Chapter 1
This story begins on an airplane heading toward Scotland. Two of the passengers, the centers of our tale, sat in a daze on the uncomfortable coach seats of A22 and A23. Next to the window and staring morosely into her own hazel-golden eyes, a girl sat. Her midnight, blue-black hair spilled down over her shoulders gracefully down to her lower back; smooth as silk and straight. A black Seether® T-shirt over a long-sleeved, black and white striped shirt covered her filled-out, sixteen year old body as her faded and torn blue jeans accentuated the curve of her hips. Chuck Taylor All Star® converse sneakers were just barely visible under the torn hems of the jeans. Beside her sat her closest and dearest friend, who was, at the moment, playing air guitar and rocking out to one of his favorite songs. His auburn hair bounced upon his shoulders as he started head banging, shutting his brilliant blue eyes to the world as he jammed. He wore a red, long-sleeved shirt with orange flames under a black work shirt with blue flames over his naturally tan body. The jeans he wore were faded much less than his friends, but still hid the Chuck Taylors® he wore as well. Upon noticing his friend's dower expression, he stopped his i-pod® and set it in his bag with the charm bracelet he'd taken of at the check point. He admired the onyx-colored cross charm on the trinket before zipping up the bag and turning to the girl beside him.
"You alright?" he asked in his thick, English accent.
She only shrugged in return. Truthfully, she wasn't sure. She still felt a sense of betrayal from a family they'd met one year ago.
"This isn't like you, Misty," the boy shook his head as he buckled his seat belt while the 'Fasten Your Seat Belt' sign flashed, "I've never seen someone like you 'sulk'."
He tapped her arm.
"Is it what happened with Greg and the old codger that's got ya down?" he pressed.
"No!" Misty snapped in her lighter British accent as she turned to him, "Why does everyone think I'm angry at him about that, Lynx?! The only thing I'm angry about, concerning that, is that everyone keeps saying that I'm mad at him. I'm not mad at Gregory…I am sad that he did it, but it was instinct that he was acting on. Vampires drink blood, he drank from Bill, and everyone was changed back-end of story!"
Lynx smiled knowingly.
"So, then does that mean you're mad at him for biting you?" he asked slyly.
Misty blushed in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Okay, so she was a little miffed about that. She'd really not understood why Gregory had bitten her in the first place…So she'd asked him while they'd waited alone at the cliffs. He'd claimed that it was to test her loyalty to them and that 'she'd passed'…Well of course, she didn't buy it! It was such a lame excuse. With that thought in mind, she'd asked him again after they'd been changed back. He'd hesitated that time…After a moment, he'd relented that he wanted to have someone with him for the next three hundred years. Misty then asked why he'd chosen her-Why not Lynx? With a flushed face and after a much longer pause, he'd answered, 'I…I like you…a lot…' …Misty stopped talking to him after that. She'd felt even more betrayed. Gregory had bitten Bill out of instinct-something she couldn't blame him for-but that little cuss had bitten her for his own selfish intent. He'd bitten her because he didn't want to be 'alone'. She knew she should probably feel flattered, but it just didn't add up to her…The two families, the Thompsons and the Sackville-Baggs, and Bill would keep in touch through letters. That was the only time Misty would really talk to Gregory-especially considering that the guy would write love letters to her…After a while-a couple of weeks ago really-she'd told him in a letter to stop writing to her. She told him to get over it and find someone else. He then stopped writing her. Bill had strangely stopped writing too, which worried her greatly.
"I suppose…" she finally began slowly, "I'm worried about Bill…He stopped writing to us a few weeks ago…and I'm worried something might have happened to him…"
"Ah, don't worry," Lynx smiled, "We're almost home. I'm sure he'll be fine."
Misty nodded slowly before returning her gaze to the window to watch as the plane landed on the airstrip.
--
After picking up their schedules for their junior year, Misty returned to the cab where Lynx and the driver were making small talk and climbed back in. They then gave the cab driver the Thompson's address and were off in moments. It took about fifteen minutes to reach the Thompson residence the way they were speeding along. Upon reaching the drive way, the driver parked and Lynx jumped out. He was too excited to grab the bags first as he stormed up to the door. He was stopped, however, when he noticed a note stuck to the wood.
'Dear Misty and Lynx,' it read, 'We're staying with some of our friends for a few days. One of the boys found a ton of rats in the basement and when we called the exterminator he instructed that we'd need to leave the house for a while. I've attached a note with the family's address for you two. We're all really excited to see you two again. We'll see you when you get there. Love, Dottie.'
"Hey Misty!" Lynx called as he ran back to her, "Leave the bags in there, we're staying somewhere else."
"Why can't we stay here?" Misty asked, replacing the bags in the trunk and slamming it shut.
"Exterminator's orders, I guess," Lynx shrugged, as he handed her the note for her to look at.
Misty shrugged as she then gave the cab driver the new address and sat back as they took off again. They passed the old cemetery on the way. Misty held her arms as disturbing images and memories flashed through her head. Closing her eyes against the pain, she gingerly placed her hand on her right wrist, recalling Bill's terrified face and the stench of his blood as it spilled from his neck and either into Gregory's mouth or onto the crypt floor. Just as her memories entered torture, they pulled up in front of the strange house. The two got out, paid the driver, and walked up the driveway to the front door. Lynx then rang the doorbell as Misty shot him a concerned look, her hands turning white as she gripped her bags tightly.
"Lynx, I…" she began in a worried tone, "There's…there's something about this place that I don't really like."
Lynx glanced at her and rolled his eyes.
"Will you chill already?" he laughed, "I'm sure that whoever this family is that the Thompson's are staying with, are perfectly trustworthy. I mean, hell, they don't really know anyone except the McAshton's and the Sackville-Baggs and I'm sure they chose the lesser of two evils."
"The McAshtons?" Misty sighed back.
"Very funny…" Lynx shook his head.
They turned back to the door as footsteps resonated from inside. A moment later, a tall, strict-looking man stepped forth. His hairline came together in a widows peak and accented the lines on his forehead-from years of stress, most likely. His eyes were dark and judgmental, but lit up when he caught sight of the two. Placing his hands in the pockets of his black trench coat, he just smiled at them for a moment.
"Frederick…Sackville-Bagg…" Misty managed with a sigh, "So they are staying with the Sackville-Bagg family…"
"Yes, welcome," Frederick clapped his hands together in an out-of-character excitement, "We've been expecting you two for some time now. Please, come in. Come in!"
"Yeah…well…" Misty drolled out, "I'm afraid I'll be rather busy not doing that. Take care now-bye-bye then! Give my regards to the families."
Lynx grabbed the back of her shirt as she turned to run and pulled her back and into the house.
"Come on!" he groaned, "It won't be that bad!"
He then turned back to Frederick after the Sackville-Bagg brought in their luggage.
"So, Freddy," Lynx smiled as he clapped his hands together, "Where're we stayin' for the next few days?"
"First of all," Frederick began as he began walking away towards a door past the living room, "don't call me that and second, Freda shall explain. Everyone's outside—follow me."
Misty sighed as she and Lynx followed Frederick through a large kitchen before he led them outside. Across the enormous back yard, Bob and Dottie sat with Freda on a four-person swing, lost in conversation. Bob hadn't changed a bit aside from his hair thinning a little more. His red shirt with a black, horizontal stripe in the middle was brilliant in the fading light along with his kaki pants and golfing shoes. Dottie had let her blonde hair grow out to reach her shoulders, but otherwise she'd not changed. Her pretty, sky blue sweater was accented lightly by the emerald shirt she wore underneath and her dark blue jeans. Freda's naturally curly blonde hair tumbled down over her shoulders elegantly, her green eyes laughing along with their owner. She still favored green clothing; a green shirt with a darker green skirt, and black shoes. Misty and Lynx glanced over to a triad of children running around the yard and playing tag. Anna's pretty, long blonde hair and pretty little pink dress billowed behind her as she and Tony ran from Rudolph. Her feet were protected from the rocks hiding in the grass by her tan sandals. Tony pushed his round glasses up higher on his nose, his green eyes bright as his blond, spiky hair was ruffled by the wind. His Mark Maguire baseball T-shirt played with the wind as he ran, the chilly air biting on his skin and crisp in his lungs. His tan shorts bounced on his legs as his tennis shoe clad feet bounded across the yard. Rudolph laughed as he finally caught Tony, his dark hair whipping around his face and framing his dark eyes well. His blue sweatshirt was complimented well by his black over shirt, along with his black jeans and converse sneakers. Finally, Misty's eyes settled upon the eldest Sackville-Bagg child, her breath hitching in her throat as she stared. Gregory sat with his back to a tree as he stared down as his mp3 player, listening to one of his favored songs. His eyes were still a stunning, feral gray—with faint hints of red—and his long, dark hair still had those white streaks in the bangs and the blood red in the ends. The leaves of the tree he was against shadowed his entire form beautifully and the wind playing with his hair only made him look more alluring. Misty's heart beat loud in her chest as she stared at him, letting her eyes take in his black, skull imprinted T-shirt over his red and black striped shirt, his navy-blue jeans and the black and white Chuck Taylors® on his feet.
"Woah, Greg!" Lynx cried, bringing Misty out of her reverie and Gregory's attention to him, "What the hell happened to you?! I'm not saying I'm 'gay' or anything, but you're totally hot now, man!"
Misty turned to him with an incredulous look.
"What is the matter with you?" she snapped.
Lynx glanced at her and looked taken aback.
"What?" he asked defensively.
"You do not call another guy 'hot'!" Misty smacked her forehead.
"Oy, don't gimme that," Lynx retorted, "You were thinkin' it too!"
"Misty! Lynx!" Tony, Anna, and Rudolph cried simultaneously before Misty could yell at Lynx and as they ran to the new arrivals.
Misty smirked devilishly, thinking quickly and cupping her hands around her mouth.
"Dog pile on Lynx!" she shouted, "Go! Go! Go!"
"What?!" Lynx gasped before running in the opposite direction as the three children began charging him, "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
He was then barreled over by three unidentified flying objects…that turned out to be three unruly children. Misty pointed and laughed at him before finding herself a lawn chair and sitting down to rest her sore feet.
"Misty!!" Lynx cried, his voice muffled beneath the mound of bodies, "Get them off me!!"
"Wha'?" Misty smirked, cupping a hand over her ear and leaning towards him, "I can't hear ya, Lynx!"
"I hate you!!" Lynx shouted angrily.
Tony, Anna and Rudolph giggled as Lynx weakly tried to push them off. Meanwhile, Gregory had stood and walked over to sit in one of the chairs beside Misty.
"So, how was your trip?" he asked.
Misty shivered involuntarily; his voice had gotten a little deeper…very silky and smooth.
"It was alright, as far as flying in an airplane goes," she shrugged.
"What's it like to ride in a plane?" Greg inquired.
"Well…" Misty paused, thinking of her answer before turning to him fully, "I can't described it except that it's like sitting on a very uncomfortable chair, a paper bag taped over your nose and mouth so you can breathe your own air for a few hours while you squeeze your temples…and that's first class. If you're in coach—you should kill yourself. It's better to stick your head in the toilet and flush—sucking your head clean off. Yeah…I pretty much mean that it's better to travel with your head in toilet water than to fly coach…and I have to agree…We were in coach and it was hell!!! I'm never flying in one of those screaming metal deathtraps ever again…"
"Wow…" Gregory laughed hollowly, "I doubt I'll ever want to fly now…"
"Oh, you won't," Misty assured, leaning back in her chair and glancing back at Lynx, "Oy! You need help, Lynx?"
"Oh no!" Lynx grunted, "All good here!! Really!! Don't get up!"
"Kay!" Misty shrugged back before sitting straight in her seat again.
"You suck!!" Lynx screamed, "Get them off!!! I swear to God they broke my back!!"
The three laughed and stood before running over to see Misty.
"Hey Misty!" Tony chuckled as she pulled him into her lap for a hug, "I've been practicing my golf game! I can almost beat Dad now!"
"That's amazing, Tony!!" Misty feigned surprise, "We'll just have to go golfing then, won't we?"
Tony smiled as she sat him down and picked Anna up to hug her next.
"Oh Misty, I'm so glad you're back!" Anna sighed, "It's been ever so lonely without another girl around to fend off the boys. You just can't be the strong willed woman you ought to be!"
"I know," Misty shrugged, "Ya have opinions; they lock ya in a cage."
"And I've been practicing my writing," Anna went on, "You simply must read me new poems!"
"Well, of course I will, Anna," Misty grinned, "I'm thrilled."
She then turned from Anna to Rudolph and hugged him.
"I've been getting good grades in school," Rudolph shrugged, "But otherwise, there's really nothing new with me…"
"Well that's still great news about your grades!" Misty encouraged, "I'm very proud to hear that."
Rudolph beamed as he stood back with the others.
"What about you, Greg?" Lynx asked as he walked over and popped his back, "Anything new with you?"
Gregory shrugged.
"He's in a band," Tony answered for him in a suggesting tone.
"A band?" Mist reiterated as her eyes widened a little and as she sat back and glanced at him, "That's pretty cool. What kind of band?"
"Metal," Greg replied, "And it's a vampire themed band too."
"Wow…" Misty smirked, "You should be the expert there then, eh?"
"Yeah," Lynx smirked, "You guys have any singles yet that we should know about?"
"One," Gregory nodded, "It's called 'They Can See in The Dark'."
"Cool," Lynx nodded as Misty yawned.
"Hey Misty," Tony tugged at her left sleeve, "Can we have our presents now?"
"Little kids don't get gifts when they act greedy," Misty grinned knowingly.
"You forgot where you hid them didn't you?" Tony fake mocked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"You be quiet," Misty ruffled his hair before turning to Lynx, "I am tired, Lynx. You mind bringing out the presents so we can pass 'em out and I can get some sleep?"
"Jet lag, eh?" Lynx suggested before nodding, "Sure. You mind helping me, Bob?"
"No problem," Bob smiled as he stood and followed Lynx back into the house.
A/N: Okay there's chapter 1. I'm REAL proud of this one, so please leave a review if you liked it too. Or if you didn't like it and wanna let me know of a flaw...