A Nose to the Wind Chapter 3: She's Still Preoccupied, a being human fanfic

A/N: "1985" belongs to Bowling For Soup

Chapter 3 – She's Still Preoccupied

Time passed indeterminably. For Aidan, it rapidly became one of those moments in life that you could wish away, and pretend never happened. He sat on top of the old table and resolutely stared at a crack in the wall across the room while Josh passed back and forth in his line of vision.

"Great. This is just great," Josh groused. "This wouldn't have happened if my blood-sucking friend, who also claims to be my best friend, hadn't decided to follow his libido across the whole damn country. How does that sit on your shoulders? Is it – are you cramping, at all? 'Cause that's a pretty big weight to carry, even for a vampire."

Aidan listened to intermittent bursts of nervous laughter throughout his friend's rant; it was all true, but he sensed that Josh wasn't looking for more bland apologies and self-pity.

"I'd be at home, probably watching some awesome show on SyFy, or maybe a Maury rerun, eating a turkey burger or something, or I could be at work with Nora."

"You're making me dizzy," Aidan interjected, but was ignored.

"I really should be calling Emily to see how she's doing. From firsthand experience it's pretty traumatizing to be a teething toy for a bunch of angry vampires. Or vengeful ones. We seem to run in a lot of those."

"No one bit her, Josh. Or you, for that matter. Please, just - "

"But it all could have been avoided if you had listened to me when I told you Rebecca is a completely psychopathic whore!" Josh's voice was near hysterics, and it was rare for him to call anyone a whore. "Why didn't you just listen to me? Sometimes I know what I am talking about, even though most of the time I don't. My whole life, it's been the same thing – don't take Joshie seriously, he has his head in the clouds half the time, don't copy notes from Josh 'cause his handwriting is like deciphering the Rosetta Stone or a-a lost manuscript from Atlantis. But most of all pretend not to know him if you're trying to chat up a girl because he'll send her running into the arms of the nearest hobo. My life, Aidan."

Aidan closed his eyes, remaining respectfully silent. To protest at this point would only spiral Josh further down into his vulnerable state, although the endless pacing would probably send him through the floor first.

"And just when having you as my friend and confidant was making me comfortable in my own skin – well, semi-comfortable – you, you basically shit all over me. This is probably going to be the last room I'll ever see before I die." Josh paused and took a deep breath, and Aidan opened his eyes to find him staring at him. "I didn't mean that. I just don't…I don't understand. Help me to understand." A few moments of silence followed, in which Aidan thought of all the right things to say before Josh started again. "How could you do this to me, do this to Cara?"

Aidan hung his head, overwhelmed.

"How can you go to bed and have your romantic little blood-play makeout session with the knowledge that Cara is dead because of her? And nearly my sister, too? And all the countless innocent people just going about their lives, walking down the street?" Josh had lowered his voice to make the sting of his accusations hurt a bit less, but the effort was pointless.

"I have…no excuse, Josh. I wish I could take it all back. But I have no explanation."

After studying the man sitting dejectedly on the table, Josh felt his mountain of tension and anger dissolve into a manageable ping-pong ball sized tickle in his stomach. He thought he had been too harsh, too accusing, but then he realized that Aidan did deserve some of it, if only just to know where Josh stood on his decision to continue actively pursuing Rebecca.

"I'm sorry. That's the one thing I can give you. I'm sorry."

Josh nodded, then sat on the floor by the table and leaned back against the wall. "So, what exactly did you to this Father Lucas?"

Aidan smirked. "He won't be turning anyone ever again, nor will he be able to hunt for live blood for the rest of his damned existence."

"You…so you somehow…took his fangs…?"

"Yep."

"How?"

"Hammer." Aidan reenacted the motion of the deed.

"Seems a little…"

"Barbaric?"

"A tad….no wonder he hates you enough to let you starve to death in here."

"I won't starve to death," Aidan stated, matter-of-factly. "But you will. He knows what it will do to me to watch you slowly…."

"Die?"

Aidan nodded. Josh looked away and cleared his dry throat, unnerved by the admission. The next few hours were spent in silence, each man contemplating the eccentricities of their whirlwind lives.

More time passed, hours and days melding together into an indistinguishable blur of repetitive conversation and soul-searching, supervised by the dim, stoic glow of the bulb hanging from the ceiling. Aidan regaled tales of his mortal life, snatches of memory he had held onto and cherished, and he did it to keep Josh sane and their minds off their respective hungers. Aidan watched his friend weaken, gradually, and sleep no longer allowed him the rest and peace it was supposed to. When Josh slept, a haunting slideshow of death and fear played on the backs of his eyelids, and he would wake in a panic, whimpering, and only Aidan's strong embrace could comfort him.

"Goddamned door! Fuck!" Aidan roared, throwing his weight into the object of his rage for the hundredth time that day. Their situation escalated from desperate to dire within a small span of time – Josh had begun to hallucinate. "I swear to your precious God, Lucas, when I get out of here…" he growled under his breath, but was cut short by another loud declaration by Josh.

"Aidan! There's- there's a freaking…I swear there's a wolf behind the cabinets, I swear," Josh rambled. "Swear on my mother's life, I saw it." He rose, slowly, to lean against the wall.

"Hey, hey," Aidan said, moving closer. "Sit down."

"But I can smell – "

"Sit. Down."

Josh stared at him with round, sunken eyes, but conceded, dropping back down into the dirt and arguing no further.

"Don't get up again," Aidan directed. He turned the force of his glare back at the door, utterly perturbed by its refusal to budge. Anywhere. The grayed drywall around it was as hard as stone, and there were no faults in the brick-laying, as well as no gap under the door.

Trapped.

Imprisoned by the door, tortured by his own personal beast...

The scent had begun to tickle his nostrils, steadily, with little pretense. It coiled around his very soul, threatening to suffocate him with the intensity. The smell of blood, wolf or not, set fire to his previously dulled senses, awakening them from their forced hibernation. But now…he clamped his teeth down on his tongue to keep his fangs from descending.

tap tap

"What was that?" whispered Josh. Aidan motioned for silence before Josh could get the urge to call out for help, but let him stand on unsteady feet, using the wall for support. Aidan sniffed the air, bloodlust forgotten, and his mind spun with the realization that a vampire was outside. Slowly, as if unsure, the door was pushed open with a loud click, then the only sound heard was the sound of pebbles and debris scrapped across the cement, caught under the bottom. Aidan slid in front of Josh as Bishop stepped into the room with an unreadable expression on his face, followed by a glowering priest.

"Aidan." Bishop's gaze raked down his body, taking in his state, and seemed satisfied with the results. "You are well," he observed. The cold blue eyes flicked behind him, to Josh, and his brow furrowed. The kid was just a day or two away from death. Bishop sighed, returning his focus to Aidan. "Bring your friend. We'll walk and talk."

"No. Answers first," Aidan drawled, fists flexing carefully at his sides.

Bishop glanced at Josh again, deciding the kid could hold out for a few minutes. "All right. Lucas came to me, admitting to have followed you here, but was pleasantly surprised to find your friend was here as well."

"Josh. His name is Josh," Aidan gritted out. It was unbearable to look at Lucas and not be allowed to tear out his throat.

"…Josh. Allow me, as captain of the police force, to escort you safely upstairs to see a doctor. I am sincerely sorry that you have suffered the consequences of this fool's actions."

Aidan answered for Josh. "Why the sudden heart, Bishop?"

"Um," Josh fumbled with what he should say, nonetheless to a powerful vampire like Bishop. The strength emanating from the elder overwhelmed his weakened faculties, and he refrained from making any suspicious glance, sound, or movement, lest they decided to defend themselves and attack with the force of numbers. So he cast his eyes to the ground, hunched his shoulders, and folded his arms over his chest. "Okay. That would be great, thank you." Quickly he added, "Sir."

"Good. Aidan?"

"One condition."

"Anything."

"Father Fuckhead has to walk in front."

"Agreed." Bishop looked at Lucas for compliance, but scowled when he was denied that simple obedience.

"I'm sick of this…this abomination dictating who should be doing what, and taking the law into his own hands!" Lucas wailed, sounding like a disgruntled toddler to the men present.

"What 'law' is that, Lucas?" Bishop asked, temporary humoring the relatively young vampire. Lucas motioned wildly with flailing limbs.

"The – the law! Our law! He broke my means of eating! What am I supposed to do for the rest of my life, drink through a straw?"

"Whatever it takes, Lucas," Bishop answered, impatience evident in his tone.

"I just – I feel that the only way he can be absolved of his wrongdoing is if something equally essential to his survival is taken from him."

Aidan's eyes became stormy with anticipation. He almost hoped Lucas would make a move at Josh, so he would have a reason to tear him limb from limb. Bishop turned and faced Lucas. "Calm yourself," he said. "You are not going to threaten Aidan's friend."

"What? No! I don't care what happens to that animal! We should leave him here anyway, he knows what we are. I want Aidan to be punished." He paused to glare coldly at the man he was threatening. "I want his fangs."

Bishop chuckled, placing a hand on the priest's shoulder. "You are not in a position to make demands. You have a lot to learn, Father."

"If you don't give me permission, I will take it upon myself, as a servant of God. When he's alone, when you're alone, Aidan, I will be there. You will be begging for mercy." Lucas lifted an arm to jab a finger at Aidan, but his evangelistic exhilaration deflated when a low voice reached his ears.

"You'll be sorry you ever made that threat in the first place."

All eyes flew to Josh.

Indignant, Lucas gaped much like a fish on dry land. "You're going to let him threaten me, Bishop?"

Bishop gave a small smile. "Well, you did threaten Aidan." Bishop and Aidan exchanged a knowing look, bordering on a growing intolerance for the childish actions of the priest. "Josh is a good, loyal friend."

"Yes, he's quite the loyal mutt! I want someone to take responsibility for this," he said, pointing to his mangled fang teeth.

Bishop held up a hand. "Enough. I've tolerated you longer than necessary. You will be quiet now. Aidan, Josh, if you would follow me, please. Let's leave this depress – " Bishop emitted a grunt as his back hit the door.

Lucas charged at Aidan.

"Come on," Aidan taunted the frenzied priest. Lucas's face, twisted in a feral snarl, rushed at him. But abruptly the vampire jerked from his path, tackled to the ground by Josh. Aidan rushed in – Josh stood no chance against an enraged vampire, young or not. He wasn't fast enough. Before he could blink, Lucas flipped Josh onto his back and sank his teeth into soft, warm flesh.