tears pooling in his eyes and spilling in a bloody cascade over his cheeks, 'I'm dangerous. It isn't safe for you.'
'Hush, Neil. Chiron gave you something that should help control the vampire side for now,' Jay murmured, pulling the blonde close and stroking his hair, 'I'll find the ones responsible for this, and I'll make them pay. I promise.'
Typical Jay there for you. Always wanting to fix things in the only way that he sees in the first glimpse. Anyway, I wanted to leave a bit of info for you on Neil. First, even though he is a daywalker, he isn't able to control it. That's why he was in pain when he was brought into the sunlight. Also, because he is a daywalker, his powers will be stronger than a normal vampires'. So really, all he needs to do is learn some control, and he should be fine. Though, with Cronus always screwing things up, that could actually be questionable.
Cheers!
Me