Tale as Old as Time

"Brendon, please! You know me, we've been neighbors nearly 10 years. I used to watch you after school!" Mrs. Gallagher pleaded, mortified at Brendon's behavior. It had been weeks since he was under Henry's thumb, and he became a natural born killer within the first few days. Whenever he was on a hunger high all he saw was red, he didn't care who he was feeding on he just wanted blood. Of course when he came down from his high and seen what he had done he hated himself for it. Mrs. Gallagher had tried to fight back against him and it caught him by surprise her grandmotherly tone brought him back to reality. But in the midst of it all she knew what he was and he knew she would reveal him to the authorities as an attacker.

"I'm sorry." He sighed before shaking back into his nature and finishing her off. Her screams rang through his ears and he swore he'd never get that sound out of his head again. He really wasn't sure why he attacked her either, she really was a sweet old lady that took a hand in caring for him as a boy. His son even went over there a few times a week to keep her company, this would devastate him.

"You did good, see the difference?" Henry grinned, patting his new partner on the shoulder. This was Brendon's third human kill, Henry was right human blood is way better than animal blood. It was harder though to dispose of the bodies they drank from unlike the animals, they left them out in the open. But the bodies, they had a special potters field where they disposed of them so no one knew what became of them.

"I want to go home." Brendon proposed lowly, ashamed of himself right now.

"You just offed your neighbor, I don't know if you'll be able to restrain yourself from hurting your family."

"I wouldn't dare hurt my family! I miss my family, they need me to take care of them."

"I'm just worried you'll go on a rampage and hurt them and then draw attention to our kind." Henry protested.

"I'm going home to my family. Try and stop me. Or better yet just kill me, I can't live this kind of life. I don't want to kill people, I just want to live with my wife and watch my son grow up and live happy. If I can't have that then just kill me."

Henry knew he couldn't kill Brendon, he witnessed first hand the strength that he possessed and knew if it came to a fight Henry would fall before Brendon. At this point he was also worried that one day Brendon may figure this out and try to overthrow him. "Fine, go. But don't come crying to me if you've turned on your family. And when we need you for battle you will come and serve with your kind." Henry agreed under his terms.

Lucille was in the kitchen preparing dinner when Brendon came home. He stood at the back door eyeing his wife, he had never noticed how in love he was with her until this moment. There was this aura shining off of her that he couldn't describe. She turned around to place an apple pie at the back window when she saw him. Their eyes locked for a few moments, lost in each other until Brendon broke the gaze.

"Hello, darling." He smiled at her, that familiar smile that she remembered. Tears fell from her face over joyed to know her husband was still alive, but also saddened that he didn't look the same as he once did. It was as if he were a walking spirit, having lost his way to the afterlife.

"Brendon." She gasped. "Is that really you?"

"Yes my love. Please don't be afraid of me, I wouldn't hurt you. May I come in?"

"Of course you can, this is your home." She nodded wiping her cheeks.

He slowly walked in before breaking down and pulling his wife into a hug. She felt so warm and loving in his touch, his cold body hadn't been near this kind of warmth in so long it was a bittersweet moment.

"You're so cold." She observed, still clutching onto the back of his shirt.

"I know, please if you don't want me this way I can leave. Believe me when I say I never wanted this for you."

"Brendon, I'm just glad you're alive. Or just here with me, the thought of never touching you or laughing with you again would kill me. I cannot live without you. Charlie needs his father."

"Can I see him? How do I explain to him?"

"He knows that you had an accident and will be different but you're still his father. He understands dear, an 8 year olds mind isn't hard to persuade."

"You have no idea what you guys mean to me, thank you for accepting me back."

"Daddy!?" Charles' voice rang through their home. "Daddy!?" This time followed by footsteps rushing into the kitchen.

"Charlie." He smiled opening his arms as his son dashed over to embrace his father once again.

Later that night Brendon lay in bed holding his wife as she slept. She watched as her chest rose and fell with every breath she took. He longed to be near her again, to hold her, to be able to kiss her forehead again. He placed a gentle yet cool hand to her cheek to try and see what she was dreaming. His abilities weren't all the way there yet, he was able to read minds and all that but it took him a minute to really focus on it. He smiled seeing her dream of their family together vacationing on the west coast when Charles was only 3 years old. It was one of the happiest memories Brendon and Lucille shared together as parents.

He swiftly got up to go check on Charles, adjusting to watching them sleep was going to take some getting used to. Considering the vampires he lived with for a while never slept, actually having to keep quiet in the dark for 8 hours was beginning to bug him. He stood happily at the door way looking at his son's face buried into his pillow, mouth agape, and saliva running down his chin. Almost laughing out loud at him dreaming of being a cowboy.

"Brendon." Henry's voice whispered in his ears from outside. He quietly walked out the front door in search of him.

"Henry?"

"Over here." He waved over from the side of the house.

"What's going on?"

"I've finally tracked down the man who stabbed you, James." He smirked, fangs showing through his lips.

"Ok, but not tonight." He brushed off, looking back at his bedroom window.

"I thought you wanted to take him out?"

"I do, and I will. But I can't right now. I want to focus on my family, I can't just go rushing off the first night I come back home to them."

"Brendon, you're a vampire. You can't just live this regular life anymore, you have ties and responsibilities to your kind now."

"Will you quit with that shit? Jesus man, I told you I will handle it. Now please, I need to spend time back with my family again. I need to work on getting my job back so I can support my family. I can't have them out on the streets because I can't afford to pay for a house."

"I can get you money, you're family won't do without. They'll be safe with us. None of your brothers or sisters are going to harm your mate and your child."

"I will not change their lives because mine had to. We will continue on as we were. Please don't come around here, I don't want them afraid. Give me a few weeks, and we can go after James."

"Very well." Henry sighed, it wasn't worth protesting anymore. If Henry knew he could over power Brendon he would have already killed him for talking back to him. It was just easier to accept his wishes and go on his way. But that didn't mean he couldn't send some disposable rogue vampires his way soon enough to scare him into doing what he wanted.