* Please Review! Sorry for the wait, my birthday came and then my daughter had her birthday party so I was busy*
Van's arms sliced through the cool lake water as he kicked and swam with Avalon on his back. She was holding onto his shoulders, slowing kicking her legs to help them move and stay afloat. She hadn't said much since they left the attic. Van had laid across the bed and watched her change into her swimming suit, with his mouth watering. He wanted her again but she wasn't in the mood. Her eyes were unfocused and he didn't want to bother her so he had made no move for her. Instead, he had let his eyes drink in her naked form. She still hadn't spoken when they made their way to the row boat or when they rowed out onto the dock in the middle of the lake.
" I'll need to stop off at my house to get a bag of clothes and my toothbrush." Van said quietly. Avalon squeezed him, pulling herself into his back more. She sighed and started to rub her nose against the back of his head, making Van smile.
" Let's spend some time with your dad." At her reply, Van's smile started to fade and a frown took it's place. Avalon had never officially met his dad and Van wasn't sure he wanted her too. Chad was a depressed man who never smiled anymore. He would be rude to her by ignoring her, most likely. His shit attitude had managed to push away almost everyone in Van's life and he wasn't ready to lose her too.
" Nah...I don't think that's a good idea." Van said.
" Please. I want to do this. It's important to me." She said. Van kept up his pace in the water, thinking. Why was it important to her? Why did she care about meeting and spending time with his dad? He shook his head without thinking. Avalon pressed her lips to his neck and whispered, " Please?"
" Why?" Van demanded.
" Because he's important to you. Because he's apart of your life." She said. Van held his breath briefly. She wanted to meet his dad because of him. How could he deny her that?
" Okay look, my dad is...well you saw him that night. He's quiet, more than your dad." He finally said.
" That's okay. Please, Van." It was the please, Van that really did it for him.
" Yeah, alright." He said.
When mid-afternoon hit, Van and Avalon had showered again and put on dry clothes then made their way over to his house. He was more than nervous. What if...Van squeezed her hand at the same time he shook his head. He wasn't going to think about losing her. She let her fingers glide down his arm in the way he was quickly starting to like. He looked at her to see her smile. Van forced his own smile then looked back as his house came into view.
" Dad?" Van called out when they walked into the house. His dad didn't answer, not that Van expected him too. He never answered. Van gently pulled Avalon through the kitchen and into the living room. His dad was right where he thought he'd be, sitting in his chair, in front of the TV. Chad looked up at them, his eyes shifting to Avalon in surprise. " Hey. Um..." Van looked back at Avalon, who smiled at him and squeezed his arm. He looked back at his dad and nodded. " So, this is Avalon, my girlfriend. This is Chad, my dad."
" Hello." Avalon said. Chad swallowed hard, like his son did when he was nervous.
" Hello." He said quietly. Staring. Chad stared at Avalon. Van stared at his dad. Avalon looked from son to dad.
" I'm spending the night at her house tonight. Her dad is gone." Van said. Chad nodded slowly.
" Oh, okay." He said before silence spread through them again.
" Um...so do you want to paint the soldiers?" Van finally asked. " Yeah, let's do that." He answered his own question, choosing not to wait for his dad's answer. He spun around, pulling Avalon with him. He hurried out of the living room and back into the kitchen. " Sit here." He said when they reached his small table.
" Van." Avalon said when he pulled the chair out for her.
" Hmm?" Van asked. He guided her to the chair and helped her sit before turning around and grabbing the box of paints he and his dad used, in one hand, and the other box filled with toy soldiers in the other. He moved back to the table and started to set things up, his hands shaking with the movements. This was a mistake, he was thinking over and over again. She was going to think his dad was weird then she would think Van was weird. Why had he suggested the painting? This was weird, even for him. He frowned as one of his hands knocked over one of the paints. " Shit." He snapped grabbing it and righting the small bottle.
" Van." Avalon said, placing her hand on top of his to still him. Van exhaled hard but didn't look at her. She sat straight up and gently kissed his cheek. " It's fine." She whispered. Finally, Van turned his head and started to study her face. Avalon sighed and nodded. " I promise." She whispered. Van pressed his lips against hers without a warning. It was a hard kiss with no tongue but it was just what he needed. He just needed that small, intimate contact.
" I'll be back." Van said before pulling away and hurrying out of the kitchen.
Avalon would like painting the soldiers, he decided he was sure. She liked to draw, Gideon painted, this would be something she would enjoy. As Van walked back to his dad to bring them all together, Van felt his stomach start to relax. He even smiled when he took a hold of Chad's chair. Yeah, this was going to work, and not only because Avalon was different from the other people in town but because she really liked him and he liked her.
Van set his dad in his usual place at the table, back to the kitchen, facing the window. Van walked around the back of Avalon and sat down across from Chad. She was on Van's right. Quietly, Chad told her which colors to use on the soldiers and together, the three got to work. Van kept his head down so he could watch her and Chad without them knowing. Chad wasn't so careful with his eyes. He looked from his soldiers to her to his son to his work again. Avalon, on the other hand, happily watched her work and made light conversation with the two.
" So you don't think my dad is weird?" Van asked when he and Avalon were walking back to her place.
" No, why?" She asked. She started to swing his arm again while she held his hand.
" I don't know." He said with a shrug of his shoulders, causing the backpack on his back to brush against his skin.
" I had a good time." Avalon reassured him. " I promise. Thank you for letting me spend time with him."
NRNRNR
Avalon laid on her side, staring through the darkness of her room and out her window. Van was curled up into her back with his arm around her waist, breathing slowly against her neck. He was so warm, so naked, that she snuggled back into him just to be closer. Van reacted in his sleep by tensing his arm and holding her closer. He rubbed his nose into her hair and sighed. They had had a good time that night. Avalon had made dinner, Van had cleaned it up. They snuggled together on her couch and watched a movie, then took a late night swim. They had sex in her bed and now he was sleeping but she was wide awake.
Images from the newspaper and the pictures they had come upon were haunting her. She thought her and Gideon was so open with each other. She knew she was open with him. She had actually come to him the day after her and Van had first slept together and told him. Gideon hadn't been happy but didn't say much. He had always told her that if she was honest with him, she wouldn't get into much trouble, even if the truth pissed him off. He had also been honest with her...she had thought.
Was Van right? Was that truth just too painful for him to talk about? Was the death of his family before her, just too much for him to bare? Pain and heartache lanced through her. She felt horrible that her dad felt like he had to bare it all alone. She couldn't take the pain away from him but she could help him carry it. Should she say anything to him about it? Avalon sighed and shook her head. No. Gideon was hiding it from her and would be pissed that she had found it. He wanted to hold it inside, she would let him. She would just make sure she did a few extra nice things for him. She would hug him more and tell him how much she loved him.
" What's wrong?" Van's voice was husky and sleep filled as he partially sat up to look down at her. Avalon turned onto her back and gave him a small smile.
" Nothing, why?" She asked.
" I felt you shaking your head." He whispered, laying back down.
" I was just thinking." She said.
She rolled over so they were facing each other. She pressed into his chest and kissed the hollow of his throat. Van closed his eyes but smiled. He rubbed his chin against the top of her head and let his fingers trail up her back then back down again. This was nice. As one of her arms went under his and around to his back, Van couldn't help but think how good cuddling felt. He had never really cuddled with a girlfriend before and to be doing it naked...Van started to grin.
" Shower together in the morning?" He whispered. He slipped one leg in between hers and took a hold of her left leg. He guided it over his leg then let his hand travel back up her nakedness.
" Of course." Avalon whispered.
NRNRNR
He stalked through the dark streets with a frown of his face. He had waited too long and now the need was ready to over take him. He used to be able to go months without having to satisfy the need but the older he got, the more he needed. He needed to punish anyone who looked like the one who haunted his dreams. The one who took everything from him.
This was different though. The need in him was changing and he knew it. It was being replaced with fear. Fear of being alone. Fear of being left by the one person he loved now. The one person who reminded him so much of the other one, the one that he been taken from him to soon. She talked about leaving him, HIM who had done everything for her. He had saved her from the one who couldn't take care of her and love her with everything in him. He had given everything he could to her, shown her things most people never saw, taught her things. He had loved her and protected her and now she was thinking about leaving him. How dare she! And for another one!
His frown deepen as his hands went into two fists. He needed to find someone now. Anger was quickly replacing the fear and the need. He had to find someone who could take this anger away from him. If he didn't and he went home, he was scared he'd lose control and take it out on her. Or the new HIM. He hated the new one but if he hurt the boy, she would hate him. And he knew he couldn't handle that.
As he roamed the dark alleyways, he finally found what he was looking for. Hookers were the best to take now. No one missed a hooker. Killing wasn't as easy as it used to be, not with the advances that law enforcement had made since he had first started this journey. He didn't like having to settle on hookers but often times, they didn't really remind him of the drunk but on times like this, when he was overwhelmed, he had learned to not be picky.
" Hey." He said to the woman. At least she had blond hair, like the drunk. It was bleached blond hair but it was blond.
" Hey. You looking for company?" Her smoke filled voice asked.
" Yeah." As his only answer.
" You have cash?" The hooker asked.
" Of course." She smiled and nodded.
" Then come with me." She purred.
His hands were wrapped around her neck as soon as they were alone and in the dark. She fought, they all fought but he gritted his teeth and started to squeeze harder. His arms locked down and shook as he started to bang her head over and over against the pavement. Sweat broke out along his hair line as he grunted. She crawled at his arms which were covered in a long sleeve shirt, despite the heat. He had to wear shirts like that because they fought back and he couldn't have marks on him.
" Fucking bitch." He hissed. " Fucking, stupid drunk bitch."
After a few minutes, her struggling lessen, just like he knew they would. A glassy look passed over her face, like it always did when death took over. Soon...soon...her body gave way underneath his. She went limp. He slowly pulled his hands away from her throat. He checked her pulse then leaned down over her face to see if she was breathing still.
Nothing.
Relief rushed through him at once. He sat back on her legs, tilted his head up towards the sky and inhaled. He rode through the pleasure of the death. This was good, this was great. This would hold him over for a while. Not as long as he wanted it too but for a while. He opened his eyes and started to stare. Now that the need was gone, he could start thinking about how to keep what was his. He could start thinking about how to get rid of him without hurting her. It used to be easy. He would just gather her up and leave. She had no choice but to go but she was an adult now and soon...to soon...he wouldn't be able to make her do things. She was determined to start her own life.
As he picked up the dead woman and hurried to his car, he thought about the love of his life. His child, the one he had cared for since he had first seen her. She might not share his blood but that hadn't stopped him from loving her. She was perfect. She was just what the first one would have been, he was sure. She looked just how he was sure the first would have looked had she been allowed to live.
Grief swelled inside him as he opened his trunk. Tears burned his eyes as he dumped the body inside. He swept the back of one of his hands across his eyes. He had loved that first one, loved her so much that he had thought he would die the second she had. He had waited, in fact, for his heart to stop. He had waited for his lungs to refuse to take in air but it never happen. Not when he viewed their bodies at the hospital. Not when he started at the coffin that held both his lives, not when he watched the coffin being lowered into the ground. Of course he had put them together. He couldn't stand the idea of his family being apart forever. He couldn't stand the idea of the baby being alone. She needed her mother.
He sobbed as he slammed his trunk closed. His body started to tremble with the tears. The pain never lessen, it never went away. People had promised him he would love them forever, never forget them but that the pain of their loss would fade but it hadn't. It was still fresh as the night they were taken. It still hurt as bad as when the first stab of pain hit him when he learned of their deaths.
" She's not going anywhere!" He snapped to himself as he dug the grave deep in the woods he had scoped out beforehand. " I'm not losing her too!"
He worked and dug down until he was waist deep in the hole. He pulled himself out of the grave and dropped down his shovel He grabbed the body, tossed her in then started covering her up. No, he wouldn't lose anyone, not anymore. He would just show her just how much she needed him, not the boy. He would remind her that he already loved her and that the boy didn't. A smile ghosted across his face. Yeah, he could do that because she trusted him, not the boy. She loved him, not the other.