Disclaimer: I do not own or make any inference that I own Being Human UK or any of its characters.
"Knock…Knock…Knock…"yelled a loud voice outside the B&B.
Annie, George, and Nina, were sitting around the kitchen table, when the sound of Wyndham's voice interrupted their conversation. Michael and Tom had already moved to the front windows when the others joined them…
"Well, my dears, what have we here?" yelled the voice again.
"It's Wyndham; Michael said as he pulled the curtain he was peering through, further back, along with four other men."
"Well, at least we know the nursery rhyme works…" said Annie.
"Thank you Mitchell." George said with relief evident in his voice.
Initially, upon hearing Wyndham's voice Nina had raced up the stairs to the bedroom, she was just returning with a still sleeping Mitchell in her arms.
Nina breathed a sigh of relief as she said, "Thank God, he can't get in."
Tom left the window and retrieved two wooden stakes from behind the bar, "What should we do?"
"Well, you're not going out there; Nina said matter-of-factly, even if you do have your father's stake."
"Don't worry guys, I'm going…"
"No Annie, you are most certainly not..." George said appalled as he cut Annie off.
"Yes, I am. He can't hurt me. I'll just pop out and tell him to leave us all alone."
"I'm going with you…" said Tom.
"No, really, Tom, I'll be fine."
"It's not right you going on your own." Tom said.
"I agree, Michael spoke up, what if they have a trap waiting for you?"
"What like a net or something? Annie asked. Firstly, I highly doubt it and if they do I can always pop out of the net and back into the house."
"Helloooo, is anyone going to let me in?" Wyndham continued yelling sarcastically.
"I'll be back in a bit..." said Annie.
George glanced back to Nina, with a sorrowful but determined gaze as he said, "Wait Annie, I'm coming with you."
"Well, if you're going, Tom said, then so am I."
"I'm scared out of my mind, but I think I'd like to go as well." Michael chimed in…
"Great, said an exasperated Nina, why don't we all go…"
"Nina," said George.
"They're all vamps, Michael said, but if we show a united front then maybe Wyndham will think more about whatever nefarious plans he has for me."
"He doesn't only have plans for you Michael. He wants all of us." Annie replied.
"Thanks for the spell to keep Wyndham out Annie, Nina said angrily now, while staring at George, but turns out it's not needed because rather than staying in this safe house, which he can't enter anymore, we're all going to put on our jumpers and go have a chat with him on the stoop."
"She's gone…" said Michael
"Aww, Annie, don't…" Tom said as he made his way to the front door.
"No, Tom, you don't…" Nina said forcefully, as Tom was just about to turn the knob.
"We should do something!" Tom said just as forcefully
Everyone turned their eyes to Tom, even Michael, because in all the time they'd known him, they had never heard him raise his voice, much less sound so angry.
"Come on lad, there's no reason to get this upset…" Michael said.
To cool tempers, George added, "Actually, Annie's right guys, she can protect herself much more than we could…come on Tom, come away from the door, you know yourself that Annie can pop away and amazingly when she's had it up to here , he motioned above his head, she can toss vampires around without lifting a finger."
"She can create tornados in offices as well…" finished Michael.
"It's not ideal, George continued, as he draped an arm on Tom's shoulders, but she can protect herself much better than we would be able to do…"
Tom finally gave a tight smile, he acquiesced, but they all could see that this wasn't the end of it for him. He moved back to the window as did George and Nina and tried to listen as best he could to the conversation going on outside.
"My… My, what has our little ghost been up too?" Wyndham asked.
After Annie's time with Mitchell, the confidence within herself had surged, she felt as if she could take on the world and she definitely felt as if she could take on Wyndham. Edgar Wyndham reminded her of Seth, older, but still lesser somehow, he only seemed to Annie, to have survived so long, through using others…not through guile and intelligence such as Herrick and Mitchell. Looking at him, she saw vanity and weakness; she didn't know how she would be able to exploit those traits, only certain that one day she would…concentrate and focus she breathed under her breath….Mitchell's words of advice, concentrate and focus would be the way she would outwit Edgar. Annie had learned to curtsy to authority figures, on Blue Peter, even-though it was an old practice; it was something she did without thought. Edgar was 978 years older than her, but she knew she wouldn't curtsy and she wouldn't address him to his face as Wyndham. Annie could feel power coursing through her body; she'd begin her demolition in her own way.
Annie, looked at each of Wyndham's Hench men, then she fixed her stare on him…
"You're not welcome here Edgar." Simple, direct, focused…
"Well, not all curly top and tears now are we? Just how did you learn that little parlour trick Annie."
Wyndham, emphasized Annie's name, he could see her back was straighter and her look of defiance hadn't waned since the last time he'd seen her, when her weak boy-friend dissolved into a puff of ash…what a monumental waste, Big Bad John turned out to be, Wyndham thought to himself.
"I could ask you the same thing Edgar, but I really don't care for your answer. You can't come in, so it's better if you take your shouting elsewhere."
"Hmmm, I think I like it out here actually."
"Good, as long as we understand one another."
"Oh, I understand you, but I don't think you have any idea on how to understand me. I'm here to recruit Annie. I've been recruiting every day since I landed in Wales."
"Well, you can't recruit me or anyone else in the house, so it's better for you and your friends, Annie said with derision, to move along."
"There is one person in that house who I can recruit, and then there are your neighbors…"
Annie as quietly as possible sucked in her breath, she could see some of her neighbors peeking out from behind their own curtains same as Michael and Tom were doing even now.
"And what would that accomplish?" Annie asked.
"Annie, my love, you surprise me, encountering a mental bump so soon?"
"Look, just stay away from us Edgar. You're not welcome in the house, and you can't enter the house, so I really don't need to continue wasting my time out here with you."
"No, you don't have to continue wasting your time. I think I'll go visiting, I'm sure one of these nice people wouldn't mind letting me in for a spot of tea."
"I don't care. Go on; speak to whoever you like…"
"I've neglected you Annie. I've gone about my other business here, and that seems to have left you room to think that you could go on with yours."
"What are you talking about?" Annie said.
"I mean, George and Nina have stopped working at the Hospital, Tom has moved in with you lot, and Michael, my lovely Michael, has left the bank and disappeared."
"Well, that's too bad for you. Remind me to care again…"
"Oh, you'll care, because I can smell human in that house. I've known all along that you attached yourself to him. I've known that he left the bank, his apartment and his gym membership and that he moved into this house with you. I've known all this because I've recruited everyone he has been in contact with since we saw him at the grave with you and George."
"He's under my protection Edgar. You can't enter this house and you can't have Michael."
"Annie, I hate for you to be left in the dark about my plans. No more neglect from me. Let me tell you what I'm going to do, starting with this block of houses, I'm going to begin recruiting one house after another."
Annie looked across the street and saw Mrs. Miller standing outside her front door. She had come out to tell off one of Wyndham's men who was standing in her row of petunias. She was elderly and feisty, and she had no idea that she was screaming at a vampire.
"Soon, this house will be watched by so many eyes, I'll know what times baby Mitchell's nappy gets changed and by whom."
"Why are you doing this? Michael…is…not…Mitchell!" Annie specifically enunciated each word.
"No, he's not Mitchell, but you have to admit, he's a great facsimile. Once he's turned, he may not be as great as Mitchell at first, but we'll give him a few years before we offer up the beginning critiques."
"You won't get him…"
"Darn, and here I thought you were going to say…over your dead body."
Edgar Wyndham laughed and motioned for his men to follow as he walked away from the Honolulu Heights' front door. He waved at Mrs. Mitchell and apologized profusely regarding her trampled flowers. Before she turned to go back in her house, Annie could see that Mrs. Miller was blushing.
Turning back to Annie once her neighbor had gone back into her house, Wyndham said, "I think that I know just where I'll be getting my first cup of tea from tomorrow. I traveled all this way for Mitchell but George took him away from me."
"Thank God." Annie replied.
"Hmmm…Wyndham said as he looked past Annie and into the front windows, I'm going to kill George, Nina, Tom, and you as well once I discover a way…"
"Ha, well jokes on you then, you won't find a way to kill a ghost. Take your threats elsewhere Edgar; we're not as alone as you seem to think." Annie said all defiance.
"So long Annie, and don't forget to give the baby a sweet kiss from his Uncle Edgar." Wyndham laughed in earnest now, as he and his men made their way down the sloping side-walk.
Annie popped back into the house next to George.
"He's going to recruit the neighbors…"
"I don't want to become a Vampire." Michael said with dread in his voice.
"You won't Michael. We're going to keep you safe." George sounded confident but Nina, Annie, and Tom could tell he was anything but….
"Look, Tom spoke up, I know you're all scared, but there is no way we can allow all those people to be turned into vampires. I've been fighting alongside my dad for all these years; this is what I've been trained to do. We have to save the neighbors, and all the other humans like Michael who are in danger."
"It's more important for us to try and save you, and the baby as well as the neighbors. Give us a minute will you?" said an exasperated Nina.
"Nina, I know you're worried about us, he conceded as he looked from Nina to George, but you're not my mum and George is not my dad. I've been killing vampires since I was in my teens, I'm not going to disgrace the memory of my dad by hiding in this house while others are recruited or killed."
"Count me in as well…"said Michael.
"Count you into what…?" asked Annie
"I want to learn how to use a stake properly and help Tom. I can't just sit here either. My sister and nephew are out there, and if they've found me, it's only a matter of time before they find them. I want to learn to protect myself, as well as them."
George was feeling very over-whelmed. He didn't know what to say and he didn't know where exactly he could go to get a moment's peace. Nina was looking very stern and dour; she wanted him to come up with a solution, she wanted him to keep them all safe, she wanted him not to look as if he was a scared rabbit… Tom and Michael were looking every inch the Alpha males as Tom began showing Michael the carved detailing on his father's stake, and although baby Mitchell was still blissfully asleep, his very presence was making George feel more and more cornered. He looked from one person to the next until his eyes settled on Annie. Annie returned his gaze and grabbed his hand in her own.
"Annie…" George said her name in a small whimper.
Annie knew just what George needed and so she pulled him up the stairs and they went into Mitchell's locked bedroom. No Nina, no baby, no Tom or Michael, just silence.
They sat on Mitchell's bed, Annie holding George in her arms and George making what at first sounded like moans but which soon became wailing as he said repeatedly, "Oh God…Oh God…Oh God…Oh God…"
Annie tightened her arms around George's shoulders and let him cry, while she didn't have the need to do the same, she certainly felt George's anguish.
"Annie, what am I going to do?"
Annie continued to rock him back and forth; she didn't think he was looking for an answer, so she stayed quiet.
"We're alone Annie. This is what Mitchell used to handle. He kept these people away from us. He's not here and I don't know what to do."
Annie said, "Imagine we're at the cemetery George, at Mitchell's grave, talk to him George."
"I can't Annie, he won't hear me."
Annie went to Mitchell's bureau, she opened the 3rd drawer and pulled out a glass urn, she'd been able to gather as much of Mitchell's ashes as possible and had hidden them away in his room. She placed the urn in George's hands and told him once again to speak.
"Ask him now George, ask Mitchell, what you should do…"
George didn't know what to expect or what was going to happen, if anything. He looked over to Annie, through his tears, he noticed that she was really glowing, she was happy and calm, and as he looked back down at the Urn, he tried desperately to pull himself together.
"Don't be embarrassed George, speak to Mitchell and he will hear you…"
"Mitchell, he began slowly, I'm lost. I miss you so much. I'm a child, trapped in a grown-up's body. Mitchell, can you hear me? I don't know how to keep everyone safe. "
George's voice broke on the last words and he pulled the urn up close to his chest and rocked some more in the comfort of Annie's arms.
"You know George, I wish Mitchell could come back and hold us both, but I think, more than anything, he'd want us to figure out a way escape from Wyndham ourselves…"
George peeked over the urn and around Annie's shoulder, he didn't see anything, so he closed his eyes once again and continued rocking…
"He has protected us for so long, I think it's time we showed him that we believes in ourselves…"
"Yes, you're so right Annie." George shook the urn up and down, and once again peered over Annie's shoulder.
Annie was about to say more when she caught George surreptitiously searching the corners of Mitchell's room.
"George, are you listening to me?"
"Huh? Yeah Annie, George sounded falsely wounded, I am listening to you…"
"Mitchell isn't here."
"Mitchell isn't here?"
"No, he's not here George and I'm trying to say, he won't be here…"
"What, then why am I holding an urn of ashes in my arms?"
"Because you miss Mitchell..."
"Yes, I miss Mitchell, but more than that, I need Mitchell to open a door and come…and ….help…meeee…"
Annie grabbed the urn from George's arms and returned it to the bureau.
"I thought you needed a bit of peace and quiet so that you could figure out what we should do about Wyndham…ourselves…"said Annie huffily.
"And I thought you were bringing up to your "special" place so I could talk to Mitchell…the real Mitchell, not ashes you managed to Hoover up and put in a vase…."
"George…" Annie said with exasperation.
"Well, why do you get to see him? Huh? Doesn't he know I miss him as well? Doesn't he know I need help as well?"
"Of course, he does know all that, but he also knows you have Nina and me and together, we can work something out. Look, Annie said as she sat next to George again, we're going to have to do this on our own. We're going to have to work out some plan before Tom and Michael runs off and gets themselves killed."
"That's one of my main fears; I can barely think how to keep us safe, much less the two of them."
"Mitchell's told me, that we've got friends and they'll help us when the time comes, but we're going to have to deal with this problem ourselves and for once without Mitchell's protection."
"I know you're right…"George said resignedly.
George and Annie made their way back down to the living area, Nina was in the kitchen feeding baby Mitchell a bottle, and Tom was helping Michael by showing him the proper way to use a stake.
"The most important thing to understand, Tom was saying to Michael, is that Vampires have a superior sense of smell. George, Nina and myself are were-wolves but it's only over time that we're able to instantly recognize that someone is a supernatural, whereas with them, they can smell us a mile off and they can smell human even quicker."
"How about you, can you detect vampire?" Michael asked Tom.
"Not all the time and not immediately. My dad was much better at it. I've been a were-wolf a lot longer than George and Nina and neither of us are good at it."
"So, we've lost even before we've started hey…" Michael said.
"No, not at all, it doesn't really matter if they smell us out, what's important is that we stand our ground and are ready to stake them when the time comes. It's always better to get one or two on their own, because when they travel in a group like the men with Wyndham, we won't stand a chance."
"How about Annie, Michael said as he looked over to her, she could pop into a group that we suspect and confirm, then we can race in and stake whoever's standing."
"We'd look ridiculous…" Nina said as she joined them in the living area.
"I wish that I could help in that way, said Annie, but I haven't mastered the art of scent. I couldn't tell you if the group were were-wolves or vampires. I'm more visual at the moment."
"Oh…" said Michael a bit dejected.
"But don't worry; said George, you and Tom are doing the right thing by practicing…"
"You can't seriously think, Nina chimed in, that it's a good idea for them to begin staking everyone who might faintly smell of vampire?"
"Well, they wouldn't go out and do this, I mean, if we're attacked, you know, if Wyndham figures out a way to get round the nursery rhyme, and the house is attacked, then Tom, Michael and myself, actually all of us, including Annie, can protect the house-hold."
Nina glanced around at everyone, she didn't want to go along with any killings, but she wanted to keep Mitchell safe, ideally, she'd like to run away somewhere with George and the baby, but she knew her feelings would be discounted at the moment. George was trying to restore order to their group, so she thought it was best to let him get on with it, but she'd definitely speak to him again, in private, about their plans to leave.
"With all due respect, Tom said, I'm done with hiding. All my life we've had to stay on the move. I know how to fight and how to kill vampires so; I'm not going to stay hidden in this house being afraid."
"Well, we're right back where we started…" said Nina
"Listen, everyone, George interjected; I honestly, need time to think. Why don't we go on to bed and discuss this in the morning?"
"Me and Tom will stay up and guard the house."
"No Michael, that's not necessary, I'm a ghost remember… I don't need any sleep. You two go on up and try and get some rest. I'll give a yell if there's any danger."
"Cheers Annie, Tom said quickly, we'll go on up then."
Michael was going to say something, but he noticed a look directed at him from Tom as he brushed past Nina and George.
"That's very mature Tom, said Nina, thank you, I really need a good night sleep. I don't think I can take anymore worrying for one day."
Checking the clock as it went on 3:00am, Annie decided to sit on the stoop so she could better guard the house. She had a little laugh at herself wondering how menacing she looked as she sat with a magazine she could barely see and a cup of tea cooling beside her, that she couldn't drink. At least it would soon be light; she thought as she was feeling very satisfied that Wyndham and his boys hadn't returned. While she was deep in thought, she failed to hear the slight noise created by Tom and Michael, who were escaping out of the house through a second floor window.
"Where do we even begin…?" Michael said to Tom as they'd made it several blocks from the B&B.
"See this is where having my dad's senses would come in handy, but I don't think we really have to do anything…just wait out in the open until they find us."
"Oh God, Michael said, I don't know if I'm really ready for this. I'm a few years older than you and I don't have super-strength or anything."
"I don't have that either except when it's a full moon. You're in very good shape, so I think you'll do alright. We'll suss them out, yeah. If it's more than two or three, we'll just leg it back to the house."
"Tom, this plan of yours is sounding more for shite moment to moment…"
Tom smiled; he was feeling very good having Michael on his side. He had come to love Nina, George and Annie, but being 20 years old and living in fear was no way to continue to live. He missed his dad terribly, but finally he was on his own, finally he could do what he wanted to do whenever he wanted to do it, he was a bit scared as well, but he was too exhilarated to show it. He and Michael were out roaming around for about 2 hours; as the dawn was breaking, they decided to stop at a bench to rest.
"Oh mate, Tom said as he was looking to his right, have you got your breath back?"
"Yeah, why, Michael asked as he was looking off in the opposite direction.
"I think we need to be running…" he said as he stood up and grabbed a-hold of Michael's jacket.
Michael had just enough time to glance around before he was up and without another word, was running along-side and at some points, ahead of Tom. They ran all the way back to the house and just managed to shut the door before the first vampire rounded the corner.
"Where have you two been?" Annie asked angrily as she was coming down the stairs.
Looking all the world like two very naughty adolescents, Michael and Tom backed up to her as they were facing the front door. They expected the door to come crashing down and waited holding their stakes firmly in front of their bodies as if ready to fight.
"What's going on?" said George as he came bounding down the stairs to stand behind Annie.
"These two got out of the house somehow…" Annie responded.
"I thought you were meant to be guarding the place…" George said with slight outrage in his voice.
"Yes, from vampires getting in, not two idiots sneaking out…" Annie said and immediately whispered an apology to Tom and Michael.
"It's not Annie's fault, we only left when we knew you were all sleeping. I only wanted to take Michael out so he could put into practicing his training."
"His training, George asked shocked, you can't mean the 5 minutes you had him flailing a stick around before we went to sleep."
"God, my heart's still racing, interrupted Michael; there must have been 10 or 15 vamps out there."
"10 or 15…?"Annie asked incredulously.
"Calm down guys, I only took him out to see if any vampires would pick up our scent."
"You succeeded brilliantly, I suppose…" Nina said as she made her way to join their party.
"Michael, George asked, how could you follow Tom out there, you're not a supernatural and if Wyndham could get his fangs on you, what a prize that would be, you'd be sucking blood for the rest of eternity."
"I admit, it wasn't the most wise thing to do, but I've told you George, I'm going to do what I can to protect my nephew, I need to learn how to defend myself or I'll spend more time running and hiding than protecting anyone."
"Face it guys, said Tom, I know you don't want to but we're all going to have to kill in order to save innocent people's lives."
Tom looked directly at Nina and George when he said those words. He could tell they weren't happy and that George was looking particularly stressed but he had to get it through to them that the days of sitting by, were over, if they were to help anyone against Wyndham and his threats.
"You're right…" George spoke up.
Everyone turned their eyes to George. He surprised them with this declaration. He looked haggard and stressed out with the events that were unfolding, but he knew that he had to speak up and tell the truth of their situation, most especially to Nina, who was the most stunned at his words.
"Mitchell kept us safe. He protected us. Even though he was spiraling out of control, his presence still made it possible for us to go to work and to carry on with our lives as if everything was normal. I knew something dreadful was up, I even feel I knew he was responsible for the Box Tunnel killings, but I didn't speak up, I didn't ask him any questions and when he seemed to want to talk, I cut him off because my ears were too delicate to hear."
"Mitchell was responsible for his own down-fall." Nina interrupted…
"He was, George conceded, but I was his friend, I should have been there for him.
"Oh look, Annie said with some anguish; let's not go over that anymore. We're all going to have to support one another if we ever hope to have a chance against Wyndham."
"I agree, said Michael, I'm sure Mitchell knew that you all loved him and wanted the best for him, but he sounds like he was on one hell of a downward go and I don't know if any of you would have been able to help him in the way you wished."
Before Annie could make it over to offer George a hug, which she had a very strong urge to do, a voice interrupted their conversation.
"Hello, can I please come in?" a strong but young sounding voice pierced the cloud of malaise that was threatening to envelope the group in the house.
"Moving towards the door, Nina said to the others, "It's a young girl."
To be continued….