Empty Hearts Still Beat

by The Heart's Notebook

Jeremy Downs is Dexter's next target until Dexter sees something in Jeremy's eyes that makes Dexter realize that the two of them might actually be one in the same. Dexter takes in the nineteen-year-old and strives to teach Jeremy to control his urges and channel them towards the greater good. WARNING: May possibly contain MaleXMale intimacy in later chapters.

2. Car Ride

Empty Hearts Still Beat
Ch2_Car Ride

They quietly left the halfway house. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. Dexter noticed Jeremy's uneasiness. "So," Dexter began. He saw Jeremy flinch at the sudden break in silence. "What's your name?" Dexter pretended not to know.

"Jeremy Downs," Jeremy answered, but something told him that this guy already knew his name. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Dexter Morgan," Dexter stepped on the gas when the light turned green.

Jeremy studied Dexter for a minute. "You're a killer, like me, aren't you?" The nineteen-year-old wondered.

Dexter chuckled a little. "I'm much worse actually. See, you've only killed one person, right?"

Jeremy nodded, "Yeah."

"Well me...I'm a serial killer," Dexter smirked. He sighed, "God, that felt good to get that off my chest. But see, I'm a different kind of serial killer; I only kill people that are a danger to society. People who are cold-blooded murderers, arsonists, rapists, etc."

"Are you..." Jeremy cleared his suddenly dry throat, "...Are you going to kill me?"

Dexter stopped the car at a stop sign. He looked at Jeremy, "Trust me, Jeremy, if I was going to kill you...I would have done it already."

Jeremy swallowed and looked away. "But, back at the halfway house, you were going to kill me, weren't you? I saw it in your eyes. You wanted to kill me. So why didn't you?"

"Fine, I was going to kill you, but then I saw something in you," Dexter answered.

"What did you see?" Jeremy asked.

"You killed that guy because he raped you. I understand that. He deserved to die. But now you're empty because of what happened. Now you want to kill to feel something other than emptiness. You want something to fill that void."

"You figured all that out just by looking me in the eye?" Jeremy was surprised, no one has ever been able to read him that easily.

"Pretty much," Dexter nodded.

"Is that why you kill?" Jeremy stared out the car door window.

"Yeah, it is," Dexter replied, "My foster father taught me how to channel my urge to kill. He taught me how to not take it out on innocent people, but on people who deserve to die."

"Is that what you're going to teach me?" Jeremy looked at Dexter again.

"I'm going to try," Dexter told him. "And you can relax, Jeremy. I promise, I'm not going hurt you."

Jeremy sighed in relief quietly, "Okay." Dexter saw the teenager's coiled muscles relax and His stiff body leaned back against the seat.

To Be Continued...