Sooner Or Later

SIXTEEN

Frank punched the wall, he cursed. His anger and frustration were rising and his level of hope was falling drastically. Would he ever find Claire? How was she doing this on her own? Was she killing for the blood she needed? Where was she staying?
Frank rubbed his hand a bit and then put it into his pocket where he carried her bracelet, his fingers ran along it's surface, trying to calm himself down, to recollect his thoughts and figure out his next move. No matter what he seemed to do, who he talked to, where he went. He never seemed to turn up anything useful to help him.

Just the rumours of a girl who escaped the hunters and was taking in by another vampire...no names, no locations, no descriptions...

Mikey hadn't heard much and Gerard didn't seem interested in whether or not he found Claire, nor did he seem to care how long Frank was there in his home. But Frank was growing restless and tired of being a guest in a house rather than having a home of his own. That was the way it had always been... he had been the host, not the guest.
Tired and drained, he came 'home'. He sat down and had a cup of blood he rubbed his eyes and than massaged his temples racking his brain for some area he had missed, some stone he hadn't turned over...but couldn't think of anything. He was beginning to lose all hope.

Claire sat in the corner. Ray held Jess's head above her heart as Jess screamed in pain. Claire's face was stained with tears, she clenched her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the screams that were coming from Jess.

"You've got to do something Claire! Help her!"
"I can't!" she sobbed, rocking herself back and forth, regretting what she had started to do and now, couldn't find the strength to finish. Ray yelled at her to do something, anything...Claire didn't move from her spot in the corner, watching the two of them, watching as one of her best friends was bleeding to death from her bite.

It had all happened so quickly, they were talking and than they turned on the TV. A vampire movie was on, they had all made their comments here and there and finally, Jess said "It would be so cool to be one..." and Claire asked her if she was serious, she was, so she bit her. Full intention of changing her and now, she couldn't find the strength to cut herself open, to give her friend the only thing that could save her. She rocked herself gently, hating herself for what she had done...wanting it all to stop. Ray picked up the phone and dialed a number as best as he could with one hand. Within a few moments of him hanging up the phone, the front door opened and a Stormy was in front of Claire, shaking her back into reality.
"Come on!"
"I can't do it."
"You can! And you will." Claire shook her head violently. Stormy grabbed her face and forced her to look towards Jess, "She is dying. Do you want her to die? Do you want her to leave you? Are you ready for that? Are you ready to live with the guilt of killing your best friend?"
"No." She whispered
"Then help her." Stormy handed Claire a knife, she looked over at Ray and scooted herself across the floor towards Jess, who had quieted down when Stormy had entered.
"Jess, I'm sorry. This… all of this. Its all my fault."
"Claire..," Jess moaned, hardly conscious.
"Okay...I'll help you...." Claire raised her arm up to get a better look at it and tightened her grip on the handle of the knife and closed her eyes, feeling the sleek connection of the metal to her flesh as it gave way under the sharp edge...a few drops of blood started to leak out, soon they grow larger and flowed out of her wound.
"You need to drink, Jess it's the only way."
Ray helped lift Jess up into a sitting position and moved her head towards the running blood.
"Drink. You'll fall asleep before you feel any of the changes that are going to happen and you'll wake up and it'll all be over. I promise" Jess looked into Claire's eyes, they were weighed down with tears, she nodded and drank.
Claire hid in one of the bedrooms at Ray's while Jess slept, Stormy went home and Ray sat on his computer, talking with his friends. She cried, looking at the wound on her arm, it had closed, but the scar was still there, she had missed some dried blood when she cleaned herself up. She shook her head, trying to forget what she had just done, and even though she was scared of it she was glad... glad that she had Jess now...forever.

"Hey..."
"What is it?"
"I've been told to give you a message."
"More hunters about?"
"Not exactly. Do you still have that one with you? From the house?"
"Yes."
"Well I know where he can find the girl."
"I'm listening" Gerard said, moving his stool a bit closer to the bar as the bartender's voice quieted down.

Gerard came home, "Mikey where's Frank?"
"Out looking for Claire I guess... Why?"
"New information...if he comes back, tell him to find Stormy."
"Stormy?"
"She knows where Claire is." Gerard shrugged and turned around and went back out into the dark.
"Be careful Gerard." Mikey called out.
Feeling alone, Frank walked down the streets. Around him families milled about, making him miss Claire even more.
He took a seat beside a statue and looked out into the crowd. His eyes caught sight of something familiar.
"It can’t be," he told himself "worth a shot though."
He took a deep breath and called out,
"Ray?"
The person stopped and turned around.
He stood up and walked towards Ray, "It IS you, have you seen Claire?"
"Well well well, if it isn't Frank. Looking for Claire...surprise surprise..." Ray smiled at Frank, Frank rolled his eyes.
"Look, have you seen her or not?" Frank raised his voice, causing a few people to stop and look at them.
"With a temper like that, it's no wonder she hasn't found you yet. Subconsciously not wanting to."
"So you've seen her? Where?"
"Around."
"Ray, so help me, If you don't tell me specifics soon...I'll-"
"You'll what? Bite me?" Frank's eyes widened. "You're too late for that." Ray moved the collar of his shirt to show the wound.
"RAY!" Claire yelled and ran through the crowd as best she could. "Ray! We need- FRANK?!?"
She stopped in her tracks and her mouth dropped open, but only for a second.
She gave a gleeful scream and jumped into his arms.
Passers by stopped to watch Frank pick Claire up and spin her around. She wrapped her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck. Grinning ear to ear she kissed him. Ray watched, slightly shocked as the couple made-out in public.
I thought I'd never find you." Said Frank between kisses, "Where were you?"
"Somewhere safe..." She murmured
"How?"
"We'll talk about it later," She said, slowly getting off Frank.
"Right now, we need to get back there."
"Why?"
"I'm worried about Jess."
The three walked back to Stormy's, Claire and Frank holding hands, Ray trailing behind.
Once they got to the front door Ray pulled Claire aside.
"Hey can I talk to you for a second," He shot a glance at Frank, "Alone?"
"Sure," she turned to Frank, "I'll be two secs."
Once they were out of earshot Ray started talking,
"I think when you told me what happened to you, you failed to mention what happened between you and Frank."
"Oh. That."
"Yes that. How long has it been going on?"
"Um well, it only recently actually picked up, but I think it all started at your party.."
"My birthday party?"
"Yeah, I think you were being really mean to me and I just wanted to kiss someone, I was too drunk to remember but Frank told me I picked him. It wasn't until the next day when he told me that, that I realized I had feelings for him." She confessed truthfully.
"Anything else to add?"
Claire was about to say something when Ray pushed her against the outside of the house and started to kiss her. Claire was so shocked she just stood there. She had always thought he was too good for her, and here he was, kissing her.
She got so caught up in the moment she started to kiss him back.
As soon as Ray started to run his fingers through her hair she snapped back into reality.
She put her hands on Ray's chest and firmly pushed him away.
"Ray!" she hissed, "What do you think you are DOING?"
"Kissing you." He innocently replied.
"Are you purposely trying to ruin my life? I finally find someone who truly cares for me and then you come along and start kissing me like that and.."
"And you kissed me back," Ray said with a smirk.
"I…..I…..I have to go back to Frank" she stammered, lost for words.
"It’s all sorted," She said giving Frank a peck on the cheek. "Lets go get Jess." The three opened the door to see Stormy bending over someone.
"Emily?" gasped Claire.
Stormy turned to look at them, blood dripping down her chin.
"EMILY!" Claire screamed and started running towards Stormy.
Stormy quickly dropped the body she was holding and stood up, wiping the remaining blood on her sleeve.
Claire lent over the body, who appeared to be Emily, who was moaning and barely conscious.
"Stormy…what did you do?"
Stormy giggled, "Don't worry, your friend Trina is upstairs taking a little nap too."
"You sired them?"
"SHE WHAT?" bellowed Frank from the doorway.
Stormy started to back away, "Rev! Pack the bags, I've done a whoopsie!"
They all stared in shock as she ran out the back door.
A few moments later her boyfriend Rev followed carrying bags. They heard car doors slam and the car screech into the distance.
Claire was holding Emily who had started to shake.
"Claire, Claire how many humans did she sire?"
"I don't know, is this bad Frank?"
"Very bad, a vampire is only supposed to sire two humans in their entire life. Once they sire more then two, the humans react violently to the transformation, some can die."
"I think she whispered I was her fourth," Mumbled Ray.
"She sired Rev after that." Added Claire.

Frank put his hands to his head, "I need to know how many vampires there are in this house and who sired them."
Claire thought for a few seconds. "Counting us, there's seven. You. Me. Ray, Trina and Emily who Stormy sired, and Jess who.."
"Who what?" Asked Frank.
"Who I sired."
Franks eyes widened, but he turned to Ray.
"I understand that you've only just turned, so things might be a little strange for you, but of you can help us that would be great because we have three girls that don't know they are vampires in this house."
Ray nodded, "I'll help."
They took Emily's now unconscious body and started to move her into one of the bedrooms.
Claire went ahead to check on Jess and Trina. Turning the corner she hardly saw the shovel coming. Having time for only a small short scream, the shovelhead connected with her forehead and made a sickening crunch; she slid to the ground unconscious.
Hearing the scream Frank left Ray and ran towards where the sound came from. Rounding the corner he almost fell over Claire's body. He too saw the shovel coming but reached out and yanked it from the persons grip.
"Jess?" he questioned.
"Who the fuck are you?" Jess's eyes were large and wild.