Behind the Mirror

Nelson Wright

In the days after Buster disappeared, Free and I talked often. Well, talking and fucking, which was as fabulous as it had always been. And somewhere along the lines we helped each other come to the conclusions we needed. How to leave this place.

It was relieving, but at the same time a little sobering. I felt comfortable with Free, and I hadn't really realized how nice it would be to be able to talk so openly with someone. We thought the same way, we understood each other. But it made me think a lot, about the people I knew, my relationships. I'd always held them at arms length, even my friends. Even my best friend, and that was really the root of the issue that had got me to this place. Well... I was going to stop. I realized, speaking with him, that what I'd had was not what I wanted. I'd change, no matter what.

When morning dawned, we had breakfast, agreeing on a plan of action. Today we'd go home. Then we made love once more - more than once really, but we stayed in bed so it counted as once, right? - showered and dressed, and I went downstairs to see the shrink.

Daniel was sitting at his desk pouring over paperwork, and put it away quickly when I knocked. He smiled. "Nelson. Would you like to -- look at your things?"

I smiled, crossing the room to him and leaning over his desk."Oh, no. I don't need to waste your time with that. I already know how to get back."

He looked up at me carefully, keeping his tone light. "Oh?"

"You aren't going to like it."

"Why do you think I will not like it?" He asked delicately, and I gave him a wry smile.

"Because it's dangerous, of course. Because I'll only get one chance."

"You are going to kill yourself -- again," he stated simply, and I nodded.

"I tried making phone calls. It's not integral enough to what happened. It was flatlining. I have to go under again, there's no other way."

His lips tightened slightly, but he gave a slow nod. "What do you need?"

I swallowed. Truthfully, the idea still terrified me, especially considering that the last time that I'd done it, I'd woken up here. "Not much, just to crash the hospital. I've already told Free, he's going to come help. I could do with one more, maybe two. If you and Ben are free?" I could do it by myself, argumentatively, but the idea of having them around made me feel a bit more secure.

"I will go find him," Daniel replied, standing. "Is there anyone else? Anyone you should stay -- goodbye to?"

I shook my head. Free was coming with me, and that was pretty much the only person I'd developed some kind of significant bond to. "Nah. I hate long goodbyes. Just give them all my regards afterwards."

"All right," he said after a short consideration, and stood. "We will meet Free and -- yourself down in the loading bay."

"Thank you," I said with a soft sigh of relief, and followed him out of the office.


"Are you nervous?" Free asked softly as we waited, and I forced a smile.

"Nah. I've done this a couple times before, remember. And I've only died fifty percent of the time."

His eyebrows knit together slightly. "Those aren't exactly great odds, Nelson."

"I guess they're not, are they." I slipped an arm around his waist, stepping close. "Look... don't worry about me. I know this is what I have to do."

He let his hand rest on the small of my back under my trench, stroking slowly. "It just seems so extreme...."

"I know," I said softly, and leaned forward to kiss him softly. "But it's kind of fitting, you know? McHenry, for instance - he was a nice guy. He got out fast and easy. But the Evil Twin had to convince someone not kill themselves. Me, well... I was an asshole experimenting with life after death. So of course it's going to be more difficult for me to take back."

He gave a soft chuckle, watching me fondly. "This has been a hell of a thing, Nelson. I'll miss you."

"You'll miss the mindblowing sex."

He laughed. "I'll miss both." He looked up then as we were joined by Ben and Daniel, the former of which greeted us and climbed into the SUV, starting it. I let the shrink have the front seat and climbed into the back with Free, curling up with him, nuzzling his hair. Nuzzles turned to kisses, warm and yearning, to soft caresses, and I couldn't resist the urge to tease him, knowing so well what aroused him. He gave a soft groan as my fingers roamed over his chest, catching my hand. "Nelson...."

"Wish we had time for another quickie," I breathed softly, indulging in another yearning kiss as we reached the hospital, pulling away regretfully and getting out.

When we reached the hospital doors, however, Daniel glanced back at me. "Ben and I are going to -- the cafe," he said pointedly. "You have half an hour. Come find us."

"We are?" Ben asked, and Daniel chuckled softly.

"Yes. I would like a cup -- of tea," he replied, and guided him off down the hall.

Free glanced over at me and quirked an eyebrow.

Secretly, I'd always wanted to fuck on an exam table. They were narrow and a little awkward, but the angles it could be put into were worth figuring it out, so I pulled him into an empty exam room. We were on each other as soon as we entered, kisses hard enough to bruise, desperate, needy. I bucked up against him as he pushed me back against the door, quickly growing hard under the friction of our hips pushing together, of the depth and ferocity of our kisses. "God, I'm going to miss this."

"You'll have someone else to pound you into the wall soon enough," he murmured, nipping at my bottom lip.

"I hope so," I replied, with a sudden burst of nerves. What if he didn't want me...?

"You will," Free insisted firmly, hand sipping down to tug down my scrubs, which I'd figured it was prudent to wear since they were what I'd arrived in. I arched up into his touch with a low groan, breathless and aching for him. I wouldn't miss the wings or the near constant need for sex, but it did make sex itself pretty damn wild....

"Fuck me," I gasped, yanking at his jeans with the kind of desperation that always made him hard for me.

We were on the exam table in no time, clothes pulled off or pushed aside, my scrubs and shorts on the floor, tshirt pushed up around my armpits to give him access to kiss and nip at my chest. I had rooted through the exam room drawers to find lube, stroking it hungrily over his cock. "Come on, Free. Make it count."

He gave a low chuckle in reply to my challenge, pushing my thighs up on either side of me and burried himself in me in a few hard thrusts, gasping against my mouth. "Fuck, Nelson. Gonna miss the way you beg for it. Your tight little ass." He nipped at my bottom lip, bucking a little harder into me, and I cried out breathlessly, rocking up against him.

"Gonna miss the dirty shit that comes out of your mouth," I gasped, tightening my legs around him, heels digging into his back. "Make me feel like such a little slut. Fuck, I love it."

"You are," he growled, low and throaty, jarring my body with another hard thrust. "Just crave a nice thick cock in your ass. Better make sure your boy can keep up."

I clutched at his shoulders helplessly, crying out with each hard shock of sensation that rushed through me. "Fuck - Free, harder!" Words fell away as our bodies found a desperate rhythm, hard and aching and desperate. My fingers clenched hard at his back, tangled in his shirt as each thrust pulled a shuddering cry from my throat. "Oh god, Free!"

"Come on," he hissed in my ear, slipping a hand between us to stroke me, leaning in to bite at the crook of my neck. That was the last straw and I came, shuddering helplessly under him as I stained his shirt and my stomach with spurt after spurt of slick heat, fingers clenched at his back almost hard enough to draw blood.

He held still with me as the pleasure ebbed, breath hot against my skin, still hard and deep inside of me. I pressed a warm kiss to his mouth a wriggled my hips against him, hissing at the shudder of sensation against hypersensitive nerves. But I would recover soon, far faster than I would have before David made me this. "Come on, lover. Don't stop."

He rocked against me slowly with a shuddering groan, claiming my lips breathlessly. "Fuck, Nelson... gonna miss you."

I tightened my arms around him, stealing his words, his cries with my kisses as I rocked slowly with him, letting my own pleasure build again. "Don't hold back, Free. God, come on lover - !"

"Nelson - !" He gave in to my pleas, letting me feel his passion, hard and fast and deep, thrusts growing more erratic as he drew close.

"Come in me," I hissed, and he complied with a choked cry, clutching me tightly, face burried in my hair.

I closed my eyes for a moment, stroking fingers through his hair and saying nothing, knowing that his shoulders shook with more than just the aftermath of passion. I pressed my lips to his temple, feeling the emotion all too acutely myself. "You know part of me will always be with you," I murmured softly, swallowing hard on a lump of sorrow.

"Yeah," he whispered, arms tightening slightly around me. He took a few deep breaths, then pulled back to look at me, eyes bright. "Yeah, you'll be the part of me that really likes to take it up the ass."

I laughed hard, pulling him in for a kiss and nipping at his bottom lip. "Cheeky fucker." Then I gave a sharp hiss as his fingers slipped down to curl around my cock, slicking my own come over my skin as he stroked me. "Oh god..."

"Guess it doesn't matter if I do this anymore," he murmured, then leaned down and took me in his mouth.

"Free -!" I felt a shock of alarm and tried to pull away, but his fingers clenched at my hips, holding me in place. And god, it felt good, to have his lips close over the head of my aching cock, working his tongue against all the right places as he sucked on me, taking me deeper in his mouth with each bob. I stopped struggling, and he slipped a hand between my thighs, rocking two fingers into me, fucking me slowly. I cried out helplessly under the onslaught, the hot pulses of pleasure and sensation, my body drawn quickly close again by his attentive ministrations. I gasped his name helplessly, but he continued, swallowing me deep in his throat as his fingertips stroked against my prostate, pulling me helplessly to a mindlessly overwhelming climax. My fingers clenched hard at his shoulders, gasping his name as pleasure rushed hot through my veins.

When he pulled back finally, he was gasping, forehead resting on my thigh. "Holy fuck, that's a hell of a rush."

I thought about what it was like to suck off David and gave a breathless chuckle in reply. "Hell of a drug. Come here."

He nestled his face against my neck as we caught our breath, slowly calming, trading gentle caresses. Then he finally pulled back, cleaning me up and wiping a bit ineffectively at the stains on his shirt before doing up his jacket over it. I redressed silently, then gave him a soft smile. "Guess I should get this over with."

He smiled, leaning in to give me a warm kiss. "You'll do fine."

We found an empty operating room on the third floor, and I set him after Ben and Daniel while I readied the equipment. The refrigeration blanket was a bit difficult to find, but when the others returned, I was already on the table shivering under it, sticking electrodes to my skin. I explained briefly what to do - the nitrous, the injections, the paddles, having them repeat back to ensure I was understood. Then I laid back on the table and gave a soft sigh. "Well... was nice to meet you all."

"You are completely certain about this -- Nelson?" Daniel asked again, still concerned, and I nodded.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing here." I glanced to Free. "You make sure you go find your man."

He smiled. "I will, I swear it. You too, you hear?"

"Promise. Free... thanks."

"Thank you," he replied softly, and I kept my eyes on him as Daniel put the mask over my mouth and nose and turned on the nitrous, holding his gaze until my eyelids were too heavy to hold open, and I let the darkness take me.

~~~~

I gasped for breath like I was drowning - drawing huge, gulping, painful breaths. It was still dark, but slowly things began to swim into place. I was absolutely freezing, and that's what really brought me back - the realization that I was under the refrigeration blanket with a piece of rubber tubing tied around my arm, clutching a syringe that was still full of potassium.

I jerked up in a surge of panic, throwing the syringe away and kicking off the refrigerator blanket, tugging a little clumsily at the tubing to get it undone. Then I sat on the table, caught my breath, and tried to take stock.

However it had happened... wherever I had gone, I was back. I was back, I was human, and... I was at peace.

I felt strangely clumsy and unbalanced without my wings, but I found my tshirt and coat where I'd left them and pulled them on, shivering, then turned the refrigerator blanket to warm in a moment of self indulgence, perching back on the operating table. The peaceful image of the little boy in the sun was still with me, of his smile, so I had the feeling that I'd still paid my dues. Either that, or the whole point of the exercise was to find peace within myself, and not something supernatural after all.

That meant there was only one thing left to do. Regardless of the fact that I was still inside, I lit a cigarette, the electric blanket still around my shoulders, and waited.

A little over six minutes later, I heard frantic footsteps, and turned to watch Dave burst through the doors, throwing on the lights, followed quickly by Steckle and Joe, who all stopped short. The look of utter relief on Dave's face strengthened my resolve, though the others looked so confused that I couldn't help but give a soft chuckle. "Hey guys."

Steckle spoke first. "Nelson... what the hell are you doing?"

"We thought you were going under by yourself," Dave breathed, and though he tried to control it, there was a bit of a tremor in his voice.

I took a last drag off my cigarette and dropped it through the grate, hopping off the table and starting toward them. I was warm now, and felt sure of myself. "I was going to," I said, matter-of-factly, "but I changed my mind. I took care of things another way." Then, without another word, I caught the front of Dave's shirt with one hand, pulling him to me as I arched up to catch his mouth with mine hungrily. He reacted with shock, freezing under me like I'd expected him to, but he got over it far quicker than I'd anticipated, and far better than I ever could have hoped for, arms coming up tight around my waist to hold me to him, his lips coming alive under mine with a little groan. Even though they weren't there anymore, I could almost feel my wings unfurl in joy, and I slipped my arms up around his shoulders, tangling his fingers in the back of his hair, lips parting to taste him hungrily, never wanting the moment to end.

I think Steckle had cleared his throat three times before I finally made myself pull away, breathless, watching Dave stare at me with wide eyes, lips slightly parted. I ignored Steckle for the moment. "Did you fuck Rachel?"

He flushed darkly, but shook his head. "Not yet."

"Good." I lifted my chin slightly, almost challengingly, still holding his gaze. "Come home with me."

He hesitated for a bare second, eyes flicking to the other two, then nodded, giving me a soft, slightly self-conscious smile. "All right."

"Good," I said again, heart pounding, hardly believing what he was saying but loving it more than I'd ever thought possible. "Help me hide the equip, we'll take it all back tomorrow. I'm done with the experiments."

"Deal," Dave replied, a little wondering smile on his face, and we went to work, leaving Joe and Steckle to stand and stare in shock and confusion. It didn't matter. Dave and I would have a lot to talk about... but I loved him, and he at least seemed to want me - no, it had to be more than that, from the care he'd always taken with me. It was more than I ever could have hoped for from him.

It was the life I wanted.

~~~~~


John "Free" Buckner


Saying goodbye to Nelson was harder than I'd thought it would be, but at least we didn't have to kill him. As soon as the nitrous took effect, as soon as his blue eyes fell closed to unconsciousness, he started to fade. I heard Daniel give a sigh of relief, and I turned off the power on the crash cart. Within moment, Nelson was gone. I missed him already, but... I felt strangely proud of him, too. He'd make his boy very lucky.

From across the now empty table, Daniel looked up at me. "Will you be coming -- to see me today, Free?"

I smiled, and shook my head. "I've got it figured out too. I just need you two to drop me off at a motorcycle dealership on the way back, if you don't mind. I need to bike up to Canada, there's someone I need to go find."

"You sure you don't need anything?" Ben asked as we started from the room, but I shook my head.

"I brought what I really needed with me, it's in the car. I'll be fine on my own."

"All right. Just be sure to call if you need anything. We'll keep an eye on your newspaper clipping."

I grinned. "I'll try not to crash and kill myself this time." Settling down in the back of the car, I pulled the book with the multicoloured cover from my satchel, opening it to the dedication page with a little smile. 'This book is dedicated to John Buckner, a true rebel.'

I hopped out of the SUV as Ben pulled up alongside the bike dealership, leaning on the passenger side door as Daniel rolled down the window. "You guys take care, okay? Tell the others goodbye for me. And good luck."

"Of course," Daniel replied with a little fond smile, and I leaned in on impulse to press a kiss to his cheek, something that made him flush darkly.

"Thanks for your help too, Doc. You two take care. Don't grow up." Then with a wink and a smile, I turned, went inside, and got myself a bike.

Things didn't change for the first couple of days I was out - I was still unseen, but it was convenient. I assumed I'd still have access to my bank accounts if I managed to get back to the real world, but for now I grabbed food where and when I needed it, and bills whenever I could. Wouldn't hurt to have a bit of rainy day cash.

The third night out, holed up in a little hotel in Winnepeg, Manitoba, I finally got through. I'd gathered together a couple phone numbers, contacts who would, I hoped, put me in touch with the man I was looking for. I'd tried them before leaving New York, and several times after that, but I hadn't been able to get through. This time, however, the phone rang, and someone picked up. Not only could they hear me, but they'd heard of me - in fact, they'd had specific instructions that if I were to contact them, they were to give me access to any information or help that I needed.

All I needed was an address.

When I left the hotel the next morning, the sleek little red sport bike I'd stolen was gone, and in its place was the little honda I'd bought when I left the FBI. The papers read the right date again, and I felt a shiver of excitement in my stomach. I really was back... and this was the way things were meant to be.

I rode almost through the night for the next two days, catching a little sleep in a diner in Calgary, then tackling the Rocky Mountains. I arrived in Vancouver at midnight - too late to catch the ferry - so I booked into a hotel room and indulged in a few hours more, waking up at five am to shower, dress in the spare set of clothes I'd picked up in Winnepeg, and catch the first ferry over to the island.

It took me a few more hours to locate and navigate to the address I'd gotten from the woman on the phone. It looked to be a little acreage, I noted as I drove in on the tiny, one lane road, overgrown with apple trees, and I could see edge of a cliff in the distance through the trees, and the shine of the ocean. When I pulled into the driveway, I could see a familiar figure seated outside at a table in the morning sun, and I felt my heart skip a beat. Still, I kept my cool, pulling up and dismounting, leaving my helmet hanging off one handlebar, strolling over to him like I'd just come back from the store.

He took off his shades and set them down on the table. "Well, look what the cat dragged in. Was beginning to think you'd never stop by."

I took the second chair without needing to be invited. "You could have made it a bit easier for me to find you."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, Free. How much easier could I have made it for you? Some FBI agent you are. And I know you called the publisher's two days ago. I expected that months earlier."

I glanced away. "I... didn't want to call. I was a little angry at you for letting me believe you were dead."

"Glad to see you care. Want a cup of coffee?"

"I did care," I said quietly, holding his gaze a little challengingly, not acknowledging the offer of coffee. "More than a little. I watched you die. You took part of me with you."

He was silent for a long moment, uncharacteristically serious at my words. Then he glanced away, running a hand through gray hair. "I'm sorry."

I gave a little shake of my head. "Look.. let me ask you something. Are you gay, or just hippie gay?"

"Hippie gay?" He glanced back to me with a curious little smile, and his eyes were as green as they always were.

"You know what I'm talking about. Spreading peace and free love regardless of gender and all that shit."

He chuckled softly, still watching me as if a little unsure as to what I was getting at. "Why are you asking?"

"Because I want to know," I replied, leaning back in my chair. "So?"

He sighed, and took a sip of his coffee. "Ah, I'm too old for stuff like that, Free."

"You know you're not." I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, realizing how much I'd missed his mannerisms, and how glad I was that I'd swallowed my pride and come to see him. "So?"

He glanced away with a little frown, silent for a long moment. "...gay."

"Good," I said softly, and stood. He looked up at me sharply, but I didn't give him a chance to react before I'd leaned down and caught his face with one hand, pressing my lips to his. They were warm, and firm, and yielded without hesitation, face tilting up to mine, and I gave a soft moan as his tongue flicked lightly against my bottom lip before he pulled back.

Green eyes watched me, guarded. "What are you doing, Free?"

I didn't move to pull back, resting one hand on the back of his chair. "I thought that was fairly obvious."

He gave a very soft laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm old enough to be your father."

"I don't care about that," I said calmly.

"You will."

"Maybe I should be the one to decide that." I reached up, hesitating for a moment before letting my fingers stroke through his hair - shorter now than the last time I'd seen him, but still just as thick and brilliant. "I've done a lot of thinking over the past couple of months. You were my only regret, Huey. And the only thing I wanted to do with the rest of my life."

He leaned against my fingers, just a little. "Well. As long as I'm on record as saying this is a bad idea."

I laughed softly, heart beating wildly in my chest. "If I agree to that, can I stay?"

"I've been waiting for you since I put the book out, Free." He smiled, still a little uncertain, but covered it with the attitude I'd come to love so much. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

I grinned, and answered his bravado by slipping onto the chair with him, straddling his lap and claiming his mouth, losing myself entirely in the warmth of it, the taste of coffee on his lips. His tongue flicked against my lips again, and I yielded to the request without hesitation, desire shivering down my spine, moaning and arching closer as his hands slipped up to cup my ass, forward and eager despite his words. I nipped lightly at his bottom lip as we parted, breathless, fingers tangled in his hair. "You made me fall madly in love with you, you damn hippy."

"Then that makes two of us," he murmured, voice low and warm and promising, and pulled me closer.

I tightened my arms around his shoulders, burying my face in his hair. "Thanks for everything, Huey," I murmured, feeling for the first time in a very long time that I was where I belonged.

~~~~~~

Jack Bauer

I was woken from sleep that afternoon by sudden shock of heat, by smoke, and the covers being yanked off me violently as my bedmate tumbled onto the floor with a yelp of pain followed by a flurry of cussing. "Shut the fucking blinds!"

I sat up groggily, closing the curtains without questioning against the afternoon sun that had just moved to stream in through them, curling the middles together to ensure no light had snuck through. I could smell smoke, and I moved back to mattress, looking down at the mound of quilts pressed against the far side of the bed, a temporary shelter against the threat of the sun. "I thought it was always night for you...."

"Well apparently getting in the frame of mind to leave lets the goddamn sun rise," he snarled, voice a muffled under the mountain of blankets. "Fuck, that stings!"

I hovered over the blankets in concern, not wanting to disturb them. There was still some indirect sunlight leaking through the curtains. "Tell me what to do."

He was silent for a moment, which concerned me more, and when he finally spoke his voice was a little rough. "If you can get Ben in here to do that trick with bricking over the window, it would really help...."

I nodded, quickly stepped into my jeans, still pulling on my shirt as I headed to the door. "I'll be right back. And then you can feed if you need to."

Ben wasn't in the suite nor in Daniel's office, and the building was strangely quiet. When I stepped out of the elevator on the first floor I found them just coming in, the security door inactive as it had been since our captive disappeared. "Ben. I need you. Where were you?"

They stepped into the elevator with me, and I hit the button for the third floor as Ben replied. "We were helping Nelson and Free get home. What's up?"

"David got caught in the sun. Didn't expect to be seeing it any time soon. Can you brick over the window like you did in the other room?

Ben glanced to Daniel, who gave a little nod and a reassuring smile. "You will be -- fine. I will talk you through it."

"Thank you." Ben glanced to me, following me as the elevator stopped and we headed for my room across the hall. "Is he all right?"

"I think so. I hope so. I'll let him feed once the sun's entirely blocked out... I don't trust the curtains." The room still had a scent of smoke to it as I opened the door. "David?"

"Please hurry," came a strained reply, and I hung by the door as Daniel moved to stand by the window, Ben stopping at the foot of the bed. They went to work immediately, Daniel's voice low and even and focused, and in a few moments the room had been cast into complete darkness.

What I didn't expect was the crash and sudden cry of alarm and pain from Ben, and I fumbled in alarm to turn on the room light to see Ben on the floor, David's clawed hands clenched around his calf, jeans torn and David's teeth sunk into his skin. David himself was blackened, skin scorched and blistered, his countenance wild and monstrous like the first time he'd fed from me. I sprang toward them, but before I could react, the vampire had been flung across the room by some invisible force that slammed the bed and half the furniture back with it to splinter against the wall. Ben was on his feet with Daniel behind him in seconds, and I caught David as he leaped back up, using every bit of strength to restrain him. The only thing I could think to do was wrench him to me and shove his face against my neck, and I cried out as I felt his teeth pierce my skin, pain sharp and hot shuddering through my veins.

"Jack - !" Ben took a step towards me in alarm, leg still bleeding, and I knew that the scent of fresh blood would be an issue.

"Get out of here!" I ordered, shuddering with the agony of feeling David pull from me, hands clenched tight at my shoulders, shuddering against me. But I wasn't dead, and he wouldn't kill me, I had to believe that. "I'll be fine - get out!"

"But - "

"Get out!"

They left without further argument, and I turned my full attention to David. The furniture was broken and splintered, ragged spikes of wood around where David had fallen, and I realized with a shock of terror how badly this could have turned out. There were smaller shards embedded in his back, and I pulled them free carefully, yanking an especially large one from below his shoulder blade, blood trickling down his back from the wound.

I began to feel a little lightheaded, and David forced himself back, breathing hard, face still contorted and fangs distended, eyes wild and bright. The scorching on his skin had faded, but he was still noticeably burnt, and still looked like hell. He caught my hand in his, sucking his blood off my fingertips, and when he spoke his voice had a strange timbre to it. "I would have killed him if you hadn't caught me."

"I know," I replied, feeling weaker as the adrenaline wore of.

"Thank god the need for blood was stronger than rage," he murmured, then gave his head a little shake, closing his eyes for a moment but not becoming any more human. "Can you get Nelson - "

"Nelson's gone, David. He and Free got out."

I watched his hands clench into fists, and he cursed softly under his breath. "I need to get downstairs."

I shook my head as well, feeling the world spin a little as I did. "Too much sunlight, you're not going anywhere."

"I need my child. I can't stay here with you, it's too dangerous."

"You're not leaving," I told him again, though I knew if he chose to leave there was nothing I could do to stop him. "Not like that. The others are still out there, you're too dangerous."

"I need my child," he said, voice a little hoarse. "Jack - "

"I'll bring him here, then," I found myself saying, finding David's jeans and long coat and handing him to him. "Shut yourself in the bathroom until I get back."

David hesitated, then gave a quick nod. "Don't let the sun touch him, he's too young to handle it. Dress him head to toe and wrap him in the blackout curtains - the big ones from the suite - and carry him here. Fuck, you're pale...."

"I'm fine," I insisted, pushing him into the bathroom and shutting the door, then making my way out into the hallway. I paused for a moment, leaning heavily against the wall, weaker than I'd let on, but I'd survived worse than this and pushed on. When I entered the suite however, I was met at the door by Daniel, a med kit in hand, his eyebrows arching as he saw me.

"Jack. Come sit down."

"Can't," I said, trying to push past him and finding it harder than it should have been. "I need to get Brooks to David."

"Sit down," Ben said a little more strongly, pulling me over to the table and pushing me down to sit. "I'll take care of Brooks."

"Are you all right?" I asked him, and he nodded.

"I'll be fine. But you look like hell. What do I need to do to get Brooks upstairs?"

Daniel had sat down across from me, opening up the kit and pulling out a large syringe, taking it out of its plastic, starting to fill it from a bottle labelled 'Pentaspan'. I stared at it as I repeated David's instructions to Ben, and he left. I felt Daniel take my arm, rolling up my sleeve, and I started as an alcohol shaped swab pressed cold to my skin. "What the hell are you doing? What is that?"

"A 'just in case' kit from -- Nelson," he said plainly. "He put one here, after the escapade -- with the wings, when David said that he was feeding -- from you. For if something like this -- happened."

"I see," I replied, feeling a little guilty for being so hard on the boy in the beginning.

He gave a reassuring smile as if sensing my guilt, but continued. "It is a combination of -- proteins to increase red blood cell -- and platelet production, in a base used for fluid -- resuscitation." He tied a length of tubing around my arm, but I took the syringe from him.

"It's easier to do it myself," I said, knowing the track marks on my arms from so long ago hadn't entirely vanished, but he didn't say anything about them and handed over the syringe, stepping away politely and letting me handle the injection. It brought back memories I didn't care for, but I pushed them away, dumping the empty syringe in the small disposal container and pulling the tubing undone.

"You will need three more, every half hour," Daniel said softly as I stood, and wordlessly handed me a bottle of orange juice from the suite's mini fridge. I took it, drinking deeply, beginning to feel a little better.

"Thanks." I headed out towards the elevators just in time to meet Athos and Ben, the former with a large, curtain wrapped form carefully cradled in his arms. I gave a silent nod to them in acknowledgement, then rapped lightly on the door. "David? We have Brooks. You safe?"

There was silence for a moment, long enough to begin to concern me, but then David called through the door. "Yeah, bring him in. Just you three. And tell Ben I'm sorry."

"Likewise," Ben called back. "And don't worry about it." He stepped back, glancing at me. "Call if you need me."

I gave a little nod, then opened the door, bustling Athos inside and latching the door behind me. Once we were inside, Athos set Brooks on his feet carefully, starting to unwrap the curtains from him, Brooks helping rather sleepily as the fabric came free, pulling off his gloves. "Where's David?"

"I'm here." He door to the bathroom opened, and David was no less human than when I'd left. To his credit, Athos didn't flinch, but looked a little concerned as Brooks left him. The boy went to David wordlessly, embracing him, body languid and relaxed even when David sunk his teeth into his throat. It was strangely intimate, watching David feed, watching the boy shiver and arch closer to him, but I tried to push away . Finally he pulled back, looking much recovered, and much more human. "Thank you, liebling," he said, trading a soft kiss with the boy. "Much appreciated. Jack..."

"I'm all right," I replied, trying to smile reassuringly, but I don't think it was any more convincing than the smile he gave me in return.

"I need to go home soon," he said, voice soft and low. "I need rather more than what you all can provide. And I think it's time, too. But I want to make sure that you're all okay to get home."

Brooks glanced at Athos, then gave a slow nod. "Yes... I think we are."

"Good." I glanced out at the wreckage of the room, and the one surviving queen sized bed. "There's still a couple of hours before sundown... you all try and get some rest in here? I have a few things to do. Then we can work things out."

"You two take the bed. The armchair is still in tact, it's good enough for me." David slipped his arms up around my shoulders as Athos half-carried Brooks to the bed, the boy already half asleep again. "You really all right?"

"I will be," I murmured, closing my eyes and just concentrating on the feel of him against me. "You too, right?"

He gave a little nod, arms tightening around me just a little. "It was a bit naive of me to take an eternal night for granted. But I'll be all right." He pulled back just enough to look at me, blue eyes serious. "I want some time with you before I go."

I let my lips brush against his. "Yeah. Get some sleep. I'll come back when it's dark."

~~~~~~

David

I slept later that evening, later than I'd intended, and when I awoke I could sense the world well and truly covered by nightfall. The clock on the bedside table in the room, which someone must have picked up and plugged back in after the afternoon's activity, read quarter to midnight. There was no sign of Brooks or Athos.

I stood and stretched, working the kinks out of my back from sleeping in the armchair, rubbing my temples a little against the lingering headache and silently cursing myself for being stupid enough to get burnt. It had taken a lot of energy to make my body recover, more than I cared to admit, and I'd taken far too much from Jack. It only reinforced the reality of things - it had been fun, playing nice, but I couldn't deny the part of me that made me immortal, the part that revelled in blood and death.

It was time to go.

Jack wasn't on the third floor, but I swung by the suite anyway, finding Ben and Daniel inside with a couple of files and a fresh pot of coffee. Daniel glanced up and gave me a soft smile. "Good morning."

I gave him a half grin, claiming an empty coffee mug and pouring myself a cup. Coffee helped the headache, somehow more similar to blood than any human would ever suspect. "You ok, Ben? I really apologize for earlier."

Ben chuckled softly. "If I had a sunburn half as bad as yours looked, I think I'd be cranky enough to bite someone too." He took a sip of his coffee. "I'm glad you're all right. This Tuning thing... I'm not very good at it yet."

"Seems like you're very good," I remarked, draining my cup. "Just do me a favor and don't go into Vampire hunting when you get back. Jack said that Nelson got out?"

Daniel nodded. "Free as well. Their information has changed. Nelson asked me to tell you -- thank you, for him."

I smiled, suddenly wishing that I'd had a chance to say goodbye and feeling rather strange about it. "Thanks."

"One more thing," the doctor said softly. "He left me with a treatment kit -- for persons sustaining significant blood loss. Jack is fine, however - please go easy -- on him."

"Noted." I pondered another cup of coffee, but was inturrupted by a soft knock on the door behind me. I turned to find Brooks, looking very smart in the black silk and pinstripe outfit he'd picked up when he was out with me the night before, fedora and all. Athos stood behind him in his Musketeer's tunic, hat in hand. "Good evening gentlemen."

"David." Brooks gave a soft smile. "We're going. Would you be able to give us a ride?"

He didn't need one, but I appreciated the excuse to go see them off. "Of course. Gentlemen - " I gave the two at the table a nod. "I'll be back shortly." I watched the other two say goodbye to them, and we headed down and out of the hotel. I took the drivers seat of the SUV as promised, letting them slip into the back, sitting close together. "Where to?"

"I need a new bike," Brooks said with a soft smile, and I gave a sharp nod.

"Understood." It didn't take long to reach the bike dealership I'd crashed, and I drove through the same plate glass window with a smirk, hearing Athos curse in the background as the window shattered and the car rolled to a stop.

"God, I'll miss being able to pull shit like this." I hopped out of the car and opened the back door with a flourish. "End of line, gentlemen. Anything else I can do for you?"

They climbed out, and Brooks gave me a little brave smile, slipping his arms around my neck and pressing lips to mine chastely. "Thank you for your help," he said, softly, "And your advice. And... for caring about me."

Such a strange child he was, but I knew somehow that he'd be just fine. I smiled and patted his cheek affectionately. "Thank you for what you've taught me as well," I admitted, smiling at his look of confusion, then winked and pulled back, leaning up against the side of the car

I watched the boy slip his arms around Athos's neck, watched the two cling to each other for a long time, speaking soft words that I chose not to hear. When they finally parted, neither was without tears, and I watched Athos press a fine silk handkerchief to Brooks' cheeks before tucking it insistently into Brooks' fingers. "Be safe, mon chérubin," he murmured, lifting the fingers curled around the handkerchief to his lips and kissing them.

Brooks nodded, seeming to not trust his voice, then stepped back, grabbing the same black sport bike with blue detailing that he'd chosen when we rode together previously, giving us both a brave smile as he started it up, then rode out of the dealership.

I watched the lights of the bike dissappear into the darkness until I couldn't see anything at all, even with a vampire's eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Athos standing similarly, and he turned away finally, picking up his hat from the back seat of the car, straighting the plume and setting it on his head. There was a sealed letter with it, which he tucked away somewhere underneath his tunic. Then he turned to me, completely composed, and offered a hand. "Well. It seems that it is time for me to make my exit as well."

I clasped it, giving a little nod. "Can I take you anywhere?"

He pondered the idea, then shook his head. "No, I think I'll walk."

"Back to France? You might get a bit wet." I couldn't resist asking, and he chuckled.

"Hopefully it won't take that long." He stepped back, then gave a proper courtly bow. "Thank you, David. I am glad to see the tales of your kind are not correct in all cases."

I grinned. "Don't give me that much credit, Musketeer. I'll leave the being noble and honourable up to you. Take care."

He nodded, stepping out through the shattered glass window, and I watched him through the windows as he strode down the street, feather a white blur in the darkness. By the time I stepped onto the street, he'd disappeared.

There was only one errand I needed to run on the way back to the hotel, and I left the parcel I picked up in the closet of my room, draped in my jacket. Then I went to find Jack, who was seated in the second floor conference room we'd been working in the night before, sorting papers. He looked up as I entered, giving a smile. "You know a Hercquieu Desmarais d'Niort or a Maximilien Marie-Jean Tessier?"

I quirked an eyebrow. "Didn't know you needed to go shoot frogs to help your Wendy."

"Not me," Jack replied with a soft chuckle, turning and pulling two pages down off the wall and passing them to me. "We now have copies of 17th century execution orders for them."

I glanced at them briefly before setting them down on the table. I already knew what they meant. "What about Brooks?"

"It's now an entertainment article on the newest Quentin Tarantino film."

"Nice." I felt a strange rush of relief, then slipped over Jack's lap, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and watching him with a soft smile. "I'm going back," I stated simply. "I've taken care of everything I need to here. You going to be all right getting home?

He gave a soft, noiseless laugh, hands slipping up my thighs to rest on my hips. "Yeah," he said simply. "I know what I need to do, I've finished all the scenarios from last night. I don't think there's any way I can be more prepared than I am. I just wanted to make sure that everyone else was taken care of first."

"Of course you would, my warrior." I grinned, leaning in to kiss him, letting our forms press together and grinding against him, just a little. "It's not so important as the times you've saved the world, I'm sure, but you have gentled me, just a little. I am grateful for that, and for our shared confidences..." I nipped sharply at his bottom lip, feeling him shudder at the lick of pain. "And of course, for our very pleasant arrangement."

His fingers tightened a little on my hips. "You've been a great help to me as well," he admitted softly, though I'd always known it. "Thank you. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you get back."

"Of course," I replied, slipping a hand to start to undo the buttons on his shirt, hips circling almost teasingly against his. "I was counting on it, actually. I need to feed - just a little, and I definitely need to fuck." I chuckled softly, feeling him arch a little up against under me. "Then you're going to impale me on a pair of antelope horns."

His hands froze. "I... what?"

I grinned and repeated myself, watching him try to accept the words. "Just like a stake, but horns."

"David, I can't - "

"It won't kill me," I reassured, almost completely convinced of the words myself. "Bone isn't wood. And I don't trust anyone else to do it other than you, Jack." Never mind the fact that there weren't many other alternatives left: it was still true. I lifted a hand to run my fingertips over his face, brushing his lips with my thumb. "I can't give anyone else that kind of power over me."

Jack gave a soft sigh, and kissed my thumb. "All right."

I smiled, and before he could react, leaned in to sink my fangs into his throat. It was near euphoric, and his arms were tight around me even before I'd reverted to human, tangled in my hair, clenched at my ass. I tried not to think about this being the last time I would feel him like this, taste him, feel his pulse beat along with my own. The temptation to take everything was too great, to feed and never let go. I forced myself to pull back - far sooner than I wanted to, but he was still weak - catching his mouth with mine as our bodies rocked close together, fitting together familiarly, arching in answer to the lure of desire.

"Let me take you upstairs," he breathed, and I nodded, for once not minding to stretch things out a little.

"Should have had a lot more sex," I muttered as we got into the elevator, and he chuckled softly, hand warm on the small of my back, leaning in to nuzzle my ear.

"Damn horny punk." His voice was low and husky, breath trailing hot over my skin, making me realized that it was in fact very possible to be more turned on than I already was. I briefly considered pushing him down and riding him right there, but then the doors opened, so I grabbed him by his belt and towed him to my room.

Once we were behind closed doors, my back pushed up against the wall and Jack pressed close, the feeling of desperation somehow changed. Perhaps it was because everything was normally so frantic and unrestrained between us that we took our time a little bit now - not so much with the intention of being tender, but with a desire to make it last, to make it it as intense and all encompassing as possible. It certainly didn't lessen the passion he channelled to me, his lips hot on my skin, sucking and nipping within a hairs breadth of being painful as his hands mapped my body, making me gasp and writhe under him, pulse racing, the delicious euphoria of his blood still hot in my veins, in every nerve of my body.

I finally managed to squirm my way out of my clothes, impatiently rending the back of his shirt to pull it off, and pushed him forward and down onto his back on the bed, straddling his his jean clad thighs and looking him over almost predatorily. I let my hands stroke slowly up his hips, revelling in the warmth of his skin under my fingertips as they whispered over his stomach and up his chest. Then I leaned in to replace them with my mouth, targeting one of the scars on his shoulders and tracing it with my tongue, licking and sucking at the tortured skin until he was fairly writhing under me. When his hands clenched at my shoulders I kissed my way to the next one, giving it the same treatment, slowly mapping down his chest and stomach until I reached his belt, then yanking his jeans open and down, running my tongue up the length of his erection to be rewarded with a shuddering groan.

"Fuck, David...."

"That's the idea," I murmured, sucking briefly at the tip of his cock before covering it in slow licks. "God, I could fuck all night."

"Wouldn't be adverse to that at all," he groaned, hips arching up just a little under me. I let myself drop hungry kisses to his thighs, sucking and licking and just tasting him, letting the feel and scent of him overwhelm my senses. When his fingers tightened in my hair I gave in, taking him in my mouth with a low groan, deep into my throat just to feel him buck tense against me, gasping my name.

I flicked my tongue against his head as I pulled back, looking up at him, finding my voice huskier than intended when I spoke. "How do you want this?"

Jack took a few breaths as if to calm himself, watching me darkly, and wet his lips. "Ride me."

I gave an appreciative chuckle, crawling up over him and grinding my hips against him slowly. I let myself indulge in his mouth, deep and slow and yearning, blindly claiming the lube from the nightstand drawer. "Perfect. Gonna ride you so hard, Jack, feels so damn good with that hard, thick cock in my ass...."

His hips bucked up against me in helpless response to my words, fingers raking down my back to clench at my ass. "Do it."

I pushed myself up to sit astride him again, deftly coating him in liberal amounts of lube, loving the feel of the ridges of his cock under my slicked fingers. I was well and truly at the limit of my patience, though, hard and aching for him, and wasted no time in rocking onto him, letting my eyes fall closed momentarily at the achingly intense shudder of sensation that crawled up my spine. I rocked a little harder onto him, drunk on the sensations, the aching bliss of feeling my body stretch around him, taking him deep inside me, pleasure bright and hot and intense.

"David - oh god, you're so damn tight - !" his hands clenched on my hips, wresting control from me enough to pull me down hard onto him, hips bucking deep into me, mercilessly finding that bright hot point of sensitivity and rocking against it.

The rush of sensation it brought was achingly exquisite, and I couldn't help but buck down onto him again, needing the intensity. "That's it," I gasped, hands as our bodies quickly falling into a rhythm that was hard and fast and unforgiving. "God yes, Jack - fuck me. Oh fuck, just like that. God, Jack - !"

He shifted just a little under me, enough to arch up and catch my mouth desperately, sucking and nipping at my lips and tongue as he pulled me down onto him. I pressed closer to him, suddenly needing to feel every inch of him, arms tight around his shoulders and clenching at his back. It was almost too perfect, too intense, losing myself to the passion that I adored so much in him. I let it all rush over me without holding back, pulling me closer with each hard buck of our hips.

"Touch yourself," he hissed, and I complied with a shuddering groan, loving how completely unbridled and base it made me feel, like I always did when I was with him.

"Always gonna think of this, aren't you?" I growled, drawing a sharp breath as I bucked onto him, our bodies connecting just right. "Gonna remember how much I love your cock, how tight I am, how fucking me drives me so fucking crazy that you make me jerk off - oh, fuck - !"

"Always," he echoed, voice raw, fighting to find words through his pleasure. "And how - how fucking good it feels when you - when you come all over me - come on, David - !"

"Fuck -!" His words decimated my self control, my body pulled to a climax indescribably intense with one more hard thrust, and I came hot and slick in my fingers, on his stomach and chest. I kept working my cock with each hot burst of pleasure that rocked through me, crying out throaty and helpless against my mouth, the final satisfaction coming as I felt him buck up hard into me and come, a flood of slick heat inside me, mouth catching my shoulder and biting down at my skin to torture me with one last shudder of pleasure.

For a long moment we stayed like that, hot and sweaty and breathless and sticky, tangled up in each other as pulses gradually slowed. I could feel his breath in warm pants against my neck as he nuzzled my skin, finally trailing lips along my jaw to kiss me, voice low and a bit raw. "Stay a little longer."

I found myself nodding, not able to bring myself to tear away from him just yet. "The night's not over yet," I agreed, returning the kiss languidly, then letting out a long exhalation of breath. "Rest for a bit, my warrior. We still have time before dawn comes."

He nodded, pulling me down to curl with him on the bed, pulling the covers half over us. I fumbled with the hotel alarm clock to keep us from sleeping to late, then settled against him, face nuzzled to his neck, breathing deeply to memorize the scent of him - cologne and satisfaction and bravery and Jack. My Jack.

I felt strangely satisfied, laying curled with him and feeling his fingers stroke slowly up and down my spine, a little possessively. Then his touch gradually slowed, breathing deepening, and when I felt him fall asleep I let myself drift off with him, not regretting a moment of this strange relationship, of the time I'd stolen with him.

~~~~


Brooks

It wasn't difficult to carry out my plans, after I left the bike dealership. The landscape around me changed as I rode through the night, the city buildings giving way to ones I knew, until I was riding up the road to my father's estates. The note I'd written the day I left was still sitting undisturbed on the desk in my room, and I ripped it into small pieces, tossing it into the waste basket. Then I systematically took everything of value from my room - jewelry, small antiques, everything that could be carried easily and had an easy cash value - and packed it into a duffel. I took a few things from the rest of the house as well, that wouldn't be missed. I was eighteen - though barely - but it was old enough for what I needed to do, to restrict all access to my accounts and trust funds to myself only, to make sure I had the means to do what I needed to do. The valuables that I'd pawn were icing on the cake, and perhaps a bit of a red herring. Better for them to think me a runaway than ponder my actual plans.

A second, smaller bag held a few changes of clothes and other essential items, along with the battered, water damaged photo of my mother, and a small box with a locket on a broken chain that I'd hidden away from Cleavland and my father all these years. I carried it downstairs and slipped out of the house in the predawn light, still finding it a little strange to see the sun. I was human again, I knew that, and while it came with a vague sense of disappointment and loss, I knew it was for the best. That wasn't the part of David's world that I needed to take with me. I was still wearing the clothes that I'd come back in - the charcoal gray leather coat and the expensive black bike boots over silk and pinstripe, and I smiled, remembering the night I'd had with David. Remembering the independence he had taught me, remembering the passion Athos had awoken in me. But my journey was just beginning.

I traded the pinstripe pants for heavy black jeans to protect myself from the cold, changing in the garage without care, then tucking them and my fedora away safely in my other duffel.

"Where do you think you're...." I turned at the sound of my brother's voice as I strapped my bags to the back of the bike to find him standing in the garage doorway, still in a housecoat, blinking at my clothes blearily. "What the hell happened, you get hit by the goth bus?"

I chuckled softly, ignoring the question. "See you around, Cleavland. Dad's all yours."

"You're leaving?" his lips took on a slight sneer. "Running away from home, little Brooks? So I'll see you in a week, right?"

The words would have angered me once, but they washed over me now, and I moved back toward him with a little smile. "You'll understand when you're older," I told him, then leaned in to press a soft kiss to his mouth, teasing, swiping my tongue against his lips. Then I pulled back with a grin, hopping on the bike and speeding down the drive, the thrill of freedom hot in my veins.

~~~~~~~~