Author note: pie is yummy. That is all.

Disclaimer: Hmm, I own my OC's but this makes no profit.

Chapter start

It was a very bad sense of déjà vu to be on the back of Marko's bike again. It all happened in reverse now. The beach, the woods, the dangerous edge, before reaching the cave they all called home.

Her arms ached from clutching Marko tightly, especially when he'd led his bike down the stairs to the beach, kicking up a plume of sand with the tires before straightening and yelling merrily. She was not hyperventilating, a miracle, really. Her sense of preservation must have been screwed up because she found that, even though she thought him and the others insane, she knew deep down she trusted Marko not to splatter her on the ground by losing control.

When had she started trusting the little devil?

With a sigh and grimace, Celia buried her head between his shoulder blades, her hands relaxing enough to slip down on his lower stomach. The material of the patched jacket was rough against her cheek, the skin of his abdomen soft but firm, stretched tightly across muscles.

Marko glanced down at the hands, studying the long fingers and thin delicacy of the pale skin and knowing the fragility of the bones it covered. He was not worried about the lack of concentration he gave the path. It was as familiar to him as blood and therefore something he didn't have to consciously follow. He could have driven with his eyes closed and still gotten where he wanted.

What was more noteworthy of dissection was the fact that he didn't mind her being behind him. Marko was a very intelligent being under his airs and he knew himself. There hadn't ever been a passenger on his bike before that hadn't been on his menu. And they had never been fully trusting of him then, and he had never been okay with a passenger he couldn't eat.

For all her worried thoughts of dying on the back of his bike, Celia was relaxed. And so was he. Marko was startled to recognize contentment at the sight of her hands around him and at the feeling of her pressed against him.

It was too dark for human eyes to see clearly, a rare night when the moon and stars didn't come out to play. Therefore, when they all stopped their bikes and climbed off Marko grabbed one of the delicate hands and held it without pressure.

He led her down the path and then told her to stay close in case she tripped. It took a bit longer since he had to guide her but when they made it into the cave he didn't let her hand go. She did flinch though when a pigeon flew close to her face, making him and the other boys laugh.

"So what do you think," Paul asked, suddenly appearing between them and severing the connection between them. Marko smiled a little as he instead caught a pigeon in his grip. "Marko likes to collect them. Says they keep him calm."

"Pigeons?" Celia looked at him in bemusement while Paul led her further into the cave. There was something in the way he had said 'calm' though, some thinly veiled hint or playful jab at Marko.

On the other hand, it was more likely she was reading way too much into it.

Paul laughed a bit and kept leading her to a broken fountain. There was a beautiful medley of seashells and a huge clear object hanging near it, remnants of a chandelier maybe. Paul had leapt up and yanked her with him.

"Get the rock box, my brother." He pointed and Laddie rushed off with an exclamation of joy.

While Paul wandered around the fountain, David and Dwayne had settled into their seats. Marko remained near the entrance with his pigeon companions, his eyes following Celia's movements with a furrowed brow, his movements petting the bird slow and thoughtful.

She was brushing her hand through the seashells, listening to them clink softly together when she did. Finally, she glanced around until she spotted Marko then smiled.

"Okay," she said. "Do you guys live here or something?"

Marko released his pigeon and shrugged. "Would it bother you?"

David chuckled with Dwayne and Paul tilted his head as he lit a joint. Celia shook her head. "Why would it? It's cozy in a dilapidated haunted mansion style, I guess."

Paul dropped his arms heavily around her, making her stumble while he held up the joint to her lips. Celia batted him off and took it after a second's debate.

Paul grinned happily. "You got no idea sweetie-weedy. So why don't ya check it out?"

For some reason this made all the boys laugh. Marko came forward and tugged her down. She hit his chest softly and he held her there, letting his fingers test the softness of the skin stretched across her neck. That pulse would stop soon if everything went according to plan.

"That's right." Marko titled his head as if something had just occurred to him. "You didn't get to hear about it last time you were here."

"Hear what," she asked.

Marko beamed and led her to the couch, shoving her down before dropping next to her. "David tells it so much better than us. About how our little home came to be."

David growled low enough so only the boys would hear him. Marko giggled and dropped his arm around Celia. He took the joint from her fingers and drew in a huge thing of smoke before he puffed it out in her face. Celia smacked him lightly and he relaxed, passing the joint to Dwayne, who passed it to David after.

"This used to be the hottest resort in Santa Carla," David said after some more teasing from Marko and Paul. Celia nodded to show she was paying attention. "Too bad they built it right on the fault. When the big one hit in 1906, the fault cracked, and the hotel fell right inside." He leaned back in his chair and looked sideways at her. "So now it's ours."

Celia grinned. "And how long have you been here?"

David smirked slowly. "Oh, it feels like forever sometimes." All the boys laughed and Celia shook her head. "I rarely understand what any of you say," she muttered.

A half hour later of light talking and teasing, and smoking, Celia was reclined against Marko, nearly laying on him, her head cushioned against his chest. Paul had sat next to her and pulled her legs up to curl on his lap. He drummed on her knees lightly before he toyed with them, poking them to see if she was ticklish. She watched him idly, pulling her legs up when he slipped under her dress.

He grinned, returning to drumming against her. Celia burrowed closer to Marko who was accommodating. He flashed a raised eyebrow at his brothers, curling his hand into the thick red hair and letting it slip from his fingers before gathering it up again.

Paul laughed as he drummed, practically bouncing in his seat as he guessed what would be coming soon. Dwayne was playing with Laddie intently but he too looked up in order to flash a feral grin at them. David smirked slowly, proud of his brother for luring her into such complacency with them all.

Celia was feeling very lethargic and had the mild thought Paul had mixed something other than pot in with that weed. Either that or it was really good, really potent, shit. All she wanted was to curl up against Marko and go to sleep, her eyes foggy and her lids seeming excessively heavy.

Marko was brimming with satisfaction. It had been a long, occasionally tedious game but it would soon be over one way or the other. Then he could really play with her without worrying about breaking her accidentally. Paul was just as eager for that moment.

David nodded and Dwayne got the jeweled bottle. Laddie stiffened when he saw it and scurried over to Star who looked sick as she held the small boy to her. Once again, she would be forced to watch an innocent be poisoned.

David gestured with his head and Dwayne took a huge sip of the wine before passing it to his leader. David drank as well, feeling the familiar kick to his system as his sires blood flooded through his limbs, thrumming against every corner of him. He capped it before looking at Marko. Marko grinned when Paul caught it. His brother uncapped it and handed it to him.

"I'm still full from the Chinese bag earlier," Paul said with a laugh. All the boys chuckled, getting the joke.

Marko however took a swallow before he nudged his sleepy little human with the bottle. She turned her head slightly to look at it.

"Pretty," she commented simply. She stifled a yawn. "What is it?"

Marko grinned. "A way for you to be with us forever."

"Sounds creepy," she commented.

"Ouch," Paul joked, holding a hand over where his un-beating heart was.

Marko shifted so he could nuzzle into the crown of red hair. A sigh ran through her when he brought a hand up to flutter his fingers against her cheek. David grinned. It was a pretty pair they made, any vampire could appreciate that. If Celia turned at her current age then she and Marko would both be forever young adults, able to look innocent and harmless. He chuckled, sharing a look with Dwayne.

Marko had been whispering in Celia's ear, whatever it was had her nodding. Paul had indeed slipped something into his weed. A bit of his saliva, which made any human complacent and biddable. And more honest. Celia couldn't hide behind 'Kyle' if Marko confronted her about how she was feeling for him.

"Do it for me," the small vampire was whispering charmingly. He pressed a small kiss to the corner of her lips, enough to make her sigh and wriggle closer. "Take a chance on it."

"What's in it," she asked curiously.

Marko glanced at David. They had all read Celia's mind enough to know saying it was wine was a horrible idea. She had an intense hatred and disgust for alcohol of any kind.

Paul rubbed her legs with his hands in a kind of massage. "Just taste it and find out. One small, tiny sip."

When Celia only dropped her head against Marko again he rolled his eyes. What had Paul done, spit in the joint? It wasn't like the blond rocker hadn't done that before. Paul had accidentally put humans in comas with it before, making all of them growl when he did it to another brother's prey. They needed Celia at least semi-lucid.

With some irritation, Marko tilted some more of the liquid into his mouth, letting it run over his tongue temptingly, sharpening his fangs at the feel of it sloshing. He shifted and Celia moved her head, giving him the perfect angle.

"Stop it," Star said suddenly, pushing Laddie behind her. Marko grinned and cocked a brow at her as he used his thumb to part Celia's lips.

Star hurried forward but was halted by David's casual arm across her stomach. He was laughing at her now, eyes daring her to try anything while Marko prepared to send a rush of the sweet nectar through the helplessly unknowing Celia.

"It's cruel," she said.

"It's who we are,' David said.

Paul was grinning wildly at the entwined pair, fidgeting in his seat like a toddler on too much sugar. Marko waggled his brows at Paul before aligning his lips to Celia's, opening his mouth to use his tongue to pry open her teeth.

Celia knew she should have yanked back, thoughts of Kyle flying sluggishly through her brain. This whole situation was weird. Pot had never done this to her that she was aware of. It had never dimmed her.

Before she could chase the thought lips were on hers, dimming her further because she glanced up and it was Marko kissing her, flooding her with his tongue and with the warm appendage came an even warmer, thicker thing.

It was too thick almost, urging her to swallow but she wasn't really sure how to do it with Marko's tongue plundering away and lapping at the corners of her mouth, leaving trails of his tingling saliva. The liquid was almost spicy in its warmth and she found it wasn't horrible.

On the other hand, maybe it was because Marko was against her, one hand fluttering against her throat in an urgent manner, trying to make her swallow while the other rubbed against her stomach. With such thorough kissing came the need for air and when she finally separated enough to take it some of the liquid trailed from her mouth and Marko darted to lap it, letting her see it was red, crimson.

Before she swallowed though Star burst out, "it's blood!"

It hadn't worked on Michael, her warning, and had been taken by the teen boy as a joke. Star's heart pounded as she waited for a long second that felt like hours. David's face was furious as he stood, grabbing her arm, but even starved as she was Star wasn't a weak human. She held her ground firmly.

Celia stiffened and Marko frowned. He was prepared to try to joke it off but before he could, she heaved. The blood hit him squarely in the eye as she spit, choking on it, refusing to allow it to slide an inch down her stubborn throat. Marko roared, all vampires hated to be blinded, and tossed her off his lap with a snarl.

Paul caught her flailing body and let her fall to the ground as he too stood up. He tried to help Marko clear his vision. Dwayne got up, catching Laddie around the middle and heaving the boy in the air when he would have ran to Celia. For once in his state as a Halfling, the boy broke down, crying and shrieking, adding to the chaos of the cave while Star held her own against a vengefully spiteful David and Marko was hissing and wiping his face vigorously.

Celia rolled over onto her hands and knees. The bottle had fallen from Marko's grip but hadn't shattered. The opening was oozing a dark liquid onto the floor, liquid she recognized. It was only a slightly deeper color than the blood that came from small cuts and bruises, dipping a finger in it proved it to be just as textured, if slightly thicker.

This was a sick, twisted joke! She got to her feet and took off running, dodging by Marko who was still whining amidst snarls. When she reached the entrance to the cave she paused to look up, checking the slight climb she would have to make. With near sobbing hysteria she started up but after barely stepping on it she disturbed the pigeons and they all flew up in the air with loudly fluttering wings.

It caught David's attention. "Stop her!" it was a snarl, his lips thin and his eyes glittering with malice.

Paul abandoned Marko who was now calming down to appear behind Celia. He grabbed her ankle and yanked her down by it, uncaring that her arms and other exposed skin scraped gratingly along the rough surface.

She screamed and struggled as he flipped her over, her voice adding to the cacophony Laddie and Star were making as they too yelled, one in anger, one in tearful desperation, and finally hers in fear and a will to fight.

Paul leaned over her and she reared back, clawing at his face, dragging her nails down it close to his right eye. He growled and caught the hand, getting his other one under her back and lifting her like a sack of potatoes.

"Will you knock it off," he snapped angrily when she delivered a harsh kick to his thigh, aiming most likely for his jewels. "That would hurt you know!"

"That's the point!" Celia pummeled his back with her fists. "You sick- freaking- put me down!"

Paul ignored the words made inarticulate from her rage and fear mixed with revulsion and something near to hatred. It was pretty obvious to guess what she meant even without her mind shooting accusing thoughts at them all.

Celia would have leaped right back up from the couch Paul deposited her on like a pile of dirty laundry but then Marko wheeled to face her. He was angry, that much was plain. Gone was the impish smile, the innocent guile, the charming trickster. In its place was a horrible monster.

The face was not so bad, sharper. Even the eyes weren't hideous, though they were yellow with tinges of red around the pupil. It was the fangs in his snarling mouth that had her shrieking and trying to melt into the couch.

"Marko," David hissed while Paul muttered, "dude!" Dwayne shook his head as he repositioned Laddie, covering the boy's mouth to muffle his crying.

The curly haired youth didn't respond. Instead, his mouth opened more and he snarled, roaring, before he lunged at Celia, who finally had her flight mode activated, the fight leaving her as she realized she couldn't fight or flee and hopeless fear settled into the pit of her stomach.

Paul got in his way and none of them really knew if it was intentional or not. Regardless the rocker shoved Marko away and caught the furious vampire again when he lunged.

David had a crushing grip on Star's arm but he dropped it as he took in the rapidly depleting situation, deciding again that he just fucking hated Halflings. With Marko in his vampiric thrall there was no playing it off, lulling Celia back into a trusting little lamb. No, her brain was up and working now and the prey in her would sense the predator in them for good.

He hissed before he waded into the fray himself, grabbing Marko by the curls and twisting them to bring the thrashing vampire to his knees. He continued to growl but he relaxed and stopped moving, coming back to his senses. David let him go and he stayed there. Paul was chuckling and brushing his sleeves, straightening his coat out.

Celia was now shaking, teeth chattering so hard they should have all broken in pieces. Her face was buried in her hands. David grabbed them and then her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"You will not leave this cave until I say so," he snarled. He felt the order take root and let her go. He glanced at his brothers. "Come with me, boys."

The three moved nearer to him, Dwayne dropping Laddie to the ground. He watched while the boy scampered to Celia, practically stumbling over his limbs as he flung himself against her, crooning to her softly until she opened her arms and accepted him into them.

Star waited until the boys had all left, Marko glaring at her before he looked at Celia and then flung himself through the opening. The meaning was clear. He would make Star pay for this.

Finally, the gypsy went to the girl as well, watching her huddled form with sympathy. She didn't know how to give comfort. She was a runaway, she had never had friends, but she supposed she knew what she had always wanted on the nights her belly was hungry and people were cruel to the small orphan child she had been, kicking and prodding her, using her and abusing her. But she didn't know Celia and, while her heart did bleed for the girl, she decided to leave the embracing to Laddie.

Instead, she went to one of the small springs that was buried in the cave, withdrawing water from it in a large glass. She took it to Celia, patting her head as though she was a dog to get her attention. Celia didn't protest.

"You need to gargle with this." Star said firmly. She held the glass aloft. "You didn't swallow any, did you?"

Celia shook her head. When Star gestured she took the glass and gargled, spitting it onto the ground. The water was mixed with red, she could still taste it, and she half feared it would soak through her gums and tongue. She gargled and spit until the water stayed clear but even then, she was too scared to take a proper drink.

Her fear hadn't left her but it had abated some, leaving behind a mostly lethargic exhaustion. Her bones were even weak. Everything about her was about as sturdy as jello in sunlight. "What are they going to do to me?"

The question was rhetorical. Star glanced at Laddie. She shrugged because she really didn't know. However, in her mind even if they killed Celia it was better then being one of them. "I don't know."

They sat there for a few more hours until dawn neared. Star guided Celia to her bed and got the girl changed into a spare garment she kept, leading the girl as if she was a broken child. Star didn't blame her. It was hard enough to accept that things really did go bump in the night. It was even harder to realize they would probably kill you the next time they saw you.

When she had gotten her settled in bed, Laddie on the other side of Celia curled up in her arms, Star climbed in too. The two Halfling vampires kept the human girl sheltered between them unconsciously; a paltry defense at best, but it was all they had between them.

"I'm sorry," Star murmured before she slept, and only she and the wind would know all the things and people she was apologizing for.

End chapter

Author note: Whew, I hope you all liked this! Now what is going to happen to Celia? Leave some reviews for me to find out!