Dead in the Water

(Nonnie’s POV)

I stretched out next to Frank. We had been sleeping for a while now, but I thought it was time for us to get up and go check on my friends. Patrick had said that Pete and Martin were both in the hospital and I was worried about Amanda too. Last I saw she was passed out and headed upstairs to find away out while Pete and I held as many men off as we could.

"Frankie Baby," I said shaking his shoulder.

"Woman let me sleep for goodness sake," he said.

"We've been sleep all day and I think the sun is down. I'm worried about everyone we need to get to the hospital to check on them."

"Non I'm sure they are fine, lay back down," he pulled me so that I was back next to him in our make shift bed.

"Frank," I whined. He took a deep breath before letting me go and then started to get dressed. I followed suit.

"You think they would mind if we used the shower?" he said peaking out of the door making sure that the sun was indeed down.

"I'm pretty sure they won't, but I was going to wait till we got home though. We don't have any clean clothes here."

"We can't go back there Non. Too many vampires were invited in. Your friends should move out too," I knew he was right so I just didn’t say anything. “Look we’ll shower then head over to Ray’s grab some clothes and then head over to the hospital.”

“Why don’t we get out of here and just shower at Ray’s?”

“Always thinking,” he said pulling me against his body. “That’s why I keep you around.”

“And I thought it was the mind blowing sex.”

“That too,” he said as we crawled out of the window and down the fire escape the same way that we had come in the night before. We walked about two blocks to Ray’s house. He also shared it with Bob and Mikey. Well he used to share it with Mikey.

“Where the hell have you two been at?” Ray asked when he opened the door. “I’ve been calling you all night we’ve been trying to think of the best place to look for Mikey.” I stood there unable to speak. I’d forgotten they didn’t know I’d been changed or that Mikey and Gerard had killed. Frank went to walk into the house and I stood stock still on the steps outside. Ray stopped his worried rant realizing that I was still standing on porch. “Non what’s the matter come in here. We have to find Mikey and Gerard before they hurt more people,” I took a deep breath and stepped into the house. He had invited me in without my having to tell him about me, but I wasn’t sure how long that was going to last.

"He's gone," I blurted out. "So is Gerard. They are both gone. I’m a vampire,” Ray just stood there staring at me. “I…Gerard changed me too. I killed him last night.” I waited for his reaction and wondered where Bob was.

“But you just came in…”

“You invited me, by telling me to come in. So I came in,” before I knew it he had me wrapped in a hug.

“What the hell Frank how could you let this happen?”

“He didn’t I just wasn’t strong enough, but I’m good now,” I lifted his feet off the ground with ease and he laughed. “I screwed up and went to help Mikey a last night, I didn’t know he had been changed it was a trap. Gerard changed me and I was lucky and turned out to retain my soul like Frank did. They’ve been teaching me a lot about this whole being a vampire thing. Then Pete killed Mikey and Gerard got mad and kidnapped me again…But then I killed him and we are here now,” I said summing up the whole story.

“Oh Non, I’m sorry,” he said holding me tighter.

“What are you sorry about?” Bob said coming into the living room.

“I killed Gerard and Mikey’s gone too,” I saw a flicker of pain across his face, but he’s always been good at hiding his grief. He’s the one who held me together at Frank’s funeral. Well he was the most successful at calming me down a little.

“Should we have a funeral? I mean for his parents,”

“We don’t even have a body,” I said.

“I’ll talk to Sisky see if he can think something up.” Frank said.

“I can’t call them and tell them they lost their other son,” I said. I had been the one to call about Gerard cause I was closest to them. Their parents knew me and thought of me like a daughter. To hear Donna’s voice crack over the phone again would be too much.

“Don’t worry babe, I’ll take care of it,” Bob said pulling me into his own embrace. “Non you’re freezing,”

“No I’m dead,” he pulled away and I slid my fangs out so he could see them. He pulled further away till he was standing behind Frank. “I won’t hurt you Bob,”

“Your one of them,” I closed my eyes it hurt to hear that coming from one of my friends.

“You’re hiding behind a vampire,” I said. “I’m just like him Bob, I won’t hurt you,”

“This is Tammy Tai here at the House that used to belong to the Famous Pete Wentz and a few of his friends…” I was listening to the TV in the next room. I turned and ran into the room just in time to see my home burned to a crisp. “Now earlier today this place was crawling with Fire Officials trying to find out what cause the fire in the first place…” I stopped listening. I was homeless. I plopped down onto Bob’s bed and the other’s filed into the room.

“Patrick said everyone was okay remember?” Frank said sitting down and wrapping his arms around me.

“Frank we don’t have anywhere to go,”

“It seems to me that a room here just opened up. I mean its not like Frank wasn’t already staying here,” Ray said looking at Bob who was still weary of me being there.

“I gotta get to the hospital,” I said standing up abruptly.

“Non don’t…I’m just…” Bob tried to explain.

“I get it Bob,” I said. I really didn’t get it, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to make sure that Pete, Martin and Amanda were okay.

“I’ll just hop in the shower and use some of Mikey’s clothes,” I left them there. I could hear Frank and Ray fussing at Bob. Frank had to know that I could hear them but I guess he just didn’t care. I didn’t take long in the shower just washed and then pulled on a pair of Mikey’s boxers and then a pair of jeans that were too long, but fit my waist. I loved borrowing the guy’s clothes. They always fit me better than it fit them. When I came out Bob sat in a chair outside the door.

“Non look, I’m sorry. You and Frank can stay. Just try not to bite me,” I raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll try and resist,” I said rolling my eyes. Frank took a quick shower and then we headed to the hospital. When we arrived Frank went to go talk to Sisky about a body or at least ashes for Mikey’s parents. While I headed to find Pete and the others. I knocked then opened Pete’s door. Elissa sat next to him on the bed.

“Hey Non,” he said.

“Hey,” I said. “I guess everyone knows now that I killed Gerard huh?” he returned my sad smile.

“You had to,” he said.

“That doesn’t make it feel any better,”

“Why don’t I give you two a second?” Elissa said getting up and leaving Pete and I alone. Before I could tell her not to.

“Sorry about you’re house,” I said. “And sorry about you getting hurt. I should have taken care of Gerard instead of letting you fight my battle for me.”

“I was thinking of redecorating anyway.”

“Thanks for not hating me,”

“Hey I’ve been where you are.”

“I told Ray and Bob just now and Bob freaked out. I mean he went and hid behind Frank like I was going to suddenly jump on him and…”

“Well Non you are a vampire,” he said.

“I know, but they too Frank in right away. Like it was no big deal and then they look at me like I’m the anti-Christ. It’s just weird,”

“I’m sure they didn’t just accept Frank. It probably took time and its going to take time,” he was right and I knew it.

“Have you been sensing that something’s wrong with Amanda?” I asked him.

“Yeah, I kinda get that feeling too, but she’s probably not going to tell us what it is.”

“Yeah, but maybe Martin or Erelin knows.”

“Maybe Frank knows,”

“Frank wouldn’t keep something like that away from me.”

“He kept that he was still alive away from you,” I tried to think of a way to prove him wrong but I had nothing. Frank had kept that away from me.