Chapter 7: Pieces

"A-ha! Check mate – I win." Shelby stated, proudly, moving her pawn into its winning position on the board.

Dwayne let out a frustrated sigh, "I've been playing chess for 100+ years – and yet she beats me every time." He shook his head, "Fuck chess, I give up. She's too good."

While Shelby laughed, Marko spoke up from where he stood over Dwayne's shoulder, "You really should've given up two games ago, man." Moving forward, he clapped Shelby on the back, affectionately.

"Don't worry, Dwayne," she said, shrugging, "There's tons of things you're way better than me at."

"I do have better hair than you…" He replied, smirking.

She raised an eyebrow, "Now, that's going a little too far."

"Yeah," Paul chimed in from his place on the couch, "We all know I've got the best hair of this group."

"Ah, you're full of shit, man." Marko shook his head, winking at Shelby.

"Marko, you're too fucking cheeky for your own good," she said, before standing up to walk over and sit on Paul's lap. He engulfed her in his arms and kissed her gently.

"How's your arm?" David's voice said from behind them, startling her.

Shelby shrugged, holding up her arm to get a good look at it. The skin wasn't exactly black anymore – so much as gray – but still cracked, and still painful. "It's getting better," she replied, truthfully.

"Good, because we miss having you around on hunts." Dwayne told her.

"Aww – you guys! Really?" A wide smile spread across her face at his words.

They all voiced their agreement; "Yeah – face it, Shelbs, you're part of the family." Marko said, jovially.

Paul kissed her shoulder, "You're the closest thing I've got that really feels like family."

"You're like a sister to me," Dwayne concurred, his voice quiet.

Marko laughed, "Uh-huh. A loud, obnoxious little sister."

"Oh, bite me, asshole." Shelby retorted, flicking him off.

"I'm just kidding, sis – you know I love you."

She grinned, happily, leaning back against Paul and sighing. "What about you, David?" She didn't have to be able to see him to know he heard her. "Am I a part of… this yet, or not?" There was a short but dreadful silence, in which everyone sat in rapt attention; anxious to hear what his reply would be.

"Let's just say you're not like a sister to me, Shelby. You're just… someone I happen to every single day. Nothing more, nothing less."

That answer was basically what she'd expected, so she didn't protest. Still, as she listened to David stalk off to another part of the cave, she let out a frustrated groan and closed her eyes. "He's never going to like me, is he?"

"Probably not –," Marko's voice was quickly silenced by a thumping noise, "Ow! Fucking hell, Dwayne – that hurt!"

"Come on, man," Dwayne said, standing up and motioning for Marko to follow him, "Let's let Paul handle this, okay?"

Once they were gone, Shelby let the tears she'd been holding in fall down her cheeks. Paul sighed, and wrapped his arms around her body, cradling her to him. "Baby, don't cry – please? Who fucking cares what David thinks anyway?"

"I care! Alright? I give a fuck." She was so tired of David looking down on her – ever since day one; he'd given her the cold shoulder. "I just don't get it. I don't get what his problem with me is, you know? What the fuck did I do to make him hate me so much? Do you know? Because – please – enlighten me if you do."

Paul kissed her forehead and stroked her back to calm her down. "It's my fault he doesn't like you, to be honest." When she looked confused, he elaborated, "I did this to you – made you what you are. I did exactly what he did with THBWNWNSBDLI."

Now she was really confused, "What the fuck is THBW – whatever?"

"The Hell Bitch Who's Name We Never Say Because David Loses It."

"You mean Starr?"

He shrugged, "THBWNWNSBDLI just rolls off the tongue, though –,"

"Get on with what you were saying. Please." She bit her lip to keep from smiling.

"Right. Sorry." He backtracked, "I did exactly what David did to her – except, of course, she ended up being a total bitch and leaving him. When David first met you – when he realized what I'd done – he instantly hated you, because –,"

"Because I remind him of his mistake." She finished for him."

"Bingo." When she continued to look upset, he took her hands in his, "Do you want me to talk to him? I can – if you want. Try and talk some sense into him?"

She shook her head, "You're sweet, but it's alright. If he doesn't like me, that's just find. Somehow, I think I'll be able to survive."

Paul couldn't help but smile, "That's my girl. Hey – do you want the rest of this blood?" He reached over to the table beside the couch and picked up his half-empty glass. She didn't realized how hungry she was until she saw the blood; her throat burned at the sight. Nodding, she took the glass and downed the red liquid in one gulp. And, as she licked her lips, appreciatively, Dwayne's voice broke through the silence: "We're going out. Sun's down. You staying here with her, Paul?"

He nodded, and Shelby let her head rest on his shoulder, contentedly.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Come on, Paul – just do it."

He knew this wasn't really happening. Somewhere, deep in the back of his mind, he knew this was a dream.

…. Well, not a dream, so much as a memory haunting him in his sleep.

Still, even as he tried to hold on to the knowledge that this was only a memory, he felt un-able to snap out of it. Everything he was seeing in his head was so clear; it all seemed… real again.

"I… I fucking can't." He turned, anguished to his friend, and shook his head. "Don't make me do this. Please –,"

Chase rolled his eyes, "God, you're such a pussy. Do it."

He gulped, looking back to the girl. Chase had brought her to the warehouse, tired her to the wall, and fucked her up pretty well. She was bleeding copiously from the gashes and bite marks all over her naked body. She was also crying – begging for something she would never get; to go home. From what Paul could work out from the noises he'd heard since Chase had brought her back, she'd been torn apart, bled, and raped.

He closed his eyes at the sight of her, and Chase grabbed him by the shoulders, looking him in the eyes, "Do this for me, man. I just want to fucking see you kill her. Is that so much to ask?"

Paul knew that, were he alive, his heart would be thumping inside his chest. "Chase… please," he knew he wasn't going to win this, but tried anyway, "This is sick. She… She's your fucking sister –,"

Chase laughed in his face, "You are so boring – do you know that? You're a vampire – start acting like one."

Without warning, he grabbed Paul's arm and jerked him forward, throwing him against the girl. Her body trembled against his, and she whimpered, "Please… Oh god –! Please let me go…"

Before Paul could say anything in response, there was a tearing noise, and then the girl was screaming in agony again. Looking down, he saw that Chase had bitten into her wrist with his fangs, and was merrily sucking her blood. He only drank a little, so as not to kill her, and stood up, wiping the red liquid off his mouth. Pushing Paul away, he leaned in to talk to his sister, a sinister smirk on his pale face.

"Hey, Roxy. How do you feel?"

She glared at him, her face set and shining with tears, "Fuck you."

He raised an eyebrow, "Always the spunky one, aren't we, sis?"

"You know it, asshole." She retorted, before spitting in his face.

That wiped the smile right off; now he looked livid. Without another word, he slapped her, hard, across the face, causing her to yelp. As she spat blood out of her mouth, he turned away and spoke once more, "Paul. Get the fuck over here and kill this whore." When Paul did not movie, he growled, "Now."

He didn't know what to do, but found himself moving forward to stand in front of Roxy. As much as he wanted to stop, he couldn't help but breathe in the intoxicating scent of her blood. What blood she had left, anyway. As he looked at her, a tear rolled down her cheek, but she did not plead, did not beg or whine. Not anymore. He felt sick from how indifferent she'd become. He could tell that she no longer cared whether she lived or died. Chase's demented laughed filled his ears and he cursed himself as he followed his orders; leaning in and slitting her throat with his fangs.

She died quickly, blood spurting from the slash across her neck and staining Paul's pained face.

As Chase applauded and whistled, jubilantly, he stood staring at Roxy's lifeless, blood-soaked body – hating himself.

"Paul!" A voice – her voice – broke through his memories, calling to him, "Baby? Wake up!"

"Nice job, man." Chase told him, clapping him on the back, "Damn, that was fun."

"Fuck off," Paul shook his head, teeth clenched and head spinning, "Just… I can't…"

"Paul!" Her voice cried, worry lacing her words. He could feel himself being shaken vigorously and everything he remembered and felt was bleeding together and –

His eyes burst open. Blinking rapidly and gasping, he saw her face hovering over his. Her beautiful face. This was real. He had been caught in the middle of a flashback, but it was over. She was here.

"Are you okay? You were tossing and turning and saying… things," her voice was sympathetic, "I didn't know what else to do."

Wordlessly, he reached out to her, arms outstretched, and, wordlessly, she pulled him into an embrace, holding him close and tight. In that moment, with his face pressed up against her shoulder, he lost it. He lost the persona he'd built up for all those years; the walls encasing him broke down, and he felt his body start to shake as the tears found him. He let them out – he let everything out – and cried, for the first time in what felt like ages.

When Shelby realized he was crying, she didn't push him away or ask why, she simply hugged him tighter, kissing the top of his head and rocking him in her arms. He couldn't remember feeling more thankful to another person in his life than right then. He needed her, and she knew that, trying her best to make everything okay. Clinging to her, he sobbed and trembled. All she did was hold him, stroking his blonde hair, and it was more than he could ask for from anyone. All his life, he'd been pushed around and spit on by those he trusted. He'd been so hungry for approval and put up with so much… He thought of the things he'd done and the people he'd hurt and his fucking heart ached with it all.

So, he cried. He fucking bawled – in her warm, comforting arms – as his past caught up with him and filled his head.

"It's okay," she whispered, gently, "It's okay, baby…"

His voice quivered when he spoke, "I love y-you."

She nodded, pulling out of the hug to lean in and kiss him, "I love you," she breathed, kissing his tears away and caressing his cheeks.

Even as his heart swelled at those words, he couldn't help but remember that he still had the "present" Chase had given him a few days ago…

A/N: So sorry for the horrible ending there :P I just want a majority of the drama to be in chapter 8, so I added a cliffhanger ending to make it "work". Also, I apologize for how long it's been since I updated :( I hope this makes up for it – even though it's awful. Chapter 8 will be up ASAP ;D