Chapter 8

The years had flown by.

More than twenty-five years had passed by since Charley Brewster had last seen Peter Vincent. He often thought of him and hoped he was doing well, but he had made no attempt to try and find out.

Peter had made his choice, he was a vampire now...

Knowing that still seemed to set a distance that might have been a thousand miles between them, even though the big old house shaded by trees was just a short drive away from his own place across town...

He had missed him all the time, he had missed him more than he cared to think about, and when he saw old re runs of Fright Night while he sat alone in his apartment, he had felt an ache in his heart as he thought how Peter had made his choice for the right reasons – love. There couldn't be a better reason for making that choice, he had done it to be with his girlfriend and his family...

That night, when the re run of Fright Night had finished, Charley sat alone in silence thinking about his own life – he was almost forty years old now, and getting older all the time, and getting sick too, while Peter Vincent would never age. And he felt sure Peter was still happy with his family, because he had been determined to make it work. He thought of the sick child he had been so worried about, and hoped his son had survived.

Then he knew he would never know anything for sure unless he went over there, because it was the only way to end the years of regret, and Charley didn't want to waste any more precious time...

And so as the sun went down and darkness covered the skies, Charley Brewster got into his car and made the drive across town to the house where Peter lived with Elissa.

As he drove through the darkened streets, he blinked away tears as he desperately hoped Peter and Elissa still lived at the same address, if he went there and the place was empty and they had moved on, he felt sure he would feel as if a piece of his heart was gone forever.

Then another thought hit him, even worse than the first one:

What if he had let too many years slip by, what if Peter slammed the door in his face?

No...he didn't want to think like that because Peter was not like that, he would never turn away an old friend...

He reached the house, parked outside and got out of the car.

As he thought about the way his own life had turned out, he wanted to cry over that too. But he had made the choice to walk away from the vampires, leaving Peter to enjoy his eternity, while he had lived the life of a mortal, the short life of a human...

He pushed open the barred gate and it swung easily on oiled hinges. Then he closed it behind him and walked up the path to the front door, where the light glowed in the porch just like it had more than a quarter of a century before.

On reaching the front door he hesitated, blinking away tears as he thought about the pain that was now filling his own life and he really did, he felt glad that Peter would never know that kind of pain, because he was immortal...

He knocked on the door, and it was opened by a tall woman with pale skin and dark eyes and as she smiled, he couldn't help but smile back as he wished he was years younger and looking better than he did, because he easily could have fallen in love with her.

"I'm Charley Brewster," he said, hoping his tearful expression was not noticeable, "And its been too long and I should have done this many years ago...please, tell me Peter Vincent still lives here."

"He does, I'm his daughter Ruby," the young woman said, "He's upstairs, come inside, I'll fetch him for you."

"Thanks," Charley said, and he stifled a sob and wiped his eyes as he stepped into the house.

She closed the door behind him and led him to the bottom of the stairs.

"Dad!" she called out, "Charley Brewster's here to see you?"

There was a pause.

"Tell him to wait!" Peter called back urgently, and on hearing his eager tone, Charley felt a wave of relief wash over him – of course he still wanted to be his friend...

Ruby walked away down the hall and left him standing there, and as Peter Vincent hurried down the staircase to join him, Charley looked up at him, seeing him or the first time in over twenty-five years, and tears of joy filled his eyes:

Peter still looked younger, still looked strong and healthy, and always would...

"Charley!" he said warmly as his eyes shone with joy, "I knew you would come back one day, I've waited for this moment! Welcome to my home, welcome back!"

And as he hugged him, Charley wanted to cry, but he kept it back. Then as Peter let go of him Charley glanced at his elegant black suit and silver coloured silken waistcoat and managed a smile.

"Looking good, Peter – very vampire, very elegant, I love it!"

"Thanks," he replied brightly, and then he looked at him intently.

"It's been a very long time, too long," he told him, "Come with me, sit down and tell me what I've missed."

They went through to the front room and then as Peter stood before the fireplace, Charley joined him.

"Did the baby live?"

"The baby? Oh, you mean my son! Yes, he had to become a hybrid – fused to the life force of the late Evil Ed, the vampire king's decision - but he's doing very well. He's a bit wild but he's grown up, he's in his twenties now and thriving," Peter replied, "And Opal is also grown up – she has an apartment close by – and Ruby – the young lady who answered the door to you, she's my youngest daughter, she's nineteen. And Elissa misses having young children about the place and so do I – so we're thinking about having more babies soon. I think three kids every twenty five years is about right, we can raise them just fine without April's help, she left ten years ago when she married a guy she met at one of Jet's parties."

"Where is Elissa?"

"Visiting at Opal's place. I was just on my way to join her, but I'm sure she will understand when she knows you're here. She always said she thought you would come back one day. Oh Charley, I am so glad you decided to return!"

"I wanted to see you before it was too late," he said as his voice choked with tears, and it was then Peter noticed that Charley looked pale and tired.

"Charley? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Wrong?" he replied, "Just about everything, Peter. That's why I'm here, because I left you out of my life for too long - and I want to put that right before its too late. I'm sick and I'm dying. I've got no one to leave behind - I never married, never had kids, nothing ever worked out right for me. And now I've got a few months left and that's all."

For a moment, Peter looked at him in surprise.

"No, you can't be -"

"It's definite," Charley replied, "And I knew I couldn't leave it any longer, I had to see you, I've wanted to come back for years."

And he gave a sob as Peter put his arms around him and embraced him, he kept on embracing him as Charley wept, and then he pulled back a little and looked into his tearful eyes.

"I don't think, deep down inside, you really came here to say goodbye," he said knowingly, "My son Ed is a handful, very hard to control. He needs a friend to keep an eye on him and I have more than enough room in this house for one more."

And he smiled warmly and as he looked into Charley's eyes, his vampire instinct told him all he needed to know.

"You may have come to this house to say goodbye," Peter told him, "But that's not the case. You will not die, Charley. Instead, you have come home."

And then they embraced again, tightly, and Charley gave a sharp cry of pain as Peter's teeth sank into his throat, and then he closed his eyes and let him drink, welcoming the knowledge that death could not touch him now he had taken the bite.

As Ruby entered the room Peter let go of Charley, carefully drawing blood stained fangs from his neck, and then Charley reached up, touching the wound to his throat as he felt slightly dizzy.

"You took it much better than I did all those years ago!" Peter said brightly, and he took a silk handkerchief from his pocket and wiped blood from his mouth as his fangs shrank away once more.

Ruby handed Charley a tall glass of chilled blood mixed with chopped mint leaves.

"Drink it," she advised him, and Charley did, quickly, and felt surprised that the taste of it seemed so good all of a sudden.

Peter smiled as he looked at him.

"You've changed," he told him, "You didn't even try and fight it! When you go upstairs, look in the dark mirror – you look like the teenager I used to know!"

"You certainly do!" Ruby exclaimed as she smiled warmly, "You look around eighteen, Charley! And I must say, I rather like it!"

And Peter said nothing as he watched a glance exchanged between Ruby and Charley, feeling sure he understood what his instinct was telling him:

Charley had never found true love as a mortal, but it looked as if he would find it now – with his daughter, Ruby Vincent...

"Want some more?" she asked him, and Charley nodded, and she took the empty glass from his hand and left the room.

"I was told a few years back by Jet Marlowe," Peter said to him, "That if you ever returned I was allowed to give you the bite if you wished to join us. And it makes me very happy that you have."

Then there was a thump and a flutter of wings and a bat flew into the room, settled on top of the corner of a shelf, then flew down to the floor, where it twisted and dark mist formed and then the mist was gone, and there stood a young man in dark jeans and a black shirt with spiked up hair. Charley stared at him.

"Evil?" he whispered.

Ed stepped closer.

"Charley Brewster?" he exclaimed, looking to his father, "This is your friend? He looks younger than me!"

"That's because he just took the bite."

Ed looked at him in surprise.

"And you changed so fast? Not many people can do that! You're cool, Brewster!" he said, and laughed loudly.

Charley looked to Peter.

"He's just like him -"

"Only in some ways. He's also my son," he replied.

Then Ruby returned with more chilled blood.

"Sis you read my mind!" Ed exclaimed, making a swipe for the drink, but she pulled it back and handed it to Charley.

"If you're hungry you know where the kitchen is!" she scolded him, "Come on, I'll fix you up some blood – I don't want you taking the last herb infusion, that's mom's favourite and you know it!"

And they both left the room and once again Peter and Charley were alone.

Peter looked fondly at Charley as he smiled warmly.

"Do you think you can get used to living here with us?" he asked him, and Charley nodded.

"Maybe I wanted to join you years ago, but I was too afraid to think about it."

"Well there's nothing more to think about, or to be said," Peter replied, "It is done now. Welcome to eternity."

And Peter embraced him again, and as he let go, he saw joy shining in Charley's eyes.

"Thanks, Peter," was all he could think to say as he considered how his life had changed and all despair and loss of hope had been erased with the bite from his best friend.

Peter smiled warmly, knowing he would never again feel as if someone was missing from his life, because his best friend was here to stay forever now.

"Welcome to the family," Peter said fondly, "Welcome home, Charley Brewster."

End