"Oh no. You're kidding right!" He started to back up, gathering what Ruby had planned.
"Please, they can't hurt you. You're an invited guest." She smiled, unlocking the front door. She bodily had to drag Alex inside and lock the door behind him.
"Ooo I smell food!" Paul cried from the bedroom, laughing. Raucous laughter followed.
"Now now." Ruby smiled, heading up the hallway into the bedroom, leaving Alex paralyzed in the living room. "I brought a guest. And you're to be nice to him." She produced all the jewelry and clothes she'd taken from the Boys for the movie.
"Wait a minute! Where's my medal!" David growled.
"Never mind. Forget about it. I'll get you a new one. It was lost in a scene." Ruby lied through her teeth. David glared and sighed.
"Incompetent crew."
"Hush. You're going to scare the guest."
"Guest?" Marko yawned, the last to wake up. Ruby jumped into his lap and smothered him in kisses.
Paul moaned. "Oh how I wish I'd been the one to wake up to that!"
"I missed you too sweetheart!" Marko laughed, returning kisses of his own.
"Who's this 'guest'?" David asked, stretching.
"Yeah, who is it?" Dwayne chimed in.
Ruby paused and bit her lip. "Before you all flip out on me, he knows about you. He followed me home one night and came in and I couldn't stop him. But he's been very good and kept the secret...hey!" David and Dwayne tore out the door, Paul on their heels. Marko frowned at Ruby and threw her over a shoulder, following his friends.
"What the hell!" David roared, laying eyes on Alexander. Sure, Alexander didn't exactly look like Marko's twin anymore, but there was enough left to tell. "You brought home one of the actors?"
"Uh...hi?" Alexander kept the couch between him and the Lost Boys.
"I told you." Ruby sighed, still hanging over Marko's shoulder and unable to see the room. "He followed me home one night! What could I do? I'm not strong enough yet to beat him up, and it wouldn't look very good if he'd come to the set bashed up!"
"She's got a point." Marko conceded. David growled.
"Whoa, hey! You're Marko!" Alex's jaw dropped. The man he had just portrayed was standing five feet from him.
"And you must be Alex." Marko grinned his Cheshire grin. Alex grinned back, a near match.
"Okay, that's totally freaky bud!" Paul blinked.
"No kidding!" Marko was impressed.
"Um, blood is rushing to my head." Ruby wiggled, and Marko set her down finally. "As I was trying to say. Alexander, meet the real Lost Boys. Everyone, meet Alex Winter."
"I'm not sure what to call this. A pleasure will have to do." David stuck out a hand for Alex to shake. Alex took it, without fear.
"It really is. You have no idea how much fun and such an awesome time I've had... no, all of us guys had making this movie." He subsequently shook Paul's and Dwayne's hands, but stopped when he got to Marko. Marko was just staring at him, as if seeing a long lost twin for the first time.
"Really Marko, he looked just like you. The costumers were excellent at their jobs." Ruby slid an arm around Marko's waist. Marko was silent. Things seemed tense. Alex chewed his lip. The silence grew.
Marko's hand shot out. "Thank you for taking care of my girlfriend, making sure Ruby was all right while we were on vacation." Alex relaxed and shook Marko's hand heartily.
"It was an honor, Marko." Alex smiled. Ruby was thankful Alex had caught Marko's drift. She wasn't sure she wanted the Boys to know all the gritty details of what had happened while they were asleep.
"And now brings us to the sad part." David stepped closer to Alex. "I'm sorry, but you understand right? We can't let you leave town with memories of us."
Alexander smiled sadly. "I was kind of afraid you might say something like that."
"I'm sorry Alex, but it's just the way things have to be." Ruby touched his hand, saddened. She'd brought him here under slightly false pretences. Alex nodded.
"As long as you don't kill me, I can live. I just want to say again how great this all was, and I'll never forget making this movie and the fun time it was. You're not gonna erase that, are you?"
David chuckled. "No, not that. Just us." Alex frowned.
"Ruby too?"
"Really, it should be all of it. You'd remember Ruby from working on the movie, I suppose like the rest of the actors and actresses, but nothing more then just work memories."
"Oh." Alex frowned.
"David, let me do it. I need some practice on this sorta stuff anyway." Marko cut in. David looked at his right-hand man.
"All right. Just so long as you cover all the bases." David nodded. He turned back to Alexander. "Thank you for being a part of our story. Good luck in life." He tipped his head to the door and headed outside. Paul and Dwayne said their goodbyes to Alex and followed, leaving Ruby and Marko with the actor.
"They don't know, sweetheart. I didn't share." Marko smiled, and Ruby nodded, at ease. Marko looked at Alex. "You are one lucky dude." He laughed.
Ruby smacked Marko's shoulder playfully. "Well you did take him over, he didn't get to fully participate."
"That's my job." Marko smiled, kissing Ruby.
"So you're going to wipe it all out?" Alex asked.
"No. What David doesn't know, won't hurt him. You won't remember meeting us, or me, but you'll remember Ruby. It's not like you remember the encounter as is." Marko smiled. Ruby blinked.
"No, I really don't. I suppose..."
"Yeah, I possessed you. Freaky, ain't it." Marko grinned. Alexander laughed.
"So through a technically, my innocence is preserved." Ruby shook her head.
"I told you, that's my job." Marko grinned at his girlfriend. Alex laughed harder.
Ruby stuck out her tongue. "Well, Mister Job, Alexander's got a flight to catch. You'd best get this done."
"She's right." Marko nodded, looking at Alex. "You're a fine twin to have, so you know."
"Thanks bud." Alex grinned. He stuck out a hand again and Marko shook heartily.
"You won't remember us, Alexander. You won't remember vampires are real, that the Lost Boys exist, or seeing us here. You won't remember coming to this house, or following Ruby. You will only remember Ruby as a dear friend you made on set. And that kiss she gave you." Marko's words weren't just a speech, but a spell, as he shook the actor's hand. Alex was transfixed as Marko spoke. Ruby laid her head on Marko's shoulder. She was sad to loose Alex, but it had to be. Finally, Marko let go.
"Well, it was great and all, hope to see you around sometime!" Alex smiled, clearly unsure of whom Marko was. He hugged Ruby goodbye and headed out the door. He waved to the other Lost Boys and disappeared down the street.
"I'm sorry to see him go. He's a great person." Ruby held onto Marko, her arms around his shoulder. Marko held her tight around the waist.
"We loose a lot of things when we're vampires, Rube. It's just how unlife is."
"You sound like a Hallmark card, Marko."
"Shut up." Marko grinned and Ruby laughed.
July 1987
"Why does Ruby get to have all the fun?" Paul shouted, pouting in the broken easy chair. Dwayne threw a pillow at his friend's face.
"Why don't you ever shut up?"
David stepped into the main room, straightening his trench coat sleeves. "Ruby gets to go because she wrote our script. That's why." He smirked at Paul, who was still sulking.
"I wish I could go too." Marko sighed, finishing off the braid he was making in Ruby's hair. Ruby kissed his cheek. David was letting only her go with him to the movie's premiere in Los Angeles.
"I'll be okay love. Really. David won't let anything happen."
"It's not things happening. It's David doing something." Marko grinned and snuggled his girlfriend. Ruby laughed, kissing his cheek again. David rolled his eyes.
"If the two lovebirds could put it on hold a minute, I think we could start the little ceremony." Dwayne and Paul smiled at each other, gathering around Ruby, Marko and David. Marko just smiled, letting Ruby go. Ruby looked at him, then David, confused.
"What ceremony?" she asked.
David withdrew a small box from his coat and put it in Ruby's hands. "We decided that since you're family, and you mean the world to not just Marko but all of us, we'd get you a token of our love and appreciation. And a thank you gift for writing our movie."
"You think he was up all day planning that speech?" Paul snickered, elbowing Dwayne's ribs. Dwayne smacked Paul's shoulder. David glared.
"Open it sweetheart!" Marko's eyes danced with happiness. The Boys crowded around as Ruby opened the gift box.
Inside on a bed of velvet was a ring: the ring was unlike any other before it, comprised of four different metal bands joined together much like a puzzle ring. Marko helped Ruby slide it on her right ring finger.
"See, the gold band is for me, the silver is from Dwayne, the copper is Paul, and platinum is David." He smiled, explaining as Ruby examined her gift.
"We wanted you to have a ring from each of us, and Dwayne came up with the idea of a band to represent us each, yet all connected. And Paul picked the box out. Which was so swell of him." David stopped. "What... you don't like it?" He frowned, as tears welled in Ruby's eyes.
"No. I love it. I can't explain how much I love it." Tears cascaded down her cheeks.
"Oh sweetheart!" Marko gathered her close, kissing her deeply. Ruby choked a sob back, and returned the kiss, then broke off to kiss the cheeks of the other Boys. Each hugged her in return.
"Thank you all so much." Ruby managed, wiping at her face.
"We have to start now Ruby, if we're going to make it to town before sun up." David reminded her gently, uncomfortable at her tears. Each Boy hugged her again, and Marko squeezed her tight as long as he dared.
"Come back soon, Ruby."
"I will Marko." Ruby smiled, tears still in her eyes. She kissed her Boy goodbye, and headed out into the night with David towards LA.
The theater was packed for the official premiere of the 'The Lost Boys'. It was a beautiful July night, the Grauman's Chinese Theater lit up like a birthday cake crammed with candles. Celebrities of the day were there, including several cast members: Joel Schumacher, both Coreys, some of the extras and crew. Including Alex. He waved to Ruby, and thought that who ever David was, he was doing an extremely good impersonation of the David character from the movie.
"Did the studio hire this guy?" he asked, as they were all ushered into the lobby.
"Um, no, he's a local from Santa Cruz." Ruby just grinned while David tried not to glare.
The movie was fantastic, though Ruby noticed a few scenes she'd been on set for were cut. But overall the final edit was exciting. To see what she had written, to know that she was the original creator for this... well it got overwhelming. David had wondered why Paul had shoved tissues in his pocket and said he'd need them later. Now it was apparent as he slipped one to Ruby in the darkened theater.
"You did great, Rube, you really did." he whispered in her ear.
Then it was over, and though the night was still young, there was a long trip back to Santa Cruz ahead of them. David and Ruby exited the Grauman's Chinese Theater among the throng of moviegoers. Ruby almost glowed as she heard people still talking excitedly about the movie.
"They really liked it? Or is it just my imagination?" David smiled, lighting a cigarette as he and Ruby crossed the street and headed down an alley towards his bike.
"I think they loved it. Of course, I feel like I'm dreaming." Ruby smiled back. David grinned and pinched her arm. "Ow! Hey!"
"You're not dreaming, babe." He smiled, coming to a stop next to his bike.
What little light coming from the street dimmed further and the alley became harder to see in. Ruby blinked, trying to gauge anything. David had no problem of course, but this made him frown. "What the hell...?"
"You seek to uncover us!" A growl came from the shadows.
"Ruby, get behind me. I was afraid of this." David hissed, sliding in vamp form. His talons readied, he moved to shield her from whatever was in the alley. "Who's there?"
A snarl and several growls answered. Seven huge forms moved out from the recesses and shadows of the alley. Seven huge vampires, fangs bared.
"You seek to uncover us, to have us captured and destroyed. Breaking the ancient laws!" The biggest vampire stepped one foot forward from the others, face angry and eyes burning red. The vampires formed a semicircle, blocking David and Ruby in the alley.
"But we made sure the ending was clear! That no one would come looking for us! That it was a movie!" Ruby shouted over David's shoulder.
"Shut up, bitch! You are human, worth nothing and only food for us!" The leader growled, advancing towards Ruby and David.
David snarled. "Back off, you're talking to one of my pack mates!"
"You keep the company of humans as well? Then you truly deserve to die!" The leader's eyes flashed daggers and suddenly there was a huge rush upon David and Ruby. The alley boiled with vampires and darkness swept over them all.
David did his best to keep himself and Ruby alive, but he was one against seven. As skilled as he was, he was still no match against these guys. Especially when he recognized the insignia tattooed into their forearms: Bloods. One of the most notorious gangs to ever fill the streets of California, they were really a cover for a band of vampires. Who else would have called themselves 'Bloods'?
"Ruby, up, NOW!" David roared as he ducked a swipe of talons. There was a metal fire ladder above them, lowered. Ruby dashed for it, but was snagged by the claws of yet another Blood. They seemed to be multiplying. David was wounded, gashes and punctures on his arms, face and chest. But he kept going. Even if he didn't make it, Ruby had to. Marko would never forgive himself, or David, if anything happened to her. And David wouldn't forgive himself either.
"David!" Ruby screamed as about three Bloods pinned her to the concrete block wall of the side building. There was no need for weapons; they were walking weaponry. The third came closer, his talons aching to slash her to ribbons.
But David had one final advantage the Bloods did not. He could fly. Turning into a slashing, snarling, foaming-at-the-mouth demon, he freed his way out of the crowd of Bloods around him and leapt into the air. A solid kick to the head of the Blood who was about to take out Ruby was successful. He went down like a ton of bricks. The other two were startled, but not so much that David could easily free Ruby. In fact...
"NO!" David roared as the left grabbed Ruby round the waist, twisted her to him and slashed her throat with all his talons. Ruby stared at David, the shock still fresh on her face. She tried to speak, but only blood bubbled over her lips.
Ruby sank to her knees, down to the cold pavement. The lights were getting dimmer, and David was a whirling dervish, slashing and attacking everything and everyone in sight. Ruby had never seen him so angry. He was telling her something... something like "hang on"... but the sound was fading out. Everything became black and white, and silent like a film. Then there was darkness.
The End