Disclaimer: I don't own Being Human, and I don't wish I did because it wouldn't be anywhere near as good as it is, and it would get cancelled when I made sure Damien Molony was in every scene!

So the warning this time is not so much for the swearing, but for some fairly graphic violence and gore. All pretty tame when you consider what's been on the actual show!

So this is it, the last proper chapter of my first ever finished fan fic. It has been a long road to get to here, but I've really enjoyed writing this story. It's really strange to think that it's almost over. I started it back in March, just as Series 4 was coming to an end, and here we are just a few months from the start of Series 5.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read it through to the end, and especially to those who have written such lovely reviews! I really hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Thank you.

Chapter 25: Torn Apart

"Please tell me you've thought of some sort of plan since I was last in here." Alex stared hopefully at her three friends stuck in the small, cramped basement under the betting shop. None of them answered her, or even looked at her, and she growled in frustration. "Come on guys! Where's your fighting spirit? We faced down the Old Ones! Surely this can't be as bad as that?"

"Annie faced down the Old Ones if you remember, we didn't fair so well." Hal grumbled. He was sat propped up against the back wall, Kate's hand firmly in his. While she could stop his newly inflamed hunger, there was nothing any of them could do to help his worsening withdrawal symptoms. He had been shaking and sweating since the early hours of the morning, and they had seriously considered having Alex rentaghost him back to the house to get him away. Back to the chair he was all too aware he was headed for anyway if they got through this. But through the agonising cramps and exhausting tremors, he had been adamant that he would not leave them to face this without him. Given what Lewis had said about hurting Allison if Alex helped them to escape, the others had reluctantly agreed that it wasn't worth the risk. Alex knew from Hal's last detox that his cramps would subside soon, but the physical symptoms were just the tip of the iceberg. Lewis was no Mr Snow, he wasn't even close, but she still wondered if, in his weakened state, Hal could remain loyal to them if he was pushed. She shook the thought away ashamedly. Hal was many things, and they hadn't always seen eye to eye, but after what she and Tom and Hal had been through in the past year, she believed he would do the right thing if it came to it.

"I faired just fine thanks. And anyway, you know what I meant. So are we just going to sit here and wait for whatever they've got planned? As strategies go, that's a pretty terrible one."

"What's going on up there? Have they let on anything about what they're going to do?" Kate asked worriedly.

"Are they really planning a dog fight?" Tom piped up, looking even younger than usual. Alex didn't have the heart to tell them the truth. Things down here were bleak enough as it was.

"All's quiet at my end. Anyway, I should go. Allison will be wondering where I've got to. I'll pop back later if I get the chance, bye." She rushed before disappearing. She hated lying to them.

She reappeared in the meeting room and joined Alison back at the table where she had been tied up all night.

"How are they?" the werewolf asked wearily.

"Not too bad. Bearing up."

"Did you tell them about... you know."

"No." Alex answered, eyeing the large, oppressive wire mesh cage that had sprung up in the last few hours.

"Don't look at it." Allison mumbled, resting her head on the table.

"I just wish there was something I could do. Every time that bastard Lewis walks past I just want to smash his face in! That'd stop him grinning." Alex seethed, keeping her voice down so the vampires working on the cage couldn't hear.

"You and me both." Allison looked up and gave the ghost a small smile, though Alex could see it took great effort. Today was going to be a long day.

"What time is it?" Tom asked flatly.

"A quarter to seven. Or in other words, twenty minutes since you last asked." Hal replied gruffly, glancing at his watch. After being in the basement for almost twenty-four hours, Hal's patience had long since vanished. Alex had visited them at intervals throughout the day, but had said nothing of any preparations upstairs. He knew she was lying when she said she didn't know, which only served to confirm to him that whatever it was that awaited them was very, very bad. He hoped Tom and Kate hadn't picked up on it too. Lewis had threatened a dog fight, but he still hoped desperately that he had been bluffing. Tom and Allison didn't deserve that, let alone whatever they did to Kate and himself. At least Alex is safe he thought to himself, but even that was little consolation, given that she faced being alone after tonight if Lewis got his way.

Hal looked at Tom, feeling guilty for snapping at him. The werewolf was stretched out on the floor staring at the ceiling, and looking more hopeless than Hal ever thought he'd seen him before. He felt responsible for what had happened, even if he had been forced into a corner by Mr Rook and Lewis. He wondered vaguely whether Mr Rook would care if they died because of his scheming, or if he would simply be disappointed that his plans had come to nothing. He didn't know why he wondered, he knew the answer already. He had been very much like Mr Rook himself not fifty-eight years ago; aloof, arrogant and unfeeling.

His thoughts were interrupted as Tom jumped up suddenly from the floor. He listened hard but couldn't hear anything, remembering that the werewolf's hearing was amplified due to the coming transformation. A few moments later the door opened, and Allison came flying through. Tom caught her before she hit the floor, the door slamming shut behind her hastily. Clearly they were taking no risks with the werewolves.

"Allison!" Tom cried, holding her tightly in his arms. Alex appeared in the middle of the room, and smiled briefly at the reunion.

"It won't be long now. They're almost ready upstairs. I'm sorry, but it's really not good. They've got a cage. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I just couldn't." She told them sombrely. Allison obviously already knew but Tom hardly reacted, just standing with his wife, their foreheads together and eyes closed. They were preparing themselves for the worst.

"You won't kill each other you know? It doesn't work like that, your bond won't just disappear. You'll be alright." Hal tried to reassure them, feeling it was the least he could do under the circumstances.

"We know." Allison said simply. "It's what we'll do to you that frightens us. They're going to put you in the cage with us, before we transform. Lewis told me and Alex to tell you. He said he'll give you choice when the time comes, and he hopes you'll make the right decision. I don't know what he means, but needless to say it doesn't sound good."

Hal could guess what the choice would be.

A short while later, Tom and Allison turned to look at the door again, signalling the arrival of the vampires from upstairs. Sure enough, seconds later the door opened, and they were escorted from the basement up into the meeting room. Hal reached for Kate's hand as they were led through the seething crowd that had gathered to see the fight. They were brought to a halt at the entrance to the cage, and Lewis stepped forward. He signalled for the werewolves to be put into the pen ready for their transformation. As he was dragged roughly away, Tom glanced at Hal anxiously.

"Almost show time. What do you think of our preparations? Not bad for a days work is it?" Lewis grinned, looking up at the cage proudly. "It's been a long time since I saw a good dog fight. How about you Hal? I heard that you used to organise them, back in the day. Does your friend Rover know that? How many dogs did you send to their deaths in a ring just like this one? Dozens? Hundreds? More?"

"That was a long time ago. I'm better than that now." Hal glared. Lewis laughed almost hysterically.

"Better? He thinks he's better than that! A leopard can't change its spots Hal. You're just the same. You might be hiding behind a wretched skin of mercy now, but you can't do the things you've done in the past and not be tainted by them forever. You might think you've changed, but the past has a funny way of catching up with you in the end. And look. Now it has."

Tom and Allison doubled over and screamed as their transformation began. Hair growing, Snouts protruding, nails extending, they gripped each other's hands for comfort. Their voices changing to whimpers, they choked out a last "I love you" through swelling teeth, dagger-like fangs appearing where human canines should have been.

"Time for your grand entrance Hag." Lewis grabbed her arm with his gloved hands and delivered her to the cage door himself. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be quick." He smirked at her as he pushed her in.

"No, Lewis, please! Don't put her in there with them." Hal struggled against the men holding him back. Alex took a few uncertain steps backwards before rentaghosting into the cage with Kate.

"Oh Hal. Stop, please. Your devotion is revolting." Lewis cringed.

"I'll do anything Lewis!"

"Will you now? Well I was hoping you'd say that. Did they tell you about the choice I want you to make? Well, it's less of a choice, more of an easy way out really." Hal frowned and stopped struggling as he smelt it. The tangy, irresistible odour of blood. He swallowed hard. "See. You want it. More than you want her safe. So why not just give in? Don't make yourself suffer any more." Lewis took a glass of the enticing red liquid from someone standing behind him, and offered it to Hal. "All you have to do is drink."

"Will you let her go? If I drink it. If I come back to you will you let her go?" he asked quietly, staring intensely at the blood. For a moment there was only Lewis, the glass and himself in the room. Everyone else disappeared. He wasn't even sure who he was talking about when he said "her". His body urged him to take a step forward and snatch the glass from the other vampire, but he found himself rooted to the spot.

"Don't be stupid Hal. She's getting what she deserves, just as you are. Take it Hal. Satisfy your thirst. You look parched." Hal blinked and shook himself.

"I am parched. But what I deserve is to be in that cage getting my comeuppance, and if I can't save her, she deserves to have me by her side at the end. You might be right about me never really changing, but I can do the right thing at least. And this time, I'm saying no. I'm actually saying no." He said, almost disbelievingly. Shaking with the effort, he moved his eyes from the glass to Lewis, staring him down defiantly. Lewis sighed disappointedly, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

"It's a shame. With your track record, we could have made a good team. Ah well. Have it your way. In he goes."

The men holding Hal threw him into the cage, just as the werewolves' legs cracked, throwing them onto their misshapen backs with screams of agony. As Hal reached Kate and threw his arms around her, he stared at Tom and Allison. He realised that this time the change was worse than usual. They were holding back, fighting the transformation. He wished they wouldn't. They were only delaying the inevitable and prolonging their pain.

"Alex, do it now." Kate instructed calmly. Hal snapped his attention back to her.

"Do what?"

"Alex."

Alex stepped towards them, tears in her eyes.

"What about you?" she asked Kate.

"Stop ignoring me, both of you! Do what?" Hal shouted. Alex kept her eyes on Kate for a moment longer then turned and put her hands on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. The world moved. Staggering backwards and falling against a wall, Hal shook his head to clear the sudden dizziness. He looked around in confusion. Alex let him go and clasped a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stem her tears. "I'm sorry Hal, I'm so sorry. She begged me to before they put you in..."

All he could see was a mass of people, and infront of them... the cage. Realising what she had done he ran, forcing his way through the crowd, leaving Alex trailing after him as he pushed and shoved to get to the front. Some were shouting angrily about being cheated out of bets, others looked dazedly around at each other asking what had happened, and some blinked at him in stunned silence as they realised it was him that had jostled them. Of course. They had never seen a ghost disappear with a vampire before.

He reached the cage and gripped the wire.

"Kate!" he called, shouting above the noise of the crowd. She heard him after his third shout, searching him out and edging her way around the edge of the cage towards him, keeping as much distance between herself and the still transforming werewolves as possible. "Why?!" he asked as she reached him, brushing her cheek with his finger tips through the mesh.

"Why do you think? There's no point in us both getting killed."

"It's not fair." He breathed, shaking his head.

"Life's not fair Hal. Five-hundred years should have taught you that." She smiled through her tears.

The crowd gave a collective cheer as Tom and Allison's screams abated behind her. Two ear-splitting howls rang out, silencing the bellowing vampires. Kate closed her eyes, the sound cutting through her like a knife. Hal turned to Alex.

"Put me back in there. Please, put me back in. They'll be naturally drawn to me, it will give you two more time to find a way to get her out. Or maybe they'll lose interest completely. I don't know, Alex, just please!" Hal pleaded clasping her hands tightly.

"Drawn to you..." she frowned, looking past him lost in thought for a moment. She disappeared and he looked around the room for her confusedly. Tom's werewolf shook itself and growled at Allison's, before she batted him on the head with her clawed hand. Kate trembled and sank down the mesh, staring at them as they sniffed each other, momentarily sidetracked. It was the first time they had been together in wolf form. Kate would have found it oddly touching had it not been for the cage and the raucous vampires, and the imminent threat of death.

There was a brief commotion across the other side of the pen as Alex flashed back into view briefly, grabbing hold of Lewis and disappearing again. She materialized a few seconds later inside the cage with him in tow.

"What are you doing!?" he bellowed at her, before realising where he was and gasping, eyes wide with panic.

"Giving you what you deserve. You wanted a good dog fight. Enjoy." She pushed him towards the werewolves before rentaghosting to Kate's side.

"No! No no no no!" he stuttered, turning and stumbling back into the mesh. He scrambled for the cage door, shaking it, trying to prise it open. "Let me out! Open the door!" he screamed at the vampires nearby. They shrank back, staring at the werewolves behind him. "Craig! Get me out!" he yelled futilely.

"I can't... they... they'll escape and kill us all..." the young vampire stammered. The werewolves growled and lowered themselves to the ground, stalking closer to Lewis, inch by inch. He shuddered and threw himself at the door again, screaming with rage. Tom and Allison looked at each other, then with one last snarl, pounced. Tom closed his jaws around the vampire's throat, turning his scream to a gurgle, while Allison yanked at his leg sending him tumbling to the ground. Alex looked away, glad that she was physically unable to be sick, as the two werewolves set about happily ripping Lewis apart. The crowd fell silent, stunned at how quickly the tables had turned.

"Alex, you are quite frankly marvellous." Hal whispered from the other side of the mesh, wincing as an arm landed with a thud infront of the two girls.

"Well the smug bastard had it coming to him." She hissed back with a hint of a smile.

"Now what?" Kate asked, ducking and groaning quietly as an unidentifiable lump of bloodied flesh hit the mesh beside her.

"Get to the door as inconspicuously as possible. If they lose interest or see you moving, I'll distract them as best as I can." Hal rested his head against hers through the wire.

"Ok. By the way, this feels as good a time as any to tell you that I love you. If I do actually make it out of here alive, I'm declaring that we're officially a couple, just so you know." She smiled through her tears.

"You are going to get out alive. Now hurry up before they lose interest." He urged softly.

She edged along the fence hunched over, making herself as small as possible to avoid the werewolves' attention. She froze only metres from the door as Allison rose and wandered over to Tom, licking his bloodied snout clean. He nuzzled her, and for a moment, they reminded Kate of their tender human romance. Tom's nose twitched, and turning his head sharply towards her with a snarl, she took a deep breath and backed her way towards the door again, her eyes locked with his. Allison cocked her head confusedly for a second before turning and crouching low to the ground, baring her teeth at the witch.

"Oi! Over here ye' big furry idiots!" Alex shouted, waving her arms to get their attention. Hal ran around the fence to the opposite side of the cage from Kate and kicked the mesh. Tom flew at him, growling and roaring with fury at the vampire's scent and sudden movement. Allison however, ignored them both. She crept ever closer to Kate, yellow eyes gleaming and throat rumbling in an almost inaudible snarl.

"Sorry for this." Kate threw her hands up as the werewolf leapt towards her. Allison stopped in midair, as if she had hit an invisible wall, and bounced backwards, landing with a yelp. Tom jumped away from Hal with a start and trotted over to his mate. Allison stood up and shook herself, taking only seconds to recover before coming for Kate again, this time with Tom at her side. Alex appeared next to Kate only moments before the werewolves reached her, throwing Tom backwards as the witch tackled Allison again. The witch bent over, breathing deeply with the effort.

"I can't keep this up for long, they're too big." She gasped out as the werewolves got up and came at them again.

"Just a few more metres and you're there!" Alex shouted at her encouragingly, nudging her towards the door. Slowly but surely, they made their way around the pen, the wolves attacking more and more cautiously, until Kate slipped, her back finding empty space where the fence should have been.

Hal caught her as she fell through the open door, Mark and John slamming it shut behind her. She looked up and beamed at him with relief, throwing her arms around his neck despite the wave of exhaustion that hit her. Alex rentaghosted out of the cage as the werewolves hit the door, growling savagely at the prey they had failed to catch. Losing interest quickly, they trotted away from the door frustratedly, making their way back over to Lewis' shredded remains.

"Well that was shit." Craig emerged infront of them through the crowd of silent vampires. "Needless to say as Lewis' second in command, I am now your new leader. I think you'll all agree that I'm the best man for the job..."

"Give it a rest." Mark stepped forward and punched him, knocking him out cold. "Annoying little shit. I'll be taking over, and if any of you want to leave that's fine, but hear me out. Hal might have lied, but the way he ran this place made sense. We can't just run around doing what we like, there have to be boundaries and rules. Surely the demise of the Old Ones should show us that? They planned for years to expose us, and look where it got them. History has shown us that the humans will fight us every step of the way. Why take the risk when, with just a little restraint, we can have all the blood we want and none of the stress? Giving in to your desires is fun, for a while at least, but believe me, it doesn't last. Our world is still controlled by the same restraints we faced as humans, and forgetting that is incredibly dangerous. Mark my words, if someone discovers what you are, the shit can hit the fan quicker than you can bare your fangs. You might not like it, but that's the way it is." He finished, waiting for their response. Hal frowned in disbelief. He had wanted Mark to take over control, if the plan had gone smoothly, but he hadn't expected him to be quite so... capable.

The other vampires seemed bewildered, turning to look at each other and shifting nervously. The quiet hum of many small conversations filled the air as they discussed with each other what they should do.

"As I said, feel free to leave if you want, but many of you will face an unfamiliar world on your own. I'll run the business and I'll give you stability. And I'll make sure we remain undiscovered."

"Will you stop us drinking blood?" someone called from the back.

"Do I strike you as stupid? I have no desire to face an angry, thirsty mob thank you. To drink or not is a choice that no one can, or should, dictate. Though personally I've found it to be a waste of time and energy. Why deny what you are? No offense meant of course." He nodded politely to Hal, who shook his head dazedly in acknowledgement.

"And what about them?" Tamsin sneered at Hal, Kate and Alex.

"Tamsin dear, for one so young, you harbour rather a stunning level of bitterness. Have they wounded us personally?" Mark sighed.

"They killed Lewis!" she protested angrily.

"Who had just ordered their own deaths. I call that an amusing turn of events and a most deserved ending for a rather unsavoury character." He smiled brightly at her, radiating contempt.

"Did you swallow a dictionary or something old man? Get up Craig, we're going. Go fuck yourself Mark." She grabbed Craig's collar and practically dragged the slowly recovering vampire out of the room.

"Charming." Mark muttered. "Anyone else?" he asked, looking around. Anna curtsied politely to him and walked out, a picture of elegance. Hal was surprised that only a handful of others followed her out. It seemed that Mark was more popular than he had realised. "Wonderful. Well if that's all finished with, would the rest of you kindly get this place tidied up. Incase any of you are feeling particularly stupid, the werewolves can stay where they are. You can take them with you tomorrow." He nodded to Hal dismissively. "Now. I need a drink."

"What, that's it? We can go?"Alex asked after him.

"Well yes, unless you want to remain captive." He answered dryly.

"I think twenty-four hours restrained in a basement is quite enough." Hal muttered as Mark walked away. The still slightly bewildered crowd of vampires set about putting away chairs, spare pieces of mesh leftover from the construction of the cage, and cups of blood. Hal licked his lips, his eyes beginning to water again as he caught the scent. Kate moved to grip his hand tightly, feeling him tense beside her.

"Sorry sweetheart, but you've got a date with a certain chair tomorrow." She smiled up at him sympathetically. He grimaced.

"So what now? Is this whole thing over? What about Mr Rook?" Alex asked concernedly.

"Let's think about that tomorrow. For now, we wait." Hal answered wearily, sitting down on the floor, the two girls following his lead. Inside the cage, Tom and Allison paced along the mesh walls, growling at any vampires that got too close to them. Most kept their distance, still wary after witnessing Lewis' particularly violent death. Hal, Kate and Alex watched them silently, each needing their own time to let what had happened sink in. Gradually, the vampires left the building to hunt, or sleep, or simply to get away from the werewolves, and Tom and Allison settled down. Hal could almost see their personalities coming through, but then they had always reminded him vaguely of puppies when they were human anyway.

On reflection, he decided that they'd all had a relatively lucky escape. As plans went, this had undeniably been a complete failure. And yet somehow, they had all come through unscathed. Well, mostly unscathed. He still had the chair to look forward to. Still, it seemed a small price to pay considering what could have happened. For the first time he realised that he had overcome temptation twice. He'd been forced to drink blood, but even going through withdrawal, he had still found the strength to say no. He smiled despite himself. He had a lot to thank Tom and Alex for. And now, facing his second stint in rehab in under a year, he was surprised at how unfazed he was about the whole thing. Even the dreaded Mr Rook didn't seem like such a threat now. Because for the first time, he finally felt as though he had really started to overcome his demons. He remembered his words to Mr Snow, when the ancient vampire had asked why he kept inflicting his failures upon mankind. "Because I think, one day, I'll win." Perhaps that day had finally come. Perhaps he was finally winning.

(I hope you all enjoyed that :) Thanks again to all the readers and reviewers. Stay tuned for the epilogue which will be coming soon!)