A/N: To make up for the pathetic-ness of the last chapter, I'm getting this out as fast as possible. -.-
Thanks to:
GothicJak: Yay! Vampire! Hehehe
Emera Took: Yes! Read the Night World books!
Lioness of darkness
Ashley
Darkmaster2
GoodMorningBeautiful2005
Kitty Kat-chan: Um…both. Sick and twisted amusement and I'm evil. It's fun.
Warnings: vampirism, yaoi, irrationality.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. I'm just screwing with their heads a bit, torturing them mentally and physically and then overloading them with angst before I give them back.
Chapter start
Jak groaned and opened his eyes. He sat up and looked around the room he was in.
It was small and dark but for some reason he could still see perfectly. He was aware of someone breathing lightly and saw Torn sleeping in a chair next to him.
Jak smiled softly at the site and put a hand on his arm. He shook the vampire gently to wake him.
"Torn? Hey, Torn," he said quietly.
Torn opened his eyes blinked and stared at Jak.
"Jak?"
"Hey. What happened, Torn? How did I get here? What happened to the vampire hunters?" Jak asked.
"You don't remember?" Torn questioned.
"I remember… they found me and you went with them. The Lucia in the zoomer and she said they tortured you…and I went to help and…one tried to shoot you. After that, there's nothing." Jak answered.
"You took the crossbow bolt for me, ran in front as the hunter fired," Torn told him.
"Then shouldn't I be dead?" Jak asked.
A look of regret passed over Torn's face. "I-I couldn't let you die," he said. "I know I should have but I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want you to die in my arms so I-I Turned you. You're a vampire now, Jak."
Jak took a second to absorb this information.
"I'm a WHAT!"
"A vampire. I'm sorry! I just-"
"I don't care what you "just"! You had no right to turn me into a monster like you!" Jak screamed.
The monster comment hurt. "Jak-"
"Get out!" shouted Jak. "Get out now!"
Torn looked hurt but he stood up. "I'm sorry," he whispered and left.
Jak settled down in the bed, mourning for the way of life that had been taken away from him.
Lucia was waiting outside the bedroom for Torn. "Don't take it so hard, Torn," she said. "You know newly Turned vampires are a bit confused and irrational for the first day or two."
"Yeah," Torn muttered.
"Come on, let's go and leave Jak alone for a while. Let him get used to some of the changes. I'll take him some blood and see if he's calmed down later," Lucia said.
Torn nodded and allowed Lucia to lead him down the corridor. She took him into the living room where they sat down facing each other.
"Lucia…" Torn said softly. "Where have you been all this time?"
"When our home was attacked, I fled. I thought everyone was dead and I ran away into the wasteland," Lucia said.
"You've been in the Wasteland all this time?" Torn asked.
"Yeah. I was picked up by a group of marauders after a couple of days and almost killed one with my Bloodlust. Despite that, they let me stay. I've been with them ever since but when I heard of a Torn commanding the Freedom League in Haven I came back to see if it really was you. And just in time too. I got back just in time to watch the assassination attempt."
"So you were the vampire who kept talking to me?" Torn asked.
"Yep, that was me," Lucia admitted. "Well, Jak is probably hungry so I'll take him some blood now."
Torn nodded and watched her walk into the kitchen.
Jak didn't respond to the knock on the door or when it opened and Lucia walked in.
"Jak? I thought you might be hungry ," she said gently. She put the cup of blood down on the bedside table.
Jak's nose twitched at the scent of blood. True, he was feeling hungry but he didn't want to drink blood.
Lucia waited to see if Jak was going to say anything. She left quietly, shutting the door behind her when he remained silent.
Jak lay in silence for a few more minutes. The scent of blood was teasing him.
'I won't! I won't drink it!" he thought stubbornly.
A few more minutes passed. Jak found he was having trouble breathing. He couldn't get a deep breath. It was like there was suddenly not enough oxygen in the room.
His muscles began to ache. It started in his feet, moving up his legs. Then it was in his hands and moving up his arms. He began to feel light-headed and confused. He found he couldn't think straight any more. The pain was growing in intensity as it moved up his stomach and down his back.
The new vampire's vision was turning black. No matter how much he tried to get a deep breath he couldn't.
He smelled the cup of blood. It was teasing his senses.
'No…won't…need it…'
Jak lunged for the cup. He picked it up and drained it in one swift movement.
The new vampire felt better but still disgusted that he had actually drank the blood. With a yell he hurled the cup at the wall, watching it shatter.
In the living room Lucia and Torn heard the cup smash.
"Do you think he drank the blood first?" Lucia asked.
"Yeah. I'm going to try talking to him again," Torn said. "There are things about being a vampire that he needs to know."
"Yeah. Now that he's fed he might be more reasonable," Lucia nodded.
Torn stood and walked down the corridor to Jak's room. He paused outside the door, wondering if Jak would still be too upset to talk to him.
Tentatively he knocked on the door.
"Jak?" Without waiting for an answer Torn opened the door.
Jak was curled up on the bed, facing away from Torn.
"How are you feeling?" the tattooed vampire asked.
"A bit better," Jak replied. "I don't feel like I'm suffocation and I can think clearly now."
"That's good. The first day is always the worst for new vampires but I think you're over the worst of it now," Torn replied.
"So now what happens to me?" Jak asked.
"You can't go outside yet; new vampires are very sensitive to sunlight so for no you'll have to stay in here," Torn replied. "There are facts you need to know before I let you outside anyway."
"I'm listening," Jak said. He finally turned to face Torn.
"I'm going to have to teach you how to hunt and control your new powers," Torn started. "Most of it should come instinctively but I'm here to help you."
"Torn, I don't want to be a vampire," Jak said.
"I know. I'm sorry, Jak. I just…didn't want to lose you," Torn admitted.
"Torn, I don't think I can live my life drinking blood," Jak replied.
"Jak, give it a chance. It's not quite as bad as you think," Torn reasoned. "You heal almost instantly from most wounds, you're stronger and faster than you were before, you'll never get sick-"
"I have to drink blood, Torn! Nothing seems worse to me right now!" Jak said.
"You don't have much of a choice Jak! You have to deal with the fact that you're a vampire now!" Torn argued.
"Torn, I'll give being a vampire a try," Jak agreed after a pause. "But if the end of the week, if I still don't like it I want you to kill me."
Torn gasped. "Jak! No! You can't make me do that!"
"Lucia then or tell me how to do it myself," Jak said.
"Jak, please, rethink this!" Torn pleaded.
"Torn, I've thought about this. I never wanted to be a vampire and if I can't get used to the change and like it then I want to be able to end it," Jak replied.
Torn sighed. "Very well then. At the end of your first week as a vampire, if you still hate the change, I'll tell you how you can die," he agreed reluctantly.
"Thanks, Torn," Jak replied. "So what do I need to know about being a vampire?"
"Well, you'll feel weaker in sunlight. You won't be able to feed at all if you're in sunlight. On that note, you'll need to feed once a day on blood," Torn began.
"What about regular food? Daxter will get worried if he doesn't see me eat at lunchtime," Jak pointed out.
"You can eat it but it won't do you any good," Torn replied.
"Alright. Now, abilities: what can I do now?" Jak asked.
"Like I mentioned before, you're stronger and faster than you were before. You heal instantly from almost any injuries. You can't get sick or be poisoned. You also have a few psychic powers-mind control over some mortals, hypnosis and you can contact other vampires telepathically."
>Like this> he added telepathically.
He could feel Jak's surprise.
>You can also broadcast and shield you're thoughts. This might take a while to master so Lucia and I will be doing our best to respect your privacy.>
>Thanks> Jak replied, testing his new telepathic ability.
>Well, you've mastered one vampire power already. Maybe you'll have mastered them all by the end of the week,> Torn said, sounding pleased.
>Anything else I need to know?>asked Jak.
>You can look around in other vampires' heads but you shouldn't do that without asking. It's rude.> Torn said.
>Okay. So, is there anything else? What about all the stuff in vampire stories?>
>There's little truth in them. The garlic and religious stuff is a myth.>
>Okay,> Jak yawned.
"Get some sleep," Torn advised, switching to speaking aloud. "I'll take you outside tomorrow and if I think you're ready we'll return to our friends the day after."
Jak nodded.
"If you get hungry, let me or Lucia know," Torn said before leaving.
When he was gone, Jak curled up and went to sleep.
Torn walked back to the living room where Lucia was keeping watch at the window.
"I take it he was more rational?" she said.
"He asked me to kill him if he still didn't like being a vampire at the end of the wee," Torn replied.
"He…really doesn't want to be a vampire, huh?" she mused aloud, wondering what else she could say. "Do you think you'll be able to change his mind?"
"I'm going to do my damn best," Torn replied determinedly.
chapter end
A/N: …I forgot how to breathe while I was writing this chapter. -.-; No joke. Review please? And damn the editor on this site! It hates my symbols! Argh!
