The alley was totally deserted when the trio arrived. Rubble and the broken fire escape covered the ground so they had to tread very carefully as they entered. They couldn't see any sign of either the vampires or the weird men that had attacked Tommy and Emma earlier that evening.

Tommy gave a grunt of frustration and turned to the others. "We're never going to find her," He muttered impatiently, "there's too much ground to cover"

"Maybe we should split up" Lori suggested to Merton's dismay. He rolled his eyes and threw up his hands despairingly.

"When has that ever worked out well for us?" He demanded

"If we don't find her soon she could kill again" Lori reminded him

Merton shook his head "If we do find her then she'll definitely kill again, me!"

"Maybe you should go back to the lair" Tommy suggested

"On my own?!"

"Okay!" The werewolf sighed "Splitting up not an option. What do we do then?"

"It' nearly sunrise, maybe we should wait until tomorrow night." Lori shrugged, kicking aside some debris "I mean vampires have to go home before sunrise right?"

High above them a soft voice called down their heads snapped upwards and they could just make out a dark figure crouched low on the edge of the roof. "Correct." It called then leapt lightly and landed in front of Tommy who wolfed out in defence.

"I'm guessing you're Vincent." He growled

"Wow!" Vincent feigned being impressed " How very astute of you. I thought you Americans were all supposed to be as thick as a short plank sandwich."

"Oh look, the famous British wit!" Tommy tutted "Stop, you're killing me."

"Not yet." The dark man smiled back, showing off his gleaming fangs. He dived forward and slammed his fist hard into Tommy's chest. The werewolf wheezed and spluttered as he sank back into Merton. They both toppled backwards painfully as Lori kicked out, screaming with rage. It was a powerful kick but it hardly seemed to hurt Vincent at all. He rolled his eyes and pushed Lori backward with such force that she skidded to a halt, barely conscious a few feet away.

With an anguished yell Tommy ran desperately over to check on her. He sighed with relief as she groaned softly and opened her eyes. He helped her gingerly to her feet and the two turned back to the battle.

A terrifying sight stopped them in their tracks. Vincent had Merton by the throat and had twisted the Goths neck so that at any moment he could bend down easily and bite him. Tommy and Lori stood stock-still; they knew that if they dared move Merton was dead.

"Come on now," Merton squeaked "can't we talk this out over a nice cup of tea? Look I didn't know that you and Emma were.. You know."

"Yuck!" Vincent cried in disgust, his face twisted and sickened " That's my sister!"

Tommy and Lori were surprised to see a delighted smile pass over Merton's lips "Seriously? Great she does like me!"

Vincent laughed cruelly "Oh yes," He smiled bending closer " That's why I've got to kill you. Nothing personal."

"Sorry I'm a little lost!" Merton shook his head "You have to kill me because…"

"It'll provoke my sister." Vincent explained impatiently as though he were explaining something obvious to a half-witted child "She needs love to survive, it's what drives her. She feels it quicker and stronger than anyone else."

This didn't seem to get through to Merton. Maybe because he had a vampire three inches away from his neck "I'm still a little shaky on the details."

Vincent's fangs scraped Merton's pale, pulsating neck "I wouldn't worry about that mate. It won't matter in a moment." He laughed.

Tommy lurched forward to strike but felt something holding him back. He turned sharply to find himself face to face with Emma. She look past him, totally livid and bellowed at her brother:

"Get away from him!"

"Ah!" Vincent sighed "Can't a guy eat in peace around here?!"

"Wait," Tommy turned to Emma "you two aren't working together?"

"Duh!" Squeaked Merton. Though his head was being held in an impossibly tight grip he could just manage to tilt his head and address the werewolf "What page are you on?"

"But you're a vampire." Lori said suggestively

"Technically not." Vince called across. He was slightly annoyed at the lack of attention he was getting and felt it was time to draw their focus back to him. Vampires need an audience; it's just no fun without someone begging for their friends' life. Emma ignored him

"Shut up Vince," She snapped and turned back to the others "I'm a good guy.

"A good vampire?" Tommy laughed incredulously "Yeah right."

"I'm not a …" Emma began but was struck mid sentence by how hypocritical Tommy was being "hang on!" She protested " aren't you a werewolf?"

"Oh yeah!"

Merton's desperate cry succeeded in drawing their attention back to the situation at hand "This is all very lovely and Hallmark guys" He moaned "but could I possibly draw your attention back to the murderous vampire holding me by the throat?"

"He's not a.." Emma began but Merton cut across her hysterically

"Not the issue! I'm in pain!"

Delighted that he now had an audience Vincent smirked and leant into the boy's neck "It won't last long." He muttered opening his mouth wide to bite. Emma's call distracted him and he looked up impatiently as she said:

"Umm.. Vincent have you checked the time?"

Vincent looked confused for a moment and then reached out and grabbed Merton's wrist. On The boys dark amethyst wristwatch a small skeletal hand indicated the time. It was nearly sunrise. "Bugger!" The vampire moaned.

In an amazing feat of strength he lifted a squealing Merton high above his head and flung him with all of his might into Tommy, Lori and Emma. The four of them were knocked painfully to the floor in a heap. They struggled up and scanned the alley desperately. Vincent had vanished.

Emma started down the alley but Tommy grabbed her wrist and held her back.

" Are you going to tell us what that was about?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at the lair Tommy, Lori and Merton sat back on Merton's couch and listened intently as Emma explained everything

"My parents aren't 'old school' vampires." She began as she paced the room "They were turned in the late 1980s by a travelling vampire named Gregor. They owned a pub in Whitby at the time, near the sea front. It had been my Dads parents before him and they'd handed it over when he was old enough. Mum was one of the barmaids and they fell in love."

From the couch Tommy interrupted impatiently "What has this got to do with you being a vampire?" He asked, perplexed.

"I'm not a vampire!" Emma sighed exasperated at having to repeat herself. She felt like that was all that she'd been saying since this business started

"But…" Tommy started. Emma cut him short.

"Will you shut up and let me explain!?" She moaned. Merton and Lori made shushing noises at Tommy and motioned that Emma should continue. She nodded her appreciation and picked up her story "They were both a little sick of the pub trade to be honest." She shrugged "They'd both grown up pulling pints, and wanted more from life. They found it. Late one night they were turffing out the punters but there was this one man that wouldn't leave."

"Grgor?" Lori asked

"Bingo." The Goth nodded. She yawned looking totally exhausted. and slumped down onto Merton's bed "He sensed their unrest and offered my parents eternal life as an escape from their monotonous existence."

Tommy's eyes were wide with shock and surprise "And they agreed?" He breathed

"Yep." Emma sighed closing her eyes "They drank Gregor's blood and waited for the transformation to take place."

"So it doesn't happen instantly?" Lori quizzed

Emma shook her head and lent backward "No. You die slowly and wait for the next sunset."

"So your parents died?" Merton asked, unsure of how this explained anything "How did they have you and your brother then?"

"My parents spent their final hours um.. 'together'." The girl explained uncomfortably "Vincent and I were conceived as they transformed. We lived and grew inside our dead mother, feeding on the lives of those that she took during her pregnancy. My brother and I are alive but were not completely human; we're not total vampires either. We have elements of both but we both have totally different abilities and needs."

"So we've seen!" Tommy laughed "So you and your parents left Whitby with Gregor?"

"No," Emma shook her head "my parents never saw him again. He was supposed to meet them at the abbey the following night. Mum and Dad climbed up to the top of the cliffs to find the order they're waiting."

"The knife guys?"

"Yes. They'd killed Gregor and were laying in wait for my parents." Emma explained "My parents beat them easily, a lifetime dealing with drunks and their new super human strength meant that they were dealt with quickly."

Lori's mouth hung open in disgust "That's terrible!" She moaned incredulously "They killed them?!"

"Not all of them!" Emma protested, rising to face the trio "They were trying to kill my parents first!"

"Okay but," Lori struggled to find a problem "what about all of the people that they've killed since?"

Emma shook her head sadly and found that she couldn't quite face her friends "I can't deny my parents killed for food but at the time they didn't know any better." She whispered, tears filling her eyes. "It wasn't until Vincent and I were born in the hospital that they realized how easy it was to steal blood. Mum couldn't feed in there without arousing suspicion so Dad swiped a couple of bags of good ol' o negative and they haven't feed on live food since."

"Oh that's better…. I guess." Lori shifted uncomfortably as the boys glared at her for making Emma cry. Lori rose and put an apologetic arm around the girl. "So are those knife guys trying to kill you because of what happened at the abbey?" She asked her softly.

"Yep," Emma nodded, drying her eyes on her sleeve "they've been hunting us down for years! They hate all vampires."

"But you're not.. " Merton began but couldn't find the right words "You don't even act evil!" He finished lamely

"Vincent does." Emma spat bitterly through gritted teeth "He kills and maims. He's EVIL so the order assumes that I'm the same. They've vowed to wipe us both out."

Tommy looked across at her reassuringly "Don't worry," He said "We'll protect you."

"What about Vincent?"

"What about him?" Tommy asked blankly "You said it yourself, he's evil."

"He's still my brother!" Emma protested, rising angrily.

Tommy shook his head and sighed despairingly "He has to be stopped."

Emma's face became stony. They just didn't seem to understand her predicament "It's getting late," She muttered as she headed for the door "I should go."

"Is that a good idea?" Merton asked, he was plainly worried "Brother dearest is still waiting to hack your branch off of the family tree! You should stay here."

His concern softened her a little. She smiled back in appreciation "I don't want to be any bother."

"A bit late now" Tommy muttered. Lori poked him hard in the ribs.

Merton looked so worried that Emma found it impossible to say no "Alright" She relented.

The boy beamed at her then turned with a meaningful look to the others "Well see you guys in the morning then." He smiled "Bye bye!"
Tommy was a little slow on the uptake but Lori seemed to have caught the young Goths drift. She moved towards the door dragging Tommy along behind her "Oh right." He nodded finally cottoning on as Merton herded them out of the door "See you." He called back. Merton closed the door as soon as his friends were over the threshold.

With a pleasant smile he turned back to Emma. His smile faded into a look of concern as the girl sank down onto the bed weeping. He crossed the room quickly and pulled her into a hug. Her voice quavered as she cried into his shoulder

"I should never have come here!" She gasped "I've put you all in so much danger."

"Ha," Merton smiled "I laugh in the face of danger!" Then added as an afterthought "While I cower a safe distance away behind my stronger, braver friends."

Emma didn't find this funny. She pulled away and rose angrily to his feet "Merton!" She protested "He'll kill you and I can't stop him!"

"Why?"

"I love him."

"I know THAT!" Merton sighed moving over to her and resting his hand on her shoulder "There's little so precious in this life as the bond between two siblings.. I should imagine. What I meant was, why me?" Emma didn't respond so Merton pushed her "He said in the alley that love's what drives you and that you feel it…"

"Quicker and stronger than anyone else…" Emma finished his sentence for him "yes Merton, Vincent wants you dead because I… I love you."

Merton's eyes widened shock for a moment as his head struggled to keep up with what his ears were hearing. As what she'd just said sank in Merton punched the air triumphantly "YES!" He whooped "No, wait. That's bad isn't it? I'm so confused!"

Emma perched sadly on the end of the bed. "Welcome to the club." She muttered despondently, hanging her head low.

With a sigh Merton crouched opposite her then reached out softly and lifted her chin. For a moment he looked deep into her tear stained eyes and felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. His hear ached to see her so upset.

He smiled reassuringly at her and was taken aback slightly when she leaned in a little closer, tilting her head so that their lips brushed together lightly. He moved his hand gently away from her chin and slid it along her pale cheeks and through her long hair, finally resting on her waist.

As they kissed Emma shifted sideways and guided Merton's body with hers so that they were now lying together on Merton's bed. Gently they broke apart and, with a soft sigh Emma rolled gracefully into Merton's arms. He smiled in a satisfied way as he closed his eyes. With the slumbering Emma's chest rising and falling gently against his own Merton slept more peacefully than he had done in weeks.