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They were nearly there, Brendan and the group of vampires who served under him in the area.
They'd had a tip off from one of the wolves, who had noticed the smell of vampire in an area where none should be. He was flying forward eagerly, wanting to get back to Steven as soon as possible. He had so much he wanted to do with the boy. Although he knew Steven was going to be angry, really angry. Anne was even making jokes with Cheryl about what Steven was going to make Brendan do as soon as he returned to the club.
Brendan stopped suddenly mid flight and clutched his chest. His heart seemed to be beating, beating like he was alive. But that wasn't possible, was it? The blood in his veins felt warm, almost as if it was actually singing in his body.
"What's up Brendan?" asked Anne, she instructed the others to go ahead with a simple look.
Brendan's heart continued to pound and he was afraid, very afraid. But that wasn't right, Brendan wasn't scared! He was hardly ever afraid, and had no need to be right now. If he wasn't afraid, then who was? He suddenly knew exactly who: Steven. Steven was in trouble and the blood that Brendan has consumed was alerting him to the fact.
"He's in trouble," said Brendan, knowing Anne would understand his simple words.
Brendan turned around and flew. Flew faster than he'd ever flown in his life; the whole world was a blur and the air around him was the coldest he'd ever felt it. He slammed down onto the club's steps so hard that he left a crater-like dent in them. He stepped towards the doors, but a hand on his shoulder cause him to twist round at super speed and snarl: Simon Walker was standing right behind him.
"How did you get here?" asked Brendan, he still didn't trust the slayer.
"Something didn't feel right," said Walker, as a way of an explanation. "So I decided to hold back."
"We told you to follow us on foot!" growled Brendan.
"You aren't the boss of me vampire!" spat Walker. He was clenching something in his pocket, which Brendan assumed to be a stake.
He shoved Walker away and walked straight into the club. He didn't have time for this: Steven could be in danger. He got to his office door and immediately sensed Steven wasn't alone, there were vampires inside with him. Without thinking he forced the door to his office open and it slammed loudly into the wall. He wasn't expecting the sight that met him: his former lover Vinnie had Lynsey's brother in a headlock.
"You don't get to hurt Ste, he's my friend." cried Vinnie, "We're going to have sleep overs and order pizza."
"Brendan!" cried Steven. He was breathing hard, looking terrified on the floor by the desk, but he seemed unharmed.
Vinnie and Eoghan broke apart, both looking sheepish.
Eoghan recovered quickly, brushing down his clothes and checking his hair. "Brendan, It's been a long time..." he started in his most seductive tone. He was cut off by Brendan marching forward and tearing his head clean off his shoulders. The body fell to the floor and disintegrate into ash.
Brendan wasn't taking any rubbish from his former flames. They had murdered people and tried to hurt Steven, they deserved to die. He began to advance towards Vinnie.
"No Brendan." shouted Steven. "Let him go."
Even though he didn't want to, Brendan stopped in his tracks, and could only glare at his former lover. Vinnie looked thankfully at Steven and started to edge towards the door. "I'll be in touch about about the pizza night, yeah?"
Brendan bared his teeth at his former lover in a way that implied such a night would occur over his dead body. Vinnie sheepishly scurried out the door. Brendan was across the room and was holding Steven at arms length, so that he could look for any damage.
"Are you okay, did they hurt you?" asked Brendan.
"No, I'm okay." said Steven, seeming unsure whether to hug the vampire or to start having a go about Brendan handcuffing him to a desk.
"He's okay," said a new voice behind them. "But your friend isn't"
Brendan turned and was surprised to see Macca, a vampire version of Macca standing in the doorway. He had a dagger to Walker's throat. The stake Walker had been carrying fell to the floor. Brendan edged forward to help the slayer, but this caused Macca to push the dagger deeper into Walker's neck.
"Move any closer and your friend here gets it." said Macca cruelly. "It was like Christmas finding him outside when I went to dispose of the dog. The stupid thing tried to bite me when I tried to bite Ste, ironic really."
Brendan fixed his face into one of indifference. "Why should I care about the slayer? He's nothing to me." he said coldly. "You'll be doing me a favour."
Macca pushed the tip of the dagger so hard into Walker's neck that a trail of blood leaked out.
"No!" cried Steven.
Brendan took a step backwards and let Macca move into the room with the slayer. He knew Steven would never forgive him if he let the slayer die. No matter how annoying said slayer was.
"Macca, the second you kill him you will be dust," Brendan assured him. "I suggest you run right now; it's the only way you're getting out of here in one piece."
Macca sneered, "You think you're scary, do you Brady? My Master will be here soon. Then you'll see what true power looks like." Macca looked straight at Brendan. "We could have been so much more, me and you. But instead you picked that chavy human."
"'Eyar, who you calling a chav?" asked Steven angrily. "You little weasel!"
"Macca!" called a new voice.
A new person stepped into the room, but it was someone who Brendan had never seen before. A small man, with not much meat on him.
"Master!" cried Macca, with a smirk.
"Cam?" asked Walker, he turned deathly white.
"What?" said Cam, his face screwed up with confusion. He look at Brendan and Steven, then finally at his brother. "What are you doing here Simon?"
"You're a vampire." said Walker faintly. "But...but I saw you die."
Cam snorted. "I was too full of vampire blood to die properly, you only saw what I wanted you to see brother."
"Who the hell are you and why are you targeting me and Brendan?" snapped Ste, interrupting the family reunion. Brendan was wondering the exact same thing.
"Don't be angry with us, master." said Macca in his most smarmy voice he could muster, "please, we tried." he threw himself to Cam's feet.
Cam's face once again creased in confusion. "What are you doing?"
"I'll be good master," snivelled Macca, kissing Cam's dirty trainers. "Kind master, please don't hurt me."
Macca's eyes were glinting as he shakily got to his feet. Without warning he launched himself forward towards Ste, his fangs out ready to bite the boy, ready to kill. But Brendan was too quick for him. He shot in front of the boy and grabbed a hold of Macca, forcefully throwing him out of the open doorway. He could hear his bones break and shatter as he fell down the metal staircase.
"Why are you doing this?" cried Steven, shaken from yet another failed attempt to take his life.
"Why am I targeting Brendan?" asked Cam, he began to laugh bitterly. "Brendan's the one who made me what I am. He's the one who took the first bite of this apple."
"I don't know who you are." said Brendan coldly, honestly.
The smile on Cam's face wavered. "You must remember me. You picked me out on the dance floor on a cold night in December, me over all the other humans there that night." he smiled softly as if this was his favourite memory. "You told me I was special, fucked me over your desk and then took a bite from my neck. It changed my life, it was all I could think of every time another vampire fed from me."
Brendan shook his head, he didn't remember the boy. But there had been so many faces over the years. Cam didn't really have a face that would stand out in any crowd, he must have been hungry at the time if the story was true.
"Sorry, but that wasn't me. I don't remember you." said Brendan, even though he wasn't one bit sorry at all.
"You must remember me!" cried Cam, sounding borderline unhinged. His face was wild and confused.
"The past doesn't matter Cam." said Walker softly almost pleading, "We can sort this out, you and me. We can be a family again, this is just a blip."
Cam laughed, a tragic hiss that turned into "Simon, can't you mind your own fucking business?!"
Walker gave a moan of frustration, "Everything I've done for you is because I care about you! What would Mum say if she saw you like this?"
"I don't give a shit." hissed Cam. "You were always her favourite any way, you're the reason I became this."
"Please Cam." sobbed Walker, "You know that isn't true."
Cam answered, but Brendan didn't listen: he was bored now. He was going to hold his boy and then kill Cam: in that order. He'd let the brothers have their moment and that would be it, because the last thing Brendan needed was the angry slayer on his back again. He finally took Steven into his arms and held him close. Brendan felt all his worries melt away instantly. The boy was safe now, no harm would come to him in his arms. He could feel Steven's heartbeat as he pressed their chests together. He couldn't help but wonder. Was it possible that Steven was saving him? Could their connection be making him human again? Steven had said he was warm, and when they kissed he'd gasped. But why had he gasped when he didn't need to breath?
He was so distracted by the presence of his boy, that he didn't notice Cam break away from his argument with Walker and rush forward with a wooden stake in his hand that he'd picked up from the floor with his vampire super speed. He didn't, but Steven did.
The boy shoved Brendan out of the way of the oncoming stake, Brendan (who was taken unaware) fell to the floor with an almighty crash. He recovered just in time to watch as Cam plunged the sharp wooden stake straight into Steven's unprotected heart.
"No." roared Brendan, he flew forward and caught Steven as he was about to collapse, the two fell to the floor together. For a moment Brendan thought the boy had gotten away from the situation with a minor scratch, but as he looked closer he realised blood was pouring out from an ugly wound in Steven's chest.
Cam let out an insane cackle. "You'll remember me now, won't you Brendan?" He was still laughing insanely when a wooden stake was plunged straight into his heart. The smile was soon wiped off his face when he realised it wasn't Brendan, but his own brother who had done it.
"You?" Cam whispered.
"Goodbye Cam." whispered Walker, as tears fell freely down his face.
Cam's entire body turned into dust, that fell into a big pile on the floor. Walker seemed unable to tear his eyes away from it.
"Bren." cried Steven softly, drawing the older man's attention back to him. "I think...I think I'm dying."
"No, no, no, no." chanted Brendan, as if it could make everything better. But it couldn't, nothing would. "You can't do this to me Steven."
"It's okay," said Steven, he tried to smile but it turned more into a grimace of pains. "It's going to be alright." he flinched as a wave of pain shuddered through his body.
"Help him!" cried Brendan, as he desperately tried to stem the bleeding. It didn't work, the blood was leaking through his hands and making them red. Never in Brendan's life as a vampire, had the sight of blood repulsed him so much.
Walker turned, finally drawing his eyes away from the pile of ash that used to be his brother. His face was tortured and tears were flowing freely down his cheeks. "I'm sorry Ste, I'm so sorry." he said as he looked at the boy. "It was never meant to turn out like this."
"Don't you dare say that!" growled Brendan through gritted teeth. Steven wasn't going to die, he had so many years ahead of him. He was only young, he was going to be fine. "Come on Steven, stay with me."
Steven managed to look up at Brendan's face, but his blue eyes were clouded. "I'm so tired and it hurts. I want to go to sleep Bren, let me go to sleep." he shakily reached out his hand and touched Brendan's face, the touch was weak and feather-like. "Please."
"You can sleep when you get to the hospital." said Brendan.
"He won't make it to the hospital.' said Walker softly from behind.
"Shut up!" screamed Brendan, he turned his attention back to Steven. The boy seemed to be getting paler and his breathing was shallow.
"I'm sorry, Brendan, you have to let him go. He doesn't have much time." continued Walker, like some annoying fly that needed to be swatted away.
Brendan snarled in misery, "I could turn him."
"Do you really want to?" asked Walker, voice calm but betraying his own sadness.
Could he condemn Steven to this life? His beautiful Steven who had golden skin and smelt of sunlight. How could he turn an angel into a monster? He looked down at the boy in his arms and just felt pain and devastation. For the first time in years Brendan could feel his heart and it was breaking. Without even thinking Brendan brought his wrist to his mouth and tore open the flesh with his teeth.
He held his bloody wrist to Steven's mouth and for a moment his lover began to drink from it hungrily. But then Steven's face screwed up and with all the strength he had left, he pushed his face away.
"No." said Steven.
Brendan's arm moved away without his permission. He couldn't help but wonder if he would have listened to the boy if he wasn't compelled to obey, or if he would have forced him to drink. He couldn't stand the idea of being in a world without Steven in it. He couldn't live this un-dead life any more, not when it didn't have Steven.
"I don't want to die." cried Steven, tears openly falling down his face. "But don't. Don't try to..." he broke off into painful coughs.
Brendan felt tears freely falling from his eyes. "I can't do this without you Steven."
"Yes, yes you can." said Steven, his voice nearly a whisper. "You have to do what I say, right? So, that's an order. I need you to live and look after me kids. Lucas won't understand, but our Leah will. And she's only little Brendan." he took in a shuddery breath, as more tears rolled down from his eyes. "They need someone to look after them, now I can't."
"Steven." said Brendan, unable to hide the emotion in his voice.
Steven let out another painful cry, as more tears slid down his cheeks. "I'll never get to be there for my Lucas's first day of school, or cuddle Leah when she gets her heartbroken for the first time or hold any of my grandchildren. But I don't regret meeting you Brendan Brady, not for a minute, don't ever think I did. You made me so happy. Happier than I thought I could ever be."
"You made me happy Steven, you made me feel human again." said Brendan, clutching the boy closer. It was nearly time, he could almost smell death in the air. He bent down and kissed the boy's soft lips, he tasted of blood and tears. He almost didn't want to pull away, but he knew their time together was now short. As he pulled away he couldn't help but admire how beautiful Steven was, even in death.
"Tell me a story." whispered Steven, his eyes fluttering to a close.
Brendan stroked a piece of hair away from Steven's face. He hesitated for a moment, before he knew the right story to tell his boy. "Once upon a time there was a monster who didn't believe in living any more. The monster was sad that he was a monster and didn't want to be alive any more, so one day he decided to go walking in the sun. The monster knew if he walked in the sun long enough he would die and this is what he wanted. But on that day something stopped him; a beautiful boy who made the monster believe that maybe he wasn't a monster any more." Brendan realised he was now shaking and his voice was wavering.
"Go on." whispered Steven; his eyes fluttered open, but his gaze was faraway and cloudy.
"The monster tried to stay away from the beautiful boy, but he couldn't. The beautiful boy wouldn't leave the monster alone, no matter how horrible the monster was to him or how stupid he thought his moustache was."
Steven laughed quietly, but followed it with the softest of sobs. "What happened?" he asked, now on the edge of consciousness.
"They fell in love." said Brendan softly, he couldn't stop the tears from falling now. He felt as if he was being savagely torn apart.
"Good." whispered Steven. "Maybe one day we'll find each other again."
"In the next life, Steven." said Brendan softly.
Steven smiled at the thought, even though it seemed any type of movement caused him pain now. "I love you Brendan."
Brendan opened his mouth to reply, but as he did Steven's heart stopped beating. He looked down at the boy in his arms and shook him gently, as if Steven was just sleeping. His beautiful eyes were open, but now unseeing with no light in them. He was dead.
"Brendan." said Walker softly. "He's gone."
Brendan hadn't even been aware the other man was still in the room. A wave of grief and despair washed over him. He let out an animalistic roar of pain, which didn't stop until Anne and Cheryl appeared much later and dragged him away from Steven's lifeless body.