One Small Change

Disclaimer: I don't own The Lost Boys.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy the chapter despite its shortness hopefully the next one will be longer.


Chapter 3: Vampire Blood

Two nights, Star hadn't left the cave in two nights and it was frustrating David, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he had perfected the art of not caring much to the girl's apparent frustration and he knew it bothered her just as much as staying in her forced isolation and the ever-growing hunger pains did. Star both hated and wanted his attention and he was well aware of that fact and it was a fact as real as her bloodlust.

She only had herself to blame for it all though as far as David was concerned. So on the third night, he didn't even glance her way as he spoke to his boys, "Let's head out, I'm famished."

He smirks when Paul joins in on saying how hungry he is and even Marko catches on and joins in, Dwayne's eyes find Star's tense form before going back to his leader and raising an eyebrow.

He knew exactly what David was doing.

So, did she, the half-vampire knew David was taunting her…

It was all a game to see how long she could withstand the hunger and as long as David enjoyed the game the others would go along with it. She knew this but just the mention of them eating was enough to make her crave it as well not that she hadn't already been though.

In fact, her stomach felt like it was eating its self and her throat like sandpaper, it actually hurt to talk now, and drinking water didn't help like it used to. It was kind of like what she might have imagined drinking mud would be like.

Seeing as he wasn't getting any more of a reaction from her tonight or at least not the one he wanted David and the others left leaving Star alone with Laddie.

Laddie…

It just occurred to the girl that he'd been fighting this longer than her. Star had known that of course but it didn't really occur to her before this moment. How had he lasted so long just what was Laddie doing that she wasn't?

Approaching the young boy looking through a picture book while sitting upon the worn out couch Star swallows trying to lessen the pain that comes with talking, it doesn't help but she forces herself to speak through the pain in hopes of getting an answer that will help her.

"Laddie…" The boy looks up as she takes a seat beside him.

"Yeah Star?" He asks innocently.

How do you phrase a question like this to a little kid she wondered before figuring there was no good way to do so. It seemed like this was the case more often than not when it came too the poor boy.

"…How long have you been a half-vampire?" The kid looks thoughtful before shrugging, "I don't know… awhile?" It seemed more like he was asking a question than answering one.

Star nods accepting his answer, "Longer than I have…" She takes another swallow, but once more it doesn't help, her throat is just so dry.

Laddie nods, "Yeah."

"How… how are you dealing with the bloodlust?" The boy gets up then and walks away and at first, Star thinks he doesn't plan to answer until she sees him grab something, a familiar bottle. Her eyes widen as her bloodlust flares up painfully and she grabs her stomach as if to lessen the pain before asking, "Laddie!? What are you doing?" He just looks confused before holding out the bottle, "Showing you…"

The older brunette's throat is throbbing now just at the sight of the bottle and her arms tighten around her middle defensively before loosening slightly, "You… you drink that?" She asks somewhat fearfully but also with a tone of longing.

Laddie nods again, "Yeah… it helps." Star doesn't want to believe that but it's like David said when he offered her a flask of his own blood.

But could she do it?

Drink more vampire blood?

Did she really have a choice at this point?

Star knew something had to give and it was becoming clear that her mind was on the verge of being that something… but if she drank vampire blood she could fight off the need for human blood.

The lesser of two evils… but both were still evil and she couldn't forget that the dark-haired girl wouldn't let herself forget but she found herself slowly holding out her shaking hand, "Can I have the bottle…?" It was just once she told herself, only one time and then she'd figure something else out.

The little boy nods before walking over with it and handing it to her.

It was less than half full and she was craving it so much, if she drank it David would find out her mind screamed.

What would he say? Part of her didn't care because she wanted to drink it so much.

Would he taunt her with her own weakness? Probably.

At this point, there wasn't really much more that he could do to her she figures just as long as he didn't force her to feed she could handle anything.

With that in mind, she brought the bottle to her lips and drank.

It didn't take long to get lost in the taste, it was so good.

Better than she remembered, it wasn't a trick the first time it really was the most delicious and intoxicating thing she'd ever had and all too soon the bottle was empty and she wanted more.

Star didn't let go of the bottle until she got every last drop that she could out of it and then she fell back on the couch, she still wanted more but the hunger that had been clawing at her stomach had lessened to a manageable degree and the burning in her throat felt like a pleasant tingle.

Laddie took the bottle from where it fell beside the couch before putting it back where he got it from as he sat down beside Star who was not used to the vampire blood and was currently experiencing a high unlike anything before except maybe the first time she'd had the blood.

That time was mostly a blur though and before long Star found herself slipping off into a restful sleep.

That's how the boys found her later when they arrived close to dawn.

Seeing her asleep before the sun had risen wasn't a normal thing any longer especially on the couch.

Laddie jumps up from beside her and she doesn't even move and given the light sleeper she was it was a strange sight, "Dwayne!" The little boy rushes over to show him something from his picture book, the older vampire humors him but after a moment David interrupts.

"Laddie, how long has she been sleeping?" Even though he's speaking to the kid his eyes are on Star.

Also right now she should be too wired at night to sleep plus the hunger should most definitely keep her awake during the night.

"Oh um, she fell asleep shortly after you left." He answered looking guilty and while David hadn't been looking at him Dwayne had, "Laddie…"

The tone of voice was questioning and attracts their leader's attention from the unaware half-vampire, "Star… asked how I was able to handle my bloodlust cause I've been like this longer."

This got all of the boys' attention, but David looked at him expectantly and asked, "And what did you tell her?"

"…I showed her the bottle that you let me drink from," The boy looks down at the ground and shuffles his feet, "I'm sorry! I know you said not to touch it when you weren't here but…"

He bites his lip and looks up at Dwayne worriedly.

Marko moved as soon as the words left the kid's mouth about the bottle, so he was now holding it just as David asked, "How much did she drink?"

"All of it." The baby-faced vampire says with a chuckle, "…I'm not surprised it knocked her out then." David states before going over the girl's unconscious form and lifting her off of the couch.

He carries her to her bed and lays her down there while Laddie asks, "She'll be okay right?"

He hears a voice explaining that she'll probably sleep through the rest of the night and day, but that Star will be fine. She just wasn't used to the strength of vampire blood.

That was why David offered her a flask as it held less blood, she should have started out drinking less, but it didn't matter really, he still got what he wanted.

She would soon come to love the taste of vampire blood if she didn't already and soon her cravings would have her giving into drinking human blood, after all the more vampire blood she drank the more blood the half-vampire would want period and well human blood was easier to come by as the boys wouldn't be too keen on slitting their wrists whenever she got hungry.

And baby vampires could be hard to keep full, even ones that were still only half vampires.

"So, this is a good thing, yeah?" He hears Paul come up behind him as he backs away from her sleeping form.

"Now that she's given in once she will do so again." He says confidently, "Her first kill will be within the month."

Paul makes an 'hmm' sound before snapping his fingers, "I know we could make bets on when exactly we think she'll make her first kill, what do you say?"

"I'm in!" Marko adds before saying, "I give it two weeks and two days!" He looks to Dwayne who rolls his eyes, "Three weeks exactly."

"A week and a half!" Paul says happily before looking to David to see if he'll join in.

David smirks, "Two and a half weeks."

"A week!" A childish voice adds, and all of the vampires turn to Laddie causing him to fidget, "…Sorry."

"Nah it's cool little buddy!" Marko throws an arm around him, "You're one of us so you get to make bets if you want to, right?" Dwyane nods first and David smirks before looking back to Paul, "So what does the winner get?"

"Good question…" Paul's eyes sparkle before he whispers something that only the full vampires in the room pick up on, "Sounds good to me, but wait what if the kid wins?" Marko asks.

Dwayne looks to Laddie, "What do you want if you win?" Laddie smiles, "Ice cream and pizza!"

"Well, that was simple." Paul snorts.

David agrees and despite the winner decides that once Star does finally give in that having some pizza and ice cream would be a nice way to celebrate, at least with the kid… he had a much more exciting idea of how to celebrate Star finally joining the pack before that though.

And it didn't involve pizza or ice cream.


Author's Note: Thanks for reading, leave a review if you feel up to it!