RockScars

“What is he doing?” Shadows asked while he stood with Vengeance and The Rev watching Christ who was sitting in the sand in front of a huge fire rocking Nix back and forth in his arms.

“I think he’s trying to warm her.” Vengeance answered. “Let’s go.”

As soon as they got close enough, Christ hissed at the three of them warning them not to come any closer. “Johnny, we’re not here to hurt her, we just want to get Nix some help.”

He ignored Vengeance and continued with his quest to warm Nix in front of the fire. His eyes focused on the flames making them grow taller. Vengeance knelt down beside Christ while The Rev and Shadows stood silently watching the being that was once a man they knew and loved. “Johnny, let me take her to the hospital. She needs a doctor.”

Christ smoothed his hand over Nix’s hair and started humming in her ear completely ignoring Vengeance and the others. “I don’t want to have to use force, Johnny, but you are really leaving me no choice.” Vengeance looked back at Shadows and The Rev and nodded. Neither one wanted to hurt their friend, but they didn’t want Nix’s blood on their hands either.

Shadows knelt down behind Christ and placed a heavy arm around his shoulders to hold him in place while The Rev grabbed his arms so Vengeance could take Nix. As soon as Vengeance stood with Nix in his arms, Christ went crazy. The flames from the fire rose again and it was all Shadows and The Rev could do to hold onto Christ and keep him from taking off after Vengeance.

“Knock him the fuck out!” The Rev shouted at Shadows.

“He won’t fucking stay still long enough and I don’t know how much longer I can hold him!” Shadows yelled back.

“Damn it, we need to get him down to the X district.”

Yeah, because when the going gets tough, find a hooker. Brilliant guys, really…

“Grab his legs.”

The Rev did as instructed and the two of them lifted Christ up out of the sand all the while he struggled with them to get free. “Lets get this over with.”

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Meanwhile back at the “all hell’s gonna break loose soon” manor…

“She can’t stay in your room. It’s a bad idea.”

“I’m keeping her,” Gates answered dismissing Vengeance’s words.

“She’s not a possession, you can’t keep her, Gates.”

“Daisy stays in my room and I don’t care what you say. I don’t care who you are or what you do about it either, so take your high and mighty attitude and save it for Shadows.”

Vengeance turned his head slightly and chuckled. “High and mighty attitude? Just who the hell do you think you are?”

Now, it was Gates who stopped and turned his head in Vengeance’s direction. “I know who I am so save it. Just because you couldn’t keep Twyla, doesn’t mean you can go around and take away everyone else’s happiness.”

Vengeance’s eyes flashed red. “You don’t talk to me about Twyla. You don’t know a damn thing about what’s going on with her. As for Daisy, do I need to remind you that had you not been so damn negligent the first time you went to the house, she might not be in her current condition?”

Oh snap! This is getting good!

Gates stopped and shoved Vengeance up against the wall. “You son of a bitch. Don’t you fucking put this on me.” His fist was mere inches away from connecting with Vengeance’s jaw when the door to the bedroom opened.

Both men turned as the Doctor stepped out of the room and into the hall. Devon Trent was the clan doctor who ran the local clinic for Vengeance. Yep, she’s a fricken Vampire.

“How is she?” Gates asked.

The doctor gave a sympathetic smile and put her hand on Gates’s shoulder. “She’s weak, but in a few days she should have most of her strength back. As far as I can tell, whoever had her only wanted her blood. I didn’t see any injuries.”

“Her blood? I don’t get it. Why her? There are tons of us out there, why go through all the trouble of lying and saying they were her parents just to get her blood?”

Devon shook her head. “I’m afraid that is a question that I don’t have an answer for.”

“Can I see her now?”

“Yeah, just don’t make her over exert herself. She needs what little strength she has. Make sure you keep the blood in the IV bags full too. I’ll be back to check on her in a few days.”

Gates nodded. “Thanks Doc.” He turned his attention to Vengeance and glared before walking back into his room and shutting the door.

Vengeance moved closer to Devon and spoke in an almost whispered tone. “Nix?”

“Zacky, I did what I could do for her, but I’m not a human doctor. I could loose my license for helping her when she should be at a regular hospital.”

“I wouldn’t let that happen.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and walked her down the hall to the stairs. “I appreciate all that you have done tonight. Send me the bill.”

“Oh don’t you worry, I intend to send you a nice one.”

Vengeance chuckled and opened the door. “See ya, Dev.”

“Bye,” She waived and walked out the door.

Vengeance knew he should have taken Nix to a human hospital, but doing that would have drawn attention to the whole situation with Daisy. There would be police involved and Christ would be the only suspect. No way in hell was Vengeance going to let Christ take the fall for something that wasn’t his fault. So down on the guest floor in a room at the end of the hall, Nix lay in a bed recovering in secret where she will remain until it is clear to her that what happened never happened. All things concerning her whereabouts would be taken care of by Vengeance.

Oh please, like we haven’t heard the “I’m taking a temporary leave of absence” excuse before. So dramatic lifetime movie…

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Gates walked over to the bed and sat down beside Daisy. He ran a finger lightly over her pale cheek and her eyes fluttered open. “Hi,” he said softly.

“Mr. Gates,” she answered trying to muster a smile. “I’m so happy to see you.”

He smiled and took her hand in his. “I’m happy to see you too, but don’t try to hard to talk, ok?”

“The needles,” she cried as she saw the IV in both her hands. “No more, please.”

“Those are not to hurt you, I promise. It’s not the same kind of needle that the people who took you from me used on you. Trust me?”

Daisy nodded and bit back a sob.

“You should get some sleep now. The more you rest, the faster you’ll get better.”

“Stay with me?”

“I’m not going anywhere. Just gonna take a quick shower, but I’ll be right in there.” He pointed to the bathroom door and Daisy nodded and closed her eyes.

Get to the good shit already…you know they wanna know what happened with Shadows and Vengeance.

“Where’s Christ?” Vengeance asked from behind his desk.

“He’s with Jimmy in the X district. Where’s Nix?”

“She’s safe.”

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Shadows stood there with his hands on his hips glaring at Vengeance.

“Something else you need?” Vengeance asked.

“Yeah, actually there is.”

“Really, and what might that be?” Vengeance stood and moved from behind his desk to stand in front, leaning his lower back against it and crossing his arms.

“I need answers.”

Cue Jack Nicholson V. Tom Cruise: “You want answers?” ok so maybe it’s an inappropriate time for this, but I am inappropriate aren’t I?

Vengeance chuckled lightly and cocked his head to the side. “And what pray tell are the questions?”

Shadows clenched his fists at his side. “You know damn well what the questions are. Stop acting like your don’t have a clue.”

Vengeance pushed off the desk and lit up a cigarette. “What did you and Gates get together and decide to try my patience today? Just spit it out, I don’t have all fucking night.”

Shadows stepped closer as Vengeance blew a steady stream of smoke in his direction. “For starters you could tell me what you did to upset Lark so much.”

“What I did to upset her? That spoiled little brat,” he shook his head. “She let her mouth run away with her and she was grounded for it. Simple as that. I don’t need to explain to you how I handle a situation where that child is concerned. You may be her guardian now, but ultimately she is under my supervision. Ultimately, she is mine.”

“Really?” Shadows smirked. “How long have you been holding that one in your back pocket? You know damn well her father made me her guardian and you are undermining my authority with her.”

“Whatever,” Vengeance shrugged. “Bottom line is, Lark is grounded until I say otherwise. Is there anything else you want to bitch at me like a teenage girl for?”

“You know damn well, what I really want to know so cut the bullshit, Zack.”

“Ahhh the whole I fucked your girlfriend thingy, right?”

hahahahaha anybody hear “Boom, I got your boyfriend, I got your man.” Ahhh… I’m a scumbag, this I know.

Shadows bit down hard on his bottom lip and clenched his fists again. “You really are a bastard.”

“What bothers you more, the fact that I fucked Twyla or the fact that she liked it?”

and again…Oh snap!

Shadows took two steps and his right fist connected with Vengeance’s jaw. Vengeance straightened himself and laughed. “You think punching me is going to erase the fact that I slept with Twyla? It doesn’t. It doesn’t change the fact that I took her virginity either. So grow up and get over it. You were nothing to her when it happened anyway.”

“Bullshit!” Shadows yelled and gritted his teeth. “You knew damn well that Twyla was to be mine. You knew all along what her fate was and what is to be and I had to find out from a little girl. You sick bastard.” He stood shaking his head with a disapproving glance at Vengeance. “You knew all along I would fall in love with her only to have her die. How the fuck can you have the nerve to look me in the eyes every day?”

Vengeance put out his cigarette in the crystal ashtray sitting on his desk and looked back at Shadows. “You need to get out of my office now because you have no clue what the future holds for Twyla. All you know is what Lark saw in a dream. I think tonight is a pretty good indicator that not all dreams come true.”

“Tell me.”

Vengeance sighed and shook his head. “I can’t.”

“YES, YOU CAN!” Shadows demanded.

“If I tell you what is going to happen you’ll try and change it and I can’t allow that.”

“And how is that a bad thing, Zack?”

“It just is. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen. All I can tell you is that it has to happen.”

“Fuck you!”

Shadows turned and left the office slamming the door behind him. His anger was full on the surface as he walked over across the yard to the guesthouse. Once he stepped through the front door, he went straight up to his bedroom.

The girls were lying in his bed where he left them. Twyla was sound asleep on her side with her back facing the door. Lark on the other hand was wide-awake and lying on her side facing the door. Her eyes immediately went to Shadows when he stepped in to the room.

He smiled softly and walked over to the bed kneeling down to her level. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“I waited for you,” she whispered back with a yawn fast escaping.

He smiled and touched her cheek. “Why?”

“So I could kiss you goodnight.”

“You stayed up so you could kiss me goodnight?”

Lark nodded as her eyelids started to flutter. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” he kissed the top of her head and stood up to kick off his shoes. “Move over, baby.” When Lark slid over Shadows climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over them careful not to disturb Twyla.

Lark curled into his side and put her arm around his neck. “Good night, daddy,” she whispered and kissed his cheek.

“Good night, Princess.” Lark had already given in to sleep before the words left his mouth. Shadows looked over in Twyla’s direction to see her lying fast asleep. All he had with her was time and right in that moment, he had decided he was going to spend as much as he can with her.