Okay, so we're having some major writers block here. I've already banged out a few chapters after this one, but I'm getting stuck on chapter 33, can't decide who it needs to feature, and where it needs to go. I've got the general direction for the rest of the fic, but lord knows I should probably try to wrap up a few loose ends before I'm done. Anyways these are my woes, thanks for listening guys. Enjoy.


Ben was breathing heavily outside the door he had just slammed shut. He could hear panicked shuffling on the other side of the door, and a faint banging of his captive's fists, but this was to be expected. This wasn't his first rodeo. Next would come the quiet, as his prisoner took in their surroundings and their eyes adjusted to the dark, it wouldn't be until dawn that Ben would allow the lights to be turned on. The shocking light would leave him dazed enough that Ben could come in with his armed guards and question him, and Edward would scramble in the flurry of activity and hopefully give away something vital.

To say that Ben was surprised to find Edward in the truck was an understatement, to discover him apparently human was an insurmountable shock. Though he had covered his reaction well, he knew for a moment he was completely at a loss. The idea still shocked him; he paced in front of the door for a moment. His hands deep in his pockets, his mind deep in thought; he would have to find something to do with the boy. He remembered Lionel saying something about Audrey and Edward caring for a child together, though he obviously wasn't theirs, he did have an attachment to both of them. The thought of their twisted semblance of a family sent a rocking shiver through his spine, and disgust though his stomach.

As he reemerged from the hallway he drew hardly any attention, which was just the way he preferred it. He had conditioned his people to see him as a leader only when he wanted them to, the rest of the time he wanted to just be one of the people. It worked out well; he wasn't constantly bombarded by the everyday problems of so many people coexisting in such cramped quarters, and it left him to his endeavors. But there was one pair of small eyes that followed him as he crossed the room, and Ben came closer to them with a smile on his face.

"Sam," he greeted warmly, and the boy looked up at him and then passed him, confusion swirling on his face, "Edward met up with someone of my friends from the field, you remember them? Mike? And Sarah, and Andrew?"

Samuel nodded, Ben knew that once they had gotten the pleasantries out of the way and Samuel had seen Edward relax momentarily, that he had taken a shining to a few of the younger members of his lead team. But the boy said nothing.

"Well he went with them so that they could help get everything set up for the shipment that Elvis and Audrey are going to bring back." The boy perked up at the mention of the woman's name, and Ben knew immediately that he had his niche, "I tell you what, I'm actually on my way to my study right now. I was going to plan their homecoming party. Would you like to help? I'm sure she would be very pleased."

Samuel smiled widely, and nodded his head, dropping the pencil he had been playing with on top of his finished worksheet and coming to stand. Ben looked to Anna, and she smiled widely at him, he had made it a point to not involve himself with anyone from the compound his position was after all, at its base, political. He didn't want to think what might happen to his position if he suddenly had a woman trailing after him, and noticing things. But he thought that if he would have taken a lax day on that particular rule for anyone, it would have sweet, kindhearted, giving Anna; he returned the smile, dropping a hand down on Samuel's shoulder as they moved through the compound.

Walking with the boy struck a hard chord in his heart, it had been a long time since he had associated with a child, and the painful memories it threatened to surface was a weakness that he didn't need. Not when he was so close to being able to protect his people for good. He passed by Sanders on his way to the living quarters; the young blonde man tried to catch his eye. But Ben shook his head and eyed Samuel for good measure, and Sanders thankfully understood, making a vague gesture that Ben assumed meant they would talk later.

He chattered down at the silent boy aimlessly as they walked, and then he came around the corner to his own quarters. Not yet having decided what, if anything, he would do with him, he needed the boy pitted against Audrey, and Edward and even against Lionel; but still he wasn't sure how he would do it. He figured he could work the rest out, the boy was small enough that he still trusted adults implicitly he should think, and he had all the time and excuses in the world for the continued absence of Audrey, Lionel and Edward; until such a time as Ben could figure the best way to use what the boy knew to his advantage.

He just had to get him talking, which, at this time, he didn't seem particularly inclined to do. Samuel stood in front of his desk, and toyed idly with the various knick knacks that Ben had littered all over its surface. Approaching him slowly, he came to sit down on the other side of the desk in a large, rather comfortable chair that had housed him on many a drinking night. Ben contemplated the idea of pouring himself a drink now, it always helped him think; but casting another glance to the boy and seeing his curious eyes flicking from knick to Ben to knack, he thought better of it and would drink when the boy had gone.

"So how long have you been with Audrey and Edward?" Ben asked with a wide smile on his face.

Sam looked up at him, and then again at his hands, he seemed nervous. But his expression was open, he wasn't trying to hide anything, not that he would need to with a question like that, yet still he remained silent. Ben remembered Lionel talking about the young boy before him, some five nights previous, Ben had had several drinks before they turned the corner on the subject, and his memory was fuzzy. But there was something about him, maybe he didn't talk to strangers, or didn't talk at all. He couldn't remember for sure.

"You know Lionel told me you don't talk much," Ben said, fishing for a reaction, and Samuel gave it to him in spades. His head dropped down to look at his shoes, and he dropped his hands off the desktop, "But I saw you talking to Edward before, so you must know how," Sam's expression became sheepish, and his ears pinked in embarrassment, "It's okay you know, that you don't talk. I had just thought that you could give me some ideas for the party. Like what Audrey's favorite color was, or whether she might like a banner or streamers. But it's up to you, you don't have to. I'm sure Audrey will understand."

His eyes came up to look at him, eyebrows furrowed and for a moment Ben thought he might have laid it on too thick. The kid looked like he might cry, and the last thing Ben needed was for him to get hysterical, but slowly Sam opened his mouth, and looked at the floor, "Green." He said, his voice scratchy and hoarse, and barely about a whisper.

Ben brought his head closer to him, and leaned on the desk with his elbows, "Green?" He asked again, with a large friendly smile on his face.

The boy nodded his head slightly, and moved to look at him fully, "Green is her favorite color. Like Edward's eyes."

Ben stiffened, it was obvious now that on some level the boy saw their attachment to one another, even if he was simply too young to see the attraction, "Edward's human eyes?" He asked slowly, pull out a book from underneath a mess stacked pile of paper.

The boy clammed up, and nodded slowly.

"So you know that Edward's human now," Ben continued, and the boy nodded once more, but offered him no other acknowledgement, "You wouldn't happen to know how that happened would you?"

Sam thought over the question carefully as Ben offered him a book full of color swatches, something a seamstress who had been with them several months ago had brought with her. Apparently sewing was her passion, and with a world gone to shit the way it had, it was the only thing she had wanted to bring with her, perusing the pages slowly until he turned to the pages which contained every shade of green thought of, "I'm not sure," Samuel said after a long moment, "I think Edward might know."

Ben nodded, "I didn't have a chance to speak with him about it before he left, but he did say that he had some theories." Samuel nodded like it was the most logical course of action, "But you were there, when it happened?"

Color came to his cheeks, and the boy looked down right ashamed, but nodded still, "It was my fault." He admitted, his voice tight and close to tears.

"What do you mean your fault? Shouldn't Edward becoming human again be a good thing?" Samuel had stopped looking at the swatches, and looked up at Ben, his eyes watering and beginning to turn red.

His fingers pulled carefully on one of the loose swatches as he tried to come up with an answer, "I don't know how to swim," He explained after a moment, "I thought I could. But I can't."

"Lots of people don't know how to swim." Ben offered by way of a condolence, while wondering what exactly it had to do with Edward's recovery.

"I was trying to swim, but I couldn't. Edward had to save me, the sun was out. He pushed us out of the pool, I thought he was dead. But I had seen Elvis banging on peoples chest where we used to live, so I did too and Edward opened his eyes," Ben was nodding encouragingly at him, as Samuel paused to form his next thought, "But they weren't like they used to be, not like…the others. They were green, like regular people."

Ben smiled, "Wow," he said slowly, his mind in a million places all at once, "But why would that be a bad thing?" He wasn't sure where Edward stood on his transformation, maybe he had been the one to tell Samuel that being human was a bad thing. Perhaps Edward was some kind of sleeper and would turn as many humans as possible when the time was right.

"Because now," Samuel started seeming to decide half way through to change his mind, and start over, "Because now he can't protect us from the others," Ben was nodding slowly and smiling at him, but his eyes blinked heavily around his tears, "I don't want to talk anymore." He finished and Ben stood.

"That's okay, you did very well," he dropped a hand down onto Sam's shoulder and turned him towards the door, "Why don't you go find Ana and she'll find you a bed in the room with the other children."

"Will you come get me when Edward and Audrey get back?" Samuel asked quietly, and his voice seemed to be running out of steam.

"Of course." Ben said, watching him go for a long moment before turning back to his study, it was obvious that the boy spent a lot of time with them. That he possibly knew more than he had revealed now, all he had to do was keep the kid talking and he might find something to use against them, if not he always had the boy to fall back on.

It wasn't immediately apparent to him, because Ben spent much of his life in self-denial. But the idea of using the boy, threatening his life, for the sake of answers made his stomach turn; if there was another way he would find it, but if not he would simply need to deal. He rounded his desk, and dropped back down into his chair, retrieving from the top left hand drawer the bottle he kept there. Pouring a generous amount into his glass he sat back and sipped slowly. Savoring the flavor of the dark brandy, he knew any moment Sanders would be at his door, trying to tell him more about the Gemini project. All the findings and testings; he had given him permission several days previous to being working with the subject for a few hours each day.

So far everything had gone according to plan, unfortunately the vamp they had captured was strong willed, and it made things a little more difficult, took a little more time to break him. But Ben thought perhaps having to turn his bother into a monster would serve nicely as a way to break his will completely.

He was just sanding down the rough edges of what he thought might be his finest plan yet, when a knock came at the door; revealing Sander's face to him and Ben set his glass down on the top. Waving him on, settling further into his chair. Preparing for Sander's to bombard him with information he only half understood until he was tired enough that Ben could nurse his drink into unconsciousness.