Legal disclaimer: this is fiction. I do not know or own NSync, or say that this is what they are like in real life. Don't read if you're for some reason not allowed to.
Author's note: here is part six. Hope y'all like. Love and looneytunes from Kat.
- Chapter six -
It was a moment Lance would always remember, it also taught him a valuable lesson. Life is never what it seems, and it's never black and white either. Studying the three other present in the room, Lance wanted to find a way to crawl inside their minds, get to know all their secrets. From the compassionate, sweet-spoken one, to the deadly vampire-child now sleeping peacefully on the couch...and to JC, the former slayer. Now Lance had a whole new range of why's and what's.
"Maybe we should save this for tomorrow night," JC suggested. "There is still the issue of what you did tonight, Lance. We do feed on mortals, but there are a few ground-rules." "No!" Lance interrupted. "Please, I want to know! I have so many questions, there are so many things I need to know..." "I'll get Justin to bed," Joey said, "you tell the horrid tale, darling." Gently he picked Justin up in his arms and smiled a little as the younger vampire draped his arms around his neck and buried his face against Joey's chest.
"You don't want to...?" Lance wasn't sure what he was asking. He got the distinct feeling that Joey didn't want to be there when JC told what had happened. "I know the story," Joey said, moving towards the door, "believe me, I know. I was there." "He'll be back up," JC said as Joey left them. "He just doesn't like to be reminded of what took place. In some way, I guess my lover feels a little guilty."
JC sat down in one the big recliners by the fireplace. The fireplace was never in use since most vampires held a natural fear of fire. But the white marble fireplace still made an impressive sight without it's roaring inhabitant. "Chris and I met just after I had finished my initial training. He was a couple a years older than me and became my hero at once." A small smile graced JC's face as he remembered back. "I wonder if he's still as crazy as he used to be... Originally this was Chris' domain, and I was to be sent to another area. Then he made a mistake that almost costed him his life and that sent Joey into my life."
JC was far, far away in his own memories, Lance found himself fascinated by the beginning of what appeared to be a many-sided tale. "There was a little girl," JC continued. "Around six or seven. I don't know who turned her, but I guess he or she had to pay with their life long time ago." Now he looked at Lance. "You may know the punishment for those who turn someone who doesn't want it, but I don't think we told you what happened to the one who is turned." Lance slowly shook his head. "They are to be terminated immedeately," JC said. "By us, by their kind."
Fear coiled up inside Lance. "Don't worry," JC hurried to say. "We have no intention of killing you. But this means that you can never tell anybody the true story about how you became one of us. Then both Justin and you may very well die." "I won't tell," Lance said, "I swear. I don't want to die." "That's good," JC said. "Please continue the story," Lance asked almost shyly.
"The one who turned the little girl committed two sins," JC said. "As Joey told you earlier, there are certain rules governing the vampire society. One very important one is to never turn someone who doesn't ask for it. Another one is that you never turn a child. Justin may seem young to you, but he was over sixteen years of age as he was turned. Anyone younger is regarded as a threath and will be eradicated.
But, I don't know for which reason, this little girl was allowed to live. Chris and I did a lot of searching for vampires together and one night we came upon this little vampire-girl. She was on her own and we were to kill her. I was just a trainee back then, so it was Chris' responsibility to slay her. But he couldn't make himself do it. So I killed her instead.
As our watchers found out, they reported on to the council. I was praised for my actions, Chris was already seen as a liability because of his reckless behavior. I took over as slayer in this area and he was sent to Mexico which at the time was a mess without any comparison. I think the council had expected him to get himself killed down there real fast and then they would be rid of him. The last thing they expected was for Chris to actually clean up the whole mess and have a ball doing it too. He may have used some rather unconventional methods, but he did it none the less.
And while Chris had fun down in Mexico, I was totally miserable here. Not only did I miss my friend, I also felt guilty. I killed a child, even though she was much older then me in chronological age and one of them I had swore to spend my life killing. Joey was at the time living with his maker and a horde of other waywards not far from where we are. The little girl also lived there and she and Joey shared a special bond. So he sought me out, and one night he came to kill me.
That was the beginning," JC said, he seemed to be amused by Lance's mesmerized look. "He couldn't kill me after all, and I couldn't kill him. Instead we fell in love. And when you're a slayer, loving a vampire is the ultimate failure. The ultimate betrayel is to let yourself be turned. I did both. I saw Joey in secret for several years before I asked him to turn me into one of his kind. Then I left it all behind to be with the love of my life, my eternal love. The council put a price on my head, which worked against it's goal. No vampire will kill a vampire the council wants dead. And this city didn't have any slayer anymore. Not until now. By bringing Chris back, I guess they mean business. Even if he broke just about every one of their rules, Chris always got the job done.
And as waywards we stand on the egde of the vampire society which unfortunelately makes us more vulnerable than I like." "Waywards?" Lance asked. "Why are we waywards?" "That's what they call us," JC answered, "or the lost. Waywards are those who have broken the unspoken rules. Being a former slayer I will never be trusted, being with me Joey will never be trusted either. Justin has his own shady past. When you get more accustomed to your new life, you have a choice, Lance. Either be a fully integrated part of the community or stay with us." "I am staying with you," the answer came at once. "You don't have to choose now," JC answered, "but there will come a time when you have to make a decision."
Joey entered the room again. "Justin's sleeping like a baby," he said, sitting down on the couch. "That boy will sleep through anything." Turning to Lance, he saw the sleepy look on the blonde's face too. "Think it's time for you to get some sleep too, Lance." "I don't wanna go to sleep yet," Lance pouted. "You guys haven't told me everything yet." "Well, let's save some for tomorrow night," Joey said. "I'll take you hunting and we'll go through the rules and all that. Now go get ready for bed." "I don't wanna go to bed," Lance complained, but was betrayed by the fact that he was half asleep already. Still a little grumpy he left to get changed and Joey wandered over to JC. "How did he take it?" "Like a fairytale," JC said, sounding a little surprised. "I got the feeling he was going to ask for one more chapter before bedtime."
"Yeah," Joey said, "I guess you had to be there..." "We were there, honey," JC said, taking Joey's hand in his to kiss it tenderly. "And we pulled through. I can handle Chris, I know him. I know him better than he thinks." "I never had any doubt in you," Joey answered, running his fingers over JC's cheek. "It's just that...there are so many secrets in this house now, something's bound to give." "Come on, Joe," JC said, getting to his feet. "You're happy to have Lance here too, don't deny it. You can't help taking in another stray lamb." "This time the circumstances didn't let me do anything else," Joey corrected him. "Lance wouldn't be here and he wouldn't be one of us if it wasn't for our other little stray lamb. But I am happy to have him here, you're right."
"Besides," JC's eyes got a familar twinkle as he put his arms around Joey's neck. "I get to decorate another room!" "Yes, you do," Joey said with a laugh. "God, JC, you and your decorating...I swear, if I didn't already know...!" He was silenced by JC's lips upon his own.
The sun had been up for quite some time when Chris finally got back to his appartement. His plan was to catch a quick shower then get into bed and sleep for at least twelve hours. Unfortunelately that wasn't how it ended out. "Where have you been, Christopher?" a female voice asked as soon as the door was closed behind him. "Geez, Carrie!" Chris stated, "you trying to scare me to death?" "After what you have been through, I seriously don't think I scared you that much," his watcher answered. "I was just getting to know this place again," Chris explained as he took off the denim jacket he wore. "What's up?"
"Since it's been a while since either of us was back in this town, I went to the council to get the updates on what happened since we left," Carrie answered him. "Can we please do this another time, Car?" Chris pleaded, "I'm exhausted!" "It was your own choice to go out last night," Carrie answered, not paying any attention to the pitiful face Chris was giving her. "Well, I did run into somebody special," Chris said, dropping down on the couch. "The fallen one and his lover." "You saw JC?" Carrie asked, looking curiously at Chris. "I did," Chris answered, stretching out on the couch. "If we're going to do this now I'm at least going to be comfortable." "So the fallen one is still in town," Carrie said. "No wonder they were so keen on us coming back.
They did say something about the vamp-society changing now, it looks like there may be a revolution on the way. The younger ones are tired of living by the rules the ancient ones made up." "So they're acting like teenagers," Chris answered while stifling a yawn. "What else is new?" "Pay attention, Christopher," Carrie scolded him, "if the younger vampires tries to revolt, it could make your job a whole lot easier. Letting them vipe out each other is better then us risking our necks to do it." "I know," Chris told her, curling up on the couch. "Let them kill each other, got it."
"This place sure has changed," Carrie said thoughtfully. "It's not like Mexico at all. You're going to have to watch your back here, Christopher. The vamps here are much more aggressive, not to mention smarter, than what you're used to now. We're going to freshen up on your training and you'll have to meet with the council again, and..." Noticing that Chris had become suspiciously quiet, Carrie turned around to find Chris sound asleep on the couch. She smiled. "Well, I guess the rest can wait." Gently she covered him with a blanket and closed the curtains, coating the room in a pleasant darkness. Then Carrie tiptoed out, leaving her young protege to sleep.