A/N: So people, I am SOOO sorry I haven't updated in like two months, but I've been way too lazy! Plus I was kind of stuck! Now I know where I want to go with this story so I hope you enjoy it! I want to give major props to my best friend, Rachel, for pushing me to finally finish this chapter! She also pointed out to me that I forgot about Amanda in the last chapter so I found a place to mention her. Love you Rae!

*Disclaimer*

I don't own the general soul mate principle. That unfortunately belongs to the talent L.J Smith

"YOUR OWN BROTHER TOOK RACHEL?"

"Yes apparently."

"Why would he take Rachel of all people?"

"Alex if I knew, I would tell you."

"The balcony door is open so he must have come through there."

"I can't believe I didn't see him hop up there."

"Of course you didn't, you were too busy talking to me."

"Don't worry, we'll find her."

"Well, do you have any idea where she is?"

"No."

"No?"

I put my face in my hands. I can't believe this is happening! Eric is going to kill me! Oh shit, Eric!

"How am I supposed to explain this to Eric?"

"You don't have to be here when he gets home. Just leave him a note saying that you both went to your house."

"What the hell am I supposed to do about the house though? Wait! I just realized something. Where the hell is Amanda?"

While I was freaking out, Max looked around. There were pillows everywhere. Both lamps were smashed on the floor by the balcony door. The bowls of popcorn were all over the floor and the bowls were smashed on the floor. Even the remote was by the balcony door. The curtains were ripped and a part of it was on the ground.

"Just like Rachel," I said shaking my head.

"What do you mean?"

"Knowing her, if some random guy just came through the door, she'd throw anything in her reach at them."

"Yeah, I guessed that."

He rubbed his head where the bowl had hit him.

"Obviously he was probably too fast for him. She probably tried to grab the curtains and that's what most likely ripped them," I inquired.

"We have to find her and I think I know where."

"Look all I know is that wherever he took her, she's making his life a living hell."

I cleaned up a little and swept up all the glass off the floor. I managed to get in contact with Amanda. Apparently, she had gone home because her grandma broke her leg or arm or something. I was honestly just happy she was okay. We then got into Max's car and started driving.

"Where are we going?"

"I think I know where he's taking her."

"Where?"

"Well, after my parents banished me, they decided to have another kid. That's where Claude comes from. He always felt like a replacement for me. They wanted him to be like me before I was turned. He was always mad at them. He wanted to be his own person. One day, Claude couldn't live with them anymore and set the whole house on fire. He burned in the house with my parents. At least that's what I thought before I saw that note he left."

"So is that where we're going? To your old house?"

"Yes."

"Where is it?"

"California."

"California?"

"Yes, my family was one of the first ones to settle in California after we won it from Mexico."

"Is the house still there?"

"Yes. I had it rebuilt to exactly how it was before."

"Why? I thought you hated it."

"No, I never hated that house. It was some of the memories there that were hard for me."

I reached out and grabbed his hands.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"I'm over it."

He squeezed my hands in a reassuring gesture. I still didn't believe him. I know there must be more that he's not telling me. Things that maybe he doesn't want to tell me. His icy blues eyes stared out towards the road. I could tell he had things bottled up in there, but I wanted him to tell me. I could see that it was bothering him. Maybe he kept it in to protect me? Maybe not. Either way, it can't be healthy living with a secret. I sighed and settled back into the seat, getting comfortable for our 6 hour drive. My eyes started drooping and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

MPOV:

I looked over at her sleeping form. She was so beautiful when she slept. She was sort of like an Arabian princess except an Arabian princess probably wouldn't curse all the time. I loved her though. It was hard not to love her. I wish I could tell her everything, but there were some things that she didn't need to worry about. I thought back to when my parents had Claude. It was about 2 or 3 years after I had left. They decided they wanted to start over and have another kid. He was a cute and chubby baby, but my parents were so strict on him. They barely let him out of their sight. My mother would even home-school him. They made him very antisocial. Whenever he would have to interact with people, which was never too often, he was always nervous and fidgety. My parents would always tell him about me and how I was perfect before I "died". It made him mad. He hated being compared to other people. I would always stay close by and I watched him grow up.

Mom had been sick after she had Claude. Something with her body handling the pregnancy so there would be times when she'd be sick. There was one time where it was really bad and I decided to go see her. I still remember it just like it was yesterday.

*Flashback*

I walked up to the front door. I had decided that whether or not she wanted to see me, my mother was the most important thing to me and I couldn't let her get sicker and die without telling her that. I'd waited until my father left for work then I knocked on the door and waited for it to open. A boy about 14 or 15 opened the door. He had blonde hair and the greenest eyes you will ever see. He was pretty tall for his age. He was almost as tall as me.

"Claude."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Do I know you?"

"I am Maxwell."

He was shocked for a second.

"That's not possible. You're supposed to be dead!"

"Oh they wish," I said looking up into the sky. "Are you going to let me in?"

He narrowed his eyes at me, but still moved aside. I walked up the stairs and stopped in front of Mother's door. I knocked softly and heard someone croak out a "come in." I opened the door to see my mother lying on the bed propped up by some pillows.

"Mother?"

"Maxwell."

I expected her to yell about me coming back, but what she did shocked me. She smiled and made a motion for me to come hug her. I walked over to the side of the bed and bent down to hug her. She squeezed her arms around my neck. She finally pulled back and I sat on the chair that was next to her bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, now that you've come to see me. I never did want you to go. Your father made me tell you to leave. I'd always hoped you stayed nearby."

"Of course I did. There was no way I could just leave you."

She smiled at me and grabbed my hand. She squeezed it and sighed.

"It hasn't been the same since you left."

She stopped and looked at the ceiling. She turned back towards me.

"I love you so much! I love you more than anyone or anything."

I smiled and we talked for a little while. I promised to come back the next day. With my vampire senses, I should have noticed someone listening in through the door, but I was too focused on my mother to notice. Claude felt very angry that our mother didn't love him like she loved me and decided to do something about it. When it was late at night, Claude looked our parents' room so they wouldn't get out. They had one of those doors that it was a lock on both sides that you needed a key to open. Then he started a fire that spread through the whole house which he'd doused with gas.

*Flashback end*

I was told that he hadn't gotten out the house fast enough and burned with our parents, but I guess they'd got it wrong. He must have figured out how I was still alive and decided to turn too. I realized we were here and shook Alex's shoulder.

"Hmm," she said, still half-asleep.

"We're here."

Her eyes shot open and she jumped out the car. The house was huge. It reminded me of the white house except it was gray. I stopped her before she could run into the house. I opened the door and walked in before she could. We searched the whole house, but didn't find her. We walked into what used to be my father's study. There was a piece of paper on the table. I picked it up and read it.

"Damn!"

"What does it say?" she asked.

I gave it to her and she read it.

"Shit!"

Dear Maxwell,

Nice try, Older Brother. Too bad you think too much! Would you really think I'd want to come back to this hell hole? Try again!

Your brother,

Claude

A/N: Well there you go people! Hope you liked it! Please review! With this story, I'll be happy if one person reviewed! Thanks guys! R&R