DISCLAIMER: I own no rights to Cirque Du Freak or any of the characters in it

A/N: Set after Darren was blooded but before he went to the cirque. A couple of days after the freak show. Oh and in Darren's POV. Mix of the books and the film.

SUMMARY: How could I tell him the truth about what I really was? This was the hardest thing that I had ever had to do and I was dreading it. Maybe maths lessons are good times to tell the truth.

TITLE: The hardest thing

~D~A~R~R~E~N~~S~H~A~N~

Chapter 3

I hated leaving. Leaving Steve was the hardest thing and as I thought more and more about it, I realised just how much I needed him. Tears began to trickle down my face as I stared at the ceiling of my room. I missed him more than ever and knew that he'd visit to see why I didn't go in to school. My alarm clock read half past four but it seemed like half past one with how slow the minutes ticked by. As I wiped the tears from my eyes, there was a knock at my door. I groaned and forced my tired body from my bed. "Who is it?" I called, still trying to get up.

"Steve, le'me in." I pulled the door open and yawned as he stared at me in shock. "Wow dude, you look horrible." He wiped away some of my stray tears which I'd missed and smiled. "What's up?" He asked in an unusually calming voice. I liked this side of Steve, it showed the real him. When I didn't answer, he sighed and fell onto my bed. I sat beside him as he stared into my eyes. "Darren, tell me why you've been crying?" His voice was more serious and insistent as I nodded and leaned beck against my wall.

"Well, I don't wanna leave, Steve. I don't wanna leave you or my family or my life. I'm scared." My voice broke as tears flooded from my eyes. I could tell that Steve wanted to make it all better. To kill Crepsley for what he had done to me but he couldn't. He was a human and he was a vampire. If Steve faced up to him, he'd be killed on the spot. I buried my head in the duvet; pained cries escaped my throat as I felt Steve place a hand on my back.

"Shh, Darren it's all gonna be okay. I won't let him take you if you don't wanna go." I nodded and lifted my head. I didn't want to leave and Steve had become something of a brother to me. He was the older brother that I had never had and that I had needed for so long. Even though he was only a few months older, he knew so much more than I did and had always been there when I needed him. Wiping away the tears from my face, Steve smirked and stood up. I smiled back and followed him out the door. "Follow me; I'll give that Creepsley a piece of my mind." I smirked again and followed him to the roof of my house. I told him that I'd be meeting Crepsley here and chuckled when he called him 'Creepsley'. That summed the vampire up in one word. He was a creep and if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't feel this way. I saw the rough outline of the red-headed vampire jump from roof-to-roof as he landed next to me. Now Steve was red with fury as he pushed Mr Crepsley into the tiles on my roof.

"Mr Leonard, can I help?" He asked as Steve frowned and tightened his grip on Mr Crepsley's cape.

"Yeah, actually you can help. You are not taking Darren cuz he needs his family and he needs me just like I need him. Take him and you ruin his life forever. Your choice, you decide but look at him first and tell me if you see what I see. Darren is in bits and it's your entire fault." He released him and sat back down next to me. "It's okay Darren, he won't take you." H whispered in my ear as I smiled.

"R-really?" I asked as he nodded and I looked at Mr Crepsley. He was still scared from Steve's surprise attack and cautiously edged towards us.

"Darren, come, come with me and learn our ways." He held a hand out but I ignored it and looked back at Steve. "Please, you have to. You are my assistant and you need me to keep you safe." He had a fair point. Without him I'd probably die because of lack of blood but it wasn't that easy. I took his hand as he pulled me up and then I made my biggest mistake of looking back. Steve was genuinely hurt and was almost in tears.

"Steve, I have to go. I'll come back and visit." I said as I looked up at Mr Crepsley who was shaking his head slowly. "What? Are you telling me that I can't come and visit?"

"Yes, I am. If you come back to visit, your parents will be so confused if you get caught because well…you have to fake your death." I felt sick. I could never see my family again, my friends again or most importantly, Steve again.

"I can't go. I cannot just leave them here." I cried and pounded his chest feebly. He sighed as I cried into his cape and looked back at Steve who was also in tears.

"Darren, you have to go. I know that I don't want you to and I know that you don't want to but you have to. I can come visit you, my mum hardly realises I'm alive so she won't miss me." He smiled and walked closer towards me. A goodbye hug was all I had time for as Mr Crepsley dragged me away from my life. I felt as though a hole had been punched in me and I had lost a brother. He was part of my life now and I could never see him again. That hurt more than anything else.

A/N: Well another chapter. I know that it's kinda short but another will be posted up hopefully soon. Thank you for your reviews so far.