A/N: Soooo um, hi guys. Been a while huh?

There is a perfectly good explanation as to why I basically dropped off the face of the earth for longer than I said I would, but that's not important.

What's important is that after a loooong break, the story continues! Although I'm sure many of you are going to have to go back and read the last chapter to remember what happened, I know I had to.

And when I did I realised what a cliffhanger I left you guys on, so I apologise for that. But at least you had something to look forward to right?

Since this note is already absurdly long I'll leave my thank you's till the end.

Without any more rambling on my part, on with the new chapter!

Enjoy awesome readers!

Disclaimer: No matter how much I lament this fact, I don't own the Lost Boys.

XIV.

I used to love the feel of the sun on my face.

I still do, expect the memory of that feeling is all but gone.

It was the thing I was most anxious to experience when I came here, the warm sunshine without the muggy humidity that seem to hang over Florida. I could waste days on the beach just soaking up the rays that made my skin tingle deliciously when I first came here.

It's amazing how quickly that ended.

Now all I could feel as I sat underneath the unending sky was the cold breeze from the ocean that whipped my already wild hair around my shoulders. No warmth, no tingles as my skin darkened to healthy brown. I wondered if I'd ever see the sun again.

The moon, while still the only source of light, was cold and distant and I hated the sight of it. The sun used to reach down and touch those that stood in its glow, but the moon offered only light, and even that was limited. There were shadows here that the sun could never chase away.

Once I thought the shadows were just that, empty spaces where there was no light, the spaces that people avoided out of fear. But now I know that the shadows are indeed not empty spaces, I was one of the monsters that hid there, watching people avoid me.

"Star!"

The sound of a very impatient boy pulling on my skirt forced me to turn away from the view of the black ocean, plastering a forced smile on my face as I looked down at Laddie. He was particularly moody tonight, sadness fueling his temper more than anything aside from one burning need I knew coursed through him.

He still had too much energy to keep track of but one thing that was missing was that real, carefree smile that never left his young face.

It had left now.

Ever since…

Laddie let out a huff and tugged on my skirt again, "I'm hungry Star."

I knew why. No matter how much this kid ate, he wouldn't get rid of his appetite, because what he was eating wasn't what his new body wanted. But it eased it a little if he could stuff his face every night. It still made me both sick and infuriated to know what he was after without him realizing it truly himself. No one had told him what he was secretly craving yet, not even Sarah had had the guts to frighten the kid like that, but he would have to know soon. I was fairly certain the boys didn't want a child monster running through the streets of Santa Carla chewing on anything that moved.

That thought always made me think about my own issues in that area. I had promised Sarah I would find a way to get Laddie back to being human, and I wanted the same thing for myself. But every time someone walked past me just an inch too close and that horrible and delicious scent filled my senses I had to fight not to rip into them, and it was only getting worse. My eyes filled with tears every time I thought of the disappointment and hurt she would feel knowing I had failed to do the only thing she had ever asked of me.

Thinking about her was also something I tried to avoid as much as possible, especially now that Laddie would need someone to look after him. Dwayne's paternal instincts seemed to have strengthened as well, feeling the need to look after the boy. If Laddie wasn't with me then he was basically clinging to the dark vampire. Dwayne for all of his stoic detachment barely took his eyes off the boy, only leaving him with me when he had to tend to his own needs. It was the only time he ever showed any sign that he even remembered her existence. Sometimes the best way to deal is just to forget. But it was a constant battle between the two of us, really the only time we ever spoke. Me wanting to keep my promise to my friend and Dwayne protecting the closest thing he had to the girl he loved led to Laddie often being fought over.

Laddie would often choose me just because he didn't like it when the boys caused trouble, which was basically every night, and he just wanted to hang around the boardwalk and be a kid, which I was determined to oblige.

But tonight was one of the few times when I would not get my way, no matter what Laddie wanted.

The kid was munching away on another corn dog, perched on a rail while I stood next to him, my mind wandering as it did any time he went quiet, when David and the boys walked up to us. My guess, by the way their eyes were wilder than usual, was that they had found their meal, their senses following their every move for later. I only hoped, in vain, that it was quick.

Laddie as always brightened when he caught sight of Dwayne, holding his arms out to him. Dwayne didn't pick him up without hesitation as he would have before, he just stood on his other side and ruffled his hair a bit before turning back to the others. Paul came over moments later and pretended to push Laddie over the railing, managing to get a laugh out of him and I found myself smiling at the sound.

I doubted I would ever be able to soothe Laddie the way Sarah could, but I still made an effort to show him some affection when I could, so when Paul had also left us, I pulled myself onto the railing next to him and started playing with his hair, knowing it was a pet peeve of his. When he didn't immediately smack my hand away I realised just how heartbroken he was that that didn't even bother him anymore. It made me want to burst into tears.

"When can we go home, Star?"

I knew Laddie was itching to go back to the cave, but I wasn't ready to go home yet, wanting to avoid that place for as long as I could, and I didn't want Laddie there either. There was too much pain lurking in every corner. As much as I could I kept him busy till he would arrive home half asleep and too tired to notice where he was.

That didn't stop him asking every five minutes to leave, especially when he was having one of his tantrums, like tonight.

"Soon, Laddie. I promise, but we have to wait till the boys are ready to go, remember?"

"But I want to see Sarah before I get tired, she's never around when I'm awake. Will she be there when we go home?"

How could I tell him, the boy that adored Sarah so much, the truth?

He was only so upset because he thought she was just too busy to see him at night. If he knew the truth… but I didn't have the heart to tell him and the boys didn't look like they were about to be honest with him any time soon.

I didn't get the chance to answer though, as David's voice cut across my thoughts.

"Alright boys, let's go."

I watched as the others moved to their bikes parked a few feet away, my face twisting into a snarl as I took in the way they pretended nothing was wrong. Or maybe they weren't pretending, maybe they had just wiped that part of their lives away.

My arm then tightened around Laddie as Dwayne approached.

"Come on, bud."

Laddie moved to jump down from the railing, but my arm made him stop and glance between Dwayne and I in confusion. But my gaze wasn't on the boy to notice properly.

"Can't he stay with me?" For a moment I saw the change in Dwayne's mood and steeled myself for whatever answer he would give.

"No."

I watched, unable to argue, as Dwayne lifted Laddie off the rail and carried him away, his tolerance for my interference officially over. I knew better than to stop him, hearing the warning in his tone. Laddie was his, I was just a babysitter for when Dwayne got hungry. I watched them go, Laddie only looking at me for a moment before wrapping his arms around Dwayne's neck, probably afraid he would put him down. I jumped down too and instead of following them I turned and started making my way… anywhere else.

David's voice stopped me before I'd gone ten feet.

"That means you too, Star."

I turned back and gave David the best look of defiance I could, which pathetically was little more than a look of mild resentment.

"I'm not tired." It was the best screw you I could manage, the knowledge of what he was making it impossible for me to say what I really wanted to.

David gave me a warning look and I immediately felt the compulsion to walk back and just face going home. Then his eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment before he smiled, or sneered rather, and said, "Have fun."

But the way he said it was enough to make me want to forget my clever idea and get on his bike without a word.

But then again, my doing that would be what he didn't want, so I just took a deep breath and walked away into whatever trap he had planned for me.

Sure enough his words as I walked didn't carry far enough for me to hear. If they had I'd have braved his wrath and gone home and never left that cave again, no matter what was there.

Instead I just let my feet take me from one part of the boardwalk to another, only seeing enough not to walk into anything or anyone.

My mind was elsewhere as usual, thinking about things I had gone over a thousand times. Mostly I thought about the little boy that had been thrust into my life and who, before I could find my feet, had become my responsibility. I may not have been the person he wanted to replace Sarah, but he barely had a choice. I was pretty much his only chance at getting his life back, literally. Sarah had made me swear to find some sort of help, even she knew I wouldn't be able to do it alone. And up until a few nights ago I thought I had found it when that boy had followed me and Laddie at the concert. Despite knowing his possible fate since David had noticed him too, I found myself smiling as I thought of that smile he had flashed my way. He was definitely handsome, if I was still human, I wouldn't have hesitated in talking to him. But I apparently belonged to someone else and flirting with boys I didn't intend to kill was, I knew, against the rules.

It wasn't just his smile, though, or his eyes or everything else about his appearance that had me thinking about him more than I should. It was that he looked like he would try his best to help someone who really needed it. And I couldn't think of anyone who needed help more than me. But my clever plan had been shot to hell as soon as David told me I had to get him in the group. So instead of promising myself to get him to help me, I had sworn that if I saw him anywhere I would run the other way. It wasn't a genius plan, but it was all I had. I wouldn't do this to someone else, make them suffer like this if I could help it, even if it meant I had to find some other way of getting Laddie away from the boys. And that alone was getting harder and harder the longer he stayed around Dwayne and they grew closer. I feared more than anything I would wake up one night and find the little boy was now a little vampire through and through.

After about an hour of wondering around I happened to pass a piercing vendor and my ears caught the conversation between two friends, one obviously about to brave the gun.

"I promise, it won't hurt."

I slowed my steps as the girl sat down, smiling knowingly. She was about to have a metal rod stuck through her ear, of course it was going to hurt! Maybe not for long but still, her friend was a major lair. Then a familiar mop of curly brown hair appeared near them and I felt myself stop all together.

It was him.

I hadn't felt happy in days and somehow now I was, despite knowing some of David's plans and promising myself to stay away from him. But I knew I had to stay away, I couldn't let him see me, couldn't let myself look at him for too long. I had to walk away now, disappear like I had promised I would. But now that he was actually right in front of me I was rooted to my spot, and I knew the only way for me to move would be if I walked towards him instead of away.

If David wasn't here anymore, having left a while ago, then it couldn't hurt to just talk to him could it? I desperately wanted to just hear his voice. He was so handsome and just I wanted one thing to go right for once. David wasn't here, he was. And he was obviously interested in me, having followed me shamelessly last night like a pure bred stalker, and I couldn't deny the feeling was mutual.

Just once, if I could just talk to him once and pretend I was a normal teenage girl with an innocent crush, then I'd be able to face my fate.

Just once.

Before I convinced myself otherwise I stepped forward until I was basically whispering in his ear.

"It's a rip off." My confidence was boosted when I heard my voice sound soft and inviting, like it did when I was still a flirt and not half dead.

It seemed to work too, as he abandoned his desire for a piercing and followed me, uttering a hi that I almost didn't hear. Completely losing myself in the act I turned back to glance at him nonchalantly as I said softly, "If you want your ear pierced, I'll do it." I managed to make the odd ten bucks every now and then doing that for friends and friends of friends. I wasn't spectacular at it, but I had yet to actually miss.

"What's your name?"

I pushed my hair out of my face and told him, my mild at best temper rising a little when he mentioned my parents.

"Oh your folks too huh?"

"What do you mean?" I was instantly offended, my parents being a touchy subject now that I would never see them again.

But he didn't pick up on it, "Ex hippies, I came this close to being called Moonbeam or Moonshine."

He said it as if it was supposed to impress me, but it failed. Being named after illegal alcohol, that seemed unlikely even if your parents were stoned for the first thirty years of their lives.

"But Star's great, I like Star."

"Me too."

I was smiling wider the longer I talked to this boy. He was trying so hard to be cool it made the smile on my face difficult to erase. Not that I wanted it to anyway.

"I'm Michael."

"Michael," I said with a laugh, "Michael's great, I like Michael."

We'd reached the end of the boardwalk now and I saw him walk towards a bike parked against the railing that separated shoppers from the beach.

"You wanna get something to eat?"

I was about to automatically refuse, fearing what would happen if I spent too much time with him. Then again there was no one to see us, the boys weren't here.

"'Kay."

Then that sound filled my ears and I could have beaten my head against a brick wall.

Well done Star, you didn't just walk into David's trap, you threw yourself in head first.

And now Michael was going to pay the price.

As we were surrounded by four bikes I had come to hate with everything I had in me, I found myself wishing to see the one person that wouldn't be there.

Third Person POV

David watched Star walk away, sensing her unease as he gave her permission to do what she wanted for the first time in weeks.

Paul seemed confused as well, as he hopped on his bike, ready for the snack they had spied earlier.

"Since when does Star get left on her own, Dave?"

"Since there's someone waiting for her."

Marko, who had decided to listen in on the conversation, frowned around the thumbnail that was permanently stuck between his teeth. David knew it was a sign that his thirst was getting stronger. But none of the boys would hunt unless David said to, so he resorted to biting his nail instead.

David grinned at Marko and Paul's questioning looks and motioned to his left, the direction Star had gone.

Two pairs of eyes followed the gesture and grinned when they saw that yutz from the other night that basically jumped on Star in the middle of the boardwalk eyeing a stand selling cheap ass leathers.

"I knew he'd come looking for her eventually. She won't be able to stay away."

David smiled as his plan fell into perfect order. He'd given up on his other lost girl a while ago, his boys slowly coming to same realization the more time went by. Even Dwayne.

How he was dealing with it was a mystery even to David, his indifference to everyone never faltering for a second. But he did seem determined to replace her with Laddie.

David had quickly moved on from that and focused on his mission. He had an end to achieve, one that was purely his. Paul and Marko were just in it for the fun of screwing with another guy's head whilst Star was dragged helplessly along. Dwayne… well he would do as he always did, making sure the idiot didn't step out of line.

David smiled again as Star moved to get on the back of the boy's bike.

He turned to his boys and simply nodded to the pair. Needing no further urging, they all rode over to them. David stopped as close as he could to where Star was standing and she looked at him with a mixture of shock and fear.

"Where are you going, Star?" all of the control David had over Star dripped from his lips, and he knew the boy would hear it too. Making her all the more tempting for it. Nothing like wanting what belongs to someone else.

"For a ride. This is Michael." Her voice on the other hand was think with fear and just a hint of annoyance and disappointment. Clearly she had thought she'd get away with this one.

David didn't acknowledge Star's friend further than a glance in his direction, almost smirking when he tried to get Star to go with him.

"Star." The warning in his voice made Star stop and look at him. For a moment her eyes flashed with pleading at him, but it left quickly because she knew that it would do nothing to sway him.

Michael's eyes danced between them, finally picking up on the true nature of David and Star's relationship.

Star didn't argue but calmly climbed on the back of his bike, a satisfied smirk taking over his face.

Now it was time to have some fun.

"You know where Hudson's Bluff is overlooking the point?"

Michael smiled knowingly, as if that pile of junk could beat David, and he knew it.

"I can't beat your bike."

"You don't have to beat me Michael, you just have to try and keep up."

Michael's eyes hardened at the implication, playing into David's hands. Now he had him.

The head vampire knew full well that Michael would do anything he was told to, with just the right words, words that David knew perfectly.

Michael would go as far as David wanted him to, it was only the extent of David's humour that would determine Michael's fate.

A/N: I bet I can guess what you're all wondering huh?

I tried my best with Star's point of view, but I suck at Mary Sue type characters, I much prefer writing strong female characters so being all vapid and stuff really isn't my strong suit. So I'm sorry if she's a little out of character.

That pretty review button wants you to give it a loving click.

To those who have favourited Play Thing, thanks a million!

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If you're following Play Thing, I hope it continues to be worth it!

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And lastly to those who reviewed and made me smile!

Seriously, I would get the email alert thingies when I was studying for exams and it's a case of, "I really shouldn't read this now, but I'm gonna, cos I wanna." *sigh*

Izzibeth091991: Thank you so much!

Guest: I'll see what I can do. But Sarah can't make any promises

GreenMouse95: Thanks for the idea, it's great to know people really don't want Sarah to... you know.

Freax: As always your praise is very much appreciated!

AlyssalovesMarko: Woah, I didn't expect to make people cry! On the one hand that makes me really happy cos it means my sad pieces are actually sad… on the other hand, sorry!

'Lenore Fenrir': Thank you, that was something that always bugged me. Star always had perfect makeup and I was like, "Hooooowa?!" I mean come on she doesn't even have a smudge of lipstick that is not normal! I hope you enjoy the rest.

CastleRockGirl: I can't say how much it means to know that my portrayals are accurate. Thanks a million!

To everyone else who reads the first chapter and thinks, "Hey this looks like fun." And carries on to the bitter last chapter, you're all awesome too!

Because there is so much to be resolved and I'm itching to carry on typing till my fingers want to fall off, an update should be prompt.