"Listen, Sam…" Edgar cleared his throat, taking a mouthful of Cheerios and scowling at him across the breakfast table, "it's not that we're not still bad monster bashers…"

"Cause we are," Alan chimed in, drinking the milk at the bottom of his bowl.

"Yeah. We are," Edgar grunted. "It's just...we don't really want to...die...you sure you don't wanna just go there with your old man while we hold down the fort today? We can make sure there's like...plenty of crosses and shit on all the windows while you're gone."

"Yeah. Crosses and shit," Alan agreed.

"I have to, I have to prove to mom that they're alive, that Mike's with them. She doesn't believe me but it's true, you guys both saw it. The more people the more likely she'll believe. Guys, please, we gotta do this."

Edgar took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "look...Sam...I didn't want to have to tell you this, but I think they turned Rachel. The cheerleader with the big tits…" He opened his eyes again, "for the good of Santa Carla...we've got to stay out of this. They did it to get back at us, and I don't want them to get at the rest of the cheerleading squad."

"Dude, they didn't turn her, she was at school yesterday, she was fine." He rolled his eyes, "Just come with me and stop being a jerk."

Alan picked at a piece of toast, looking at Sam with a slight frown, "maybe he's right, Ed. It's daytime, anyway. Not like they can do anything...maybe we can stake them while we're there. This time I think we've got a good idea which one's in charge. Can't fuck it up twice, can we?"

Edgar lowered his head, then looked back at Sam with a determined frown, "alright, Sam. But if your brother really is one of them, we gotta stake him. They gave us a warning last night. If we go in and leave even one of them hanging around, it's our asses. Understand?"

"If they are alive and kicking we're gonna leave 'em alone, is what we're gonna do." Grandpa stated, heading for the door, "We're not gonna be able to take 'em all out. They'll let us go, at least this time. Can probably make a deal with 'em if we're careful."

They didn't find the graves at the hotel. It looked as if they'd never buried anything there at all. Proof Sam was right. Sam lingered back for a moment while the others left. He had written a note for his brother. He tucked it under a rock on the fountain before running outside, escaping the smell of death that lingered in the air. His eyes lingered on a familiar weight set tucked into the corner of the lobby.


David was the first one up and the moment he dropped down from his perch he knew something was wrong. An odd smell lingered in the air, a mixture of four different scents, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who they belonged to. A soft growl escaped his lips as he looked up at the other boys.

"Someone's been here, boys, and I'll give you three guesses as to who it was." He shouted up at them.

"Your mom?" Paul snickered, swiftly descending from his perch only to land with a sudden frown, breath coming out in a low hiss when he picked up the scent. The others followed soon after, immediately on the defensive. Michael, on the other hand, wasn't sure exactly what to feel. It smelled like the kids back at that house...

"They're long gone." David strode into the main room, keeping an eye on his fledgling, "They know for sure we aren't dead, it's what they decide to do with that information that could royally fuck things up." He would keep his promise to Michael and make sure Sam was safe but the other boys? Well, fair game.

Dwayne drew up behind David, arms crossed as he sniffed at the air, "dumb fucks," he grumbled, shaking his head. You'd think a warning like the one they'd left would've been enough.

Michael was pensive, remaining against the wall as he tried to focus on gathering his thoughts. There was something else familiar about this whole thing...the scents...being here. Had they been in the hotel together before, he wondered? And there was another one, too...

"The old man was here too." Marko made a face, "Smells like death and Oreos." He headed for the fountain, freezing a couple feet away, "Fuck." His eyes were locked on something sitting on the edge.

David was there in a flash, snatching it up. Fuck was right. The little shit left a note...for Michael. He'd have to hand it over but he wasn't looking forward to it, "Michael." He held it out, hiding his nervousness at what Michael's reaction would be. His fledgling jerked out of his dazed thoughts, slowly striding over to take the offered note from him, frowning.

"What's this?" He asked, reading his name on the envelope and tearing it open to yank out the letter inside:

Mike, meet me and mom on the boardwalk tomorrow night. We'll do what we can to help you. - Sam

"You have a choice to make. Are you with me, with us, or them?" David asked, eyes locked on the brunette's. There wasn't any other option besides being blunt, he needed to know where his fledgling's loyalties lay.

Michael slowly lowered the letter, glancing up at David, "they were my family. Weren't they?" It was the only thing that seemed to make any sense. Going through the trouble to come here, knowing they'd made a fairly clear warning? Yeah...things were getting a little bit clearer, now. The pain that had been a constant background in his head finally seemed to ease.

"When you were one of them, human, yes." His voice was flat as he spoke but underneath he was worried, he didn't want to lose Michael and that's what would happen if he went back to them. He'd leave the pack and they would be forced to 'take care' of the problem.

There was a tense silence, as the others drew back and watched, quiet. Not even Paul had anything to say. This went beyond a stupid fucking joke. This was their pack, their family, that was at stake here.

Michael looked down at the letter again, scanning the contents one more time, then he slowly crumpled it into his hands and tossed it to the ground, glancing back up at David. He leaned forward slowly, unsure exactly what he should do. But he let his instincts make the choice for him, and his hesitation faded away as he pressed his lips to David's. The elder vampire growled softly, fingers moving into his hair, tugging lightly as he nipped at his lips, asking him to tip his head in submission. It wasn't something that usually came easy for Michael. He was passive, but not necessarily submissive. Still, he did so, acknowledging his loyalty and trust in his pack leader. The growl turned into a purr as he licked his throat, kissing the soft flesh over where his pulse point would be if he had one. Michael growled softly in reply, gently urging David forward as he drew his hands up to his maker's shoulders, fingers digging into the fabric.

David bit slowly, a bite to mark, a bite to claim, a bike to acknowledge the fact that Michael had given himself to the pack, to him. Michael gasped, breathing harshly, uncertain, but anxious. The further David went, the more right his choice felt. Layers of pain digging into his skull, and shards of stubborn memories seemed to finally crumble away. Gone forever. In their place, the ragged scar David left on his neck.

The moment David was pleased with the mark, he pulled back, lapping over it with his tongue. He drew his fingers down his spine, releasing his hair and rumbling against his throat. Oh, how he wanted to feel him bend, feel him writhe beneath him. No simple handjobs, no, he wanted it all. The arousal straining at Michael's jeans as he pressed closer to David seemed to agree. He pulled his fledgling to the side, guiding him toward the lone bed, sliding his fingers under his shirt, tugging it up and over his head before tossing it to the side. Michael gazed at him through a fall of dark curls, hands reaching up to tug at David's collar.

"I want to see all of you." David licked his lips softly as his breath ghosted across them. He let his coat fall to the floor, pulling his own shirt off in one fell swoop.

"I guess you're about to," Michael snorted, shaking his head. He wasn't much for pillow talk. But he was happy to oblige, slowly lowering one hand to undo his fly, unzipping it and shifting until he slid his jeans down, letting them fall over the side of the bed as he pulled his legs up to the mattress, and leaned forward to nip hungrily at David's earlobe, moving down to drag his tongue along his master's throat.

The low purr seemed to be unending as David reached to stroke through his hair with one hand while his other slid down to his own jeans, tugging them open with a few practiced jerks. He knew he needed to make this good. His fingers fumbled along the head of the bed, finally wrapping around a crumpled tube. He held it up in success, unscrewing the top before coating his fingers in lube. There were no second guesses, no warnings, David's fingers slid into him without pause. Michael jumped in surprise, but didn't pull away, closing his eyes and groaning against David's throat. A growl of want escaped the bleach blonde's lips. He wasn't sure how long he would be able to resist, he wanted, no, needed to take him.

"Fuck." He hissed, working to stretch him out quickly, amid short gasps and groans from Michael, who responded gradually to his ministrations, squirming in anticipation of something he didn't quite grasp. It was unfamiliar to say the least, but not...bad. Just...different.

He couldn't take it anymore, his fingers were slid free and without any further preamble he pressed inside, moaning as he sank into that tight heat. Michael gave a sharp cry, jolting and arching as he lay back against the mattress. Somehow David managed to get ahold of himself enough to slow down, giving him time to adjust as he was slowly impaled. Inch by inch he sank inside until finally he was all in. Michael dug claws into David's back as he began to writhe, baser instincts finally beginning to take hold, massaging David's back while giving a tentative thrust against him. The groan of encouragement was followed by a thrust in return, lips descending to nip and kiss at his fledgling's. Michael's tongue darted out to line David's own mouth, pressing back against him into a bruising kiss, beginning to find a gentle rhythm when the cock shifted inside him, growling as something began to gradually build up. David's pace increased as he began to drive himself forward, throbbing deep inside him. His fingers slid down Michael's side, moving to wrap around the cock trapped between them, giving it a firm stroke to match the pounding of his hips. Their lips remained touching, moving between barely a brush to a blur of teeth and tongues.

Michael couldn't even remember why he'd been so angry before he made his first kill, or why he'd fought David. Granted, this probably wasn't something he'd actively seek out every night, but he was definitely enjoying it. David had been right. Nothing really mattered beyond just...enjoying themselves. Being part of the pack was like being a part of something bigger, something indescribable. It was safety, it was pleasure, it was everything. No sooner had he thought this, he finally felt that pressure inside him snap, the pleasure building to the throb and rhythm of their movements. With a sharp scream, he dug his fangs into David's throat, his release splashing between them. David moaned, letting out a low cry as he drove his own fangs in. The feel of Michael squeezing around him sent him over the edge, his hips giving one last stutter thrust as he came, holding Michael tightly against him.

Dwayne, Marko, and Paul remained silent throughout as they lingered in the lobby. This wasn't something to be mocked or cheered, there would be no teasing, it just felt almost...sacred, and not even Paul was going to do anything to ruin it.


Sam looked over at Lucy. He was nervous, she still didn't totally believe him, but he had convinced her to come with him. Now if only Michael would show up everything could go back to normal. He could get back with Star, they could go to Arizona like they planned, or maybe they'd have to go somewhere like Alaska where the nights got really long...He shook his head, there wasn't time to think about that, he had to think about now, not later.

Lucy tightened her shawl about her, looking over at her youngest son thoughtfully before the sound of engines pealed through the night air and caught her attention. With dad to back him up, there was no denying that he hadn't dreamt...what he'd seen. Five bikes came to a stop not too far away. Three blondes and two brunettes...Michael. Her baby boy was with those bikers. Those bikers who had been killed in their house, who had been buried in that old hotel. They moved in unison, making their way over to the pair, the bleach blonde, David, she thought, was in the lead.

Try as she might, she couldn't even get Michael to meet her eyes. And he didn't even look like he was avoiding it...he just didn't care.

"Hello, Lucy, Sam, nice evening we're having." David said cordially, "Let's cut to the chase, what do you want?"

Sam frowned, backing away from David a step and glancing over at his brother, "we just want to talk to Mike."

David motioned to him, "He's here, talk."

"Michael!" Lucy pulled Sam to the side, squeezing his shoulders and trying to meet her eldest son's eyes, his name a plea in her voice. "Michael, sweetie, what happened to you?"

Michael looked at the pair, and there was nothing either of them could recognize behind his eyes. Just cold amusement to match the others, empty and dark. Lucy's heart break to see a look like that in her own son's gaze. "Please, just let my baby go…" She looked back at David, just knowing in her heart he had to have done something, or was doing something to force him to act this way…

"Your baby is dead," Michael replied before David could, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know you, lady."

David chuckled softly, "It's all on him, his choice. Michael, what do you want?"

Sam looked like he was on the verge of tears but was holding strong, looking pleadingly at his brother. Michael, in his turn, met Sam's eyes as a slow grin formed on his face. Cruel. Just as empty as his eyes.

"I think I want to grab a bite to eat," Michael decided, "so stop bugging me. I'm not going to play nice the next time I see either of you."

David chuckled softly, "You heard him, he's not yours, not anymore. You leave us alone, we leave you alone, alright?"

Lucy wept, continuing to stare at Michael, wordless. Unable to speak. Beside her, Sam clenched his fists, "you're gonna pay for doing this to him."

Michael just rolled his eyes and hopped onto his bike beside the others, not even bothering to remark about that. He really wasn't his brother anymore...just a monster in Michael's skin.

David leaned forward, whispering softly, "I promised him that I wouldn't let him eat you but hey, I can only hold him off as long as you behave yourself and stay the fuck away."

"Promised?" Sam frowned, "he knew this was going to happen to him?"

David grinned, "Mostly." He pulled back, "So, be a good boy and run along home."

Lucy pulled Sam closer to her, "let's...let's go home, Sam…" She kept her face pointed away from Michael as she pressed her face to Sam's shoulder. She wasn't going to tell Michael about the baby. Wasn't going to tell Star about Michael...she'd carry this night to her grave. For all intents and purposes...he was gone. Forever.


Final Notes:

Ran - We had a blast writing this together. Yes guys, we're working on another story, too. But...not a sequel to this one. This, alas, may remain as a one-parter. It was just a little tough on us to be so mean to Lucy and Sam. Still, the next one's a doozy...

Kage - It promises to be just as much fun...for us!