So thought I would Finally write before you read this, thanks Shoepigeon for the inspiration, please review; reviews are the fuel that keeps me going :)

Thought I would make this chapter a little more cheerful than the others, don't worry it won't last :) Because tormenting Hal is my pleasure in life.

Again I'm only sixteen so BE NICE but so far you have all been wonderful and kind with the reviews so no worries there :D Enjoy

Tom placed the stake down on Hal's bedside table 'I don't know' He turned his eyes to Hal noting his own fever when he himself had been scratched by Mcnaire. 'He's all ready showin signs, we need ta strap im dawn' Alex nodded solemnly and rentaghosted down into the kitchen; she pulled the ties from the cupboard...a painful reminder of Hal's detox; all of the hate that consumed him then. They had finally broken the cycle and now this.

While Alex was downstairs Tom took the time to check Hal over; he had picked up more than a curse from . He prised open the vampires eyelids gently, needing to see if his pupils where reacting to light; only to be met by a full shiny black surface, well that was useful. He let the eyelid fall back into place. He didn't bother with the gums knowing that they would only be filled with fangs. He had done this all of his friends work to stay clean and safe had been literally torn away in one night because he had no control.

His thoughts were interrupted by Alex popping into the room ties in hand she passed them over to Tom. Cautiously they moved around the bed Tom niftily snagged the ends of each tie to the four corners of each bed post 'This isn't fair' The words hadn't meant to, but escaped Alex's lips non the less. She bit her bottom lip hard to stop the tears; it wasn't like her to cry and it wouldn't become her; she needed to be strong...for both of them.

Light shined in from the window across the room; it reflected from Hal's skin beaded with sweat. Alex closed the curtains then slumped down in the chair below the window 'Go and freshen up, I'll watch him'. Reluctantly Tom left the room one last look at Hal before he padded across the landing into the bathroom.

Little less than a month had passed since Hal had been injured; still strapped to his bed profanities could be heard spilling from his room at all hours; his body no longer shook with fever, but instead with a blood lust that had consumed him since awakening. He recalled the experience much the same as when he had first awoken from being recruited all those years ago. 'Alex! Fucking untie me now' Alex popped into the room, crisp as ever. The sleeves of her leather jacker rolled up she was not impressed 'What so ye can go killing all of Wales; no I think I will pass' Hal quietened. He hadn't actually thought past getting untied.

Alex tried not to ogle at Hal laid shirtless on the bed; instead she focused on the blazing scars that now snagged across Hal's shoulder. She couldn't stare for long; guilt plagued her. Not as much as Tom she thought. The poor lad had hardly been in since the accident. Hal hadn't helped the matter...Fully letting Tom know what a 'Blundering fool' he was...that he could have killed him. As if he didn't know that all ready. Alex was torn away from her thoughts by an awful hiss that erupted from within Hal his eyes flashed from green to black before he retched throwing up crimson liquid all over his torso. She rushed forward; it wasn't the first time this had happened. But it was still unnerving each time she saw it; however it meant progress. For it wasn't his blood coming from his veins, she had learnt from Tom when a vampire detoxes new blood is no longer pushing old blood through there system and because they have no heart beat the blood regurgitates...leaving the vampire's system.

Hal flopped his head back onto the headboard 'I'm sorry. Leave me now' He turned his head to the side ashamed; lord Hal had almost won...but he wouldn't give up. Not without a fight. Alex nodded sadly 'I'll come in later to clean you up' As sad as it was she felt relieved, she new that after that a large part of the detox had been completed. She made a mental note; this detox had taken a lot less time than the last one...more progress. Maybe that's why he was winning, maybe they had finally broken the cycle.

That was the last time Hal threw up; after Alex left he spent several hours alone, thoughts of Leo and pearl not due to the detox swam through his overcrowded mind. The lust hadn't stopped, not like after the last detox blood it was all he could think, all he could feel but the anger and the frustration had all but left his system. Fear had kept him in the barber shop with Leo and Pearl all those years...avoiding humanity wasn't the solution; he realised now that he had to be around it so that he may accommodate himself to it. To learn real control was to experience it first hand.

'Alex!' He called from the bed. Gently this time; right on cue she appeared at the end of his bed. 'I am ready to be untied now' she hesitated, it was to be expected; she hadn't experienced the devious man that Lord Hal could be, but the ghost had strong intuition and could feel it. 'How do I know this isn't an act' Hal tried to sit further up in the bed and attempted a smile; it wasn't a familiar gesture on his face 'My eyes' She moved closer to Hal so she could feel his breathe on her face, he was right the black flecks that had shown in his pool green eyes previously were gone. He was relieved of course he didn't know for sure that the black would be gone but some how he had felt it.

Untied Hal at on the edge of the bed Alex hovered close by, he rose slowly and shakily he tested his ankle to see how much weight it would take, having it been done by another supernatural meant that it would not heal in the same way had a human done it. Surprisingly though it felt fine; he stretched out his back and arms and have his neck a crack then turned at Alex and smiled 'Thank you, for everything' Alex had so many questions 'Did he know what would happen now? Would the bite effect him at all' But she couldn't bring herself to ask them. Instead she revelled in the moment; that for now a level of safety had returned to the household again.