Hey everyone! Well I said I'd post the next chapter early and this is earlier... I think this has to be one of my favourite chapters, hope you guys like it too!

Shoutouts: RayvnOwn - Don't worry, you're not the only one with a Hunter/Cam fixation. 'Looks at some other people'. CamFan4Ever - Thanks! Glad you liked it! Here's your update! garnetred - Yep Hunter sure feels guilty. Read on to see what happens! Jnr Cpl Scarlett - Yes it was very angsty! Lol! Crimson-Ranger - Get better? Read on to find out :p Ukume - No! Don't stop eating, or speaking! Lol! Hope you didn't get into trouble; why weren't you doing art? Lol!

This is the penultimate chapter. So read, review and enjoy!

the real vampire

Confrontation

But one month had passed since Phil had died and Blake was still worried about Hunter. Instead of things getting better they had got progressively worse. Hunter had been spending more and more time away from everyone and not even Blake knew where he disappeared to. And Hunter still wasn't eating. Blake had tried everything, first to convince himself that his brother was just in shock over what had happened and the suddenness of it all, and then, when it became apparent that it was a long-term thing rather than just a phase, to try and tempt Hunter to eat something. Blake wasn't sure what the real problem was. Some days Hunter would be almost normal, but then he'd change as soon as food was mentioned. Or he'd eat, and then head for the bathroom. He avoided any form of confrontation about his eating habits and the only time he hung out with his friends was during training or when they had to fight a monster.

Sensei had taken Blake aside after one particularly bad training session, where Hunter had been forced to sit out because he looked as though he was going to faint, and expressed concerns over Hunter's behaviour, concentration and general health. Blake had covered for him, as he had done so many times, but now he'd had enough...

"Hey Hunter," Blake forced a smile as Hunter finally got home from wherever he had been brooding. "I made dinner 'cos I didn't want to have to eat your cooking tonight."

Hunter barely smiled at the old joke, "Actually Blake, I'm gonna pass. I'm not hungry."

Blake sighed, "Hunter this has got to stop."

Hunter stared at his brother, "What do you mean?"

"Don't play innocent with me Hunter. You know exactly what I mean," Blake said, getting angry. "Starving yourself is what I mean. You barely eat. And when you do you make yourself throw up. You know I watch you too closely to make sure you don't start cutting yourself again so now you've found another way to hurt yourself. You're anorexic or bulimic or both, what ever. You have got to start eating properly. Sensei is worried about you…"

"Sensei should keep his nose out of my business. This has nothing to do with him and nothing to do with you so just drop it." Hunter snapped and turned for the door.

Blake blocked him, "I am not going to just drop it," he snapped back. "And it has everything to do with Sensei when it's affecting the team, and it is affecting the team Hunter. You're pale and thin, your concentration is poor and that's leading to mistakes that could get you killed."

Hunter just shrugged, "Then that's my look out isn't it?"

Blake gave him an incredulous look, "Your mistakes could lead to getting one of the others killed, or me killed. Do you want that Hunter? Do you want me to die 'cos you're not eating?" Hunter was silent. "Well do you?" Blake demanded. "Look at me Hunter and tell me do you want me to die?"

"No," Hunter whispered, looking at his brother.

"You fainted yesterday after training," Blake continued, "I covered for you but you've got to stop this. You're killing yourself slowly in front of me."

Hunter didn't answer – he had nothing to say. Everything his brother said was true.

"So are you going to eat then?"

"I can't…" he couldn't meet Blake's eyes.

"Don't be stupid. Of course you can. You're wasting away right in front of me and I'm not having it. This is going to stop right now. You are going to sit down and eat, or so help me Hunter I will force this food down your throat." Blake was yelling at Hunter now.

Hunter gaped at his brother in amazement. Blake had never spoken to him like that before. "Ok," he said quietly, "You win. I'll eat."

xxx

Ten minutes later Hunter was throwing up in the bathroom. Blake stood in the doorway, a mixture of sadness and anger on his face.

Forcing his voice to be calm he spoke, "What's the matter Hunter?"

Hunter, who always felt trembly and shaky after being sick, couldn't keep his voice steady as he saw the look in his brother's eyes. "I don't know," he whispered in a choked voice. "I just hate myself so much, Blake. Every time I see myself in the mirror I want to hurt myself. I'm disgusted by me, by what I've done."

Blake took a deep breath, "And what have you done Hunter?"

"I murdered someone." Hunter said softly. "I got away with it but I still did it."

"Hunter you killed a monster. That man hurt you – you were defending yourself and protecting me. How can you hate yourself for that?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to hurt anyone…"

"You're hurting me." Blake exclaimed. Hunter looked up in shock. "Right now Hunter. You're hurting me and you're hurting your friends, the people that love you and care about you. You killed a monster – how is that any different from all the other times you've killed evil things? Because that's what Phil was, Hunter, an evil monster."

"It was different," Hunter whispered, tears in his eyes. "Blake, I felt him die. When I used my power on him we were connected somehow. I felt his life, his heartbeat, and I extinguished that. I felt it happen Blake." Hunter was crying now. "I felt him die, and it was me that was killing him. Now I feel dirty and…" He couldn't speak.

Blake didn't know what to say; he felt helpless. Crouching down he hugged his brother, as he had done so many times in the past year, when Hunter had let him. All he could do was let him cry and try to comfort him.

"Is that everything?" he whispered to Hunter.

"No," Hunter choked, "What my mum said…"

"Your mother was upset."

"She meant it though." Hunter sobbed, "She's gone and I don't know where to. She hates me."

Blake was quiet. "She doesn't deserve a son like you," he said after a while. "She knew what Phil was doing and chose to ignore it. That makes her just as bad as he was. She had the power to stop him, to protect you, as any mother should have but she didn't. You're better off without her – without them – and you know it. You were fine before they showed up last year, you survived for years without them, and you'll be fine now they've gone."

Hunter didn't answer, but he knew what Blake was saying was true. To see evil being done and not do anything simply because you won't, to turn a blind eye to evil, makes you just as evil as the person committing the acts in the first place. But Hunter couldn't think of his mum as evil. He cried even more and Blake just held him silently.

Finally Hunter's sobs subsided and Blake felt it was safe to talk. "I think you should speak to Sensei."

Hunter looked up at him through red-rimmed eyes. "Why?" he asked quietly.

"You need help Hunter. Please, I can only do so much for you and it's not enough. I feel so helpless, seeing you killing yourself and not being able to do anything about it. I hate it Hunter, and Shane, Tori, Dustin, Cam – everyone, even Kelly, hates it. We can see what you're doing and we want to help you stop, but we don't know how. Sensei does, if only you'll talk to him. He's full of all that Zen-stuff I know but he can actually help. If only you'd just swallow your pride and admit you need help and talk to him. Please," his voice dropped to a whisper, "For me."

Hunter swallowed. It was clear from the expression on his face that he was thinking. What his brother had said had made him realise how much his actions were affecting his friends. This couldn't go on. He opened his mouth, then shut it again. "Ok," he finally said, and looked Blake in the eye. "I'll speak to Sensei. I'll get help. All this has got to stop."

He meant it this time, he had to stop hating himself and hurting his friends and most of all his brother. Seeing this Blake smiled in relief. "Thank you, Hunter."