There was an awful rainbow once in heaven:

He'd never really thought of Ethan being delicate before. They'd always been pretty equal, he and E, until shortly before Ethan's last birthday, when Ethan had overtaken him very slightly in height. Not much, though. Really, only just enough for Ethan to notice and make fun of him for. And then, of course, there had been the period of the last few months where Ethan – or so he'd thought? – had cast a long shadow over his life. But now, at this moment, the Ethan sleeping on the sofa, underneath the blanket, looked like some delicate flower. A crushed flower, at that. His face was so pale, and his body so thin, and everything so gaunt.

When Ethan had dropped into his arms, he had, to his great surprise, been able to lift him. He'd never been able to do that before. Ethan had become so light, that, for a moment, Benny had doubted that he was there – a mere spectre of a boy, who might dissolve on the breeze at any moment.

Stunned, Benny had laid his fragile cargo in the living room; Ethan had already passed into unconsciousness. And then he'd sat on the floor next to him, holding his hand, at a complete loss as to what to do next.

Ethan was here. Ethan was back. Ethan was here.

His grandma had called out to ask who had been at the door. He'd not answered her, and, after waiting for a few moments more, come through to look for him.

She'd very quickly set about making sure that Ethan was going to be all right, peeling off his soaked clothes and wrapping him up in towels and blankets, and generally acting as she would if any sick person had been in front of her. But Benny had seen her hesitate. He'd seen her wonder if she should help, or whether she should throw Ethan back outside again.

All the while that she ministered to Ethan's fragile health, Benny had remained exactly where he was. Partly it was by choice – he didn't want to let Ethan go. Not again. Not ever. But mostly it was because he found that he couldn't move; he was somehow locked into position on the floor.

At some point, he'd stopped noticing his grandmother. At some other point she must have contacted Sarah, Erica, and Rory. Or, at least, Sarah and Erica. Rory had yet to arrive. The other two were now standing uncertainly in the hallway, peering in at the frozen scene.

"I don't think I ever had much of a chance, do you?" said Sarah quietly to Erica.

Her friend frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

Sarah nodded into the living room. "Just look at them. He's been holding Ethan's hand for hours now. I liked Ethan, and I thought I loved him – but Benny's simply devoted to him."

"But you know what we've got to do, right?" murmured Erica. Sarah nodded. "Come on, then. We've given them long enough."

She stepped into the room. Benny's head snapped around. He put his finger to his lips. "Careful. Don't wake him up."

"Benny –" started Erica.

"I know what you're going to say," said Benny, cutting her off, turning his eyes back towards Ethan. "That it's a trick – that it's not him – that he's only pretending. And I don't blame you. I think it's probably the right thing to think. But this can't be a trick. This is really Ethan. I know it is."

"You can't be sure, though, Benny," said Sarah, softly, kneeling down by his side. "I really, really want it to be him, too, but we have to be careful. You know how tricky he can be."

"Look," said Benny, tenderly brushing Ethan's long hair away from his neck. "No bite." He ran his fingers around Ethan's neck. "You can't hide them. They don't fade away. But he doesn't have his anymore."

Sarah's hand strayed unconsciously to where her own bite was hidden. "That's true…"

"And the blood on his face," continued Benny, "it's nothing like ours." He put a finger on Ethan's chest. "And his heart is pumping like crazy, and, above all, he's breathing." He looked around at the other two, his eyes wide with joy. "He isn't a vampire!"

Erica leaned over Ethan, and felt Benny tense protectively beside her. "It's OK…" she grumbled. "I won't lay a finger on him." She listened closely to Ethan's breathing; the beating of his heart. She frowned. "He isn't a vampire, that's for sure."

"I told you," said Benny.

"But is he Ethan?" continued Erica, raising an eyebrow.

"He is!" insisted Benny, trying to keep his voice both hushed and forceful with indignation.

"Hmm…?" groaned Ethan, opening his eyes and squinting at the room. "I am what…?" Blearily, he stared around him. His expression shifted from confusion to delight. "It wasn't a dream…" he murmured.

"Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry," cooed Benny, suddenly springing into life and fussing over Ethan, "you were asleep!" He straightened Ethan's pillow and tucked the blanket around him. "There, there, it's OK, you can just –"

"Stop it, Benny!" laughed Ethan, playfully swatting his hands away. "I'm all right – there's no need to worry over me." He pushed himself up into a sitting position. He went grey. "Urrgh…" He slid back down again. "Maybe not that all right, then…"

Benny started forwards to minister to him again, but Ethan waved him away.

"I don't need to be babied, B."

Benny held up his hands. "OK, OK, but you do have your babysitter here…"

Ethan pulled a face. "Very funny." He put his hand out towards Sarah. "Hi, Sarah, how are you?"

Sarah blinked. "Um… fine, Ethan, fine." She hesitated, and then patted his hand.

"Oh, come on!" burst out Erica. She narrowed her eyes at Ethan. "Out with it, then. What's the trick? What have you done to yourself to look like this? Are you just playing with our heads?"

Benny leapt up. "Erica!"

"What?" she said, defensive. "You have a vested interest here, lover boy! And Sarah's as naïve as they come."

Benny's angry response was checked by a startled intake of breath. He turned to see Ethan's eyes flashing from him to Erica to Sarah, his face white.

"You know…?" breathed Ethan.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah. Benny told me just after – just after –" She paused. "After he was bitten – and we thought that you were – that you were – um – gone."

Ethan's hand shot out and grabbed Benny's wrist. "You were bitten?" he said, his face tight with horror. "By who?"

"By whom, E.," said Benny, smiling at him, but lowering his eyes.

Ethan shook his head, his lip trembling. "Don't mess about, B. Tell me who did this to you."

"Well, uh, E., I don't know –"

Ethan looked out at him sharply. "It was me, wasn't it?"

"Er – I thought so… Yeah. It was."

Ethan stared vacantly ahead. "I never thought he'd – That's too cruel – Even he –" He reached out and put his fingers on Benny's neck, aware of his friend flinching away from him. "He's been pretending to be me," he said, miserably. "Ever since I got captured."

"What?" said Benny. "I don't understand."

"I don't know how he does it," said Ethan. "I think he takes my hair. Then does some magic, no doubt. And then he looks like me. I've had no idea what he does when he looks like me. I thought, at first, that it was to get inside the gang. But then he came back to where he'd chained me up – you got so close to finding me, I thought you were right at the door – and took me somewhere else. Then I thought he was taunting you. Making you think I was evil. But this…" He traced his hand over the two lumps, and tears pricked at his eyes. "I'm sorry, Benny."

"Don't be." Benny grinned weakly and lifted his eyes again. "After all, it makes you the freak, doesn't it?"

Ethan held Benny's gaze for a moment, and then opened his mouth to reply –

"No!" cried a voice, and Benny was suddenly flung back across the room. Rory, still blurry, turned angrily on Ethan.

"How dare you come here!" snarled Rory, grabbing Ethan by the neck and shoulders. "After everything you've done to him, now you're going to push it even further?"

"Rory!" said Sarah, rushing forwards to pull him off Ethan. Ethan sank back onto the sofa, his neck already red and bruised. Yet again, Benny started forward to tend to Ethan, and again he was weakly waved away.

"I'm hardly about to shatter into tiny pieces, B.," croaked Ethan, his voice very hoarse. He looked up at Rory, who was struggling against Sarah's restraining arm. "Rory – I don't know how to convince you – but it really is me. It was that vampire that captured me; he's been pretending to be me."

Rory calmed down a little, but still glowered at Ethan. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"I don't know!" said Ethan, looking very miserable. He glanced around at his friends. "Benny – Sarah – Erica – Rory – I don't know how I can convince you that I'm telling the truth. But I will submit to any test you can think of."

Rory looked thoughtful. "Right. What did you say when I asked you about the plant I was giving to Erica?"

Ethan blinked and frowned. "I – I said –" He paused. Rory narrowed his eyes.

Ethan's forehead wrinkled. "You didn't ask me. You asked Benny."

Rory nodded slowly. "That's right." His expression brightened. "Ethan – is it really –"

"If it is Ethan," put in Erica abruptly, "he'd have known that anyway, good or evil. That only proves that it's not someone pretending to be Ethan."

"It's a start," argued Sarah.

Benny pushed past Rory and squeezed Ethan's hand. "You don't have to prove it's you. Not for me."

Ethan looked at him seriously. "That's very sweet of you, B., but I want to. Just so you can be sure."

Benny hesitated. "OK, OK." His brow furrowed as he thought of the one thing – the perfect thing – that would prove that it was Ethan… "Where's the photo I took of you and me after I made you disappear?"

"On top of my bookcase," replied Ethan instantly. "In the square wooden frame."

Benny shook his head. "Wrong," he said, softly. He reached into his pocket and took a small piece of torn paper. "Here's half. Where's the other?"

Ethan held the piece of the photo. He looked back up at Benny, perplexed. "I honestly didn't know that it was like this. When did it happen?"

"What does this prove?" pressed Rory. "He could still be lying."

"But whoever ripped that photo in half wanted me to see it like that."

Erica looked dubious. "Yeah, but what if getting the answer wrong is part of convincing you?"

Benny shook his head. "Whoever did it wouldn't be able to keep quiet. They'd want to gloat."

Erica still didn't look convinced. She stared hard at Ethan. "I just don't know. I want it to be him. But – but –"

"Is there some kind of truth spell you can use?" piped up Rory.

Benny thought. "I don't know." He jumped up. "I'll ask Grandma." He ran from the room. The others watched Ethan warily. He waved feebly back.

A few moments later, Benny was back, dragging his grandma behind him. She, too, gave Ethan a wary look. Benny nudged her insistently. She sighed. "If I must…"

She murmured something, and Ethan's face went completely green. "Say something true."

"The sky is blue," he said. His face stayed green.

"Now something false."

"The sea is yellow." His face went red.

"Are you Ethan?" asked Rory.

"Yes," he replied, his face green.

"Are you evil?" asked Rory. He looked at the raised eyebrows of the others. "What? Why waste time? Simple is best!"

"No," said Ethan. He looked nervously at them. "Well?"