My Heart Can't Be Broken If It's Not Beating

"He's your what?" Now pretty much everyone was staring at me. You could have cut the tension with a knife.

"My brother" I replied a little more confidently.

"How could you not have told us before?" Pete shouted, stepping towards me.

"Well its not like you asked and I didn't think it would matter" I retorted, my own anger beginning to show. That's when Pete really went off.

"You didn't think it would matter? You're brother has killed multiple people, let alone the fact that he actually killed me!"

I really didn't know what to say. Pete looked like his head was going to explode, Joe, Andy and Patrick looked somewhere between shocked and disappointed and Beckett and his henchmen were quietly laughing to themselves.

"Well sister dearest this has been quite enough excitement for me. I was going to kill you and your little friends but it looks like Pete here will take care of that himself" Beckett laughed before waving his hand swiftly in the air. All of a sudden the vampires down the street, my brother and all his henchmen had escaped swiftly into the night, without even the slightest glance from Pete whose eyes had been on me the whole time.

"Let's go" he sighed finally, the hatred still burning in his eyes as the boys began to follow him without a word. Except me.

"I think I'll walk" I muttered quietly looking at the ground.

"Its not safe" Joe stated, turning around to face me.

"Just let her go," Pete began spitefully, "maybe she'll run into her brother again" he spat before walking away. I turned to do the same, feeling the betrayed stares of the boys behind me.

The streets were absolutely silent at this time of night. All I could hear were my own footsteps hitting the wet pavement. I pulled my jacked tighter around me, wondering how many people would die tonight because of my brother. Still a little on edge from his encounter I found myself looking over my shoulder constantly. There was even a little part of me that wanted Pete to be there when I turned around so I could apologise. That was my main thought as I walked towards the warehouse I called home.

The dark brick exterior of the warehouse suddenly became very interesting as I now stood outside, trying to gain enough confidence to go in and face the boys. When I silently entered I saw Patrick and Joe sitting at the table, Andy on the couch and Pete leaning perfectly still against the wall. The glow from the light hanging above the table showed the awaiting looks of an explanation upon all of their faces.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Patrick asked from across the table as I sat down.

"You think I wanted you guys that that monster was my brother? That we shared the same blood"

No one spoke for a while.

"How did you- when did he-" Joe began cautiously.

"When did he get turned?" I finished for him. He nodded slowly.

I sighed and leant back in my chair.

"When I was 12 I lived here in Chicago with my parents and my brother, William" Pete noticeably squirmed in the corner but I continued.

"My parents were incredibly wealthy but cold people. We lived in some rich ass mansion where they never had to see us. I hated it. I just wanted to be a normal kid. Bill was always there for me though. He was 20 when he got turned. I was at home with my parents one night just waiting for my amazing older brother to get home so he could teach me to play guitar like he promised. We were close then, he was always looking out for me and I looked up to him. That night he came home covered in his own blood, barely able to walk. At first we thought he's been shot or something until my father saw the wounds in his neck. I begged my parents to help him but they knew what he had become, or at least what he would become. I didn't know though, I was just scared for my brother." I stopped speaking for a minute, the visions from that night haunting my mind again for the first time in years before finding my voice again.

"Then they left. My parents simply packed their bags and left. They didn't care about us; they were frightened and ashamed to be around him. They didn't care if I would be ok or not they just walked out the door leaving me to look after him." I covered my face with my hands, hiding myself from the others as I swallowed back tears. The rest of the room was quiet as I felt arms wrap around me and looked up to see Joe's caring face looking down at me. I smiled thankfully and he pulled his seat closer to mine.

"Then what" Pete's uncaring voice pierced the air.

"Leave her alone Pete" Patrick sighed.

"No it's ok" I assured him, adjusting myself in Joe's arms and taking a breath.

"When I was left with Bill, I looked after him as he changed. I listened to the screaming and saw the immense amount of pain he had to go through." I paused to look at Pete who just looked away.

"Afterwards, I saw what he had become and it wasn't my brother anymore. He was violent and would come home covered in other people's blood. He never hurt me though. Sometimes he would just stare at me, as if debating whether to kill me or not. We never spoke, I would just try and live my life and he would live his. Then, he went out one night and never came back. He left me, just like my parents did and then I was truly all alone. Eventually I went to live with a foster family L.A until I was 16. That's when I started hunting. Tonight was the first time I've seen Bill in…a while."

Joe hugged me closer and I noticed everyone's expression was black. Pete left the room without a word.

"I'm sorry Rils" Joe whispered into my hair.

"Don't worry about it," I assured him "it was a long time ago"

"So I guess that kind of changes things" Patrick laughed nervously, adjusting his hat.

"I umm, I think I'll just go to bed" I said releasing myself from Joe and standing up.

"Ok well, goodnight then" I heard one of the guys say as I walked towards my room.

Good is probably not how I would have described it.