Building A (Strange) Family

Perfect (?) Family

She had said she would buy them all new bikes when she first came into her money.
They had talked her out of it.
So, she ended up buying them fixer uppers.

They were just as excited as if they were brand new.

David had, with Lillys blessing, turned a shed in the back to his garage.
After three nights with David in the garage,
they were were racing their bikes all over the beach.

David couldn't help but thing of Marco, Paul, Dwayne.
It was bitter sweet.
He supposed he would never totally get over their loss.

Every day though he connected a little more with Robert, Mark and Joel.
They were safe, they were close.
They were practically the perfect family unit.

Lilly insisted they take her Jeep when headed out a couple towns over to hunt.

"At least you guys will have a safe place to sleep while you're gone.
Give me some peace of mind!"

"And what will you do, Lilly? Just stay home the next three days?"

She giggled a little. "gives me a chance to try out the Jag..."

"...Oh, yeah. Forgot you had that."

When they got back, Lilly helped them unload the Jeep.

"Aw, my Cullens are back!" She giggled.

David had stuck his head in the car, then pulled it out to raise an eyebrow at her.
"Your what?"

"Cullen's..." She smirked.

David looked to Mark to explain. Mark rolled his eyes.

"Stupid 'Twilight' vampires... She's got a point."

David turned back to Lilly. He wasn't exactly mad, but he certainly wasn't happy.
She laughed at the look on his face.

"Oh, come on! An adopted 'family' of vampires, you now live in the great north west, and you just took the boys 'camping'... You are totally the Cullens."

His hands full with bags, he still stalked over to her for a kiss.
He didn't say anything, couldn't.
She was right.
And it pissed him off.

She stood by the jeep, just watching them through the houses open front door.
They were laughing, just being themselves.
She had missed them and now felt more settled to have them home.

She turned around to close the back of the Jeep and almost screamed.
She never heard him coming, he just sort of appeared.

He stared at her, his yellow eyes glowing.
His mouth was open slightly and she could just see the hit of fangs.
His face and shirt were covered in blood; some fresh, some old and dried.

She didn't dare move.
She was ready to scream for David if the vampire in front of her moved.

He did, but not like she expected.
His face morphed back to human.
The eyes went from yellow to blue green and his skin was quite dark.

He looked at her, wide eyes scared and haunted.

"Please... help..." he whispered, so light she almost didn't hear it.

She thought at first he was lunging for her, but he was just falling to the ground.
She quickly reached out for him, screaming to the house.

The others were there, flying to her side.

"Wh-" David reached out to help her support him, looking at the blood now all over Lilly as well.

"I don't know. He was just here and said help. It's not my blood and I'm pretty sure it's all his..."

Between the three guys, they lifted him easily and took him into the house and up to the spare bedroom.

Lilly rushed to get rags and hot water.
Once she was able to clean him a bit, they were sure it was his blood.

"It looks like an animal attacked him," Robert reported, looking over his neck and arms.

""Or a vampire," Mark offered, coming into the room with some spare cloths.

"But he is a vampire," Lilly explained. She lifted off his shirt completely to reveal more injuries.
"His face was morphed when I first saw him. He shifted in front of me."

The guys looked to each other at this news.

Finally, David just shook his head.

"That doesn't mean it wasn't another vampire.
Turf war, fighting over food, coven kicked him out.
It doesn't matter.
Right now, he needs rest and blood."

Lilly tossed the bloody shirt and several rags in a heap by the door.
Then, she sat on the bed by the strangers head.

"I think I can manage that."

As she reached her wrist over his mouth, David grabbed it.
Perhaps a little harder then he intended.

"No, you will not. Not you."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Are you actually jealous? David-"

"It's not that!" He bared back at her.

"Lilly, it's really not." Robert assured her.
Grabbing her shoulders he gently urged her off the bed.
David still had hold of her wrist, unwilling to let go.

"What David means is that we know nothing of this guy.
Vampires who don't kill? We don't know if they exist outside this room and...
and if you were to try to let him feed,
he would probably drain you without knowing he did anything wrong. "

She had been looking down at his hand tight around her wrist.
Now, she looked up to his face.
It wasn't the anger or jealousy she imagined.
There was fear there.

She put her free hand over his that held her.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. It's okay, David..."

He shook his head quickly as if to clear it.
He looked down to their hands and relaxed his grip.

"David?"
Robert was now where Lilly had been, sitting on the bed with his wrist over the stranger.

"It would be best if it were you and I. We are the oldest, the strongest blood. If we take turns, it should be plenty to have healing effect."

David nodded, lifting Lilly's had to kiss it, before moving to Robert.
Robert nodded to Joel and Mark as well.

"If you guys could stand at the ready in case we have to pull him off?"

Robert let his hand morph to vampire,
his nails growing sharp as razors, and cut into his wrist.

Then, he held it over the passed out strangers mouth.

The reaction was immediate; his eyes shot open and he gasped.

Robert shushed him and rubbed the strangers shoulder with his free hand.

"It's okay. We're going to help," Robert soothed.
"Have you ever drank another vampires blood?"

Eyes still wide and frightened, the stranger shook his head.

"Okay, well it's going to help you heal some. We're hoping enough to get you out to feed normal tomorrow. Okay?"

He nodded, finally seeming at ease enough to latch on to Roberts wrist.

"My name is Robert. We all live here..."
He continued speaking, softly, just calming chatter.

Soon, the stranger let go himself.
His breathing was labored but he seemed much more relaxed.
Robert smiled at him kindly and rubbed his shoulder again.

David also gave him blood.

Once they deemed him to be okay for the night,
Lilly left to let them help him change into the clothes Mark had brought.

It took a minute, but Robert frowned once he realized.
"Mark? Are these my pajamas? Did you go into my room?"

Mark shrugged. "They looked like they'd fit him! I'm too short!"

They all laughed, even the stranger grinned and huffed a little.

"Thank you, Robert... all of you... for everything..." and then the stranger was asleep.