Dwayne had been dogging the two newcomers during the next two weeks, always keeping just out of sight. He had seen enough to know that the two were indeed street savvy as he had predicted, but also five-finger discount masters. The antics of the two amused him to some point, after all they were just a pair of kids out on the town, looking for a good time. Hadn't he been the same when he was that age? That seemed like ages ago instead of twenty-eight years. Had he really changed in all that time? Part of him said yes, but another part flat out refused. What was the point of being undead if you were too mature to pull shit that no sane human would ever dare to?

He grinned at that thought as he revved up his bike, giving the two fleeting figures one last glance before he pulled out of the alley that he had been waiting in. It was almost midnight and he had somewhere to be. If David really wanted the two then let him play baby-sitter. He had done enough watching for the night. With a small yawn, he tossed back his hair and roared down the street, running a red and headed for the suburban area that was twenty minutes from the Boardwalk. He had to see a lady about a cat.

"Waddaya think 'bout this one?" Paul asked as he looked at himself in the mirror at various different angels, eyeing the fringed leather jacket that he was wearing. He caught Marko's eye rolling and nodded.

"Yeah, piece of shit." He said as he shrugged off the jacket and tossed it onto the growing mound of previously tried on clothes that were piled in a corner.

"Listen man, we've been here for over two hours. Will you make up your mind already? I'm growin' old here." Marko said as he shifted in his seat, draping his legs over the arm of the chair that he had been occupying for the said amount of time. When he and Paul left LA, they had left in a hurry and only had time to make it out of there with a wallet full of cash and the clothes on their backs. Well, after the first week, they were broke and if it weren't for their many talents, would probably be starving as well. Both boys despised anything legal, so a proper job as out of the question. A few days ago, Paul had showed up with a small fortune in his back pocket and Marko could only guess where he had come by the cash. But he wasn't complaining, it meant that they had money for booze, girls and a new wardrobe. Only problem was that Paul was worse than a forty-year old woman when it came to shopping for clothes. He had to hem and haw about everything he tried on, which nearly drove Marko crazy...nearly.

"You complain worse than my mother. What about this one?" Paul asked as he grabbed a trench coat and whirled it on, eyeing himself closely in the three-sided mirror of the vintage shop that they were in.

"You don't even know your mother. And no, it makes you look like an undertaker." Marko said as he began to toy with a piece of airborne fluff, blowing at it to see how long he could keep it airborne.

"Figure of speech dude." He said, deciding whether or not he dug the whole solemn dead-guy look. After a few minutes of contemplation, he shook his head and the trench coat joined the others on the floor.

"C'mon Paul, just pick one already! We're burning precious partying time. And I for one had my eye on a certain bash that is going on down at the docks. Instead, I'm sitting here with you, contemplating killing myself just to see if I'd get a reaction outta you." Marko snorted as he hoisted himself out of the chair and walked towards Paul and the few other jackets that had yet to be tried on.

"Hell man, do you think I'm enjoyin' this? I'd rather be out getting hammered, but when it comes to getting a new set of dregs, you got to be careful with what you wear." He said as he eyed the remaining jackets carefully.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Here, try this one on." Marko said, randomly selecting a tailored black tuxedo jacket with tails and tossed it over to his friend.

"Who's getting' married?" Paul asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No one you moron. Just try it on. Trust me, ok?" Marko said, motioning Paul to put the jacket on so that they could get the hell out of there. Neither of the two paid any attention to the tinkling noise that accompanied the opening of the shop's door. Paul gave Marko a "yeah right" look as he tried on the jacket, adjusting a sleeve as he looked at his reflection.

"Not bad, not bad." He said as he slowly turned in a circle, eyeing every aspect of the jacket, liking what he saw. It was different, that was for sure. "Do ya think it makes me look sophisticated?"

"I think it makes you look like fool. But a cute fool." Said a voice from behind. Both boys spun around to come face to face with a grinning Fay.

"Hey! Fay! Waddaya say! Decided to come out for the day, eh?" Paul exclaimed as a huge grin plastered itself onto his face. "Hey! That rhymed."

"Note to self Paul, never become a poet." Fay said, but returned his high five with one of her own.

"Hey Marko, how's it hanging man?" She said as she slapped him playfully on the arm. The minute those words left her mouth, her right hand came up and instantly shushed Paul. "Don't say it. I know what you're going to say, so shush." She commanded, knowing exactly what sexual comment he was about to make. She didn't have to be psychic to know.

Marko grinned and shook his head. "Perfect timing. You just saved me from beating Paul within an inch of his life." He chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"That bad huh?" Fay said, giving Paul a sidelong glance. "Do I want to know why?"

"In all probability, no." Marko said, looking deliberately at Paul, who was giving himself a couple of sidelong glances in the mirror, still eyeing the jacket.

"You going to pay for that, or are you waiting until it goes out of fashion to walk out of here?" Fay teased as she stepped forward and adjusted the collar, smoothing out the shoulders and gave it the once over. "I must say, it works."

"Thanks." Paul said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. First complement of the evening. Things could get interesting.

"So how have you been Fay? We haven't seen you in ages. Is Dwayne sulking in some shadow?" Marko asked as he shoved Paul towards the cash register to pay for the jacket, leaving him and Fay to catch up.

"Dwayne? Nah, I have no idea where he is. As for me, just the same old. You know how it is." Fay said with a tired smile, flicking back a loose strand of hair that had crept down between her eyes.

"Yeah, but what is the same old? You look exhausted." He said, watching her as he kept Paul within sight. He didn't know how Fay would feel if Paul just simply walked out of the store, leaving it missing a one hundred and fifty dollar jacket.

"Well," Fay began, scratching absently at her neck. "Things have been kinda hectic lately. With work and all. I got an audition for a touring Broadway musical that's coming to LA and so I'm been breaking my back trying to prepare a routine for that and then with the classes and such…it's been interesting." She said with a shrug.

"An audition? That's trippin' girl. I never knew you were an actor." Marko said, giving her a nod of congratulations. Fay blushed slightly and grinned.

"No, I'm not an actor. Do I look like a Prima Donna to you? Nah, I'm a professional dancer. And I kinda sing…a little. So I figured, why not take a shot at it. I don't want to end up teaching ballet steps to a bunch of eight year olds for the rest of my life." Fay said with a shrug.

"Do what for the rest of your life? What did I miss?" Paul asked as he suddenly appeared behind her, resting an arm on her shoulder. Fay jumped a mile, which caused Paul to smile all the more.

"Jesus Paul. Don't do that." Fay said, swatting at him with her nails. But it was all in good fun.

"Fay's a dancer Paul. She's taking a shot at stardom in some big fandangle Broadway thing." Marko said as the three of them headed for the door.

"You dance?" Paul said, looking down at her with renewed interest.

"Wow Marko, I love the way you explain things. And yes Paul, I dance. But not with a pole, so get that image out of your head. I have some integrity you know." She said as she pushed the door open and stepped outside.

"How did she know that?" Paul said frowning, giving Marko a strange look.

"Know what?" Marko asked, half in half out of the doorway.

"That I was imagining her pole dancing." He said, slightly disturbed.

"Paul, man. You are as easy to read as a frigging playboy magazine. You're too predictable, that's how she knew." Marko said as he stepped out of the shop. Paul stared after him and shrugged. Whatever.

"So boys, you doing something tonight other than shopping?" Fay asked when Paul finally joined them on the sidewalk.

"Well, there was this…" Marko started off before Paul cut him off.

"There's this rockin' party down at the docks that's going on right now. Marko and I were just heading over there. Why, you looking for a good time?" Paul asked, walking on her right side while Marko took up position on her left, sandwiching her between the two of them. Fay being only five foot four looked practically small standing walking being Paul, but it didn't seem to bother her none.

"I'm always looking for a good time Paul. But what I'm really looking for is some good music." She purred quietly as she sidestepped Paul and ended up walking on the metal side rail that bordered the entire boardwalk, perfectly balanced.

"Whoa, careful girl. You fall and it's gonna hurt." Paul said, his eyebrows now somewhere hidden in his bangs as he watched Fay pad past, taking tiny precise steps without wavering once. With a grin, she leapt up and over him, somersaulting once, and landed once more between the two.

"Don't worry about that Paul. I always land on my feet." She said with a mischievous grin as Marko simply gaped at her.

"How did you do that?" He asked her as he looked at Paul and then at Fay.

"When you wear point shoes for hours on end, you learn how to walk on your toes. Balance is an essential part of dancing. Without it, you're a moose on stilts." She said simply as she wrapped her arms around their, linking them. "Anyways, why don't we go and check out this party? If it's garbage, we'll just find another. In Santa Carla, there's always a party going on, no matter what time of day." She said, looking up at Paul and then at Marko with a raised eyebrow.

"What are we waitin' for? Let's go!" Paul said, grinning from ear to ear. The two friends looked at each other and gave themselves a mental high five. Score baby!

"So which of these crotch rockets are yours?" Fay asked as they arrived at the spot where they had parked their bikes, alongside a number of others.

"That would be your chariot right over there." Paul said as he indicated his bike with a flourish wave of his hand.

"Tell me Marko, is he always this chivalrous?" Fay asked as she hopped onto the back of Paul's bike, sitting sidesaddle, while Paul swung his leg over, straddling the bike.

"Chivalrous? Ha! He doesn't even know the meaning of the word." Marko cackled as he hopped onto his own machine and roared it to life. Paul's bike responded with a throaty roar of its own. The two guys cackled like a pair of crones while Fay just muttered to herself.

"Boys…typical." She snorted before Paul pulled away from the curb and shot down the street, a little too fast for comfort. "Eeek!" Fay squeaked as she clung to him for dear life, which was something he clearly enjoyed. "You so did that on purpose." She muttered as she prodded him in the stomach with a manicured fingernail. Minutes later, they were long gone, even before the dust had settled. Paul and Marko drove neck and neck as they took a detour onto the beach, sending sand flying at a bunch of people crowded around a bonfire. As they drove like maniacs, Fay muttered some choice words in seven different languages, reminding herself never to take a lift from Paul ever again, ever.

"What's the matter Fay? Afraid of a little speed?" Marko howled out as he swerved around a large driftwood log, coming up on Paul's right, grinning like a jackal.

"Me afraid? Ha! Don't make me laugh." She yelled back, but her death grip on Paul didn't relax in the least bit. Not that Paul was complaining or anything, but the girl had a set of sharp nails and the last thing he wanted as his new jacket, which he had paid for legally mind you, torn to shreds.

"Where did you say this party was?" Fay yelled out to Paul above the whistling of the wind.

"Just by the docks, you can hear the music from here." Paul answered back as they neared the docks. When they arrived, the party was in full swing, music was blaring, beer was being poured every which way and people were staggering drunkenly but still partied on.

"Now this is what I call a party." Paul howled as he slowed the bike and came to a stop on a small sand dune, overlooking the festivities.

"Not bad man." Marko said as he came to a stop right beside the two. "So why the hell are we just sitting here watching?" He asked, kicking down the kickstand and dismounting.

"My thoughts exactly little bro." Paul said as he hopped off and held out his hand to Fay. She looked at his hand and then at him before she accepted his hand and slid off the bike, adjusting her leather biker jacket.

"Next time, I'll walk." She said snippily before she laughed and swiped Paul's legs from under him with a clever twist of her foot.

"Hey!" Paul swore as he hit the sand. Fay gave him a little wave before she let out a shrill laugh and took off running, doing a few cartwheels along the way.

"That girl is just weird." Paul said as he leapt to his feet, shaking the sand off of him. "I love it."

"C'mon man, you're missing out!" Marko called over his shoulder as he dashed after Fay.

"Yo! Wait up!" Paul laughed as he ran after them, catching up in no time.

"What took you so long? Had to fix that hair of yours?" Fay asked innocently as she flaunted her own wavy locks, just to add salt to wound.

"You wish." He muttered before he reached out and caught her around the waist, hoisting her off of her feet. Fay screeched and squirmed like a live wire, but Paul's arms were locked and there was no escaping.

"Put me down you." She cawed as he walked towards the surf line, holding a wriggling Fay over his shoulder.

"Oh? So now you want me to put you down eh?" He laughed, but didn't expect what came next. One minute he was upright and the next minute he was once again on his back, but so was Fay, who was laughing up a storm.

"Jeez, nice goin' man." Paul muttered out he spat out sand. Marko was rolling off Paul's legs, having caught him in a low tackle, which knocked all three to the ground.

"Hey man, couldn't resist." Marko said with a toothy grin. Pretty soon, the two guys were wrestling one another as Fay dashed off to grab a few drinks.

"You know, this is cute and all but some people might get the wrong impression." She snickered when she returned, holding two red plastic cups in her hands and had one balanced on her head.

"Yeah? Well fuck them I say." Paul laughed as he accepted the glass that she handed to him.

"Thanks Fay." Marko panted as he chugged his beer down in one breath.

"Don't mention it." She said as she sat down beside the two of them, daintily sipping at her own drink, wrinkling her nose slightly at the taste. 'Oh by the way. There's this cute blonde over by the stereo that was checking you out. Why don't you go and say hi?" Fay told him as she looked over her shoulder and pointed the girl out. Marko raised his head and peered over in that direction, looking for the girl.

"A little too valley girl for my taste." Paul mused as he spotted the girl that Fay had mentioned.

"Paul, unless a girl is a dominatrix, they are all a little too valley girl for you." Marko said as he tossed his empty cup at Paul and rose to his feet. "Well, you know me. I hate to disappoint." Marko said as he adjusted his jacket and headed for the crowd.

"Yeah, don't we know it." Paul muttered under his breath. Fay smacked him lightly on the arm. "What?"

"So what's up with you and Marko? You still owe me a story." She said as she dumped the rest of her beer onto the sand and shoved the cup into the wet sand.

"You sure you wanna hear it?" Paul asked as he stretched himself out, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Try me." Fay said, tucking her legs under her, all ears at Paul.

"Well, when we were kids, we lived on the same street in the shady side of town. I was living with an aunt cause my dad ran out and my mother didn't give two fucks about me. I was basically dumped on my aunt's doorstep when I was six, so I don't really remember much about my parents. Anyways, Marko was living a few houses down, the first of six kids. His parents were good people, but poorer than church mice. When Marko was fourteen, his mom got sick, leukemia, and it fell to him and his dad to keep the family afloat. He won't talk about it if he can avoid it, but he took it pretty hard. At sixteen, he dropped outta school. He wanted to get a job to help out his old man. I dropped two years earlier cause I just wanted to get the hell out of there. Shipped out of my aunts house and holed up in a seedy apartment with a few other friends." Paul said as he drew various designs in the sand with his finger.

"Ever since we were kids, Marko always tagged along after me. My own little second shadow. He was a gutsy kid, following me into all kinds of shit. A few times we got ourselves into some pretty tight corners, but we always had each other's back and we've been able to survive like that. A couple of weeks ago, we had a run in with a few people that we hate beyond all reason, and they feel the same about us. Hell, it was over the stupidest thing, but it didn't matter. Let's just say things got pretty heated and we had to get out of there fast. So that's why we're here, place of all places." Paul said as he turned his head, looking to see what Marko was up to. He didn't have to worry; his friend was busy with the blonde, if you know what I mean.

"So that's why you and him are the way you are. Friendship wise I mean." Fay said, tugging at her sleeve.

"Yeah. Me and Marko are like brothers. I never had a family and his kinda adopted me into theirs. I owe his old man a lot and feel God awful of hightailing it out of LA without so much as giving him a heads up, but it was either get lost or a closed casket funeral." He muttered, erasing the doodles with a wipe of his hand.

"Have you guys at least called his father to tell him that you're still alive?" Fay asked, watching Paul closely.

"Yeah, it didn't go over so well. But at least he knows and Marko can go with a somewhat clear conscious for a little while longer. The truth is, I don't know how long we're going to be here. It might be a while before we can go back to LA." Paul said as he sat up, dusting the sand off of his elbows.

"Well, don't be too hard on yourself Paul. Shit happens to everyone. You just got to know how to deal with it. Give it time. Things will cool down before you know it. Just have a little patience and some faith." She said with a reassuring smile.

"Patience is nil and faith is non-existent." He said with a snort. Fay opened her mouth to say something, but Marko's shout cut her off. Fay let out a loud "Don't!" but it came two seconds too late. Paul was roughly hauled to his feet and before he could react, a fist came flying at his face, sending him crashing to the ground for the third time that evening. Dwayne stood over him like a cold sentinel, his face graved from stone, but his eyes burning with anger.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Fay hissed as she planted herself between the two, refusing to budge when Dwayne glared at her.

"Move." He growled softly, his dark eyes drifting from her to Paul who was struggling to his feet, a bit dazed from the blow. It felt as if someone had dropped an anvil onto his head.

"Don't you dare go pulling any of that alpha male crap on me pal. It might have worked in New Orleans, but it sure as hell isn't going to work on me." She growled right back, looking very much like a pissed of cat at this point. As Dwayne bodily moved Fay out of his way, Marko came sprinting up behind him and launched himself at the man, landing on his back with enough force to send Dwayne staggering.

"Marko no! Get off of him! Paul? Paul don't you dare!" She shrieked, loud enough to catch the attention of some of the partygoers. But the three guys didn't give her words a second thought. Things would have gotten ugly if it hadn't been for the commanding voice that stopped all four of them in their tracks.

"What the hell is going on here?" David said as he magically appeared out of nowhere, walking towards the brawling group with a deliberate calm to him. Dwayne slowly took his eyes off of Paul as he turned his head slightly, no easy feet seeing that Marko had him in a headlock while hanging off of his back. Paul didn't dare move, not knowing if this new arrival was good news or bad. Instead he stood there, bent nearly backwards with Dwayne's hand gripping his hair. It was Fay who spoke up.

"Nothing David, just a little disagreement. On what, I don't really know." She said in a pissed off voice, her arms crossed over her chest, and fists clenched.

David nodded his head slightly as he came to stand beside her, his eyes never leaving the three guys. "Let them go." He said to Dwayne, looking directly at the other vampire, staring him down. Despite David's "back off" glare, Dwayne didn't budge. Like I said before, Dwayne used to be the head of a vampire gang for the past twenty years. He wasn't used to having to do what he was told.

"There are people watching." He said quietly, his eyes never leaving Dwayne's. No on dared to breath for the next few moments. Paul and Marko didn't have a clue as to what was really going on between the two guys, but Fay did. The two vampires were having it out in a silent battle of the wills. If Dwayne won, there were going to be problems. Thankfully, it was David who was the victor that night and since then, Dwayne never once undermined his authority. David was the more powerful vampire and Dwayne was stated with being his right hand man.

Dwayne blinked once and let Paul go. Fay tugged Marko off of the vampire's back and made sure he was ok before turning to Paul.

"That's the second time that guy has done that to me." Paul growled, but didn't dare make a show of it. Instead, he and Marko turned their attention towards the guy who had saved their necks, somehow feeling drawn to him.

"Listen man, thanks and all, but you should make sure you keep a leash on this guy. He's fucking out of his mind." Paul said, giving Dwayne a dark look before turning back to David.

"Don't worry. It won't happen again." David said, eyeing Paul with those chilling blue eyes of his. Paul couldn't repress the shiver that ran through his body as David locked gazes with him for a moment. It was like trying to stare down a cobra as you waited for it to strike.

"You two must be Paul and Marko. Fay's told me a lot about you two." David said, walking towards the two.

"No I haven't." Fay piped up, giving David a piercing look.

"Yes you have. You just don't remember." David said, his voice carrying a hidden tone that she couldn't ignore. Paul and Marko shared a suspicious look as David came towards them and extended his hand.

"I'm David and I see that you've already met Dwayne." He said in a somewhat friendly voice, smiling slightly as they shook hands. For a brief second, David's eyes looked over their shoulder and right at Dwayne. Dwayne nodded his head and walked over to Fay who was fuming at this point, ready to call David on his game.

"Yeah." Marko said when he shook David's hand. "Ah, thanks for stepping in."

"Don't mention it." David said with a smirk as a pack of smokes and a lighter suddenly appeared in his gloved hands. "Care for a light?" He asked them.

As the three of them lit up, Fay was silently bristling, her suspicion rising by the second. The guy was about as easy to read as the Rosetta stone, but she had a pretty good idea of why he was being cordial to the two friends. It spelled disaster.

"Dwayne, what's David planning?" She muttered to Dwayne as he came up beside her.

"Nothing." He said quietly, putting an arm over her shoulders, one that she shrugged off instantly.

"Don't give me that crap Dwayne. You know that I'm not so easily fooled. Let me guess, the plan is to get two more to join your ranks. Is that it? Well, here's a news flash for you. It's not going to happen. Not to those two. I won't allow it." She spat, trying to sidestep Dwayne as he kept getting in her way, keeping her of the three others.

"Fay, it's David. Not even I could stop him if I wanted to." He said calmly as reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently yanking her to him.

"Yeah? And I'm a witch remember? If there's anyone who can handle him it's me. And will you let me go! Don't make me pull a Psycho. I can create a stampede in a second." She said as she tried to yank her arm out of his grasp.

Dwayne knew he was going to regret this, but it just hand to be done. Without wasting another moment, he crushed her to him and trapped her in a kiss that sent her mind reeling. He took the opportunity and invaded her mind with his; dazing her to the point that she wasn't quite sure what was going on. He knew his mental block wasn't going to hold for long and he had to act fast. Fay's magical abilities made things a lot more difficult than any normal human would, which made trying to keep her out of the picture a burden. She could easily pull the same stunt on him. The advantage that he had was that she wasn't expecting it. If she had, he would have been staggering around like a drunk.

"It's alright babe. I'm just gonna take you home. You've had way to much to drink." He murmured in her ear as he half supported, half carried her away from David and the boys. Fay blinked slowly and nodded, not really understanding what he said. Without further incident, the two left the beach behind without being missed. Once out of sight, Dwayne took to the air, leaving David to lure the two unsuspecting friends to their demise.

It was ten minutes later when Paul noticed that Fay and Dwayne were missing.

"Hey David. Where did Fay go?" He asked, looking around quickly. He hadn't realized it, but during those ten minutes, the three of them had wandered off down the beach, not realizing where they were going. Now Paul found himself on a mist-shrouded bluff, away from all forms of life.

"She and Dwayne went to go sort out a few things. Don't worry about them. You'll see them soon." David said, his voice calming and reassuring.

"Yeah Paul. You got to relax man." Marko said, as he stood beside David, completely seduced under his spell. David smirked. This was just too easy. Lull them into a sense of security and then mesmerize them. Like leading sheep to the slaughter.

"Listen to your friend Paul. Everything's perfect. Trust me." He said, his voice affecting the two friends more than any calm inducing drug ever would.

Yeah, everything was perfect. There was no need to worry. He trusted David completely. Everything was as it should be.

Those were the last thoughts that crossed their minds before Paul and Marko blacked out. They wouldn't remember the cold chuckle that followed nor the pain. When they woke, things were going to be a whole lot different, not just for them, but for everyone.