Chapter Seventeen
Paul groaned and turned onto his back, his arm reaching out expecting to find Flick beside him but found only an empty space and cool blankets. "Flick?" he mumbled, struggling to shake off the last lingering fuzzy effects of sleep. His eyes slowly fluttered open and a choke of laughter got caught in his throat on finding the reason why Flick was no longer beside him.
He smiled up at his mate with amused affection, his eyes trained on her peaceful free-floating body. Being new to the world of vampires meant that Flick still had to get used to her newfound abilities which included the ability to fly and because she still hadn't managed to grasp the concept of keeping herself grounded while asleep, he'd woken up on a number of occasions with her floating above him like a sexy succubus. Only his sexy succubus was dead to the world around her.
"Babe?" Paul uttered, smiling at the way Flick's nose wrinkled cutely as she slowly begun to wake.
"Hmm?" she mumbled sleepily.
"It's happened again," he chuckled and her eyes shot open.
"Shit..." she panicked and he knew what was coming.
"Babe no don't-"
It was too late, Flick didn't fully focus on grounding herself to ensure a soft landing and ended up hurtling towards him at warp speed, landing on top of him with an audible 'umph'. Paul groaned in pain when he ended up taking Flick's knee to his balls. "Uhh... man down!" he rolled onto his stomach as Flick flopped onto her back.
"Do you need me to kiss it better?" Flick murmured in his ear sending a shiver down his spine and he grinned into the pillow before springing with all the grace and speed of a panther on top of his mate, pinning her beneath him.
"Though the offer is very tempting, what I really want is you to practice grounding yourself when relaxed babe or one day you're just gonna float away-" he sighed with a fond smile when she giggled, "-I'm gonna have to tie you to bed or something so I know where you are," he chuckled, nuzzling her nose.
"Kinky," she smirked playfully.
"What's kinky?-" Marko's voice chirped from the other side of the drapes, "-did Paul show you his torture porn collection?" he joked.
"Screw off dickwad," Paul smirked, sitting back on his heels before pulling Flick upright.
"Are you kids coming out to play or are you gonna spend all night swapping spit and braiding each other's hair?" Dwayne chimed.
"Man you've always been jealous of my hair," Paul rolled his eyes with a smirk.
"I'm gonna snap your fucking neck you little beaky bastard!" Paul yelled at the seagull repeatedly dive-bombing him for the remaining fries at the bottom of the greasy container in his lap.
"Beaky bastard?" Dwayne's eyebrow arched in amusement as the rest of the group laughed at the on-going fight between Paul and the rather cocky bird.
"That's it! Fuck you, you feathery fuck!" Paul hollered, launching the remainder of his food over the side of the pier. Flick couldn't breathe she was laughing so hard which apparently the boys found highly amusing as their focus rather than on Paul and the bird turned to her and her amused hysteria.
"Did you really just lose your shit at a fucking bird?-" David chuckled, "-you're fucking unstable."
"That bastard started it man," Paul scowled.
"Hey, isn't that your little brother?" Marko mused aloud, gesturing a little further down from where they all sat huddled on a bench aside from David who was stood flanking the bench like an unpaid security guard.
"Yeah, that's Sam with the dork brothers," she nodded.
"Doesn't that make your brother a dork by assosiation?" Dwayne smirked.
"He's a lovable dork," Flick smiled affectionately.
"They're coming this way," Marko murmured.
"I'm so not in the mood to deal with their shit," Paul groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"C'mon guys, Sam's harmless," Flick defended her little brother.
"I wouldn't put money on that, not now that he's associating with Van Helsing and the karate kid," David countered.
"Hey Flick," Sam smiled awkwardly.
"Hey."
"Do you need something?" David scowled unwilling to accommodate the trio.
"I just wanted to make sure my sister was OK actually," Sam retorted haughtily, his chest puffing out in mock bravado.
"Shame you didn't care that much when your brother was paying off some scumbags to kick the shit outta her, ain't it?" Marko interjected and Flick grimaced.
Edgar and Alan shot Sam a curious look and he averted his eyes, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.
"If that's all boys, this is an a-b conversation so feel free to c yourself out," Paul glared with distain.
"As much as we'd love to catch-up, we'd rather you fuck off," Dwayne added.
"Yeah, I guess you better take advantage of the time you've got left, huh?" Edgar smirked and David growled, lurching forward and the three boys scarpered.
"I thought you said your sister was messed up?" Alan blocked Sam's path, his eyes drifting back to the pier where his sister and the Lost Boys congregated.
"She was-" Sam frowned, utterly bewildered, "-she was covered in bruises, her face was all cut up and she had like two or more fractured ribs."
"Well she looks in prefect condition to me," Alan shook his head.
"I don't understand, we-" Sam palmed his forehead, "-we were literally at the hospital a few days ago – my mom's got the bill to prove it!"
"Look-" Edgar sighed, clamping his hand on Sam's shoulder, "-we believe you OK?"
"Where did her bruises go? Why does she look like nothing ever happened – people don't heal that quickly," his frown deepened, his mind a jumble of confused thoughts. Had he dreamt everything? Had his sister really been as messed up as he'd thought she was? Did the attack even happen?
"Human's don't-" Alan agreed.
"-But vampires do," Edgar finished his brother's sentence, shooting Sam a look of pity.
"This is the evidence we were looking for-" Alan clarified, "-I'm sorry Phoenix but your sisters no longer human..."
"Or at least a part of her isn't," Edgar affirmed.
"This can't be happening-" Sam swallowed around the lump in his throat, running a trembling hand through his hair "-is it reversible?"
"Only if she's still partly human," Edgar answered.
"And even then, in order to save her, we'd have to kill the head vampire to set her soul free," Alan explained.
"That's if her soul isn't already lost completely," Edgar murmured and Alan shot Sam a solemn glance.
"No-" Sam shook his head adamantly, "-your comic book states that in order for a human to become fully immortal they have to kill and drink the blood of a human, right?"
The two brothers nodded.
"Well see, that's never gonna happen – Flick might be a little off-kilter sometimes but she's not a killer."
"There's only one way to find out," Edgar countered.
"We kill the head vampire," Alan added.
Sam's eyes drifted over to the pier, a shiver like the icy-cold finger of death inching down his spine when he saw David staring back at him, his expression stoic and he could only hope that it wasn't already too late.
Despite David's unemotional appearance, Paul knew that just below the surface where no one could see, he was quietly seething. "We need to be prepared," David deadpanned, taking a drag of cigarette, the cloud of grey smoke momentarily obscuring his pensive features.
"Prepare for what?" Dwayne replied, lazily stretching his arms over his head.
"War."
"Huh?" Paul frowned.
"What is it good for?" Marko chirped.
"Absolutely nothing!" Paul, Flick, Dwayne and Marko sing-songed and David sighed in exasperation.
"Will you assholes quit fucking around for a minute and take this seriously?!" David hissed.
"You're wigging out over nothing man, the dork brigade aren't gonna do shit," Marko scoffed.
David pinched the bridge of his nose and flicked the butt of his cigarette into the nearest trashcan. "Look, I didn't mention it before but when I went to retrieve our newest members luggage, I ran into her little brother..."
Paul heard Flick's heart accelerate as she nervously wiped her hands on her jeans.
"Don't worry, did it look like I hurt him?" David must of sensed the change in her demeanour also as he stared at her, his brow arched in challenge.
"No..." she shook her head with a frown.
"I could have and I really fucking wanted to but I didn't," David added, clearly trying to make a point.
"Thanks?" Flick murmured, confused.
David sighed, brushing at an invisible fleck of dirt on his jacket. "Anyway, as I was saying, baby Emerson made it very clear that he knows or at least believes he knows what we are and apparently he isn't going to allow us to do what it is we plan to do – to you-" David gestured to Flick, "-what it is he thinks we're going to do is anyone's guess, however I don't appreciate complications."
"So you're telling me you honestly believe that Flick's baby brother and the two nerdlings are a threat – to us," Dwayne stared at his pack brother incredulously.
"I never said they're a threat but I told you that I don't like complications. I don't want to deal with nosy little dipshits who're hell bent on trying to prove something. I tried to throw the three stooges off course by putting in a call to child services with some bullshit story about them dealing drugs out of the comic store but it would seem it wasn't much of a deterrent," David stated, staring off into the distance.
"You told child services that my brother was involved in drug trafficking?" Flick gawped in disbelief.
"There was no harm done was there?" David shrugged.
"No but you clearly wasted your time," Flick sighed, resting her head on Paul's shoulder. "You know what guys, I think David's right..."
"You do?" Dwayne arched his brow.
"Yeah I mean, we're not gonna lose anything by being prepared -whatever that means- are we?"
"Kiss ass," Paul teased, earning a punch to the ribs. "In all seriousness though, you do need to learn to control your body babe, I can't be waking up to you kneeing me in the balls every night."
"We can teach you how to defend yourself," Marko chirped.
"Somebodies gonna learn to fly," Dwayne grinned and Flick's eyes widened.
"I can't do it," Flick shuddered, peering down into the fog beneath the bridge.
"C'mon babe, you don't need to be scared – I'm not gonna let anything happen to you," Paul assured her, kissing her cheek.
"But what if I can't get my mind focused on weightlessness and I end up just plummeting to my death?" she panicked.
"I promise I'll catch you Flick," Paul coaxed with an affectionate smile, his eyes warm.
"If it makes you feel any better, two of us will go down first and two of us can jump with you – what d'ya say?" Marko offered with a smile.
"I guess that could work," she nodded.
Flick watched nervously as both Paul and David leapt off the bridge, the two of them immediately engulfed by the fog and she had to admit that once again watching Paul plummet down into the grey abyss made her stomach roil and her heart hammer. She had to keep telling herself that he knew what he was doing and that nothing bad was going to happen – just like the last time she found herself about to hurdle off the side of the bridge.
"Remember, focus on the weightlessness and try not to panic," Dwayne gave her a little pep talk as she lined up at the edge of the bridge between him and Marko.
"We can jump together if you want little sister?" Marko smiled, holding out his gloved hand.
Flick nodded with a smile, the weight of his hand and the cool feel of leather against the palm of her hand calmed her significantly. "On three," Dwayne instructed.
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three..."
"Shiiiitttt...." Flick yelled and Marko's cackling laughter filled her ears, drowing out the whistling rush of air.
Wind whipped at her face, her vision obscured when the fierce breeze blew her hair over her eyes. "Focus on the weightlessness girl," Marko's voice reminded her and she relaxed a little, still feeling the weight of his hand in hers. The sensation of falling slowly began to fade, replaced by a weird floaty sensation akin to the feeling of floating in the ocean as the waves nudged you to rhythmically rise and fall. Flick dared to open her eyes and was met with a cloud of grey mist and she glanced to her right, her face lighting up in a triumphant grin when she saw Marko looking back at her with a shit-eating grin, his body gracefully floating in mid-air. "You did it Flick."
Flick glanced down at her feet and her stomach rolled. "Holy shit," she gasped, watching her legs kick back and forth in the air, the ground nowhere in sight. Dwayne and David floated into view followed moments later by Paul, his dirty blonde hair wild and wind-whipped.
Damn he's gorgeous...
Paul held out his arms, inviting her into an embrace and Flick nervously wavered. She really wanted to go to him but she was scared that if she let go of Marko's hand then she'd lose her focus and plummet. "Believe in yourself babe," Paul smiled and her chest flooded with warmth as she tentatively released Marko's hand, bracing herself for a fall that never came.
She looked over at the boys we were smiling back at her encouragingly before once again focusing her attention on Paul and his open arms. "I gotta tell ya babe, I'm beginning to get offended," he playfully smirked and Flick laughed. She focused her mind on propelling herself forward and with an ease she hadn't thought possible, she shot forward, slamming into Paul's arms. Marko and Dwayne cheered as she sank into Paul's embrace, their bodies slowly rotating in a weightless dance. "If only you believed in yourself as much as I do Flick," Paul whispered against her ear and she smiled into his shoulder, holding him tighter.
"Who's up for a game of tag?" Marko enthused, spinning laps around the two of them.
Paul grinned. "What d'ya say babe, you up for the challenge?"
"Eh, why not?" she grinned.
As expected David decided he was too cool and angsty to play with the kids and alone, perched on the edge of the bridge, smoking a cigarette and chuckling at Flick's yells of exasperation whenever she ended up the first target. She'd been 'it' multiple times and it always seemed to take her forever to tag one of the boys. She was nowhere near as talented as they were when it came to evading an attack, so to speak. It was her what felt like the millionth time of being 'it' and in a huff she flew up to the bridge, lowering herself beside David.
"I might as well give up," she sighed defeatedly, not expecting much sympathy from the apathetic platinum blonde.
"You're taking it too seriously. Just have fun with it, consider yourself a human ping pong ball and throw yourself around a little. You're not going to hurt yourself – you're being too rigid."
"Yeah but I'm scared that if I lose focus on the weightlessness then I'll fall," she admitted shyly.
"You don't even need to think about it in all honesty, you're one of us now, it's second nature," David replied, brushing off her concern.
"OK-" she sighed, "-I hope you're right, because if you're not and I really do die, I'm coming back to haunt you," she smirked, taking a running jump off the bridge with David's amused chuckle carrying on the breeze behind her.
Flick ended up taking David's advice and the game of air-born tag suddenly became so much more fun. She really let herself go, somersaulting, zig-zagging and ricocheting all over the place much to the boys amusement. However, they had to call time on the game when Flick was suddenly overcome with exhaustion. She didn't have the same level of stamina as the boys did on account of the fact that she was still human and her body quickly became overwhelmed by her overly enthusiastic display of sportsmanship.
"Special delivery," Marko chuckled, dropping her down onto the bridge.
"N'aww she's all tuckered out," Dwayne laughed.
"She is still human – she can't keep up with us," David smirked.
"Hey, I resent that David," she pouted.
Paul chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "Nah Dave's right babe, you can't keep up with us for that long – your body can't handle it."
"Bath, bottle and bed for you girl," Marko smirked and Flick flipped him the bird.
She was following the boys back to their bikes when her legs suddenly turned to jelly and she collapsed in a heap on the floor. Her body felt way too heavy and her muscles ached like a bitch. "Just leave me here, I need a nap," she groaned, rolling onto her back.
Flick heard the boy's laughter and giggled despite her exhaustion. She felt herself being elevated into a strong pair of arms and smiled when her eyes locked on a pair of twinkling grey irises. "C'mon my little fighter, let's get you home," Paul smiled down at her and she melted.