A/N: Hi guys, here is that update I promised you!

Nothing much to say, cos I reeeeaaallly want you just read the chapter already, except thank you to TheLostSister and NeonBunny for favouriting and to Emzy2k11 and Flowerchild23 for your reviews.

Disclaimer: The Lost Boys are not my property, unfortunately.

Enjoy!

XV.

There were a lot of things an eight year old knew that was beyond the understanding of an adult, like why that space under the bed was way, way off limits unless you yourself were hiding there, or how to score a thousand points on a ski ball machine.

But why the person who had promised to look after you had suddenly disappeared was still unclear to Laddie.

For a while Sarah had come and gone, going away for a few days at a time while either Dwayne or Star took care of him and kept him busy, so he didn't really have time to ask about her. When he did ask where she was it was always the same vague answer and the promise that she would be back soon.

Whenever the boy did see her she'd look more and more tired, kind of like how his parents used to look when they would wake up after their longer naps with those yuck needles still dangling from their hands. No matter how much Sarah was away from him despite her promise, he'd always be thankful to her for taking him away from that house.

But no matter how tired she was, Sarah would always smile when she saw him, and do her best to hide whatever was bothering her so much, and for a while Laddie could forget that there was a nasty feeling in his tummy that told him there was something very, very wrong with his new mommy.

David and the other three boys that scared everyone at the boardwalk had explained to Laddie exactly what they meant when they'd asked him if he'd like to live forever.

They hadn't been joking.

At first he'd been excited. They said he'd never get old, that he'd stay a kid forever and live with Sarah and the boys for as long as he wanted to.

The boys had even thrown a party for him after he drank that stuff from the bottle that David had given him.

The boys lifted Laddie onto the fountain's ledge and proclaimed him their prince, promising him the world. He could do what he wanted, when he wanted and forget anyone who tried to tell him he couldn't.

Laddie really liked the boys. Most people, especially on the boardwalk, who were their ages, were mean to kids like him, getting a kick out of pushing him around. As much as he could, he avoided older kids, sticking with the adults and pretending to belong to someone. He'd made some friends with a brother and sister who were both fourteen and they'd shown him how to survive on the streets, having lived there for most of their lives.

They'd been the ones to point the boys out to him one night, talking about how dangerous and scary they were. They'd both disappeared not long after that.

But since Sarah had joined their group and they'd taken him in no questions asked, Laddie was happy that he finally had a proper family.

He liked Paul and Marko the most because they were the most fun. They were like older brothers while Dwayne was more of a dad to Laddie, mostly because of Sarah, who was his new mom, and David…

Well… he was like the uncle that only showed up once every few years just to let everyone else know he hadn't died or something. He was never outwardly mean to Laddie, but the boy had a pretty good feeling that David wouldn't mind whether Laddie was around or not.

Then the boys had decided to make Laddie part of their group too, and brought out that cool looking bottle that Sarah hadn't wanted him to drink from for whatever reason. He was hurt at first, thinking she didn't want him to be one of the boys. But Laddie wanted a family and David was promising him one. So he drank up.

The boy nearly spat the stuff out immediately after it hit his tongue, that metallic sting being the last thing he expected wine to taste like. He figured it was what he deserved after drinking wine thirteen years before he was allowed to. Then that sting went away and all he could think was that he wanted more of it. After the third sip the bottle had been taken away and he was ready to fight someone.

"Not so much, little buddy! You'll get plenty more soon."

After that it was like Laddie was standing on the top of a Ferris wheel with nothing stopping him from toppling off. Exciting but really scary. If this was what forever felt like then he wasn't complaining.

But then the boys had told him what he had become the second the wine touched his throat.

Laddie had been scared into silence, the little boy knew what vampires were, but if the boys were real life vampires then that meant that space under the bed was scary for a reason!

Laddie had looked at the boys and said in a small voice, "But I don' wanna kill people."

It came out as more of a whine than David wanted and his face darkened for a split second before settling back into the inviting grin he used, Laddie knew, on everyone he wanted to trick.

"You don't have a choice, little man." Paul said ruffling the child's hair, earning a scowl.

"Eventually you'll be too thirsty not to." David was starting to scare Laddie now. The boy looked around the cave for Sarah, or even Star, he knew they'd make him feel better. But Sarah had gone to bed just after Laddie had drunk the wine, too tired to stay up and have fun anymore.

She seemed to do that a lot lately.

Laddie was always upset when she left him with the boys, but they made him forget soon enough, letting him run around and explore all the tunnels and smaller caves that made up his new home.

"Is Sarah one too?"

All four nodded and David explained, "She's half, like you. If you feed, Laddie, she will too. Then you can be a happy family forever."

There was that word again.

Forever.

For most of Laddie's short life the thought of living forever would be a dream come true, but the only way to do that now was to hurt someone. As undeveloped as Laddie's moral compass was, having a lot to learn still about right and wrong, he couldn't imagine it.

Dwayne stepped forward then and took hold of the boy, taking him of the ledge and placing him on the ground once more.

"It's alright, Laddie. It's scary at first but you'll get used to it." When the scared look didn't leave his face, Dwayne tried a different tactic.

"You want to live with Sarah, don't you?"

Ski ball and that space under the bed were things a normal eight year old understood. Laddie seemed to age a few years when he asked quietly.

"Does she still want to live with you?"

He was still too young, however to know what Dwayne's hesitation meant, but he simply straightened up and said to Paul and Marko, "Can you guys take him back to the boardwalk for a while? Sarah will be up soon and I don't think she'd be happy to see Laddie like this."

The boy's face twisted into a sour look, and he crossed his arms over his chest, "I don't want to! I wanna stay here with Sarah."

Dwayne knelt down till he was eye level with the boy, taking hold of his shoulders.

"Laddie, trust me, bud. Sarah will need time to adjust to the fact that you're like us now. She'll be here when you get back, I promise."

Laddie was not happy, but he went with the boys, asking if Star could at least go with.

As the four left David turned to Dwayne, anticipating his brother's next words.

"I wouldn't dare kick you out of your house but…"

"But Sarah will have a major lust for my life force, I get it." He took a few steps and then turned back with a smirk, "Make sure she doesn't get hold of anything sharp."

As Dwayne had promised, Sarah was there when Laddie got home just before dawn. Tonight was one of the nights when the boardwalk stayed open all night and Laddie had been taken all over. When he got home Sarah was awake, smiling when she saw him. He'd talked about his night right up until he fell asleep.

Sarah wouldn't let him become a real vampire, she'd told him he had to wait until she did it too. Laddie hadn't argued, but the longer he waited, the more tired Sarah got until she hardly ever went out anymore. Laddie was lucky if he saw her for an hour each night before he was dragged into town to "have fun".

Then one day she disappeared.

Everything changed then as well. The smaller caves were now off limits, and for a few nights after Laddie could sometimes hear Star crying when she thought he was asleep, and the boys seemed to have forgotten their prince.

Dwayne had seemed to replace Sarah in a way, always there when he was awake, unless the boys wanted to have grown up fun, then Star would take Laddie elsewhere. Laddie had been scared of him at first when he found out the truth about what he was, but Dwayne was never anything but kind to him, plus Sarah had loved him so he couldn't have been all bad. Soon Laddie was only really happy when Dwayne was around.

But no matter how much either of them tried to look after Laddie as best they could, it was not the same. He wanted Sarah. He knew he was hurting Star's feelings every time he asked for her instead, but he couldn't help it.

He was scared.

The longer she stayed away, the more worried Laddie became that she wasn't coming back.

Which is why he decided to follow Dwayne into the tunnels one night. He knew it was wrong, he knew he would be in the worst trouble of his life if he was caught, but there was just something in his head telling him he had to do this.

The other boys were all too busy entertaining themselves to notice the little boy slip into the dark tunnel a few minutes after Dwayne had gone there.

For a while there was nothing but endless darkness, and Laddie was shown the first fun part of being a vampire, he didn't have to worry about the dark, he could see perfectly.

And he could hear perfectly too.

Since then he knew the truth about why Sarah had gone again. He knew why it had felt like she was never coming back, and why Star kept crying when the two were alone and he was supposed to be sleeping.

He was in the worst trouble of his life for finding out, but it was worth it.

It was only a few days after that that David decided to add another member to the family. Laddie had spent most of the night with Star until the boys had come back from whatever trouble they had started. Laddie had been aching to go home not long after they left which was a nightly routine since he'd broken the only rule the boys had given him. When the boys eventually took everyone home, there was another boy with them, the same one who'd followed Laddie and Star the other night. By the way David was smirking and the fear that was all over Star's face as soon as David saw her with the guy, Laddie knew this was the new member. He'd be given the wine, they'd have a party and then he would become a vampire.

Once back at the cave, Laddie made a run for the tunnel, checking over his shoulder that no one was following him. None of the boys would stop him, they couldn't keep him away once he knew the truth, but he liked to have a few moments alone before anyone else, meaning Dwayne showed up.

The sounds of David explaining to the newbie how the hotel came to be here faded as Laddie walked deeper into the tunnel until he came to a room.

It was small, barely able to fit the bed that was the only furniture. A few candles stood on ledges around the walls, most of them lit. Laddie struck a match and lit the candle closest to the bed.

It illuminated her face a little, still as always and pale. Since he'd last been in here she hadn't moved and for a moment he was scared that it had finally happened. He reached out shook her shoulder and her eyes opened slowly. At least she could still wake up during the night.

There was a minute when she was confused about where she was, her eyes moving to look at the room, but then her gaze settled on him and that tired smile spread across her lips.

"Hey, Laddie." Her voice was hoarse and just above a whisper, a sign of how bad it was, but she still forced herself up onto her elbow so she could hug him.

"Hi, Sarah."

Her breathing was loud in his ear as he pulled away, letting her lie back down. He took her hand, ignoring how cold it was.

"How was your night?"

"It wasn't fun at all." His voice was angry, but he didn't shout, he knew it would hurt her, "I'm hungry all the time, and the noises hurt my ears, people smell funny. It's getting worse Sarah. I'm scared."

Her hand moved to comb her fingers through his hair, the previously annoying gesture now able to calm him some.

"I know you are, Laddie. I was, too. But you have stay strong just for a little bit longer. Star promised me she'd find a way to help you, and I trust her so you can too."

"David's decided to make that guy from the other night one of them."

He didn't 'us' anymore. Since Sarah had explained to him what was happening to her the night he'd found her here, he'd hated being a vampire with all of his half dead little heart. Now he also wanted to be human again.

Sarah's face fell at the news. She'd hoped David would forget about him as long as Star stayed away. She'd told Sarah she wouldn't let David near him, during one of the few visits Sarah had received from her friend. Laddie only shrugged his little shoulders, not knowing that the guy was supposed to be his ticket back to humanity, now he would be joining them.

"How do you feel, Sarah?"

Laddie watched that smile that always soothed him appear again.

"I'm okay, Laddie, better than yesterday."

Laddie was young but he wasn't an idiot. He knew that Sarah was dying, she'd told him herself, and there was no way she'd get better unless she became a proper vampire.

And she'd told him she wouldn't do it, and she didn't want him to either.

"Can you come sit with me for a bit? You can meet the new guy."

Sarah smiled and after a moment she nodded.

"You gonna help me, kiddo?"

The boy nodded eagerly as he held his arms out to pull Sarah up. That was another fun part, he could pull an adult up from a bed like it was nothing!

A/N: I figured it was time we heard from the little guy.

Lemme know what you all think :-)