AN: Thank you everyone for your interest! Sorry for the long delay. Finding a placing with internet access during the time I have free is surprisingly difficult.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea.
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Epilogue
Laddie, Michael, and Star stood in three separate cells. The metal bars were dusty but Star leaned on them anyway. How could this have happened? She'd been so sure. So very sure.
Too sure and uncharacteristically unwilling to consider the possibility that the young man had been telling the truth...
She ran her fingers through her long hair wearily. After the young man had fallen limp in her arms, she'd tried to resuscitate him to no avail. Someone else had seen the brawl, however, and called the police. Now she, Laddie and Michael were being held for questioning and would probably be charged with murder. In the cell to her right, furthest from the door, Laddie sat quietly, staring off into the distance. On her left was Michael's cell. He was pacing, his expression showing that he too was lost in thought. The three of them had been absolutely positive that this David had been their David despite the fact that Michael had killed him 20 years earlier. It hadn't mattered that the young man had passed the test of holy water. Normally, Star knew better than to jump to emotional conclusions. She was smarter than that. They all were. But this time... Star gripped the bars before her angrily.
"Why didn't we test him harder?" she asked sadly. Michael ceased his pacing and came to a stop near the bars that separated them, shaking his head.
It had felt like she'd been in a dream, or she'd been drugged, or hypnotized. They should have forced the young David to let them feel for a pulse earlier, or put a mirror in front of him. Why hadn't they thought of that?
"I don't know."
"He passed the test, Michael, but that wasn't good enough. Just because I had that stupid dream."
"Shh." Michael reached his arms through the bars, and wrapped her in a calming embrace.
"It didn't feel like a dream," Star replied, just above a whisper. "It didn't."
Star faded off when a low chuckle interrupted her thoughts. She and Michael looked up in surprise to see that the source of the sound... was Laddie.
"What could possibly be funny in a time like this?" Michael questioned in aggravation.
Laddie shook his head, in unexpected mirth.
"You people," Laddie laughed. "You're pathetic."
Michael and Star were speechless. The pair of them stared, expressions somewhere between furious glares and a stupefied wonder at their friend's strange turn.
"You've been so... out of character lately. Don't you think? At least when it came to your responses to David. And you never thought to ask why."
Again Star was speechless, but Michael managed a hoarse "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying either you were easier than I thought. Or maybe I'm just better than I thought. Either way it's a point in my favor, right?"
"What did you do?" Michael snarled. Laddie smirked.
"Laddie, please. Why are you talking like this?" Star begged.
With an angry snarl, the younger man suddenly stood at the bars separating him from Star's cell.
"You don't know?"
Star swallowed hard, remaining closer to Michael's cell, and shook her head slowly.
"I've been thinking about it for some time now. It's been like a festering wound. Getting worse and worse because I haven't been able to treat it." Laddie's bowed head tipped up so that he looked Star right in the eyes. "You stole everything from me. I was happy! They were my brothers and you murdered them all!"
Star couldn't contain her disbelief. "What are you talking about?! David, Paul, and the others?!"
Laddie snarled, his face contorting into a frightening frown. Behind her, Michael gripped the bars until his knuckles turned white. "I can't believe this. You were just as scared of them as I was. As we all were!"
"Of course I was scared. I didn't understand what I was becoming. And you made them so angry. You made such a big deal out of all of it-"
"Laddie-"
"But you went too far. You killed my brothers. You destroyed my life. The both of you! And now I've destroyed your lives. First degree murder." Laddie made a tsking sound. "You've become what you hated and now you'll pay for it. You may have thought you killed the whole gang, but you didn't kill us all."
Star's mind was swimming, the pieces slowly and stubbornly falling into place. "My dream?" she asked huskily.
Laddie gave the smallest of nods. "That was me. I needed to give you another push. Something to make you doubt what that holiest of water wasn't telling you."
"You did what?" Michael exclaimed.
"I went into her dreams and created a nightmare that would produce feelings of sincere doubt. I'm also the reason you haven't been thinking clearly." Laddie tapped his temple with a smirk.
Star was shaking her head again. She couldn't believe what he was implying. Laddie didn't really feel like this. It was another trick. But by who? And how? The only way that someone could do the things Laddie was implying he could do was if they were one of them.
"But I've seen you in the sunlight. I've seen your reflection!" Star exclaimed.
Laddie smiled cruelly. "It's amazing the powers a half vampire has, when he actually tries to use them. Like this one."
Laddie looked to the lock and to the shock of Star and Michael, there was a click and with a swift thrust of his foot, Laddie kicked open the door.
"Oh God-" Michael began.
"God can't help you now," Laddie growled as he stepped out of his cell and came to stand before theirs'.
"Guard!" Michael shouted as their former friend stepped just a little closer.
"They can't hear you, Michael. But don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. It's far more fitting that you live so that you can experience the guilt of killing an innocent. You'll have plenty of time to think about it in prison once you've been framed for the murder of these officers as well."
"Laddie, I... can't believe this!" Star cried, on the verge of tears. "You were like a little brother to me."
"And you were like a sister, a caretaker," Laddie said, touching the bars of her cell, his tone now filled with what passed for sadness. "But you were the one who betrayed me."
"Who turned you?" Michael shouted, still holding Star by the arm. "Whoever it is is messing with your head!"
Laddie shook his head, brown eyes sparkling despite the dim light of the jail. "I am the one who sought out a vampire to change me. And once I've exacted my vengeance, I will complete my transformation and become what I was meant to be."
"What about that kid? That other David?" Star exclaimed.
"He was an excellent find, wasn't he?" Laddie chuckled and took a few pacing steps between Michael and Star's cells. "He looked just enough like our David to convince you. And that he too was called David? Surely that was a sign for my cause."
"You killed an innocent human being for this insane game!" Michael exclaimed. Despite his volume, Star could hear his pain at Laddie's betrayal.
"I killed no one. That was you, Michael."
Star stared blankly. She felt numb. Laddie moved slowly towards the door that led into the main part of the police station.
"And now, to add a few more counts to your record. By the time I'm done with these fine officers, the survivors will believe it was you that attacked them." Laddie laughed maliciously. "And then you'll never be able to go back to the quiet little life you didn't deserve."
Star and Michael stood motionless until Laddie stepped swiftly beyond the boundary of the prison cells, closing the door behind him. Star was quiet for several seconds. Then suddenly she ran to the bars, gripping them tightly, and called out for her friend.
"Laddie!"
Her call was met by the sound of a scream. One of the officers had been attacked.
"Laddie!!"
More disturbing sounds emerged through the door and after what seemed like hours, they diminished into utter silence. Michael and Star waited tensely, the sound of their own hoarse breathing and their pounding hearts becoming too loud to bear. And then, without warning, their cell doors unlocked. Star's breathing was coming in shuddering gasps.
"Michael, what do we do?" she questioned.
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He stood on the hillside above the police station breathing in the nighttime air. It had been the perfect plan really. Worked like a charm. He'd been surprised how little it had taken to push Star and Michael over the edge. Then again, the Lost Boys had tried to kill them in the past. Seeing a 'living' member of the pack would make the sane person one nervous and though they'd reacted just the way he'd hoped, he knew they'd believe they'd crossed a line. Maybe they had. Lines weren't something he paid much attention to anymore.
Again the looks on the pairs' faces as they'd seen what they'd done flashed through Laddie's mind and he couldn't help but give a small smile. It wasn't sadistic or malevolent, simply satisfied and just a little excited.
"You seem happy."
Laddie hardly turned to the voice that had come from his side as he responded. "It all went according to plan."
"It did indeed." The voice paused and gave a pained grunt.
Now Laddie did look and he gave just a small laugh. "How are you doing?"
The blood stain on the white shirt was still clearly visible beneath the black leather coat. Fingers touched the hole in the shirt and though the wound had long healed, it was obvious by the wince that it was still sensitive. David, alive and well looked up at his apprentice with a tilted brow.
"I just had a metal pole stabbed through my gut, how do you think I'm doing?" the vampire asked.
"So... pretty good then?"
David chuckled, his expression becoming amused. "Pretty damn good. I should win an Oscar."
Laddie chuckled darkly. The vampire ran a hand through his short blond hair as he stepped up next to Laddie and the pair looked down on the precinct. In the distance, police lights were flashing and the sound of squad cars could be heard. The reinforcements were coming. David shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, now looking serious.
"Whether Michael and Star choose to stay and try to explain what happened or if they try to run, they'll be suspects. There were at least two witnesses that saw our little scuffle outside the library, before we moved out of sight. Though they didn't see my untimely demise, it's enough for even more suspicion. The police will wonder about your escape and how much a part you played in all of this, but the law will make Star and Michael's lives a living hell for a long, long time," David replied.
Laddie shook his head, his eyes dark and cold. "I don't care about any of that. The guilt they'll feel over killing another human being is what I want. The guilt that they had the ability to turn into what they'd tried so hard not to become..."
David glanced over at the half vampire with a smirk. He had found Laddie many months ago, this very plan 80 percent formed in his mind. The young man had accepted it all and taken it upon himself to help meld it to fit their needs. He'd wanted proper vengeance more and longer than Laddie, but he'd been surprised how little it had taken to build upon Laddie's need for revenge. The boy had been part of their warped little pack after all, and bonds like that are important to a child. And it had come in handy.
Without Laddie's help, faking the holy water would have been much more difficult as would convincing Star and Michael that they had killed him. Then, once Laddie and the other two had been arrested, he'd been the one to help Laddie. No half-vampire had the power of telekinesis. David wasn't even sure a full vampire could acquire such a gift. Instead, David had stolen into the security room, watched the little scene play out from the cameras, and opened the doors electronically at the appropriate time.
"What will the police think when they find that the body disappeared?" Laddie asked.
"I told you," David replied. "I'd take care of it."
"How?"
The vampire sighed, but didn't bother to glance at his companion. "I replaced myself with another. Same wounds, same look and build, give or take. The coroner had seen me already of course, so she had to disappear."
"Heh. The police will have an interesting mystery to solve," Laddie replied. "Even if Star and Michael do somehow get in to see the body and find it isn't you, they'll simply believe that it was something I'd done. Playing with their minds."
David nodded slowly, a predatory look in his eyes. The police sirens were very close now. With a smirk, he clapped his apprentice on the shoulder.
"Come, we should go. We've still got work to do."
Laddie nodded, following the elder vampire with a devilish look in his eyes. "Sam and the Frog brothers won't know what hit them."
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End
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AN: Thanks for your support! Reviews are welcome!
