AN: Hi, guys. Sorry it's been so long, but we have a bit of a treat for you to make up for it. Enjoy, and don't forget to review! x

Ste stared at the pile of dust on the floor. Then he stared at Seamus. Just the idea of someone hurting Brendan had made Seamus tear a vampire's head off. He'd taken a chance, followed the scent of Amy's fear and saved Amy's life in the process. He'd single handedly taken on an unknown vampire who had plagued Ste and Brendan's time together, killed Ste and who knew how many others and turned innocent people into vicious killers, with little regard for his own safety. He'd destroyed the threat, protected Amy and killed for his love of Brendan.

And now he was looking at Ste and Amy like a concerned parent.

"You alright there, love? Did he get you?"

Amy shook her head, still in tears. She had a shallow cut on her neck, the first thing Ste had checked when he arrived in the room. Her life hadn't been in danger since Seamus pounced on the monster who held her.

"How did you even get here?" Ste asked, brushing some of Amy's hair from her face.

"I don't know," Amy sobbed.

"He probably hypnotised her," said Seamus, "you're safe now, darling."

"Amy," Ste told him, "her name's Amy."

"Amy," Seamus corrected himself. "Will you let us take you home, Amy? To your home of course."

Amy looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Yes please," she said.

She held out a hand to Seamus, who took it and helped her up. "OK, sweetheart?" he asked, again.

"Yeah," said Amy, but she didn't look it. She stared at the pile of ashes on the ground. "He was crazy."

"Exactly, but he's gone now, you're safe with me," Seamus whispered.

That sent an unexpected spark of jealousy through Ste. But he knew it wasn't reasonable. Seamus was just being nice.

"Who's with the kids?" Ste asked, with a sudden burst of panic.

"Er… I don't…" Amy frowned, shaking her head, maybe trying to clear it of the hypnosis. "I think… I think there was someone…"

"You don't know?!" Ste shouted, furiously. But Seamus put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, she was taken against her will…" he said, kindly.

"She left my…"

"Yeah, your kids, I get it. If you don't believe me look at the evidence over there." Seamus indicated the pile of dust on the floor. His face was warm, but strict, like a primary school teacher addressing a child, "but they're her kids too. You think shouting at her is gonna help?"

Ste's panic was very suddenly diluted by guilt. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm sorry Amy."

Amy nodded, but she was clearly crying.

"What do we do?" asked Ste, too upset to think straight.

Seamus put a gentle hand on Amy's back. "We go back to hers. Don't you worry about a thing, sweetheart. Your kiddies are probably tucked up in bed as we speak, haven't even noticed you've gone."

Amy nodded again, hopeful. Ste dared to hope too, but it seemed unlikely. Whoever had been after him had shown no mercy so far. He had no reason to suspect he'd have left the children unharmed.

Seamus scooped Amy into his arms, and Ste couldn't help but notice how calm she was at being held by a stranger. It was nice. She obviously felt an instant trust in the man.

In fact, the longer he spent with Seamus, the more certain he was that Brendan's problems with his father were all in his own head. He almost jumped as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, with Brendan's name flashing up.

It took twelve rings for Steven to pick up his phone, twelve awful rings in which a number of situations flashedto the forefront of Brendan's mind. What if Steven wasn't safe? What if Amy being missing was all part of a trick, that Seamus had devised to ruin his life?

"Hi ya," said Steven's voice, sounding a little strange.

If Brendan had a heart he was sure it would have stopped beating at the sound. "Where are you?" he asked quickly. "Is Amy with you? Are you okay?"

"I'm with...Amy." said Steven, some what reluctantly. 'And your Dad."

Brendan swallowed hard. "With my Dad? Steven..." he started, lowering his voice. "You need to get away from him right now, it's not safe."

"Brendan," said Ste, somewhat impatiently. "Just listen to me, yeah? Your Dad, he saved Amy's life. He's a hero."

Brendan held the phone away from him, his nails digging in so hard that he was sure they'd be dents in it when he let go. He took a long breath, hoping it would calm him. Vinnie and Walker were both looking at him with curiosity, this wouldn't do. Brendan couldn't show weakness to these two, even though his body was screaming for him to tell Steven to get out of there.

"I'm coming home, I don't want him there when I get back." he said firmly, keeping his voice low.

"But Bren..." said Steven.

"But nothing," said Brendan sharply, feeling his temper beginning to work its way to the surface. "It's an order Steven."

Steven let out a choking noise. "Fine," he said coldly. "See you in a bit."

Brendan turned away from the other men's accusing eyes. Seamus seemed to taint every part of his life, even his relationship with his soul mate. "Be careful Steven." he said finally, even though he really wanted to say I love you.

"That was a bit harsh." said Vinnie, the minute Brendan pressed the end call button.

"Did I ask for you opinion?" growled Brendan.

Vinnie stuck out his bottom lip. "No, but you're doing that thing you used to do when us two were together. You push and push until there's no part of us left that wants to be with you any more."

Brendan raised an eyebrow. "I was the one who broke up with you, Vincent." he spat out his name. "And if I remember rightly, you still didn't take no for an answer, you had to go one further and become a vampire so that you could stalk me even in death."

Vinnie looked confused for a second. "Oh yeah, sorry...different vampire."

Walker and Brendan shot annoyed looks at one another.

"As I was saying," Vincent continued, unaware of the other two men's murderous stares. "Sometimes you have to show a bit of love and affection. Give and take and all that, according to that Jeremy Kyle...although I don't know why I watch him, he doesn't look very tasty."

"So I should show Steven I care like you did your human? By putting him in a box? I'm sure Steven with love that." said Brendan sarcastically.

"I really don't want to hear about the inns and outs of you and Ste's love life." said Simon going a bit green.

Brendan refrained from answering the slayer; Walker was lucky him and Steven let him be in their presence, there was no way he'd ever share any of the private moments between him and the new vampire. He tried to ignore the ache in his heart as he thought of Steven in his human form.

"I liked the yogurt," said Doug lovingly. He ran his tongue round his face, trying his hardest to be seductive as he wiped the yogurt away.

Vinnie pulled a face. "You know what, you're right. I don't know the first thing about keeping humans, I think you two should take him. I'd only end up killing it, like my first goldfish." he lowered his voice to a whisper. "I think this one's faulty any way."

"You can't just get rid of him because you're bored of him." said Walker angrily.

"Why not? It's what Brendan used to do with his former lovers." said Vinnie.

"Well we've got other things we should be doing." argued Walker. "Like protecting humans from the likes of you!"

Vinnie rolled his eyes. 'Per-lease. I didn't eat him or treat him badly, I'm a good vampire...just ask Ste. I looked after him when he'd just been turned, because I'm a good boy. I didn't even sleep with him when he pretty much presented himself naked with a bow on top and this is the thanks I get."

Brendan let out a frustrated growl, "Are you two done arguing like little children?"

"No." answered Walker and Vinnie simultaneously.

Doug let out a dreamy sigh. "I'm going to marry that Vampire one day!" like it was something to be proud of.

Brendan didn't disagree with him, even if it was more likely Doug would end up as Vinnie's dinner long before becoming his husband.

Ste lay in Brendan's bed staring at the wall angrily. He was meant to be sleeping, the sun would be coming up soon and he'd had a long day...but he just couldn't. He was just too angry and confused to do anything but lay there staring at the wall. The side of him that was obsessed with sex and blood seemed to be slowly ebbing away by the hour, being overtaken by his rage at Brendan.

"Stupid Brendan," Ste muttered under his breath. "Giving me orders like I'm his slave or something. My name's Brendan Brady and I'm a big bad vampire, you must do as I say Steven...Ha!" doing impressions of his maker always made him feel better.

Ste stiffened suddenly as he heard the tell-tale sigh of Brendan creeping into the front door downstairs. He knew it was Brendan because he could smell him, and he tried to ignore the lust rushing through his body. Ste clenched his eyes shut and made heavy breathing noises that he hoped Brendan would mistake for sleeping.

The door to the bedroom creaked open and Ste kept his eyes firmly shut, continuing the act of pretending to be asleep. He heard the rustle of clothes hitting the floor and waited to feel the weight of another body next to him in the bed. It never came. For a few minutes nothing in the room moved and Ste became aware that Brendan was stood over the bed watching him.

"I know you're not asleep Steven," said Brendan softly.

Ste continued to snore softly.

"Vampires don't snore Steven."

Ste finally rolled over and looked up at Brendan. He could just make out his face with his new vampire eyesight. "I'm not talking to you."

"That's alright." said Brendan softly. "I could do with some peace and quiet after tonight." And, finally, he slid into the bed next to Ste.

Ste glared at him in the dark, but Brendan ignored it.

"Where is he?"

Ste let out a sigh. "Where's who?"

"Seamus." answered Brendan, he said the name like it was a curse.

"He's gone home, your witch friends seem to have performed a spell so he can't enter the house any more," said Ste bitterly. It wasn't fair, Seamus was a hero and this was how Brendan treated him! If it wasn't for Seamus, he didn't dare think what could have happened to Amy.

"About you Dad..." started Ste.

"Don't talk about him," growled Brendan, turning away from him.

Ste went to open his mouth, but found he couldn't utter the words he wanted to. He growled in frustration, it seemed Brendan had used his maker powers to stop him from talking.

"You can't keep controlling me like this!" said Ste angrily.

There was a pause before Brendan finally answered in a voice filled with repressed emotion.

"I know."

Ste let out a sigh. "Then what are we going to do about it then?"

"You should to pack your bags tomorrow night and leave me." said Brendan. "You should get as far away from here as possible and find a human or a vampire who deserves you. Someone who's whole and can treat you like you deserved to be treated Steven."

Ste clenched his eyes closed, trying to ignore the stab in his heart. "No." he reached out to touch Brendan's bare shoulder, but the other man flinched away from his touch. The anger Ste had been feeling all night seemed to fade away; something was wrong.

"It was all a lie Steven, the witches spell, the soul mate stuff; I made it all up because I desired you from afar, none of it was true." said Brendan mechanically into the darkness.

Instead of retreating like Brendan seemed to expect him to, Ste edged closer to him. He tentatively reached out his hand and gently turned Brendan towards him, this time Brendan didn't flinch away.

"What's going on?" asked Ste softly, his eyes searching for Brendan's in the darkness.

"I want you to get as far away from here as possible..."

Ste silenced him by placing his lips gently on Brendan's.

"It's not safe for you here Steven."

Ste kissed him softly again, this time his lips lingering a little longer.

"We can't do this..." continued Brendan in a broken voice, but he was once again silenced by Ste's lips.

Ste pulled away for a moment to look at the man he loved even more than life itself. He kissed the top of his head gently, before pulling him tightly to him. Ste held him close and, after what felt like forever, felt Brendan finally relax into his arms. Ste bit his lip as Brendan began to shake and he felt cold liquid on his bare shoulder.

"You smell funny." said Ste suddenly as he breathed in Brendan's unique scent, "You smell of fear, of danger, of blood and of...sex. Did you...?" Ste could suddenly hear his dead heart pounding in his ears.

"No." said Brendan firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Ste breathed in, even though he didn't need to. "No... it's not your sex. It's your fear... you're misery..." Ste gasped. "Did someone..." he began to ask, his brain putting the pieces together. He tried to put the words together as delicately as possible. "Did someone try to force themselves on you tonight?"

The idea was ridiculous to Ste; who could possible have the power to hurt Brendan in such a way? But as Brendan gripped onto him tighter refusing to look up, Ste felt suddenly afraid. For the first time he realised how fragile the other man was, who was now crushing his face into his shoulder. He looked small, child-like even.

"You nearly didn't come back to me tonight, did you?" asked Ste, trying to ignore the side of him that wanted to out and rip the throat out of whoever who had tried to hurt his mate. "I felt something in our link, but I was so angry at you, I ignored it."

"I don't want to talk about this Steven." said Brendan.

"Well I do Brendan," said Ste. "Someone nearly took you from me. They can't do that, they're not allowed to." he said desperately, his voice breaking with emotion. "Not when you're mine. You pretend you're so strong and unbreakable, that you don't need to be around me. But you're part of me and I'm never going to give up on you."

"Steven." said Brendan, his voice full of emotion.

Ste silenced him again with another kiss. "I need to show you that you're mine Brendan, I'm not going to let them take any part of you from me. Let me show you."

They continued to kiss intertwined with one another, as Ste pressed into Brendan desperately. He clung onto Brendan, but it still wasn't enough, even an eternity together would not be enough to satisfy Ste's hunger for him. Ste pulled away and began to kiss down Brendan's body, wanting his lips to touch every part of him. Brendan lay under him still, almost as if he was holding his breath...it was almost as if he sensed Ste needed to do this. He let out a dreamy sigh, each time his lips touched Brendan his body seemed to tingle all over.

Ste finally pulled away and slipped back onto his part of the bed, he gently turned Brendan onto his side so that he had complete access to his bare back. He started at his spine and slowly began to kiss his way down the other man's body, hoping it was destroying any trace of the scents left on his body from the last few hours. How dare anyone touch his Brendan? His kisses were soft, almost like the touch of a butterfly's wing. His tongue poked out of his plump lips and slipped up and then down the length of Brendan's spine. As he reached the bottom Ste paused, wanting to go further down. His tongue began to travel lower and Brendan immediately stiffened.

"Steven." Brendan said, his voice full of warning.

"Do you trust me?" asked Ste softly.

"With every part of me, Steven." answered Brendan softly.

"Then let me do this, let me erase it all."

Brendan nodded in the dark and Ste took this as the answer to his silent question. His tongue began to move lower, until it reached the parting of Brendan's plump and beautiful bottom. He gently parted the cheeks with his hand, pausing for a moment to let Brendan change his mind...he didn't. Ste plunged his tongue in and began to run his tongue up and down until he found Brendan's hole. He was hesitant at first, but as he reached out his left hand and felt Brendan grasp it with his own, he felt a surge of confidence. His tongue began to work more skilfully, lapping at Brendan's hole again and again.

Brendan began to groan and shudder with every flick of Ste's tongue. Ste smirked, making his tongue movements more precise and longer. Licking away every feeling of anger and resentment for whoever had tried to touch his Brendan. Ste finally pulled away and ran his tongue around his mouth, savouring the taste of the other man. He eyed Brendan's bottom hungrily, which was now slick with his spit.

"Can I?" Ste asked softly.

"Steven, nobody...I don't let anyone..." said Brendan for the first time sounding nervous.

"I'm not anyone Bren." he said softly. "Please, just let me do this. I just want to claim you as mine, just this once. Because whoever's tried to hurt you, they don't get a look in. We have each other, and no one's gonna change that." Ste whispered. He ran a single finger down Brendan's spine and then slipped it through where his tongue had been minutes previously. He slipped in another and then began to move them up and down, eliciting another groan from Brendan.

"Okay." said Brendan into the darkness.

Ste's breath seemed to catch, but he recovered quickly. He slipped off his boxers quickly before Brendan changed his mind. He put a shaky hand onto Brendan's hip, trying to line himself up correctly. "I love you." he whispered softly.

He slowly slipped himself into Brendan's opening, pausing as he felt the man stiffen underneath him. "I love you." he whispered again, kissing the side of Brendan's neck. "I love you." he slipped in further, shuddering with the effort not to come right there and then.

"You're mine," Ste whispered into Brendan's neck. He moved slowly and purposefully, making sure every movement was filled with how much he loved the other man. He wanted to worship the body he was inside, shower it with more love than even his human heart had ever been capable of. Inside of Brendan was so warm, so tight. He shuddered again as he pressed deeper into the warmth.

The spell that Brendan seemed to be under ever since entering the bedroom seemed to be suddenly broken, as the place Ste was thrusting into became tight when Brendan moved underneath him. Ste was taken unaware and found himself unable to stay in control any longer. He dug his nails into Brendan's hip as he shuddered to climax. He lay there for a moment, trying to ignore the stars that were blurring his vision. The animalistic side of himself was practically humming with pride; he had taken Brendan, Brendan was his now.

As if Brendan could hear his thoughts Brendan moved with speed and flipped Ste onto his back. Ste was pushed into the mattress by Brendan, his wrists pinned above his head. His blue eyes were practically glinting in the darkness.

"Did you enjoy that Steven?" Brendan asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Ste swallowed hard, if his heart could beat he was sure it would be hammering against his chest right at this moment. Brendan looked almost primal, like a predator that was just about to pounce on its prey. Ste found his eyes sliding down Brendan's body to where his cock was free and erect. He cocked a cheeky eyebrow at Brendan, as if to ask what he planned to do next.

"I think it's time I taught you who's in charge." Brendan replied by spreading Ste's legs apart with his knee. He confidently pushed his cock into Ste's opening without a pause, pushing deep inside of him. It was like they were two parts of a puzzle, a perfect fit. He went to pull out but Ste's legs wrapped around him, keeping him firmly inside of him.

"I haven't prepared you." said Brendan, his voice shaking from anticipation.

"I don't care." groaned Ste, "I'm yours and you're mine. You're always going to be mine and nobody else's."

"Always."

Brendan plunged back in without hesitation, freeing Ste's arms so that they could hold onto one another. He began to move and press harder and deeper, as Ste's cries became louder and louder. His nails were clinging so tightly to Brendan that there was sure to be marks in the morning. Ste's vampire teeth slid out and bit hard into Brendan's shoulder, his teeth drawing blood from his shoulder. Ste began to suck, his teeth sinking deeper into Brendan's pale skin and his tongue lapping up the other vampire's blood desperately. His blood was like a drug, Ste was nearly floating on air from all the sensations.

None of this mattered to Brendan. He was Ste's and Ste was his. Always. Seamus wasn't ever going to hurt either of them again, he'd make sure of that.