childish, among other things. But, quite often, he could be found in his bedroom, reading, writing, or gazing longingly at videotapes of his family. There were regular emails from them and he’d received two packages containing precious drawings and hand written letters from his younger siblings. His father sent him videotapes of the kids and his mother telling him how much they loved and missed him. With a sigh, he went to the closet and pulled out a long sleeved denim shirt, hanging it on the doorknob. Then, he left the room, deciding to see what kind of edibles they had in the place now that they had guests who actually ate food.

The smell of pancakes and bacon roused Zac from a dream filled sleep. Some had been little snippets of his life, singing with his brothers, traveling here and there meeting fans; others though, had been a bit disturbing, involving blood and death and heartbreak. He was glad to be awake. He turned over to see Isaac, curled up in a ball, holding in as much warmth as he could without blankets. Smiling, he leaned over and pulled the blanket back over him, then stood up and stretched. He looked at the glowing red numbers of the clock. It was 12:54 in the afternoon. Shaking his head, he looked back at Taylor’s still form, before walking out into the hallway. In the large open living room, he could see coats and jackets thrown across a large, soft chair and a bag he knew belonged to Melanie. A little shiver went down his spine as he thought of her. She’d made no secret that she wanted something from him. A sound from the kitchen pulled him away from his thoughts and he looked up to see Mr. Jones getting a plate down from a cabinet. Slowly, he walked into the kitchen, hoping to scare the man, since his back was turned. Just as he was about to reach out and startle him, Mr. Jones turned around. “I hope you didn’t think I couldn’t hear those large feet of yours. You’ll have to use much more stealth than that to creep up on anyone around here.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot. You’re used to being around the undead all the time.” Zac smirked. “Guess they don’t make a lot of noise, huh?”

Mr. Jones turned around and handed him a plate of pancakes, “Actually, they can be quite loud at times. Your brother and that Melanie person are constantly picking at one another. It can be rather nerve-wracking at times.” He picked up his own plate and they both stepped over and sat at the large table in the center of the room. Zac’s eyes lit up at the large platter of bacon, the smell making his mouth water. There was also a pitcher of juice and three glasses.

“So, are you the only person who eats around here?” Zac asked, stuffing a forkful of syrupy pancake in his mouth, followed quickly by a piece of bacon.

Mr. Jones poured orange juice for the two of them and pushed the glass over to the boy, “Well,” he said, wiping his mouth, “the servants have lunch when they are here, or dinner—depending on the shift they are working.”

Both of them looked up as Isaac walked in, yawning loudly with his hair going in all directions, “Excuse me.” He uttered, scratching his head. Mr. Jones stood up and grabbed another plate from the cabinet and a delicate china teacup for his coffee. “Thanks, man.” Isaac smiled.

“I trust you slept well?” The man asked, sitting back down at the table where Zac was busy filling his plate with seconds.

“Like a baby.” Isaac replied, pouring syrup over his pancakes.

“Ike, be quiet. We were talking before you so rudely interrupted.” Zac spat.

“What?! I just answered his question! Geez!” Isaac tried to defend himself, but Zac had already moved on.

“So, what does Taylor do around here all day?” He asked Mr. Jones.

He swallowed first then answered, “Well, he sleeps until the sun goes down, of course. He is usually the last to awaken and I fear if the Lady didn’t insist, he would probably be content to just stay in his room all day.” He reached over and poured Isaac a glass of orange juice.

“Thanks.” Isaac said.

“You’re welcome.” Mr. Jones responded.

Zac picked a piece of bacon off the large platter and threw it on Isaac’s plate, and the rest, he scraped onto his own.

“Zac!” Isaac protested, but he was cut off.

“Dude, you’re done growing, face it. I need it more.” He then turned back to Mr. Jones who was shaking his head. “So, what’s he do when he gets up?” He asked.

Mr. Jones stood up and walked over to the dishwasher, “He gets up, he changes his clothes, and occasionally he bathes if the others complain loudly enough.”

“I thought they didn’t have body odor.” Isaac mused.

Mr. Jones closed the door on the dishwasher, “They don’t more or less, but sometimes they get their clothes soiled or get blood in their hair—“

“Ugh! I’m tryin’ to eat here!” Isaac said, wrinkling up his nose.

“So sorry. Point being, they still need to bathe. And your brother doesn’t like to put forth the effort. He seems to have…let himself go, as you Americans like to say.”

“Well, he’s always been sort of hit or miss in that area.” Isaac said, munching on his bacon. “Sometimes, he’d take two or three showers in one day, and sometimes, me and Zac would have to like, push him in the shower cuz it was too awful to have to sit by him in the van.”

“And why did he get in these unclean phases?” Mr. Jones asked, leaning up against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest.

Zac and Isaac looked at one another, then back at the man, “Um,” Zac started, “I think it was usually when he was sad, or upset or something. I guess when he was depressed was usually when he got like that. He’s a freak. He thinks too much.” Zac then stood up and rinsed his own plate and put it in the dishwasher.

“Well then, that certainly fits. It’s good to know that once he is no longer wrapped in his depression, that he will become a model of good hygiene again.” Mr. Jones sighed, “Whenever that happens.”

“If you’re waiting ‘til then for him to keep his room clean though, don’t bother.” Isaac stated, eating the last bite of his pancakes. He stood up, “He’s always been a slob in that department.”

“Joy.” Mr. Jones muttered, taking a washcloth and wiping the table. “That is between the Lady and Taylor. This apartment does not belong to me, but to her. And I am no servant, so it does not concern me as long as I have a clear path to the closet and back out again.” The three of them made their way back into the living room. The curtains were pulled open and the winter sun poured in through the windows, rays of light shining onto the gleaming floor and on the bright feathers of Beatriz’ pet as he sunned himself on his perch.

Zac wandered over to it and peered into the bars of the cage and was met with a set of untrusting, golden eyes and a ruffling of feathers meant to threaten him. “So,” he said, turning his head away for a moment to watch as Isaac and Mr. Jones sat down on the couch, “is this what eternity is gonna be like for Taylor? Going out for a while at night to survive, then coming home to watch TV? Why didn’t she just let him keep singing and stuff? At least for awhile.”

Mr. Jones let out a sigh, “Do you know you are very much like your brother? This has been explained to him over and over, and I believe to you as well.”

“I don’t give a fuck, tell me again. ‘Cause I just don’t see what she accomplished by ripping into his brain like that and letting him…die or whatever the way she did.”

Isaac watched the two, knowing Zac could be even more stubborn than Taylor had ever dreamed of. Mr. Jones answered, “I’m not certain of it, I’m not always informed about what all goes down here, but I feel it was that or he would have been executed by the elders. Beatriz often comes between them and the younger ones. It’s not worth the time or the effort to the old ones to bother with a troublesome vampire. Their agenda is to keep humans from knowing about vampires at all costs. Your brother was perilously close to blowing his cover. She did what she felt she had to do to save him. It’s that simple.” Zac just looked at him. He turned to Isaac, “You know, I think our Camille chose the wrong boy.”

“I wish she’d have just left us alone…” Isaac said sadly.

“I do too.” Mr. Jones agreed. He then turned back to Zac, “If it makes you feel any better about him, he has powers that the other males do not and Beatriz is making sure he knows how to use them. He shall rule them one day.”

Now Zac’s face turned into a smile, “Taylor?! Yeah right. He can’t even rule himself. He doesn’t care about that kinda stuff.”

“No, he doesn’t. But he will.” Mr. Jones said.

Zac narrowed his eyes at the man, then came over and sat down in a chair opposite him. “What makes you think that?” He asked.

“Because of his humanity. He won’t be able to stand for some of the things that go on in this world. Beatriz is a woman, which in this world means she is second class. But Taylor is not. Once his powers are fully realized, he will end up against the elders. I’d bet my life on it.”

“Hmph.” Isaac snorted. “I’ll bet once his powers are fully realized, he’ll figure out a way to use them to get dates with all the most beautiful vampire women.”

Mr. Jones smiled, “Only a woman with a death wish would touch him. Beatriz is not kind to those who go against her and they all know it. It’s what keeps your brother from harm from those who would make an example of him. He has enemies and he’s done nothing yet to get them.”

Zac shook his head, “What are you saying? I mean, is there some kind of…power struggle going on or something? Why would they care about him? He didn’t even want to be one of them!”

Mr. Jones stalled for a moment before answering, “I don’t know if you can understand this or not. I don’t really understand it all myself. But, the way I see it, the Lady is perhaps the most powerful of her kind in this city. However, in this world, the rules were laid down centuries ago at a time when women had no say in things. So, while she is probably more powerful than the elders even, she has no say in the way things are done. Does that make sense?”

Zac and Isaac just looked at one another for a moment, “Well,” Isaac started, “if she’s more powerful than them, why doesn’t she just kill them or something?”

“It’s not that simple. A woman moving against a man would be punishable by death. And I don’t believe they know that she is as strong as she is. Her powers are more…psychic, I guess you’d say, while theirs are physical and just, traditional men ruling the kingdom sort of stuff.”

“But what does Taylor have to do with it? I don’t get it.” Zac puzzled.

Mr. Jones stood up, “Taylor is…different. He is physical like the males, and yet, he has a good deal of Beatriz’ and Sonya’s mental powers as well. The Lady sees great potential in him. That is why she works with him herself as well as Sonya.”

“Well, since he’s a man, why was she able to do what she did to him, and not be punished, like you said?” Zac asked, confusion knitting his brow.

Mr. Jones smiled, “Because he is not yet a man. He is very young among these creatures, and the young get less respect than the females.”

“Damn, it must really suck to be a young female then.” Isaac mused.

“Yes, it is only the most cunning females who make it longer than a decade or so, even though they are better hunters. Quite often, they find themselves fetching victims for the men. Not unlike our Melanie being sent to bring someone back for Taylor, if you remember. It is a very delicate balance they maintain, and very complicated. Even I am confused at times, and I’ve been with the Lady for many years.”

Zac leaned back against the sofa and rubbed his face. “This is too much for me. I can’t imagine Taylor being any good at all in some freaky vampire war for seeing who gets to rule all the monsters. It’s just crazy.”

Mr. Jones crossed his arms over his chest and looked out the window, “I’m afraid you’re right, it is crazy. And it may be that she won’t make her move in my lifetime. But, only time will tell.” He said, looking back at the two boys.

Isaac looked over at Zac, who looked as confused as he was. “Well, I have to agree with Zac. Taylor is so passive, I just can’t see it. But, whatever—nothing will ever surprise me again. Ever.” He said, his eyes moving over to the window and the city below them. With a sigh, he stood up and walked over to stand next to his brother, “I keep thinking I’ve died and woke up in the Twilight Zone or something…” he said, gazing out into the sunshine.

And so, the day went on with the two boys exploring the apartment, marveling at Beatriz odd collections of things, old and new and the many rooms that seemed to serve no purpose whatsoever. Every now and then, they would make their way back to Taylor’s room to check on him, and always he would be just laying there. At 3:45, Beatriz joined them, followed closely by Sonya. Just before the clock struck 4, they watched a very groggy looking Camille pad down the hallway and enter Taylor’s room. Zac raised his eyebrows and looked over at Sonya, “Um, is she gonna wake him up?” He asked.

Sonya shook her head, “No, she’s hardly awake herself…”

“Oh. Well, what’s she doing then?” Isaac asked, leaning back in his chair to see down the hallway.

Beatriz looked up from the desk where she’d sat to go over her messages, “She just can’t stay away from him. Go and look.” She said, wadding up the small sheet of paper in her hand and tossing it into the wastebasket.

Sonya stood up from the couch, “Come on, I’ll go with you.” She said and both boys followed her. Pushing the door open, she reached in and turned on the light. There on the bed, Taylor lay, but now, Camille lay beside him, her arm draped over his waist and her head tucked into his neck and shoulder. She wore a tiny slip of a top and a pair of very worn sweat pants, and her bare feet were pressed up against his legs.

“So, when do they actually get up and start walking around and stuff?” Zac asked.

Sonya had stepped over to the curtains, pulling them open a bit at one end of the room, careful not to allow any of the soft sunlight to fall on the bed. “The very young do not stir until the sun has set.” She said, turning to face them. “Once it’s fallen below the horizon, they’ll be up. At least Camille will.” She then turned and left the room. Isaac and Zac stood, watching the two. Of course, there was nothing to watch, only two corpses entwined, motionless on a bed, not really slept in.

“So,” Zac spoke up, “do ya think she’s really in love with him?”

Isaac looked at him, “Who, Sonya or Camille?”

“Oh,” Zac answered, “Sonya loves him, but I don’t think she’s in love with him. I’m talking about Camille.”

Isaac shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess so. In the same way some of the fans are, I think. ‘Cause, let’s face it, she “loved” him before she ever met him, or knew him or whatever.”

“Yeah.” Zac mused. For a moment, he just stared at the pair, absently noticing they both had heart shaped lips. “Hey Ike,” he said, not taking his eyes off the couple, “what are we gonna do now that we don’t have fans?”

“Hmmm…” Isaac sighed, running his hands through his hair. “I don’t know. I mean, do we really not have fans? They’re still out there. Still talking about Taylor. Still writing us letters and emails. Still sending flowers and stuff. Still making web sites and posting on message boards. Still listening to the music and buying the records. I mean…just because there’s no us, doesn’t mean there’s no them. Do ya know what I mean?”

Zac stood lost in his thoughts for a moment, letting his brother’s words sink in. Isaac watched as he reached down, picking up Camille’s hand as if it were a dirty Kleenex. On her finger, a silver ring; the same ring worn by his brother for the last couple years, since it had been given to them by a fan. Turning her hand over, he saw red yarn painstakingly wrapped around it, allowing her much smaller finger to wear it and not lose the precious thing. With a sigh, he dropped her hand and turned back to Isaac, “Yeah, I know what you mean…but I don’t know that I want fans when there’s just me to be a fan of, ya know? If there’s nothing to be a fan of…”

“Well, “ Isaac said, putting his hand on his shoulder, “don’t worry about it. They’ll get tired of hanging around soon. I mean, we’ve said our goodbyes and stuff, the site’s only there for a while longer—just long enough for them to say theirs. They’ll move on.” Isaac walked away from him then, gazing out the curtains where Sonya had opened them. He then looked back, “Besides, are you sure you never want to do music again? I don’t think it’s that easy to get out of your system, Zac. Look over there on Taylor’s desk, whaddya see?” Zac turned his head to see papers scattered all over, “It’s songs, Zac. It’s songs. He can’t stop, so why should we?”

“I don’t know, man.” Zac answered, “I don’t feel like doing music right now.”

“Well, I don’t either. But I will. I know I will. I’m still writing. And just because you don’t feel like standing up in front of people right now, that doesn’t mean you won’t want to ever again. I know it seems like the music took him away from us—but it wasn’t. It was her.” Isaac walked back over and looked down at his brother and the girl who’d changed him into something inhuman. With a sigh, he spoke again, “Remember what they say—“The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long.” For good or bad, Taylor’s always shone brighter than us. He even shines here. They all know it. He wouldn’t want you to stop because of him. If you don’t want to do it because your heart’s not in it, then fine. But don’t stop because of what happened to Taylor. If the record company doesn’t want us without Tay, I understand. But if I have people wanting to hear my music, I’ll sell it to ‘em over the net, I don’t care. Just see how you feel in a few months before you burn any bridges, Zac.”

“Damn, Ike. You sound just like Dad. Ya know, if the music doesn’t work out for you, you two can always go into speech writing.” Zac smiled, then it faded. “I don’t hate the fans. Sometimes, I love’em. But, I just wanna forget and they won’t let me.”

“What do you want to forget? You wanna forget Taylor?” Isaac questioned.

“No, I want to forget how he died, Ike. I want to forget that I watched him die or that we had a dream, and it’s gone now.”

“Zac, you’re never gonna be able to forget any of that, so don’t even try. Just be thankful we can still see him sometimes and that we got to be together so much before. We had a great time, didn’t we?” Isaac asked.

Zac just looked at him. “Yeah, I guess we did, but was it worth it?”

“I’d say no if I thought it was the reason things are the way they are now, but it’s not. Sometimes things happen, Zac. Look at Kirk or Melanie, they weren’t famous and it happened to them.” Isaac reasoned. Zac turned his head and looked again at the beautiful room, letting his brother’s words sink in. “In fact, Tay may be the only famous one. I mean, I doubt that Elvis is lurking around drinking people’s blood and stuff, y’know?”

Zac rolled his eyes and turned back to face Isaac, “Yeah, but maybe he is, Ike. Maybe Jim Morrison is one too, and John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix.” Now a smile crossed his face, “Hey, maybe they only pick the greatest musicians and Hanson was better than we thought…”

Isaac laughed, “Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that, man. And when they all get together to play a gig, Tay better get me tickets!” Even as the two boys moods lightened, the sky was darkening and in a room down the hall, their brother was beginning to awaken.

~~~~~

Taylor’s eyes fluttered open and when he looked up, he looked into the violet eyes of Camille. “Hey,” she said with a smile on her lips.

“Hey.” He said back.

“Are you awake?” She asked, reaching her finger out and stroking his cheek.

“Yeah.” He sighed.

Her brow furrowed, “What’s wrong?” She asked gently.

For a moment, Taylor didn’t say anything. She watched him close his eyes for a moment, then open them again and look at her, “Camille, do you ever dream?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” she answered, “I guess it depends on what you mean. I have dreams, things that I want to do or accomplish. People that I want to meet….” She said with a smile.

“No, I mean, like while you sleep—do you have dreams when we die when the sun’s up?” He said.

She shook her head, “Taylor, we don’t “die” when the sun comes up. And no, I don’t dream.”

His steely gaze locked on her eyes, he replied, “Yes we do, or else we’d dream.” He then turned over, “I think I had a dream last night though. I dreamed my brothers were here and we were just sitting around and stuff, like we always used to.” He turned back over to look at her again. “What?” He said as a smile came across her face again.

“You weren’t dreaming, Taylor. Can’t you smell them? There’s a bed right there.” She said, pointing to the unmade bed.

Sitting up, he raised his face to the air and took in the scents of his brothers. Indeed, he could easily discern now Isaac’s aftershave and shampoo from his own bathroom in Tulsa. “I’m not crazy!” He said, jumping up from the bed and crossing the room in seconds. Camille hurried to catch up with him and saw him just as he launched himself onto the couch and his startled little brother. Isaac laughed from where he stood next to the window as Zac tried to gather his wits about him. It wasn’t often Taylor had pinned the boy and it was an odd occurrence. “God, I thought I just dreamed you!” He blurted out.

Zac’s heart was beating a mile a minute as he looked up into the bright eyes of his brother. His knees were on either side of him and his hands were planted firmly on his shoulders. Taylor was heavy and immovable and again Zac was reminded that they were very different from each other now. “Dude! You scared the crap out of me!” He scolded him.

Taylor only smiled down on him, then leaned in to smell his hair, “God, you smell so good! You smell like Mom.” He said, then he pulled his hands back and allowed Zac to sit up. “Ike!” He exclaimed, “what are we gonna do tonight?! How long are you guys here for?”

Isaac chuckled and walked over to the couch. He knew Zac was a bit uncomfortable and he hoped Taylor wouldn’t notice. “I don’t know man, what do you usually do for fun here?”

Taylor looked up to see Sonya and Beatriz sitting across the room, watching. “Um, I don’t know. I haven’t really had much fun here.”

“Tay, this is New York City, you can’t tell me there’s nothing to do.” Isaac said.

Taylor looked over at Beatriz and Sonya again expectantly. Isaac and Zac watched, as they all seemed to communicate, their eyes going from one to the other. Sonya spoke finally, “Well, you have to take Kirk with you. I don’t trust the girls.”

“Hey!” Camille let her presence be known. “I wanted to go with them!”

Beatriz stood up, “You frighten young Zac. I agree with Sonya, you stay here.”

“But—” she started, but was silenced with a look from the older woman. With a huff, she plopped down in the chair opposite the three boys. Taylor stood up and walked behind the chair, then leaned down and whispered something in her ear, gently touching her cheek with his fingers.

Mr. Jones walked in carrying the shirt he’d laid out earlier, “Please tell me you weren’t going to wear the same clothes for the third day in a row.” He said, ignoring the moment passing between Taylor and Camille.

Taylor stood up, “Um, I believe I put this shirt on clean yesterday, thank you.” He said, unbuttoning the silky, red one he’d worn out the night before.

“I stand corrected, young master. Far be it from me to point out any uncleanliness on your part.” Mr. Jones said, holding out the shirt.

“Far be it, my ass…” Taylor muttered as he took the shirt from the man. He slipped off the silk one and dropped it to the floor, then he pulled on the blue, denim, liking the feel of it far better. Mr. Jones bent down to pick up the garment but Taylor beat him to it, “You don’t have to pick up after me.” He said, then he draped it across the back of the couch. Mr. Jones stepped back and bowed to him, eliciting a shake of the head from the boy, “Would you cut it out, geez…” he said, embarrassed. Isaac and Zac just watched, taking it all in.

“Enjoy your evening, sir.” The man said, and he turned and headed back down the hall.

“You, too.” Taylor called to him as he sat back down on the couch. Isaac had perched on the arm of the sofa. “Hey,” Taylor said to him, “what should we do? Really? I mean, I guess we could catch a movie, or some music somewhere.” He looked up at his brother expectantly.

Isaac raised his eyebrows, “Whatever you want to do is cool with me, just don’t forget Zac’s still too young to get in bars and stuff. Which is a good thing.” He eyed Taylor.

Taylor smiled, “Alright, I’m with ya.” He leaned back and looked over at Zac, “Any ideas?”

“A flick sounds good to me. And I’m hungry again, let’s get something to eat first.” Zac said, standing.

Just then, Melanie and Kirk walked into the room. “Ooooh, look who’s here!” Melanie exclaimed, walking towards Zac. Before she could get too close to him, Taylor stepped between the two. For a moment, their eyes met and neither Zac nor Isaac were certain what was going down. Then, the girl backed up a little and smiled, “I don’t know what your problem is Jordan, I’d protect him like he was my own brother.”

“You don’t have a brother,” Taylor said, narrowing his eyes, “and you better keep your paws off mine.”

Beatriz walked up next to the two, “Taylor, I’m sure Melanie knows better than to ever harm a hair on the head of any one in your family. Isn’t that right, Melanie?” she said.

“Yes, that’s right.” The girl said, and Isaac almost thought her feelings had been hurt, as she cast her eyes away from Taylor and sat down next to Camille.

Kirk noticed the sudden tension in the room and walked over to Isaac, “Hey, Dude, how’s it been going? I’ve sorta been missin’ that old bus.” He laughed.

Isaac laughed too, “Yeah, I’ll bet you have. Things have been alright, I guess. How about here?”

Kirk looked over at Taylor, “Same ol’, same ol’.” He smiled. He then turned to Camille, “Hey, did you tell Taylor about your surprise?”

Her eyes brightened, as she looked up at him, “No! I almost forgot!” She stood up and practically ran over to Taylor, “Um,” she said quietly, “before you leave, I need to show you something…”

He drew his eyebrows together in curiosity, “What is it?” He asked.

She looked around the room, almost shyly, “Just…come down to my room before you leave, ok?”

“Well,” he said, looking over at his brothers, “we’re about to leave, is now ok?”

Her eyes went around the room, and she nodded and grabbed his hand, pulling him down the hallway. Isaac and Zac watched, both wondering what was going on. Beside them, Melanie and Kirk gave each other knowing looks as Beatriz and Sonya both searched the minds of the younger ones to find out what Camille’s surprise was.

The closer to the girls’ room they got, Taylor began to smell something familiar. “What’s going on?” He asked, smiling at Camille’s excitement.

“You’ll see…” she said. She opened the door to her room, pulled Taylor inside, then shut the door behind him. He looked into her excited eyes and again, a scent came to him that he knew. It was a smell of fear, but it was mixed with…coffee. He jerked his head around and there on Camille’s bed, her arms bound behind her back, as well as her ankles, was Jill, the girl from the coffee shop. Her eyes were covered by a blindfold and in her mouth, a gag. If not for the smell of her, he would have been hard put to recognize her, her bright red hair being the only feature he could really see.

“Camille!!!” He said as he rushed over to the girl.

“I knew you liked her!” Camille smiled.

Taylor stopped, just short of untying the girl, then looked back at Camille, “What the hell did you do?!” He spat silently. “You can’t just kidnap people!!!”

“But, she liked you…” Camille stepped closer, not understanding why Taylor wasn’t thanking her. “I just wanted to make you happy, I knew you’d been missing your family. I didn’t know your brothers were coming, or I would have saved the surprise for some other time.” Taylor closed his eyes for a moment, realizing the girl saw nothing wrong with what she’d done. She’d only thought of his happiness, not thinking for a moment how frightening it would be for Jill to be held prisoner for hours while the rest of the house slept the day away. “Don’t you like her?” She asked.

“Yes, I like her a lot—” he started.

Camille clapped her hands, “Oh, I knew you would! You know, they told you not to take from the same person and stuff, but hey, it’s been almost a month—it’s not like you’re gonna change her or anything, right?” She said, and she plopped down on the bed next to the two of them. “Plus, she still smells all cappuccino and stuff…” she said, and she leaned in and smelled the girl, wrinkling up her nose. “I don’t know why you like that icky coffee smell, but whatever.” She said, leaning back on the pillow and placing her hands behind her head.

Taylor just looked at her for a moment, then over at the girl between them. “Camille—” he said, then he shook his head. He’d been rendered speechless.

“What?” She asked. Then she smiled at him, “You know, really, it works out perfectly, ‘cause now, you don’t have to feed with your brothers around. You can just do it now, and you don’t have to worry about it anymore tonight.” She said brightly.

Suddenly, the gift was not so unwanted. The crime was not so heinous. She watched his eyes as they lit on the girl, then back on her. Slowly, he reached over and pulled the blindfold off the girl. At once, she squinted at the lights of the room and looked up at him, her eyes shining with fear and unshed tears, then, something else; recognition. She’d dreamt of his face every night since she’d first seen him. She’d cried when she’d watched a boy who looked just like him die on a stage, played over and over on every station on every television she saw for a week or more. She’d almost begun to think she’d dreamed him up and that he hadn’t really been in her apartment that night. Even in the position she was in, she felt relief—relief that she wasn’t insane. And she felt an almost overpowering attraction to the boy in front of her. In her mind, she heard his voice, “Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you.” He ran his hand through her silky hair, then he reached behind her and untied the bonds on her wrists. She pulled them back in front of her, flinching at the pain it caused, then watched as the boy gently took her hands in his. He pulled them up to his face and turned them over, his tongue touching the tender skin and his breath cooling it all in one motion. He then put his own finger up to his lips as he used the other hand to untie the scarf in her mouth. His eyes he’d locked on hers and she couldn’t have screamed if she’d wanted to. And he definitely did not want her to, as the last thing he wanted was for his brothers to come in and see him having his way with a girl, tied up and gagged in the bed of another. Camille had backed up and leaned against the wall, watching with fascination and a little envy as the boy she loved touched the soft, warm skin of the living, breathing girl she’d captured for him. Slowly, he stretched out his long legs, moving his body closer to the girl. Camille was certain neither of them had blinked, Taylor’s aqua colored eyes and Jill’s earthy green meeting in a stormy gaze as his tongue snaked out to soothe her sore lips. She watched as with a flick of his wrist, the binds around the girl’s ankles mysteriously snapped and her legs were free. With admiration, she watched, knowing Taylor’s powers had already surpassed her own and that they were getting stronger every day as Beatriz and Sonya worked with him.

“Why do I love you?” Jill asked, the sound of her voice pulling Camille back to what was happening between the two.

“You don’t love me.” Taylor said softly, gently kissing her earlobe, causing the girls eyes to roll up into her head. One hand he’d brought between them, unbuttoning her blouse; the stains on the front and the strong smell of coffee letting Taylor know they’d grabbed her on her way home from work rather than on the way there. “Mmm, you taste so good…” he muttered as he ran his cold hands across her warm skin where the blouse had fallen open. His hunger wasn’t so great this time that he didn’t take the time to admire her body. Her nipples still had the tiny silver rings looped through them and now, as he began to push her skirt down, he saw that her navel had one as well.

“What’s your name?” She asked, pulling back and looking at his face.

“I don’t have a name.” He breathed as he ran his hand up her stomach and over her chest to rest on her throat. Gently, he placed his thumb on her chin and pushed her head back, exposing her creamy neck. The blue vein was pulsing there and to his eyes, it was as bright as neon. He felt his fangs as they pressed against his bottom lip. Camille watched as he prepared to sink them into the girl. His other hand had gone down to the dark triangle of hair that would have been much more inviting to a living boy of seventeen than a tiny vein silently doing it’s job. But, this was no ordinary boy. He only touched her there because she seemed to enjoy it. At least she had the last time he’d been with her. And the more excited they became, the faster and hotter the blood that streamed into his waiting mouth. She had parted her legs now and placed her own hand over his, urging him to press further into her. Just as he thrust his fingers into the warm, slick folds of her vagina, he thrust the two sharp canines into her throat. She gasped and he felt her tighten around him. At once, he eased her mind, letting her know he wouldn’t hurt her. Camille could smell the blood and the sex and was finding herself aroused. She moved over in the bed and up towards the two entwined there, but before she could make a move towards either, she was met with the blue-green eyes of Taylor. She hesitated, for a moment, not sure of the signals she was getting. She slowly put her hand out towards the girl, but jerked it back when Taylor’s head shot up and he let out a growl at her, blood running down his chin and dripping with a splat onto Jill’s chest. Now, the signal was unmistakable.

Slowly, she backed away and carefully placed her foot back onto the cold floor. She’d never seen him react in such a way, and she wasn’t certain what to do. His eyes hadn’t left her and she was actually finding herself afraid of him. She watched Jill’s hand snake up her body to touch the wet pool that had gathered in the crook of her neck. Finally, Taylor released his gaze on Camille and took the girl’s hand before she could look at it. He pulled it to his lips and licked the blood from her fingers, then he kissed her mouth linking his hand with hers, before moving back to her throat and the tantalizing fare that awaited him.

~~~~~

Beatriz and Sonya looked at each other for a moment, then back to Melanie. “What did she bring him?” She asked again.

“That girl from the coffee shop.” Melanie replied nonchalantly. Her eyes then went back to gaze at Zac.

Sonya looked at Kirk and he shrugged his shoulders, “Camille said he liked her before, and she thought it’d cheer him up or something. But,” he said, looking over at Isaac, “we didn’t know you guys were gonna be here.”

Sonya shook her head and watched as Beatriz stood up. Suddenly, Melanie turned her head toward the hallway, sensing Camille’s fear. “Stay here.” Beatriz commanded the girl, then she quietly left the room.

For a moment, Melanie sat there, but soon, she jumped up and followed. Of course, everyone’s curiosity got the best of them and soon, all of them were on their way down the hallway, including Isaac and Zac.

Sonya was the last to follow, shaking her head and thinking fondly of the days when she just looked after herself. She looked down the hallway to see Beatriz open the door, but before she could step in, there was a resounding slam and she was aghast to see her “shoved” back into the hallway. At once, they all stopped in their tracks, amazed at the sight. Beatriz immediately began to spit Spanish words out into the air, the only one any of them understood being “Taylor”. Sonya rushed forward, past the others just as Beatriz threw her hands out and the door opened with a crash as it slammed into the wall. Her eyes ablaze, she went through the doorway, followed by Sonya. Melanie was next, her instincts to protect Camille overpowering her fear of what she’d see inside. There on the bed, Taylor still lay next to Jill, his mouth clamped firmly to her throat and his eyes shut in ecstasy. Camille was huddled behind a chair near the door. “What is going on here?!” Beatriz spat.

“He wouldn’t let me out!” Camille cried, standing and sprinting over to Melanie’s outstretched arms.

Outside in the hallway, Isaac and Zac peered in over the shoulder of Kirk who seemed to find the whole thing funny. But the sight of their brother, holding a girl, her clothes lying around her and her head thrown back as he fed from her was anything but amusing. Isaac’s hand flew to his mouth and he turned away, his back against the wall. Zac’s eyes were glued to the scene and his eyebrows shot up when he watched Beatriz pull Taylor roughly up by his shirt and practically throw him at the door, the only thing keeping him from landing squarely against the wall being Kirk’s form, blocking the doorway.

“Dude,” Kirk chuckled, setting the boy up on his feet and straightening his shirt, “you are a trip!”

Taylor turned to look at Beatriz and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “What’s the problem?” He asked, throwing his hands out.

Melanie immediately came at him, “What the fuck were you doing, you asshole!?”

“Having breakfast. What’s it to you?” He asked.

“Did you hurt her?!” She asked, looking back at Camille.

He gave them both a dismissive glance and furrowed his eyebrows, “I didn’t touch her.” He then looked over at the bed, “Hey, she’s kinda bleeding over there, can I—“

But, he was cut off by Beatriz, “No, you may not. Were you going to kill her with your brothers right down the hallway?” She spat.

“Um, no. Does she look dead to you?” He said, looking over her shoulder as Jill stirred. She’d turned over onto her stomach and was getting herself into a position to see him better. Her eyes were glassy, but it was plain to all of them, that the only thing in the room she could see was Taylor.

Beatriz closed her eyes for a moment, calming herself. When she opened them, she had the same serene look she usually carried, but it was obvious, it was a struggle. She turned to Sonya, “Can you please take this little party back to the parlor? I need to speak to Taylor alone.”

“Of course.” Sonya replied and she took Melanie and Camille’s arms and began to pull them out of the room. Zac had backed up against the wall across the hallway, still watching. As Melanie passed Taylor, a look was thrown between them and obviously, words.

“Hey,” Taylor said to her, “she gave me a present, then she wanted it back!”

Melanie was just past Kirk, but she turned and over his shoulder, flung her hand out, connecting with Taylor’s head. Suddenly, Kirk found himself between them, as Taylor swung back at her. “Hey now! Watch it!” He said, picking the girl up and swinging her back away from the fray. Beatriz pulled Taylor back again by the collar of his shirt and rolled her eyes. Camille had rushed over to join Zac, actually attempting to put him between her and his brother, as if he could protect her from him. Zac had never seen them quarrel outside of playful wrestling or games, so this was a very strange sight to him.

Melanie shot one last look Taylor’s way, then put her arm around Camille’s shoulder and followed Sonya back down the hallway. Kirk shook his head then looked at Zac, “Women, can’t live with ‘em, can’t kill ‘em.” He grinned.

“So, how do you kill a vampire?” Zac asked him shakily.

Kirk reached over and patted Isaac on the shoulder and they all three began walking back down the hall as Beatriz closed the door on all of them. “Well,” Kirk started, “it’s not that hard. You just gotta do it really fast. It’s not that we’re immortal or whatever, it’s that we heal really fast. Our blood clots super fast and bones and tissue sort of…meld back together.” He said, entwining his fingers to illustrate his point.

“What if you cut their head off?” Zac asked.

Isaac could take no more, “Zac!! Why the hell are you asking all this stuff?!” He turned to Kirk, “And WHY are you answering?! Do you want him to kill Taylor?!”

Kirk furrowed his brow and looked at Isaac, “Zac couldn’t kill Taylor. I probably couldn’t kill Taylor.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, “I’m pretty sure Beatriz or Sonya probably could kill Taylor…” he said, rubbing his chin.

“Now why would we want to kill Taylor?” Sonya asked, watching the three step back into the room.

“’Cause he’s MEAN!” Camille spouted.

Sonya brushed off the comment with a wave of her hand, “Tish tosh—he’s not mean. So he got a little territorial. Get used to it, he’s male.” She said, leaning back in her chair and pulling her hair out of the knot it was in at the back of her head and allowing it’s blonde tendrils to fall about her shoulders.

“Hey—” Kirk started, “we’re not the only ones that get like that. I seem to remember someone being the same way about a certain little blonde Rockstar.” He said, glaring at Camille.

“True, true.” Sonya conceded. “Still, in my experience, guys don’t like to share sometimes and they don’t make a secret of it. I guess girls are just sneakier. I mean, I didn’t see Camille drinking from him in front of any of us, you know? So, it wasn’t an issue.”

“Well, if she had,” Kirk stated, someone would have made her stop—so there was method to her madness. At least from what I hear.”

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here.” Camille said, snuggling up closer to Melanie. “Besides Kirk, you shouldn’t believe everything you hear. And you didn’t see him—he like, growled at me.” She said, the anger in her voice turning to hurt.

Isaac and Zac sat together on one end of the couch, listening to the strange talk around them.

~~~~~

Beatriz looked at Taylor for a moment, her dark eyes searching his face. He managed to look back, though it wasn’t easy. Finally, she spoke, “Are you trying to turn her?” she asked, tilting her head towards the girl on the bed.

Taylor wrinkled up his face, “No, why would I do that?”

Beatriz turned her attention back on him, “I don’t know, why would you?” she asked, her hand going to her hip.

Taylor snorted, then looked over at Jill. She was still in the bed, still watching him. His eyes picked up the tiny movements in her body; the beat of the heart making a pulse in her neck, the flow of blood through the veins in her wrist, her lips parted to let in oxygen as she breathed. But, he could only see it because of what he was—Zac or Isaac may have thought her dead, her eyes frozen in time upon the face of her killer. “Well,” he said, “the longer you keep me from going to her, the more likely it is that I’ll need to turn her.”

“Just because Death is about to claim a life does not mean you can save it. If we did that, there would be more vampires than humans. And that is not acceptable.” She said coldly.

He narrowed his eyes at her, “So, I’m just supposed to sit here and watch her die because you don’t want me to go over there and finish what I started? It’s not her fault Camille grabbed her.”

“No, it’s not.” She said, “But sometimes, these things happen. Humans are killed all the time and very seldom is it by vampires, Taylor. It’s part of life.”

Taylor raised one eyebrow, “This is not some random thing! She didn’t get struck by lightening or some terminal disease.” Now he was beginning to realize what he’d done. “I did it, alright? Let me fix it. I’ll take her home and she’ll forget and it’ll be done, alright?” He looked at the girl again, the red stain on the white sheets growing bigger by the moment. Turning back to Beatriz, his eyes shining, he pleaded with her, “Please.” He moved closer to the woman’s immovable form, placing his fingers in her hair, his eyes closer to her’s, “Please.” He said softly.

“Taylor, this is not a game. You’ve killed a man. You’ve allowed humans to know what you are. You’ve taken the blood of other vampires. Do not toy with this girl’s life. I cannot allow one as young as you to sire another.”

“I don’t want that!” he cried, looking again at Jill. “She was just there and Camille said since it’d been a month, it’d be ok! I was just feeding from her, I wasn’t trying to turn her or whatever. I don’t even know how to do that! I don’t wanna know how to do it!”

Beatriz just looked at him for a moment, then she sighed, “Go to her, do what you can.” She said.

Now Taylor was scared, “You do it—I don’t know if I know what to do now.” He said, hearing the girl’s breathing become more shallow and labored. Her skin had become extremely pale and her lips were losing their red color and turning a gray he’d seen in his own mirror not that long ago.

Beatriz put her hand on his shoulder, “I have slowed her heart, you can do it.” she said softly.

Taylor shut his eyes for a moment and found himself praying as he stepped over to the bed. Leaning down, he listened for a moment before he sat down on the bed next to her. Gently, he pulled her body into his arms, cradling her there and looking into the eyes that hadn’t left his since he’d left her there. She wanted nothing more than to put her arms around his neck, but she found she was too weak to move them. Slowly, he raised her up closer to his face, brushing his lips over hers. When he pulled back and opened his eyes, he saw hers looking back at him, the usually vibrant green now turned a bit dull. But on her mouth, a smile. Again, he pulled her to him, but this time, he placed his mouth over the two wounds in her neck, running his tongue over them, lapping up the blood there, but also coating them with the miraculous saliva that would heal them up nearly as quickly as he’d put them there. It took longer than usual, but that was to be expected with her body in its weakened state and the slowing down of its functions by Beatriz. Indeed, her heartbeat was more like his own than that of either of his brothers at that moment. When he was certain no more blood was oozing out of her, he allowed her to lay back on the bed again. He lay beside her with her neck in the crook of his elbow, gently pushing her sweaty hair off her forehead. With a touch of his lips to each of her eyelids, finally she allowed her eyes to close and end the magnetic pull his face had for her. He stared at her for a moment longer, making sure she was still alive, and then carefully, he pulled his arm out from under her and stood back up, pulling the sheet over her nude body.

~~~~~

"Well," Melanie stated, looking down at Camille, "it doesn't look to me like he hurt you or anything. God, when I heard you." she shook her head.

Camille sat up, "He would have!" she cried.

Sonya rolled her eyes and looked over at Taylor's brothers, noticing the fear on their faces, "I'm sorry you had to see that." She said. "But, it's not like you don't know what he is."

Isaac just looked away, his eyes landing on a vase of flowers on a pedestal beside the elevator. Zac looked up for a moment, blinking away his emotions, "Yeah, we know what he is." He said softly, looking back at her again. "I guess sometimes, we just forget. Sometimes, it still feels like he's one of us."

They looked up to see Beatriz and Taylor walking into the room. Taylor plopped down on the couch next to Zac and ran his hand through his hair. With a sigh, he turned to his brothers, "Y'all ready? Did you decide which movie to see?" He asked. When neither of them answered, he noticed the looks he was getting from everyone in the room. "What's up?" He asked, looking at Sonya.

"Um, well, actually, I think you may have shocked everyone a bit. We're not accustomed to you being quite so... hungry." She said.

Taylor wrinkled up his face and looked over at Camille, "What is she talking about?" He asked.

Camille stood up and walked away from him, then turned back, "We're not accustomed to him being an asshole, you mean." She said.

Now Taylor stood as well, "What the fuck are you talking about? Are you pissed cuz I didn't give you some? Jesus Christ, don't do me any favors anymore, okay?" He went to the closet and grabbed his jacket, and picked up his brothers' as well. He turned back in time to see Camille give him the finger and head back down the hall towards her room. "Hey, don't you do anything to her!" He called. "I'm gonna take her back home once she gets some sleep, and I want her heart beating if you don't mind!"

Beatriz looked over at Sonya, "I'm getting too old for this." she said pushing her hair out of her face. She then looked at Kirk, "What are you sitting there for? I told you to go with them."

Kirk stood and walked over to Taylor, taking Zac and Isaac's jackets from him and handing them to the two boys as they stood up. "So, where are we going?" He asked, pulling on his own as well.

Zac looked at Isaac for a moment, then at Taylor, "Well," he started timidly, "I guess we better stay away from the big places. Don't want to see us on CNN again so soon." He pulled his ponytail out of his collar, "What about the Waverly? Don't they have old movies and stuff? Artsy fartsy stuff? Nobody that knows anything about Hanson is gonna be there."

Isaac shook his head and the three of them headed for the elevators, "Why wouldn't an art fart like Hanson?" He said as the four of them got in and the doors closed.

"Good luck, my darlings." Beatriz said softly, and she stood and picked up the phone and began to take stock of her responsibilities for the evening and to return calls Mr. Jones had taken for her during the day.

~~~~~

The taxi driver pulled to a stop in front of the old theater and Taylor handed him more than enough to cover the ride. "Thanks, man." He said, and followed his brothers and Kirk out onto the street. He pulled the hood up on the old purple sweatshirt he wore under his jacket and smiled, still able to smell the girl who'd left it in his possession. Looking up, he read the marquee, "Harold and Maude" was showing and it looked to be a pretty popular draw as people crowded the sidewalk to buy tickets and get in line to enter the theater.

Isaac smiled, "Oh man, this movie kicks ass. I saw it with Kelly last year. You'll love the music in it, Tay." He said.

"Have you seen it, Zac?" Taylor asked, turning to his little brother.

"Nope, I'm not cool enough to hang with Ike and Kel." He said, a playful hurt in his voice. "Besides, I heard there was nude shots of an old lady, not exactly my cup of tea."

Taylor smiled again, "Beatriz is about five hundred years old or some shit like that." He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Now Zac smiled for the first time since seeing his brother drink blood from a red haired girl on clean, white sheets. Isaac raised his eyebrows, "Have you seen her? Like, seen her nude?" He asked. Kirk leaned in to listen.

"Well, no." Taylor stated, stepping into the warm lobby. "But, you can just tell that she's built. And not like those bean poles out in Hollyweird, either."

"Isn't she like, royalty or something? They might execute you for having bad thoughts about her." Zac nudged his brother in the ribs.

"Well, it's not like I can hide my thoughts from them, anyway." Taylor said.

"Ahhh, so you do have evil thoughts about her!" Isaac teased.

They stood in line at the concession stand and Taylor was becoming envious of the people around him, munching on buttery popcorn and chocolate candy, but not so envious that he would risk another stomach ache like the one he'd endured at Thanksgiving. It was a lesson he'd learned thoroughly. "Well, yeah." He said, wrinkling his eyebrows, "Wouldn't you?"

The girl behind the counter barked at him, "Can I help you?"

"Oh, yeah. Gimme a pack of that grape Bubble Yum." He turned to his brothers, "What'd you guys want?"

"Two large popcorns, a box of SnoCaps, two large Cokes, and some..." Zac looked at Isaac.

"Raisinettes." Isaac replied, pulling money out of his pocket.

Zac rolled his eyes, "Leave it to you to ruin perfectly good chocolate by sticking some dried up old grapes in it."

"Whatever." He said, handing him his money, "Just pay for it, we don't want to miss the beginning. This movie is hysterical."

Zac turned and looked around the room, "Hey, where's Kirk?" He asked.

"Don't worry, he's around." Taylor said. "We sort of have a deal, he sort of stays back, but not so far that I can't call him if I need him. If he's close enough, I can just think to him and he'll hear me." He looked back toward the door they'd come through, and sure enough, Kirk leaned up against the wall, watching people as they stepped through the entrance. "Watch." Taylor said, and Isaac and Zac watched him as he looked over. Presently, Kirk's head shot up and he barely managed to catch the pack of gum as Taylor threw it across the lobby, into his outstretched hand. "See? He knows what's up." He said, and he then stuck the large chunk of gum in his mouth, stuffing the wrapper into his pocket. "C'mon, let's be on time for once." He grinned. And the three boys went into the darkened theatre and sat down to wait for the movie to begin, carelessly scoping out girls and commenting that it was nowhere as good as one of their shows as there wasn't a spaghetti strap in the place. Kirk stood against the back wall, watching, having already seen the movie when it was released some thirty or so years earlier.

~~~~~

Sonya sat on the sofa, sewing up a rip in the seat of the old pair of jeans Taylor loved so much. Mr. Jones had bought him plenty of clothes, but none of them really suited him. Beatriz hung up the phone with a sigh and joined her there. "What did we do before we had telephones, do you remember?" She asked.

Sonya shook her head and bit a piece of thread to break it. "I certainly do. I think I liked things better then." She said. "By the time you learned about bad news, there was nothing you could do about it, and you just got over it. No stress involved."

"Well, less anyway." Beatriz agreed, picking up one of the legs of the jeans and fingering the fringy threads around the hem. "What do you think about what happened tonight?"

Looking up from her work, she looked into Beatriz' eyes and saw worry there. "Frankly, I don't understand what all the excitement was about. Nothing he did tonight was odd for a vampire. Perhaps he's just losing some of that humanity we've all been trying so hard to cure him of. I think we're seeing results." She said, a tiny note of sarcasm in her voice.

Beatriz looked back at her, "Yes, well, his humanity is not going to save his life when the elders find out he has powers equal to their own."

Without looking up from her work, Sonya replied, "True. Then we've done our job, haven't we?"

"Why do you make it sound so bad?" Beatriz asked.

"Isn't that what you want?" Sonya asked, "Someone to rule beside you?"

"I don't rule, Sonya." Beatriz protested. "I keep things in order. There's a difference."

"If you say so." Sonya allowed. She then held up the pants, the hole now covered by a square of plaid flannel. "I guess that'll do." She said, folding them and placing them on the arm of the couch. She then looked again at Beatriz, "I just don't think Taylor is a very orderly person. He was a little... sketchy, as Kirk would say, even before you made his brain liquefy and run out his ears."

"Sonya! I had no choice!" Beatriz spat.

Sonya held up her hands, "I know! But still, fact is fact. He hasn't been the same since then, and you know it."

Beatriz looked away from her and to the flowers on the table in front of her, "I know." She said softly. "It's a very delicate thing, the mind of a human."

"Don't forget, Beatriz. He is no longer human." Sonya said. "He is one of us now."

~~~~~

Taylor watched the movie with his brothers, laughing when they laughed, his eyes widening at each absurd thing that happened to the characters up on the screen. His musical sense firing at the beauty of the soundtrack; Cat Stevens' voice and lyrics amazed him always, and somehow it fit the story perfectly, making the experience even more sublime. But something else had his senses firing as well. He turned around, watching Kirk, watching for some sign from him that he sensed something as well, but as far as he could tell, the man was satisfied that his charges were in no danger. Shaking his head, Taylor always turned back to the movie and tried to push whatever it was out of his head. But he couldn't shake the feeling, that something was just not quite right.

~~~~~

"Do you think we should just allow his powers to develop naturally? At his own pace?" Beatriz asked, a serious look on her face.

"I have no advice in this matter, it's out of my area of expertise." Sonya answered.

"Now you're being technical." Beatriz huffed. "If you have some thoughts on this, I'd like to know. You are his sire after all, and I've not exactly had a great deal of experience with this sort of thing either."

Sonya sat, reading Beatriz' face for a moment before answering. "I'd love to just send him back home to his family, "

Beatriz interrupted, "That is not an option."

"Let me finish." Sonya said, holding her hand up.

"I'm sorry," Beatriz smiled, "I asked and then I didn't let you answer. Go on, please."

Sonya smiled back at her, "Alright. He's still young, even in human years and he's been spoiled and doted upon." she shook her head, "if my children had had the things that are so commonplace among today's youth... these children of today live better than royalty did in my youth."

"I agree." Beatriz smiled, "Of course, in my youth, royalty didn't even have inside toilets, let alone PlayStations and DVD's." She rolled her eyes.

Sonya chuckled, "No, they didn't. Now, back to my point," she chided herself, "Taylor is even more a child of this century than Melanie or Camille. He's never known hunger, or fear, or real discomfort even. He's worked hard, yet he's never done hard labor in his life. I just don't know that he is hard or tough enough to be capable of what you are asking of him."

Beatriz bit her lip, thinking over what Sonya had just said to her.

~~~~~

As the credits rolled, Taylor, Isaac and Zac slumped down in their seats, out of habit, more than anything else. "Damn, you didn't tell me it was gonna end like that!" Zac muttered.

"You didn't ask." Isaac retorted, "Besides, it's not really a sad ending... It's almost sort of." he tried to find the words to describe his thoughts.

"Hopeful." Taylor said. "In a strange sort of way."

"Hmm, I guess so." Zac agreed begrudgingly.

"Death is not always an ending, Zac. I mean, look at me!" Taylor said, sarcasm dripping from the words. "I've died twice in the last three or four months, and you don't see me crying about it." He grinned at his brother, but Zac didn't return the smile.

"Maybe not, but I've seen plenty of other people crying about it." He groused, standing up and placing his feet in his seat, facing his brothers, "And I know you and I know you've shed a few tears over all this too, so don't even act like I'm a wimp."

Taylor suddenly reached over and hugged Zac around the legs, "God, I've missed you guys so much." He lamented. Zac's eyes went wide and he looked at Isaac, who was smiling despite himself.

"Dude! Somebody might be watching, you need to chill." He then looked around the theatre. All the seats were empty, save an older couple in the back and he and his brothers. "Hey, where's Kirk?" He asked.

~~~~~

"I just don't want him to be caught out there ill-equipped to deal with those who'd like to see him fall." Beatriz said, a sour look on her face. "Jealousy is quite the motivator."

"Most of them don't realize there's anything special about him. Why would they be jealous?" Sonya reasoned.

Beatriz stood up, "Sonya, don't be absurd. You and I both know it's very obvious that he's different. Roberto sensed it and so could everyone else."

"Roberto is nearly as old as you, that's why he could tell. And you said so yourself, he's like the boy who cried wolf, no one is going to believe him. They just think he hates Taylor because he's got you."

Beatriz looked at her a moment, "I hope you're right." She said. She moved over to the vase of flowers on the table, fingering the delicate petals, "Daniel didn't see it." She turned back to her friend, "At least, he didn't seem to. I've never trusted him, nor underestimated him. And I'm not going to start now."

~~~~~

Taylor turned his head toward the back of the theatre where Kirk had been standing the last hour and a half. "I don't know." He said softly, standing. He listened intently then, hearing the murmur of the couple at the back and the chirp of a cricket somewhere in the building. He searched his mind for Kirk's presence; the sound of his thoughts or his voice and he heard nothing. "Shit." He said. Isaac looked up at his brother and watched his pupils dilate, giving his eyes a scary quality in the dark. As he looked back and forth, the light caught in them and a quick glint of green would show up.

"What's wrong?" Isaac asked, now standing as well. "Maybe he went to the bathroom or something." He reasoned, but he was met then with two pair of dark eyes.

"They don't piss, Ike. They don't eat. Where would he need to go?" Zac hissed, suddenly feeling the need to be quiet.

"Maybe he went off to have sex." Taylor stated.

"I thought you couldn't do that." Isaac whispered.

"I can't, but he can." Taylor said, pulling on his jacket and handing Zac his.

Isaac picked up his own coat and what was left of his drink and looked at Taylor, "Why's that? Is there something wrong with you? I mean, you know."

Taylor shook his head, "No, it must be pretty rare, 'cause they make a big deal out of it. They call 'em 'lucky ones'. Guess that tells you I'm not very lucky, huh?" Taylor snorted. "Story of my life; damned fucking unlucky." He said bitterly, then with one more look around the room, he took both his brothers by the arm and said, "C'mon, let's go, but keep your eye out for anything weird."

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