~defy~

If I leave here tomorrow

Would you still remember me?

For I must be traveling on, now

'Cause there's too many places I've got to see

Roaring reverberated through the walls and Sam ripped himself away from his bed, nearly flying to the window. As he looked down he saw the taillights of Michael's bike disappearing down the hill. It just an hour past nightfall and Sam hadn't expected Michael to be ready to face David again. Rushing around the room, tripping a few times, he grabbed his sneakers and put them on before running out of the room. His feet banged against the wooden stairs as he rushed down them, then swung the door open so hard that it hit the wall with a loud crack.

He jumped off the porch and hurried to uncover his bicycle from it's place in the garage, before getting on and peddling down the hill as fast as he could. The street lights flashed by him as he took a deep breath to calm himself, a stressed cold sweat breaking out across his forehead. It wasn't that he was necessarily afraid that Michael would hunt them down, he knew for a fact that he would. Fear of losing Dwayne due to his brothers actions however, that was what tore at his nerves. If his brother was persistent enough, he didn't know how Dwayne would react.

While he wanted to be fully trusting that Dwayne would be respectful that Michael is under a load of stress and wouldn't fight back, he just didn't know the man well enough to believe so. He bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from letting out a frustrated yell. It would take Michael flying off by the seat of his pants for Sam to realize that he was in deep shit if they couldn't figure this out civilly. Of course he wouldn't just send Dwayne away, the man had said they could go slow and if Sam had anything to do with it they would go about having an actual relationship.

Doubt began to cloud his vision, but he supposed that he had Michael alone to thank for that. If it didn't work out between himself and Dwayne, much less Michael and David; he didn't even want to think of the possibilties. Yet images rushed through his head like a picture show. Would they be killed? Would they be forced to leave? He didn't even know Dwayne well enough to say that the man was anything other than patient, but how far could that patience stretch? Sam flinched at the thought of David, who he had yet to see an act of patience from at all.

When he peddled into the parking lot, he darted in and out of cars before finally skidding to a stop next to his brothers bike. He could hear the metal frame of his bicycle hit the ground as it tipped over, but he had no time to turn around and right it. Everything rushed passed him as he raced through the crowd, keeping an eye out for either his brother or the gang. The comic shop, ice cream parlour, and jewelry store all blurred by as he continue to push his way through the pier. Just was he was about to pass the stairs to the beach, a shout to his left caught his attention.

He turned to find Michael standing in front of David and the others, yelling at what seemed to have been something that Dwayne had said. He gasped in horror as his brother took a hard swing at the man. The fist connected with his jaw with a sickening crunch, but with Michael's reaction of pain he was sure that it was his knuckles that had broken or at least been sprained. Jumping down the stairs Sam ran forward and threw himself between the two just as his brother had crouched in order to tackle Dwayne.

"Mike, you stop this right now!" Sam yelled while he skid to a stop, sand flying up as his sneakers slipped. He took that upset stance, pointing at him as if he could actually stop his brother from attacking Dwayne. He knew that if Michael really was out for blood that he wouldn't be able to do anything physically to stop him. "I know that you are in a state of shock. That you just aren't processing the information. It's hard. I know it is Michael cause I'm going through it too."

"Get out of my way Sammie, I can't let him bother you." Sam looked back and motioned to Dwayne with a frantic smile.

"Listen, Michael, please. I know that it isn't something that either of us imagined to be possible. I know what David discussed with you Mikey." His brothers eyes widened and Sam flinched, thinking of how this could have been more avoidable if he had just explained everything to Michael as things had happened. "Dwayne and I are the same. It isn't something convenient, I know it isn't. But I feel drawn to him. As if we really are made for each other and I am giving it a chance."

He sighed a bit before finally giving into the near hyperventilation as he placed his hands on his knees and breathed deeply. There was a moment before he felt a hand on his shoulder and knowing that it was Dwayne, he straightened up to lean against him instead. When he opened his eyes Michael was staring at him, no longer cradling his fist; as if he couldn't feel the pain anymore. He ran his fingers through his hair roughly, for the first time actually listening to what his brother was saying. All of the things that David had told him last night; he sighed as he tried not to be sick.

His body turned as if to stalk off, looking back for only a moment, "I'm not believing and strong like you Sammie. Who knows where you got those genes. It all sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me." Then he was walking calmly away from the group and up the stairs to the dock disappearing in the crowd. Sam watched him go with sad eyes. Tears burnt behind them as he squeezed them shut and breathed in with a shudder. A hand not belonging to Dwayne laid on his arm and he looked up into the eyes of Paul who was blinking back tears of his own.

Sam chuckled to himself even though the tears started to spill, "Why are you crying?" There was a soft laugh from the man and Sam knew that there was no other reason than the empathy of understanding what it was like to be in their place. Paul had gone through this entire thing just like Sam was, like Michael was. He wasn't the vampire in the relationship; he had been the mortal mate. All of this had already happened to him and now, he was feeling the pain of his own experience all over again by watching Sam and Michael have to go through it.

Paul smiled softly, wiping at a few stray tears as he held his hand out for Sam to take, "I believe that it is time that we seriously discussed Marko and I." With a comforting squeeze from Dwayne, he took the hand and allowed Paul to lead him further down the beach. Once they were far enough out of ear shot, Paul found a log for them to sit on and he straddled it as Sam sat next to him. Comfortable silence enveloped them, but Sam didn't say a word; giving Paul the chance to gather his thoughts. "I was eighteen when Marko revealed himself to me."

"Marko had been a night walker for almost twenty three years when he found me. We didn't start like you and Dwayne, Sam." Paul looked him in the eyes with a strangely serious gaze, "My mate was very impatient with me and while he didn't force me to mate with him, we became sexual very quickly. It was the only thing for months that tied us together, our physical attraction. He wanted in my pants, believing a sexual life meant a healthy mate-ship." He sighed as he looked out towards the water by the shore, "Coming from a broken home, I liked the attention and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. As long as it was him showing me attention, then I consented."

Sam's heart wrenched in pain for the man in front of him. Just the idea that he had been emotionally neglected by Marko for so long almost pissed him off. Paul then laughed, "I was quite stupid back then. Thinking that the way we functioned was love. That it was anything other than petty sex. It was five months into our, rendezvous, that Marko finally told me what he was and what I was to him." His green eyes flashed back to Sam, tears still falling in unison with Sam's own. "I didn't take it well. Nearly like how Michael is taking to David. I began to avoid Marko at all costs, believing that he would only ever want me for my body."

There was a bang behind them and Sam whipped around to see a group of hippies down the beach, having thrown gasoline into their bonfire which now burned high into the sky. When he turned back to Paul, the man was smiling again, "It took my avoidance for him to learn that sex was just a minor part of a healthy relationship. He began leaving me little gifts and notes. Trying to get my attention again, to court me like he should have in the beginning. After a while, with full knowledge that it could backfire, I finally gave him the chance." Reaching into his baggy shirt he pulled out a chain around his neck and showed Sam the charm hanging from the end.

It was a simple plain ring of brass, but it shown brightly in the faint light from the fire. "This was my engagement ring. He got down on one knee and everything. I wore it in the months leading up to our mating, and have worn it like this ever since." At Sam's confused look he just winked, "A ring doesn't help lure someone away from their friends." Sam sighed at the image, knowing that Paul was meaning their feeding antics. "It was a very bumpy start for Marko and I. We were polar opposites, but we were truly made for one another. I know that it is hard for you and very complicated for Michael, but with your encouragement and mine; I'm sure that we can help Michael come to terms with it."

A moment went by as Sam thought over everything Paul had just told him, "Thank you for telling me everything Paul. I guess we all go through some kind of tension huh?" All Paul did was grin with a nod, "Will you have this conversation with me again Paul? When we have Michael with us?" The man nodded again as he stood from the bench. Sam took his offered hand and was pulled to his feet. As they began slowly walking back towards the boardwalk, Paul wrapped an arm loosely around his shoulders. "Do you really think that everything will get easier?"

Paul hesitated before he spoke, "I can't promise that it will get easier. If Michael just doesn't want to accept it then there is nothing that we can do and David will eventually feel the need to take Michael anyway. You have already shown understanding to your mate-ship with Dwayne, so you've taken that first step and for you, yes, I believe everything will go easier and more smoothly than it did for me. We can only hope that Michael will soon believe and accept what is inevitable." The knowledge that Michael could potentially be take by force if he did not make an effort to understand left a bitter taste in Sam's mouth; but he knew that the only thing he could do was encourage his brother.

There was a small flinch from Paul as the man put a hand to his forehead as if he was hearing something. Suddenly the mans face went white and a nervous feeling rose in Sam's stomach. Without explaining Paul grabbed his hand and took off in a dead sprint towards the pier, Sam keeping up the best that he could. As they made it up the stairs and a short way through the crowd, they escaped the sea of people and out towards the end of the pier. There at the end David stood menacingly over the fallen gypsy girl, with Michael pushed up against the railing behind him. The only thing stopping David from swinging down was the little boy between him and the girl. Sam's eyes widened, it was Laddie.

But, if I stayed here with you now

Things just couldn't be the same

'Cause I'm as free as a bird now

And this bird, you'll can not change

~defy~