Final chapter.
I do not own MBAV, nor am I getting paid for this.
He's Just My Everything
The War That Ends It All
~3rd Person's P.O.V.~
Rory and Gwen approached the house with apprehension. But Ethan opened the door and invited them in nonetheless.
"Benny explained what you did. You're welcome here, and Gwen too." He said softly. Rory sat her down on the couch.
"Does your back still hurt?" He inquired.
Gwen shook her head. "They're healed. I'm fine. Really."
Benny was in the chair beside them, sleeping heavily. "He was so tired." Ethan offered. "I believe he's been staying up worried sick about Sarah."
Rory frowned; of course he was. If something happened to Gwen - like it almost had ten minutes ago - he wouldn't even consider doing anything else.
Ethan then noticed the stake in Rory's hand. "Rory, you have to remove that."
"I know. Uh, this may look gross, so, gimme a minute." As the others turned away, he removed the wood and put it on the table beside him. "Okay, it's over." His voice strained around the pain. Ethan brought him bandages to cover the wound with.
"I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but Jesse will be taking advantage of this. Soon." Gwen said grimly.
"When do you estimate?" Ethan asked.
"He'll need some time to get his stuff together, but not too long. We need to be prepared by tomorrow, as early as possible."
"I agree." Ethan nodded.
Just then, a door opened behind them. Ethan stiffened, hoping that Jane knew to stay in her room. But it wasn't his sister.
Erica stumbled out of Ethan's bedroom, one hand against her throat. She gave a quick glance around the room, but when she met Ethan's eyes, her yellow eyes became desperate.
Ethan rushed forward and put an arm around her, guiding her to the couch by her friends.
"Rory, get Benny out." Ethan said urgently, and the blonde boy scooped him up and placed him on Ethan's bed, where Erica was laying moments before.
Ethan grabbed a substitute bag from the fridge. No one said anything as Erica put it to her fangs and slowly drained it.
When she pulled away, she thanked Ethan, and gave a wary smile at her friends.
"Glad to see you up and moving." Rory offered with a shoulder nudge and a small grin. "But things aren't very cool right now in the Land of Awakeness."
Ethan and Rory caught her up on the events of the last couple days.
". . . We're not sending Benny to battle. Those vampires will rip him apart." Erica said gruffly.
"But we need the numbers. And he's not useless." Gwen opposed.
"I didn't say he was." Erica said sharply. "What I said was there is blood in his veins, and it is too much to ask him to - literally - put his neck on the line."
Gwen looked down and bit her lip, knowing it was true.
The four of them spent the next hour stratageizing.
But two creatures eavesdropped. Each plotted on how to throw off the plans. One did so secretly, silently, and the other waited until the vampires set to work, then acted.
"Rory!" He whisper-shouted. The blonde turned around slowly, then a look of concern covered his face.
"Benny, you should be sleeping." He said firmly.
"Just come here!" He continued, waving his hand frantically. Rory rolled his eyes and complied.
"Turn me." He said plainly.
"What?"
"I mean it. Now." Benny grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged it out of the way.
"Benny, you're not thinking straight." Rory swallowed hard, leaning back a little.
"Yes, I am. I heard you guys planning, and I have to be in this. I gotta make sure Sarah is safe. And I can't do that as a human. And in the future, it'll be better if I was already Turned anyway."
"B-But. . . Turning takes days, sometimes. Erica just woke up." Rory tried.
"So hurry. I'll do my best to Turn fast. Do it." Benny leaned forward, and Rory saw his pulse, and even if he wanted to stop, he knew he wouldn't have been able to.
Sarah knew she was going to left here. In the cold room, filled with the smell of human blood from the corpse in the corner for her.
Even with her vampire healing powers, she wouldn't be able to heal in time to make a break for it.
The girl let out a shuddering breath. She didn't care that she wouldn't be free; she cared that Jesse was breaking their covenant, and Benny wasn't safe.
But she was helpless. Sarah could only wallow in her cold, bloody room.
After all weapons were prepared, traps were set, and vampires practice dueled, Ethan, Erica, Rory, and Gwen set out, to be away from the house, the human, and the invalid.
Two of the vampires were scared. Ethan's legs could hardly carry him to the danger he knew awaited. Erica was worried for Ethan, about the dazed expression in his eyes.
One was determined. Gwen was ready to put an end to Jesse. His aura of dominance, his manipulative coldness.
And the last was guilty. Rory had eaten a dozen breath mints, and washed his healed hands, but the guilt and worry for his friend clung to him like smoke. He just hoped only he could smell it.
Jesse looked around at the battle ready troops. He knew they would work. They would do his bidding, be it out of loyalty of fear.
He didn't even bother bringing Sarah. Though she would be a good tool to blind his enemies with rage, she would be too hard to manuvour. No, she would stay here. He'd be back soon enough.
The vampire scowled at the thought of the traitors. Gwen, Rory, Erica and -
Ethan. Jesse smirked. That bitch was going to be put back where he belonged.
Today.
Benny didn't know what time it was when he woke up. Out the window, the sun was either rising or setting. When he sat up, his throat immediately squeezed, hard and dry.
Blood. He needed to drink blood for the first time after his life.
He took a bag of substitute from the fridge and drank it with new fangs. He then wrote a note apologizing for his stealing.
When the vampire turned around, he screamed. A little girl with bright red eyes stood there, eyeing him dangerously.
"Are you Jesse?" She asked.
"Uh, uh, no. I'm Benny." He said. "Who are you?"
She hesitated. "I'm not supposed to say." Then she saw his caution. "I'm on your side. I promise. My name is Jane."
"Hello."
"Benny." She pondered. "I remember you now. But I thought you were human."
"Yeah, well, it's complicated." Benny leaned against the counter, getting used to the color of her iris'.
"Not really. We're vampires. I heard you get Turned. But why such an abrupt decision?" Jane pushed.
"It's personal." Benny said gruffly as he remembered his mission.
"Not really." Jane repeated with a grin. "It's Sarah, isn't it?"
"How do you know so much?" Benny ventured.
"Let's just say, house arrest isn't my thing anymore. I'm getting around." Jane answered. "My point is, I know where you're going, and what you're doing. And you are going to take me what you."
"Why should I do that?"
"Because. I have a mission as well. Someone I also must protect. Rory broke his pact of goodness for you. The least you can do is help someone else complete a similar mission."
". . . All right. Where do you need to go?" Benny asked.
"The battlefield."
"And why should I trust you?"
"Because." Jane went down the hallway. Benny followed and found her just as a door opened. "This is my room."
After a few hours, Ethan and the gang found a good field, and not four hours later, a horde of vampires were there. The group prepared themselves, then flashed forward for battle.
Benny and Jane finally found the field as the fight began. The four were doing good holding their own. Benny had been informed that he woke up in the evening, and he was surprised that Jesse took so long to attack.
"Are you going to be okay, Jane?" Benny questioned, watching the vampire girl as she stared with wide eyes at the battle.
She took a moment to respond. "My mission is not that I come out alright." She said simply.
Benny looked at her with a worried gaze. "I understand."
"You said you'll be back here later?"
"I promise."
"Okay." She took her eyes off of the fight for a moment to smile at Benny.
He fought the urge to look away. "Keep my friends safe for me, okay?"
"I will."
Benny took her in once more, then gave a small nod and flashed off.
Sarah laid there for what felt like in eternity. Her fangs were dropped in thirst for the human blood that tainted the air.
Then, slowly, she heard a faint voice. Calling her name. As it grew louder, she recognized the voice.
"Sarah! Invite me in!"
Sarah was confused, but also grim. She didn't think she could raise her voice enough for him to hear.
"Sarah!"
"You can come in!" She yelled. After the word escaped, she heaved for air as pain shot through her body.
But as promised, Benny burst through the door.
"Sarah." He rushed over, then sat gently on the bed and brushed hair out of her face, ignoring her bare form improperly wrapped in a blanket.
"Benny . . ." She watched as he sighed, but his eyes turned yellow and he eyes the corpse in the room. "Benny! You got Turned."
"It was my choice, Sarah. I did it." Benny assured her.
"But . . . why would you do that?" She whispered.
Benny looked back into her eyes. "For you. And also so I can join our friends in the fight when you're safe."
"You idiot." Agony crossed her face, but Benny hurried to brush it away with his lips.
"I knew what I was doing." He said seriously, his eyes focused on her sternly. Then he grinned. "Don't make me regret it."
"When?"
"Ever."
No, I mean, when were you Turned?" Sarah corrected.
"I just woke up an hour ago. I hurried through the Turning, and I guess I made it just in time."
"You idiot." She repeated, but hope and good emotions were in her eyes.
"Let's get you out of here, okay?" He went to scoop her up, but the slightest adjustment of her pelvis, and he froze at the sound of her pain. He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find his words. He instead gave her a sorry look and scooped her up as quickly as possible.
Benny shuddered through her sounds of distress, then went outside and flew her to Ethan's house.
When he got there, he carefully sat her on the couch, making sure she was well covered. Then he brought her one of Ethan's substitute bags, and let her have a moment to savor her well-prolonged meal.
Once she finished, Benny kissed her cheek. "I have to go now. But I will be back. I have too much to look forward to now to be stupid tonight. I love you, Sarah."
Sarah looked at him with concern. "I . . ."
"Sarah?" Benny said, suddenly nervous.
"Make it back here without a scratch, and I'll say it back." She said, eyes teasing yet full of adoration.
He grinned. "I will."
And he went off to battle.
Jane watched the battle from a while away, just close enough to make out which figures she needed to distinguish.
The first two thirds of the fight went flawlessly. The four were holding their own, and if someone were just in the wrong end of the fight, another would swoop over and they would double up on the enemy.
But with a mere 18 vampires left, another one joined. Jane watched it carefully as he entered the battle, going first to Rory. The vampire seemed to yell out a warning to the others, and everyone, enemies included, froze.
Jesse shouted, "Restrain them!" And for a minute, each seemed too distracted to finish their opponents. The vampires were restrained.
Jesse turned his head and looked at Ethan, who flinched.
"Well, well." He mused. "I guess I know what happened to you." Ethan whimpered. Jesse went over and stood in front of him. "But I got you. You can be my little bitch again. Just like poor little Sarah." He grabbed his hair and tugged his head back, leaning forward and kissing his neck roughly.
"Get away from him!" Erica hissed.
Jesse stopped and flashed in front of her. "Hmm . . ." He looked her over. "Even immortal, you're not worth my time. I'd hate to say I'm the kind of person that holds grudges, but, well, I am. And I do." He held up a wooden stake, eyes cold.
Suddenly, a small figure was darting in between the groups of vampires, stabbing at the enemies. While at the same time, a taller figure dropped from the sky and attacked the vampires that hold Rory.
"What?" Jesse yelled.
In their shock, Erica was able to break free and fly up, and Ethan did the same.
"That's Benny." Erica breathed. "But who's that?"
Before Ethan could consider, enemies trying to escape the two party-crashers flew up. Ethan and Erica went to fight them again.
It wasn't long before the only enemy left was Jesse. Just as everyone approached, the smaller figure had impaled him. Ethan saw who it was.
"You stay away from my brother." She snarled.
Ethan watched as Jesse reached up and stabbed through his sister's heart, muttering, "Stupid invalid."
"Jane!" Ethan screamed.
She turned towards him and gave him a happy smile. "I love you, big brother." Then both vampires were ashes.
"Jane!" Ethan screamed again, eyes crazed. He went to go forward, but Erica stopped him.
"I'm sorry, Ethan. She's gone."
"No . . ."
Erica hugged her boyfriend tightly, until he relented into the pressure of her grip.
"Jesse's gone." Gwen offered. "The battle's over. Forever."
Rory put her arm around her. "Yeah."
Benny, who looked somber, gave a little smile to Ethan, who watched him with agony. "Yeah. Let's go home."
As Ethan walked into his house, he invited his friends in, and was then startled by the vampire on the couch, eyeing the group with desperation.
"Where is he?" She asked tightly.
"I'm right here, Sarah." Benny pushed his way forward. Everyone was frozen in place, but Benny spoke calmly. He held Sarah close to her chest.
Sarah pushed away. "I love you too, Benny." She said softly.
The boy held her close. "Sarah." He sighed, holding her close once more.
Ethan turned to Erica. "I'll miss her. I will. But I am eternally grateful that you are okay."
Erica smiled and hugged him. "I love you too, Ethan."
Rory looked at Gwen. "Anything you wanna say?"
Gwen rolled her eyes and brushed her long hair out of the way. "C'mere, you idiot." She kissed him fully on the lips.
And everyone sat in the living room of Ethan's house, hoping that they would be excused from school tomorrow.
End.