[sam_lakes]

Chapter 8

Simon had wanted to tell his parents that he was a vampire but feared rejection much the way I had. Mike was even more terrified of revealing the information to them.

Peter and I had been invited to dinner by their parents. To say the least they were a bit embarrassed that we came as they were a collar class family. In our society mixing classes outside of school was a rarity.

We were sitting in their living room when I heard Simon yelling down from his room. "Jonathan, can you come here a minute, please." I detected a lisp.

Mr. Larson smiled, "Go on. It's fine."

As I entered the room Simon turned around.

"Jonathan, what do I do? They won't retract!" He immediately started crying.

I crossed the room and pulled him into a hug. "It's going to be all right Simon. They do that sometimes in the beginning.

"What do I do? My parents will hate me. Can I come and live with you?"

"Well, first of all, I doubt your parents will hate you. Secondly..." We were startled when Mrs. Larson's voice interrupted.

"Simon, I could never hate you. I suspected you had a crush on Jonathan and it's okay. You're still our son. Gay, straight or whatever we love you."

"Mom, please I'm not gay!" Simon cried as he hid his face by burying it into my chest.

"Son, it's okay," I heard Mr. Larson speak.

Simon grabbed me even tighter as he used me to shield himself from his parent's view.

"Sir, ma'am, your son it not gay."

"Then what's wrong?" asked Mr. Larson asked in a concerned tone.

"You've heard of Vampire Boy?

"That's all Simon talks about these days. Vampire Boy this. Vampire Boy that. I've heard he's some kind of hero. We've heard that the kids at school practically worship him. Even Mike says he thinks he's pretty cool - and that's saying a lot," Mrs. Larson said.

"So what does this vampire boy have to do with Simon?" he asked.

"They are half brothers," I said, "Same father, but different mothers."

There was silence for a moment.

"What do you mean? What are you getting at?" ask Mrs. Larson.

"What he's getting at Mom is Mike, I and Jonathan are half brothers. We have the same father."

"Oh." said Mr. Larson, "Simon, you are right. I'm not your blood-related father, but it doesn't mean I don't love you."

"Oh? Even when I have these?" asked Simon as he moved so his parents could see his extended fangs.

There was a moment of silence that was interrupted by Mike. "You told them! I hate you Jonathan!" He turn and ran out of the house.

"Go get him. I'll talk to your parents," I said.

Simon took off after his brother while the parents, Peter and I returned to the living room.

As I sat on the sofa with Peter Mrs. Larson spoke, "We love our sons. How could they ever think we could not love them with all our heart?"

"Well, they are my brothers and I know what they are going through. It's a difficult time for them. Discovering that you are unlike everyone else and that you are a vampire is frightening. I know. I had to deal with it and I was alone. Even though I had a family who loved me and our parents had accepted me as their own son, I was terrified."

"But we knew they were eventually going to get fangs, Jonathan," said Mrs. Larson.

"You knew? Did you adopt the boys?" I asked in total surprise.

"No, but you're right. I am not their biological father. When Mavis and I got married we wanted children. I was sterile and so the only way we were going to have children was to find a donor father or adopt."

"My father? You met my father?" I asked. The idea that I would ever meet someone that knew either of my parents was something that was beyond my dreams.

"Yes. I'll have to admit I did a double take when I saw you. You look a lot like him - only your eyes are different. His eyes were light blue whereas your eyes are a darker blue. He had been my best friend. I knew of his blood disorder."

"What happened to him?"

"We don't know," said Mrs. Larson as the twins appeared.

Simon's fangs had retracted but they both looked apprehensive.

"Boys, I want you to know that I - your mom and I love you with all our heart. I guess I should have been paying more attention. I just wasn't sure when you'd get your fangs," said Mr. Larson, "I suppose we should have told you that I wasn't your real father but I didn't. I love you Simon and Michael. I have since the day you were born," Mr. Larson said quietly. I think he feared the worse.

The two ran to the open arms of their father then to their mother.

Mike then came over to me.

"Hey, bro. Uh, sorry for being such an ass to you. I guess I didn't think."

"No problem. I sort of figured that out. Besides, Cat-Breath, I would have done the same," I laughed.

He blushed.

We spent the rest of the evening with the boys showing their parents their fangs and how fast they could move and then they had me show my fangs and I had to show how fast I moved.

The boys asked Peter and I to sleepover. We all stayed up until one a.m. goofing around. Peter and I slept in the guest room. Around 3a.m. I woke from my sleep to find Mike standing by my bed.

"Mike?" I whispered.

"I hear screaming," he whispered.

I sat up and listened I knew someone was in danger or frightened. Easing out of bed I quickly got dressed while Mike returned to his room. I let Peter continue to sleep and left the room.

Mike, Simon and I quietly left the house.

"Follow me and keep up," I ordered.

About five minutes later we found ourselves in a dreg area where a small crowd of a hundred or so dregs were being herded into trucks. One man paused and was immediately stung with a sting stick that a MultiCorp Security Police jabbed at him.

"Please take me not my wife and grandson!" pleaded and older gentleman.

The SP said grabbing a boy of thirteen or fourteen, "Is this your kid?"

The man nodded replying, "Yes sir".

The SP jabbed his string stick at the boy. The boy screamed in pain. Several other SPs watching laughed.

That was all I needed.

I walked over to the boy who was now unconscious and picked him up. I looked at his grandparents who smiled at me like they knew who I was.

I smiled back. "Don't worry." I bit the boy's jugular and pumped a few cc's of my serum.

Almost immediately he regained consciousness. He looked at me. "Jonathan," he whispered then closed his eyes for a moment as if asleep then opened them.

"You okay now?" I asked.

He nodded. "What's your name?" I asked softly.

"Andrew," he replied.

"Well, Andrew you are mine to protect. Is that alright with you?"

"Really?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Yes! Yes! Like a big brother?" he asked excitedly.

"Yeah, like a big brother," I laughed.

"What's your name," he asked which I thought was rather curious as he had just called me by my name.

Before I could say any anything an SP tapped me on the shoulder. I turned.

"Who the fuck are you?" asked the SP. I moved Andrew towards the safety of his grandparents who pulled him even further away from the SP and me.

"You're worst nightmare," I said as I grabbed him by the front of his jacket and extended my fangs. He fought to get away but I was stronger. I drained two liters of blood from him.

He was barely conscious when I added my warning, "Never come back here. Never. Never hurt or cause to be hurt this boy or his family. I have taken two of the five liters of blood you have - if there is a next time I will take the rest. I AM THE VAMPIRE BOY OF NEW BOSTON!" I released him and his body collapsed to the ground.

Of course this action didn't go unnoticed by the other SPs. Five of the nineteen remaining came running over. Their mistake. Shortly, the five lay on the ground.

Mike grabbed me, pulling me out of the way of a bullet which just missed me but hit an innocent dreg.

I spotted the SP with the firearm and in a split second I was standing in front of him. I ripped the weapon from his hands tossing it away. He turned to run but I jumped in front of him and grabbed him by the throat.

"I could rip your throat out. Pray that that dreg lives for if he dies so will you." I drained him of one liter of blood. "Your life is linked with his and you will protect him and his family. Your fate is his fate. His fate is your fate. Break that link and you shall die!"

Mike had taken out two more SPs. There were only four of the SP force that weren't unconscious. We quickly put the unconscious SPs in the trucks and told the four SPs to leave and never return.

The crowd watched us as we return to the wounded man. Simon had given him a healing bite and although the man was in a bit of discomfort he was healing rapidly.

Someone from the crowd said, "Who are you guys? What are you?"

"We are your protectors - we are the Vampire Boys of New Boston," I said.

I nodded to my brothers and we disappeared.

Feasting always gave me heightened senses and exhilaration and normally I would end up in Cambridge atop my building. For all the time I have been going to Cambridge I had never explored it.

"I can see in the dark!" exclaimed Mike.

"Me too!" added Simon.

"Jonathan, what we did was good. We saved those people and I feel great!" Mike said excitedly, "You were so awesome. I've never tasted human blood before. I thought maybe I'd be sick like I was with the cats, but I wasn't!"

"Jonathan, I saved that man's life. I remembered what you told me about healing and I did what you did!"

"It's always better when you save a life instead of taking one," I said.

"Have you ever taken a life?" asked Mike.

"Yes. Twice. It took me a long time to reconcile my actions in doing it." I turned and walked to the edge of the building.

As I looked towards New Boston I wondered if I had other brothers and if so, how many? The boys' father knew my father. For the first time in my life I want to know about my father.

Chapter 9