When Freddie arrived at the cabin, he went straight over to the girl who was laying on the table he had once been laying on. She was still out cold and Cassie and Pete were sitting on the opposite side of the table to Freddie.
"How is she doing?" Freddie asked.
"She should wake up in a few minutes. She's stirred at a few times." Cassie replied and Freddie nodded.
"Why did you turn her like that? You didn't even know her." Pete said.
"And Danny didn't know me and look where I am." Freddie replied.
"That's not the point. We can't just be turning people left and right." Pete said.
"I did it because she was dying. I know you had a bad start to this side of the line, but remember what you said. If anyone is in the streets and are dying, we have every right to change them. We're saving a life and that's that." Freddie said.
"Boys, stop the insane argument and get back to the task at hand. There is a girl who is going to wake up any second a vampire and she will probably act crazy. Use your efforts to help her get used to this life." Cassie said. Freddie glared at Pete for a second longer before he turned back to the girl with a sigh. Pete just went and leant against the wall, crossing his arms and watching the three.
It was 2 minutes later when the girl started to wake up and the second her eyes opened, she was terrified.
"Hey. Calm down. Take a deep breath and calm down." Freddie said calmly and the girl slowly started to calm down.
"Now, what's your name?" Freddie asked as he helped her slowly sit up.
"Millicent Penelope Thompson. Everyone calls me Millie." Millie replied and Freddie nodded.
"Where am I? The last I remember I was behind that train station fence and I had been stabbed." Millie said.
"Okay. After you fell asleep, I brought you here. You've been here for about 12 hours." Freddie said and Millie suddenly looked confused.
"If I was stabbed only 12 hours ago, how come I'm already awake and not feeling that much pain?" Millie asked and Cassie spoke up.
"This is going to come as a huge shock, but you're a vampire." Cassie said and after a few seconds, Millie started laughing.
"You've got to be kidding me. You guys are crazy." Millie laughed.
"We're dead serious. How does your throat feel?" Pete asked, coming over to the table next to Cassie and Millie's smile faded as her hand wrapped around her throat.
"Can you hear the soft wind outside and can you see the tiny cracks in the walls? Can you smell the forest around us?" Cassie asked and Millie's eyes widened in shock.
"Now, you might be a vampire, but you are still alive. We are very different to the vampires they show in movies and books." Freddie said.
"What kind of vampire am I? Or are we?" Millie asked and Freddie smiled softly.
"Basically, we are the exact same as humans, but we have stronger senses and we are incredibly strong. We do drink blood, but not all of the time. Only when the burn in our throats gets hard to control and we start wanting to attack people. Also, we don't kill people, we just take enough of their blood to knock them out for a few hours." Freddie said. Millie nodded and was silent for a few minutes as she processed this and then she turned to Cassie.
"How do you get rid of the burn?" She asked and Cassie smiled.
"I'll take her and you two boys sort out your issues. Just don't destroy the cabin before we get back. And don't wake Danny up or he will kill you." Cassie said and then she and Millie left. Pete and Freddie stayed silent for a minute before Pete spoke up.
"What did you talk to Sam about?" He asked and Freddie sighed.
"I told her that the world is different than it looks. I told her vampires exist, just not that I am one myself." Freddie replied.
"Why do you want her to know that the supernatural exists?" Pete asked and Freddie looked away.
"Have you ever been in love before?" Freddie asked.
"No." Pete replied after a few seconds and Freddie looked back.
"Then you wouldn't understand." Freddie replied and then he turned and walked to the door, stopping at the door and turning back.
"When and if you ever fall in love, you'll see things in a different light. Stop over analysing things. It won't get you very far in the real world. Do what you want because we only have one chance at life, no matter how long you live and how many hurdles you have to face. You have one shot at making things work so don't think. Just act." Freddie said and then he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Pete alone and staring at the place he had been standing.
When Cassie and Millie got back to the cabin, Freddie was standing in the front yard leaning against the wall.
"Hey. How did it go? Did Millie lose it like I did?" Freddie asked.
"Almost, but then I yanked her off and the guy fell. We called an ambulance just in case. She's a lot easier to control than you." Cassie said and Freddie smiled.
"How are you feeling Millie?" Freddie asked.
"A little freaked out, but better." Millie replied and Freddie nodded. He then looked her up and down and then smiled. She had long black wavy hair and she looked about 16. She had hazel eyes and she was wearing navy blue jeggings, black boots and one of Cassie's shirts, a black long sleeved one.
"Cassie, why don't you take her inside and find her a place to sleep? We'll call your family in the morning Millie and we'll sort it out." Freddie said and Millie looked down.
"Actually, I was getting on the train to get away from my family. I live with my dad and he's sort of an alcoholic. My mum died when I was 2 and my older brother lives in Georgia. I was planning to go there, but he didn't know so I guess if I call him I should be alright. As for school, I went to boarding school and get back 3 months ago. My dad dragged me back and I haven't been to school since." Millie replied and Freddie sighed.
"Okay. Well, tomorrow we'll just figure out what to do. Right now you need sleep and so do I. I should probably get home. I'll come by tomorrow some time." Freddie said and Cassie nodded, pulling him in for a hug.
"Send me a text when you get home so that I know you got there safe." Cassie said and Freddie smiled.
"Will do." Freddie said and then he left. When he was gone, Millie and Cassie went inside to see Pete sitting at the table staring at his hands.
"This is Pete and the buffalo sleeping on the couch is Danny. Why don't you go sit on the sofa and I'll be there in a minute?" Cassie asked and Millie nodded before walking and sitting on the couch.
"What's wrong?" Cassie asked as she sat down across from Pete and he looked up.
"Do you think I over analyse things?" Pete asked.
"Sometimes I guess. Why?" Cassie asked.
"No reason. Just wondering." Pete replied and Cassie frowned.
"Look, I don't know what Freddie said and I don't need to know, but sometimes he says things that mean something else entirely." Cassie said.
"No. He said exactly what he meant. He wasn't being mean, he was just saying facts." Pete said.
"Like what?" Cassie asked, her curiosity peaking.
"I thought you didn't want to know." Pete laughed and Cassie rolled her eyes.
"Just tell me." Cassie replied and Pete sighed.
"He said that we only have one life and that we shouldn't waste it thinking, that we should just act it out." Pete said and Cassie showed a small smile.
"He is more than just book smart, but he doesn't show it that often which is why he gets taken for granted by most of his friends. Don't make that mistake." Cassie said and then she got up and walked over to the couch. Pete stared at the back of her head for a few minutes before he got up and walked outside, pulling out his phone and dialling a number.
"Hello?" Came Freddie's voice 4 rings later.
"I need your help."
2 days later, Freddie was sitting in a café staring at the door waiting for someone to arrive. For the last 2 days, Freddie had been looking for someone. He had finally found who he was looking for the night before and he was currently waiting for them to arrive.
"Excuse me, but are you Freddie Benson?" A woman asked a few minutes later, causing Freddie to look up from his phone. Standing in front of him was a woman and an older looking man.
"Yes. You must be Kayla Barton and you must be her dad Andy Barton." Freddie said as he shook their hands.
"Yes we are." Andy replied as he and Kayla sat down.
"You said you had important information for us." Kayla said and Freddie nodded.
"Do you have a son named Peter?" Freddie asked, looking at Andy who nodded, sadness crossing his face.
"I know where he is." Freddie said and Kayla and Andy looked at him.
"Pete's alive?" Kayla asked and Freddie nodded.
"He looks a lot like you Andy. He's almost 24 right?" Freddie asked.
"In 3 months he's supposed to be." Andy replied, hope in his eyes.
"Well, his wish was to find you. He saved my aunt and I from dying and this is my favour to him. He asked for my help to find you and since I'm good with computers, it wasn't that hard." Freddie said.
"If what you're saying is true, when can we meet him?" Kayla asked and Freddie smiled, standing up.
"Follow me." Freddie replied. Kayla and Andy then followed him out of the café and across the street to the park. They walked down a path for 5 minutes before they reached a bench where a man was sitting, his back to them.
"Pete." Freddie said and Pete turned around. The second they saw him, Andy and Kayla gasped and Pete smiled weakly.
"I'm back." Pete said and Andy instantly pulled him into a tight hug which Pete instantly returned. When they pulled apart finally, Pete turned to Kayla who had tears in her eyes.
"Hey big sis." Pete said and Kayla started crying as she pulled him into his arms. Freddie just stood back and watched the scene with a smile. After 20 minutes of tight hugs and crying, Andy turned to Freddie.
"You brought my son back to me. How can I ever repay you?" Andy asked and Freddie smiled.
"You can make up for lost time. It wasn't any bodies fault that Pete was lost so don't blame yourself. Life throws us plenty of hills, but it's how you decide to get over them that matters. Spend the time you have left with the ones that matter and you'll finally be able to let go of what happened." Freddie said, but his eyes were staring at Pete who had tuned in as well as Kayla. Pete just nodded and then looked to his dad.
"We have a lot to talk about. Why don't we go and start?" Pete asked and Kayla and Andy smiled.
"I'd like that son." Andy replied.
"Do you want to join us Freddie?" Kayla asked.
"No thank you. You and your father need to be alone with Pete so he can explain how he managed to find a place to stay all of these years. I have a family of my own to get back to. Before I split from you though, Pete. Don't let the past define your future. You don't need to keep searching for something that doesn't matter." Freddie said and then he turned and walked away. He got to the edge of the park before he looked back to see Pete, Kayla and Andy laughing about something in the park. He just smiled and then turned back and kept walking.
Freddie arrived at Bushwell Plaza an hour later and he went straight up to the Shay apartment.
"Hello teenager who doesn't live here." Spencer said when he walked in and Freddie smiled.
"Hey Spence. What are you working on this time?" Freddie asked.
"I don't know." Spencer shrugged and Freddie chuckled.
"Hey blond-headed demon and Carly." Freddie said when he reached the kitchen to see Sam and Carly making sandwiches.
"Hey Fred-nerd. What have you been up to all morning?" Sam asked.
"I was helping Pete find his dad and sister. He got lost a few years ago in the forest and was found by another family so for the past couple days he and I have been looking for his family. We found them and now he is spending time with them for the first time since he was about 17." Freddie replied and the girls and Spencer looked at him incredulously.
"What?" Freddie asked when he noticed them staring.
"You found his dad and sister for him? How long have you even known him?" Sam asked.
"It doesn't matter. He saved Cassie's life. I owed him." Freddie replied.
"Well, technically Cassie owes him." Spencer said and Freddie shrugged.
"He also saved my life." Freddie replied.
"Well I think what you did was very kind. I mean, you barely know Pete and you just found his parents. Not many people would do that for someone who's barely a stranger." Carly said.
"I know him better than you think." Freddie replied and something about those words made Sam, Carly and Spencer get chills running down their spines.