Contradictions

Disclaimer: I want to own them all but for now just Jake is mine.

Summary: The reaction.

Reviews: Yes, PLEASE. I need them more than air. Thanks to all who have reviewed so far. Readers rock but Reviewers RULE!!

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Jake was finishing the last of the dinner dishes when he heard the guitar. It had been his but he'd never played it much. Two weeks after Will had arrived, the blond had found it propped in the corner of the studio. It had taken him a few days to adapt to the instrument, as he was left-handed, but had quickly taught himself to play.

At first, Jake had gotten used to hearing rock and roll being pounded out on the expensive guitar but then the music had become progressively sadder. It was as if not knowing who he was and how he came to be the way he was had taken a toll on his exuberance.

For the first two months of the four total Will had been there, he'd shown a natural cheerfulness and unlimited sense of humor broken only occasionally by bouts of depressed silence. After the first time Will had confessed to his feeling that he'd been in Heaven the sadness had become increasingly apparent until the cheerfulness had all but disappeared. Jake knew Will was a very unusual vampire. He'd done computer searches to find ways to protect himself should it become necessary. Will followed none of the normal behavior patterns described by the few websites he'd found.

The nearly finished painting beckoned. Jake sauntered into the studio and idly picked up his pallet. He wanted to finish this one and at least one other before he had to return to work. He'd already decided the name for this piece. It was titled 'Contradiction.' This portrait depicted Will, again in profile, sitting quietly in the living room in front of the lit fireplace. Slouching in the overstuffed armchair, head propped onto one fist. One foot was propped up on the opposite knee. A book rested in his lap, large and bulky, his free hand held it at an angle so that it's title was displayed on the front of the leather binding. Shakespeare. A vampire who read Shakespeare. It boggled Jake's mind. He knew it would be a waste of time to ask any questions. There were no answers. He decided to do another computer search as soon as he was finished with this painting session.

While he painted, he thought back over the last few months. In his job for the United States Geological Survey, Jake had been sent to the site of an earthquake no one had predicted or expected. It had been an unusually localized quake, raising questions throughout the agency.

Jake had spent over a month sifting through the rubble of the crater. Even after he'd filed a report stating he couldn't find the reason for the destruction of the town, he'd gone back and explored further. The mystery had fascinated him. He'd been poking around for another month when he'd found an amulet just lying there on top of the ground, dead center of the crater. He picked it up and put it in his pocket, promptly forgetting it.

Emptying his jacket at the end of the day, he'd found it again. He turned it over to examine it and had been startled when it began to emit a strong light and had heated up. It had almost burned his hand before he'd gotten enough sense to drop it. Ashes had swirled up from the center of the fallen trinket. A man had materialized from the ashes, a howl of pain erupting from him as he coalesced. The ashes danced and whirled around in a tornado effect as the form appeared before Jake's stunned eyes. A skeleton formed. Slowly muscle covered the bare bones. Pale skin smoothed itself over the muscular structure and finally clothing took its place on the body. Platinum hair, shockingly pale against the black leather duster and wide blue eyes were among Jake's first impressions of the most unbelievable thing he'd ever witnessed. The unexpected arrival had collapsed onto the floor and didn't wake up for more than twenty-four hours. The man had been breathing so Jake hadn't noticed the lack of heartbeat.

The phone interrupted Jake's reminiscing. He absent-mindedly picked it up, straightening in shock as the words sank in. His angry yelling brought Will running in from his room to find out what the problem was.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SOLD MY PAINTINGS?" Jake's furious shout stopped Will in his tracks in horror.

'Sold the paintings?' Will mouthed in shock. 'Who bought them? Why would the gallery deliberately defy Jake and sell the portraits?' He wondered to himself.

"He did what? And you just let him? And he paid how much? What do you mean 'yellow eyes'? They said…? Oh my God." Jake's gray gaze suddenly met Will's blue one. "Never mind. Hold the check, I'll come in and pick it up. No, I seriously doubt I'll trust you will any more of my work."

He listened for a moment. "He said his name was what? Angel? What kind of name is that for a…oh, forget it."

Jake's attention was caught by Will's suddenly paler than normal face. "I'll call you later. What? Angry? Why on earth would I be angry? OF COURSE I'M PISSED! YOU MORON! I TOLD YOU NOT TO SELL THEM. Fine! Bye." He slammed the phone down, happy he didn't have Will's strength.

He watched as his vampire housemate slumped onto the sofa. "Will? What's the matter?"

Haunted sapphire eyes looked everywhere but at Jake. "I don't know. I feel I should know that name. But I don't want to."

Jake sat on the coffee table in front of Will. He wondered for a moment how he was going to impart his information. The implications were mind blowing. He decided to just tell him and deal with the consequences. "Will."

The vampire directed his gaze to his host. "Yes?"

Jake cleared his throat. "The people who bought the portrait… They said they knew you."

The news jolted Will. For a moment he was speechless. "They said…"

"That you had died six months ago. And that's not the only thing." He paused, hoping they could figure all this out. He liked Will, enjoyed having him as a housemate, but not having any memory of who you were and who might be out there missing you had to be hell. "One of them was a vampire."

A light dawned. Will shook. "A vampire named Angel." He whispered. Flashes of memory assaulted his mind; blood, pain, screams of victims and laughter, an Irish lilt. Just as suddenly, the flashes stopped. The echoes pounded through his head. He pressed his hands to his temples and groaned in agony.

Jake sat there stunned. "Will? Will! What's wrong? Come on Buddy talk to me. Tell me what's going on." He gripped Will's upper arms as the vampire's shaking increased in intensity.

Will's entire body was wracked with violent tremors. Another growl of pain hissed through clenched teeth. Will's eyes squeezed shut, his hands clenched his head as the waves of pain pounded him. Jake wrapped his arms around the stricken vampire attempting to ease the trembling. Will's slender form shuddered violently. He inhaled deep unneeded breaths as he tried to control the pain. He lost the battle, slumping forward into Jake as he lost consciousness.

In Will's bedroom, on the bedside table, unseen by the two men. The amulet began to glow.