| Chapter 20 Brian felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. And if that wasn't bad enough, then they come back and kicked him in the head. His heart was in his throat, as he stared at Tracy with wide eyes. "Th-Theophilus killed your mate?" he asked, barely getting the words out. She nodded, still not looking at him. They both stood there in the uncomfortable silence. Brian knew they needed to talk about this. He needed to understand what happened, but the hall wasn't a good place to do that. He opened his bedroom door and gently took her hand, pulling her into his room, and shutting the door behind him. He lead her to the bed and sat down, "Tell me what happened." Tracy stared across the room, away from him. She couldn't look at him, it hurt to much. She wiped a few tears away and cleared her throat, "Um, Jason, that was my mate, he went into the city for a meeting. I wanted to go with him, but he told me not to. I think he was afraid that something would go wrong, and he wanted to protect me," more tears ran down her face, "I should've protected him! He was my child! It was my responsibility to protect him!" she cried. Brian carefully reached over and rubbed her back. He could feel his own tears surface, as she went on. "I-I don't know what happened, not really. Word got back to me that Theophilus met him and asked him to join our family with his and Raven's. When Jason refused, Theophilus got angry and killed him," she sobbed. Brian closed his eyes, feeling an immense sense of guilt. Then images started flashing in his mind. He pulled away from Tracy, as the images grew stronger. "Brian?" she asked, as he crossed the room to the window, his back to her. He held his head in his hands as he leaned against the cool glass, "Oh God, make it stop," he muttered. Tracy moved towards him, wiping her tears as she went, "What's wrong?" He shook his head, sliding down the glass to the floor, still holding his head. Tracy knelt beside him, "What are you seeing?" she asked, noting that Brian was staring at a point in the distance that just wasn't there. When he spoke it was a shell of Brian's voice, soft, haunted, "It was raining, and cold. Jason was standing in the rain, waiting. I told him what I wanted, and he refused. I got so angry. How could this little vampire, who was barely a hundred years old refuse me? I struck him as he turned to leave." Brian winced, tears streaming down his face, as Tracy watched on in horror, "I killed him and left him in the rain." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Nick, come on wake up," Kevin urged, gently shaking him. Nick groaned, opening his eyes. "Come on kid, we gotta get back to the hotel," Kevin said, helping him sit up. "Oh Jesus, that hurts," Nick said through gritted teeth. Kevin gave him a compassionate look, "I know it does, but we gotta get moving." Nick got to his feet, swaying a bit before he got his balance. He felt weak, and his neck was killing him. It felt like someone had branded him with a hot iron, and each time his heart beat, it throbbed. Nick looked across the tiny room into the mirror. The bandage on his neck was clearly visible. "Kev, how am I suppose to hide this?" he asked, slowly pulling on his blood stained shirt. "You got turtlenecks with you, don't you?" the older man asked, as he gathered their backpacks and Nick's duster. "Yeah, but it's a little warm for them," Nick said, taking his coat and slipping it on. "Better to be a little warm than have to answer a hundred questions about how you got hurt," Kevin said. Nick nodded, then wished he hadn't. Each time he moved his head, it sent sharp stabbing pains down his neck. "Kev, how am I gonna get into the hotel like this?" he asked, gesturing at the blood on his shirt and jacket. "Well go in the back," he said, as they walked towards the door. The woman met them on their way out, "Good luck you two." Kevin nodded, "Thank you." Nick half smiled, as he passed her, "Thanks for helping me." She returned the smile, "No problem. Stay safe." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tracy stood up and backed away from Brian. He looked up at her, horror on his face, "Oh God, Tracy, I'm so sorry!" She stared at him, fear and anger in her eyes. Brian made it to his feet, and took a step towards her. She backed away. Brian looked at the floor, the realization hitting him hard, "I am that monster," he whispered. Tracy just stared at him, unsure of what to do or say, and even more unsure if she wanted to do anything to make him feel better. For a moment she saw the man that had changed her life forever, the man that had taken her one and only love away from her, and she wanted nothing more than to hurt him, like he had hurt her. But then that man was Brian again. He had looked at her with so much regret and guilt, and so much pain and loss, and fear, that all she wanted to do was hold him and tell him that everything would be Ok. But it wouldn't, and now he knew why. Brian quickly brushed the tears from his face and went to his closet, pulling out his bag and shoving his clothes into it. "I-I'll leave," he said, "I'm sure you don't want me here." Tracy snapped back to reality, and pulled the bag out of his hand, "No Brian, you don't have to go." "I can't stay here, not after what I did," he said. She shook her head, fresh tears brimming her eyes, "Brian, you didn't do it, Theophilus did." "But I'm him," he argued, "I'm that horrible person that hurt you." Tracy took his hand in hers, "Only if you let yourself be." "But I ...." Tracy pulled him back over to the bed and sat down, "Brian, I didn't know what Theophilus looked like, until the night of the party. The phone call I made was to my sire. You had me worried, already feeling slayers and you weren't suppose to yet. My sire told me you fit Theophilus's description to a T. That's why I was so mad at Howie and made him tell you. I wanted to leave, but I couldn't. You wanna know why?" Brian nodded. "Because of you. Brian, you are a kind and gentle man, and I couldn't leave you facing what I knew would be certain death if I didn't help," she answered. "But every time you look at me, I remind you of what you lost," he said. Tracy sighed, "A little yes. But I also see a new friend, someone that makes me laugh, someone that puts others before himself, someone with a pure and kind heart." Brian stared down at his lap, so many emotions running through him. "Please stay Brian," she said, nudging him. He looked up at her, "You're sure?" She nodded, "I'm sure." He sighed, biting his lip, "Ok, but if this gets to uncomfortable for you, let me know and I'll leave." She shook her head and smiled, "That won't happen." The two sat in silence for a moment, then Brian cleared his throat, "Um, can you tell me about Jason?" She smiled, it'd been so long since she even let his name cross her tongue, "Sure, what do you want to know?" "Everything," Brian said. "Everything huh? Well get comfy then, there's a lot to tell," she smiled, no longer feeling the sadness of his death weighing on her soul. Brian leaned back, placing a few pillows behinds him, and she lay next to him, staring up at the ceiling. "Jason, was my true love, my soul mate," she began, "I met him when he was eighteen. I had been a vampire for almost a hundred years and had many children by then, but there was something about him. A gentleness to him, that just drew me in. We got to know each other, and we had so much in common ... the same likes and dislikes. From the moment he found out what I was, he begged me to embrace him. But I was hesitant. Our life is hard, and I wanted him to see it for what it was before he made his decision. But as the years passed, he still wanted to be embraced, so on his twenty-second birthday I gave him what he wanted." Brian gently rubbed Tracy's arm as she talked, and she instinctively moved closer, settling with her head on his shoulder. "He was my last child on my own. From then on, we embraced together. We had a huge family .. this house was always full. Nancy was a young child then, and Jason took her under his wing. He gave her everything she asked for, just as if she where our own. Jason was with me for nearly eighty years before ..... um he died. I never thought I'd be that happy ever again. I um, I stopped taking children after that, and sent our family away. They were all old enough to start their own families anyway, they didn't need me hanging around, so ..." she shrugged. "Do you still speak to them?" he asked. "Yes, occasionally. They all have their own large families now, and every once in a while I visit them, but not often," she admitted. Brian hugged her close, "You should see them. Everyone needs their family," even as he said it, his heart broke at the realization that he would no longer have his family. She smiled, "I will, once we get things with you settled. You know ...." she laughed. "What?" he asked, when she didn't go on. She shook her head, "It's just that you remind me of Jason sometimes. The little things you do, your personality ..... you're very much like him." Brian blushed. "Jason was the only other one the babies played with," she admitted, "They see it too." Brian laughed, "It's good to know that I bring back fond memories for them." "And for me," she said. He glanced down at her, to make sure she wasn't just saying that to make him feel better. "I mean it," she said, smiling up at him, "For the few bad memories you bring up, you make up for in good ones." Brian sighed, looking away. She was telling the truth, but he still felt bad. Then his mind wondered to his family. His brother, mom and dad. They would never understand what he was now. Their beliefs wouldn't let them, and he knew it. He could never tell them, for if he did, he would lose them forever. Tracy looked up at him, sensing his change in mood. "What are you thinking about?" she asked. "My family," he said, his heart heavy. "They won't understand will they?" she asked. He shook his head, "No they won't, and I don't want to lose them." She raised up on her elbow so she could face him, "Brian, you will have to lose them one day. Wether you tell them, or you outlive them, you will lose them." The sadness on his face tore at her heart. "I know," he said, then looked at her, "Tracy, will you be my family?" She smiled as tears formed in her eyes, "Yes, Brian, I would be happy to be your family." He grinned, hugging her close, "Thank you." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kevin walked with Nick to the airplane, carrying both his and Nick's bags. Howie glanced back, "Nicky, you alright? You look a little pale." "Probably to much partying last night," A.J. said, a little miffed, "You guys coulda told me you didn't want me to come ya know." "Alex, we weren't at a party," Kevin interjected. "Then where were you until an hour ago?" he asked. Nick looked at Kevin nervously. "We had an appointment, and the meeting ran over," Kevin said, as the group boarded the plane and took their seats. Howie reached over and squeezed Nick's neck, "Well I'm sure that....." Nick jerked away, "Ow! Shit D, that hurts!" Howie looked at him, concerned, "Nick, what happened?" "Nothing man, just don't do that," Nick said, rubbing his neck. Howie reached over and pulled down Nick's turtleneck, seeing the bandage, "Nothing my ass, what happened?" Nick looked at Kevin. A.J. glanced between the two, "Well? You gonna tell us or what?" Kevin cleared his throat, "It's nothing, he's fine." "Kevin, this is not nothing," Howie said, glaring at the older man. "I'm fine really," Nick said, "Just that on the way back from the meeting I kinda fell," he said looking embarrassed, "I tripped over my own feet and fell, and I landed on this fence thing. It's fine, the doc looked at it, but I was embarrassed and I asked Kevin not to say anything." A.J. laughed, "Damn dude, I always told you those sled runners would be your downfall." Nick laughed, "I know J. I can't help it that I have big feet, man." Howie glared at Kevin, "That's really what happened?" Kevin nodded, "Just like he said." Howie sighed as the plane took off, knowing there was more to the story, but he wasn't going to hear it. He made a mental note to call Eli once he reached Vegas and ask him if he'd heard of any slayings lately. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nancy hummed to herself as she started her morning ritual. She walked down the hall to Tracy's door and gently opened it, like she did every morning. She was surprised to find she wasn't there. Her bed was still made from the day before. Nancy glanced down the hall, wondering where she could be. Usually at this time of morning, wild animals stampeding through her bedroom couldn't wake Tracy up. Slowly Nancy ventured down the hall to Brian's door. She hesitated going in. She had never looked in on him, and didn't want to overstep her bounds, but her curiosity was working overtime. Slowly she turned the knob, and opened the door. A smile creased her face as she saw Brain and Tracy laying in bed, both sound asleep in each others arms. Quietly she walked over and removed both their shoes, then grabbed a blanket from the closet and draped it over them. She took one last look as she left the room to finish her morning cleaning duties. She grinned, thinking how wonderful it would be for those two to get together. It had been far to long since Tracy had a man in her life. Especially a man as charming as Brian. She went about her duties, an extra step of cheer as she went. Chapter 21 |