to thy nature be true

It was incredibly bizarre to see such a drastic change in David's behavior. The boys were used to seeing their leader as a confident, mischievous and fun-loving guy. Someone who always knew what to do. The best person to call all the shots without a second thought.

Now it was like looking at a stranger. 

For over a week now, David had isolated himself deep within the cave under Hudson's Bluff. He had shut himself away in one of the ancient, decaying rooms from the fallen hotel. All he did night in and night out was hide under a dusty quilt and blast music from his boombox to drown out the world. Normally his taste was pure, hot rock and roll, with plenty of loud drums and shredding electric guitars. But he simply didn't have the energy for such music. He instead found solace in the country station, his heartache gravitating towards the crooning blues. 

It was the closest thing he could get to being with Michael again. Being away from him and his family gave him a sense of homesickness that he never experienced before. All he wanted was to hear Michael's beautiful singing voice. He longed for that familiar drawl of country songs that soothed his darkened soul. But this was the best he could do.

Quite a few sad song were playing on the radio tonight. David's chest ached when the sorrowful tune of Gary Stewart crackled through the speakers.

I never intended

For it to go this far

I don't think I can get off

From where we are

Some time to waste

So just a taste

Was all, that I had planned

And I never intended

For it to get so

Out of hand

The universe certainly had a cruel sense of humor. 

David was so lost in his somber thoughts that he didn’t notice that the music had caught the ears of his pack mates, luring them into his room. Marko, Dwayne and Paul watched their leader with worried looks in their eyes.

“You doin’ okay, bud?” Paul asked.

The platinum blond barely moved an inch to look over at the boys. Even just seeing them out of the corner of his eye was enough to rope him deeper into his depression. Though their wounds had healed fully and their bodies were strong once again, David couldn’t stop picturing how mutilated they were that night at Max’s house. They were already undead beings, but in that moment they truly looked like the embodiment of the walking dead. It terrified him more than he would ever admit.

“No,” he answered curtly, “I’m pretty fuckin’ far from ‘okay’, Paul.”

“Hey man, he was just asking,” Marko piped up. “No need to bite our heads off for checking in on our friend.”

David groaned, pinching his eyes shut in frustration. He couldn’t deny that Marko was speaking the truth. Lashing out at his brothers would not fix the loss of their new family. He begrudgingly sat up in the bed to get a better look at his boys. His muscles ached from finally moving after so many nights of being completely stagnant.

“You’re right. ‘m sorry, Paulie,” he apologized.

The three Lost Boys all made their way closer, each sitting by David on his makeshift nest to provide him with a little extra comfort in the company.

“It’s all good, Davey. We’re just...worried. That’s all.”

“We haven’t seen you hunt for yourself in days. Do you need us to bring a body or two?” Dwayne offered.

David felt the corners of his lips turn upward ever-so-slightly. It was a minuscule change in his appearance, but it at least helped the boys feel like they were making some progress with him. No matter what happened, they’d always take care of their leader, just as he did for them.

“No no, I’ve been using the bottle,” David explained, lazily pointing a finger over at the nightstand. “After all, it’s not like we’re gonna need it for...them.”

Even though he didn’t speak their names out loud, a sharp pain shot through David’s heart at the mere mention of the Emerson family. It wasn’t just Michael he missed, but also Lucy, Grandpa and even Sam. Memories of their nightly dinners together taunted him whenever he closed his eyes. The warmth of the kitchen, the drawl in their laughter, and the soothing notes of a guitar and fiddle to help them all wind down for the night. It was all haunting him like a ghost.

The memories were enough to make the corners of his icy eyes leak with tears.

“Aw man, don’t cry, David!” Paul pouted, wrapping an arm around his pack mate. Dwayne was already reaching for a handkerchief from his jacket pocket before the first tear could fall down David’s pale cheek.

“I’m fine,” David insisted, despite taking the fabric from Dwayne so he could swiftly dry his eyes. “I just….damn, is it silly if I say I’m homesick? ‘Cause I am home in our cave with you guys. So why should I-”

“Stop that,” Marko interrupted. “Don’t downplay how you feel about this, David. We totally understand how you feel.”

He glanced at Dwayne and Paul, recognizing the shared somber looks on their faces. The way they were gazing back at him was enough of to clue him in on how he must have looked the same way.

“We miss them too.”

It wasn’t very long ago that the boys would have laughed at the mere idea of enjoying a domestic lifestyle with a bunch of bright-eyed farm-folk from the heart of Texas. Now they were grieving the departure from their beloved family.

No amount of bloodshed from the residents of Santa Carla could fill their stomachs in a way that Lucy’s cooking could. The silence of the caves was deafening compared to the thunderous gallops and strong whinnying of the horses they hadn’t heard for some time now. It had been so easy to become part of the Emerson’s, but so very painful to leave them. Not even the cruelty from Max could match such emotional agony.

“I fucking hate that bastard,” David growled, snatching up the bottle. His tight grip made the glass shake between his fingers. His claws were creeping out of his nail beds, threatening to scratch along the surface. “I should have wrung his neck years ago. If I hadn’t been so goddamn scared of Max all this time, I could have freed us all. We’d finally get to be vampires without a master. Michael and I...we could have been together...we...DAMMIT!”

A crash echoed off the walls as David hurled the bottle at the nearest pillar. Anger boiled in his blood, enraging him enough to throw away the very thing that turned him into the monster he was today. Shards of glass scattered across the dusty floor, the crimson liquid that was once trapped now spilling into every direction. The boys were in shock, not used to seeing their leader in such a rage.

David was stunned with silence, taken by surprise at his own actions. He truly hadn’t been thinking in that moment. Max had him seeing red, and it made him act out as a result. It was such a surprise to himself that he hadn’t even noticed that tears were falling down his stubbled face again.

“I...I’m sorry, boys…”

Overwhelmed by the whole ordeal, David allowed the three other vampires to hold him. They kept him safe and calm as they each whispered gentle words to him. Their leader had been through so much, and no matter what happened, they would do whatever it took to help him face this terrible heartbreak. The Lost Boys always stood by one another, through thick and thin.

Little did they know that someone else had been watching them closely from the shadows. Another friend who was ready to help David too. None of the boys had even noticed the small figure disappear from the entrance of the room, swiftly taking off into the night.

The Emerson household had never been this quiet before. Without the spark of family gatherings and jam sessions to keep him going, Michael had lost his sense of joy. Every day was a monotonous cycle for him. When he wasn’t cooped up in his room, he was doing his daily chores in total silence. He didn’t even have the will to hum a little tune to himself.

Michael just didn’t see the point in trying to stay positive when his whole world was falling apart at the seams.

His entire understanding of reality was flipped completely upside down, opening a floodgate of questions that swirled and thrashed around in his head. How many vampires were there in Santa Carla? In the world? Were there other monsters? Had he already met some and didn't realize? It was enough to give him a skull-numbing headache the further he let his mind wander.

But even with this whirlwind of questions swarming around him, there was something far more important to him that he wished to give all his attention. David.

He could still picture the glow of those inhuman eyes so clearly. The ferocity of a killer behind the mask of a human. With those deadly claws and fangs, David could have easily torn him to shreds that night in the grotto. Hell, at any point in their time knowing one another, he could have massacred the entire Emerson family without a second thought.

But even when standing face-to-face with this dangerous creature, Michael could only focus on the truth in David's eyes. He had spent enough time around him to recognize when he was scared of something, and that something was the fear of hurting Michael. It kept the cowboy grounded in that moment, like a mighty anchor holding down a ship knocked around in a ferocious storm. 

Underneath the danger and animalistic mannerisms, it was still David. The man he had fallen so deeply in love with. The sweet guy who helped Lucy with prepping ingredients and shared a cup of black coffee with his grandpa after dinner. His favorite person to croon country songs with after a hard day's work. 

And now he was gone. Leaving a gaping hole in Michael's heart that ached with every memory that crossed his mind.

Even with the pain, Michael still had a life to live. Responsibilities to his family that he could not neglect. He would put on a smile for his beloved mother if she ever asked him to do something, and he would not burden her with the weight of his broken heart. Whether or not she noticed that his expression was nothing more than a false mask, that didn't matter to him. 

Another work day had come and gone for the eldest Emerson boy. He tended to all the tasks and cared for all the animals. If he hadn't known any better, he could have sworn they could all tell that something was wrong. They all watched him a little more carefully as he cleaned up their pens each day. Like they were trying to figure out what was different. He was sure to give each critter a little scratch behind the ear to help put them at ease.

But perhaps it couldn't hurt to take some time to himself. If everyone around him was noticing the dark cloud that lingered, then maybe it was about time he actually did something about it. Get all those dreary thoughts out of his head so that he could actually think clearly. 

Once he was showered and bundled up in his best Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt and pajama pants, Michael took hold of his trusty guitar and made his way out to the front porch. The instrument case had a faint layer of dust growing over the leather material; a physical sign of the neglect it had been through over the course of his blue spell. 

Michael perched himself on top of his favorite wicker lounge chair. The ratty seat cushion sunk under his weight and the material of the arm rest crackled when he leaned back. A tired sigh fell from his lips as he half-heartedly tuned the guitar. Only one song came to his mind for a night like this. Something from the same singer who kickstarted the very relationship he had with David.

Time for some Hank Williams.

“I've never seen a night so long

When time goes crawling by

The moon just went behind the clouds

To hide its face and cry”

It hurt. Wounded him. A stab in his heart with every chord and strum. But Michael kept going with the song. Even if it felt like it would just about kill him. He needed this. He needed to keep going.

“Did you ever see a robin weep

When leaves begin to die?

Like me, he's lost the will to live

I'm so lonesome, I could cry”

“The silence of a falling star

Lights up a purple sky

And as I wonder where you are

I'm so lonesome, I could cry”

Michael's fingers trembled against the steel strings of his guitar. One little song had already left him feeling terribly miserable. Even moreso than before, and he didn’t even think that was possible. His singing did not carry the same way it usually did. The air around simply felt too silent without the rasp of David's voice following along with his own.

It made him wonder if it was even worth it to keep playing at all if his only option was to go at it alone.

He let out a groan, setting the guitar down by the side of his chair. He slumped further into the material of the chair and let his legs dangle lazily off the arm rest. There was just no point of doing anything else. He couldn't bring himself to even care if he fell asleep outside with nothing but the cold, autumn air. 

The only thing that concerned him was whether or not his dreams would taunt him with visions of David. It was a gamble between sweet moments of being together again, and nightmares of those blood red eyes glaring right at him.

But Michael didn’t get the chance to find out.

“Mike?”

Just as quickly as they fell shut, his blue eyes opened up again the moment he heard the sound of a familiar voice. Doing so allowed him to see his little brother, standing awkwardly by the door leading out to the porch. He too was wearing a Cowboys shirt, albeit one that fit him more loosely. The older Emerson boy recognized it as something he wore back when he was younger. Until Sam had a growth spurt, he’d be drowning in the fabric of Michael’s old hand-me-downs.

It put a little flicker of joy in Michael’s spirit again. A spark of hope.

“Sammy,” he said, straightening up a bit. “Howdy there, stranger. Feels like I haven’t seen seen ya in a long while. Missed ya, bud.”

“Yeah...I’m sorry ‘bout that…”

Michael frowned at his brother, disappointed in himself for not being able to get a happier reaction out of him. It was bad enough he was tending to a broken heart. He didn’t want to bring his brother down with him too.

“Listen, I know things have been...different lately,” Michael explained. “I know you miss the others. I wanna tell ya what happened, but it’s just so…”

“Fucked?”

Michael snorted in amusement.

“Complicated, is what I was gonna say.”

Sam leaned against the worn-out, wooden exterior of the house and ran a hand nervously through his sun-kissed, wavy hair. He seemed like he had something to say, but didn’t know how to go about finding the right words for it. Michael completely understood the feeling. He had all the patience in the world for his baby brother, and he’d keep it going as long as he needed to figure things out.

That’s what big brothers did. And he was there to listen carefully once Sam started to find his words.

“Actually, Mike...I...need to tell you something…about Da-”

“HEY!”

Any conversation that may have taken place between the brothers was swiftly cut short the moment they heard the call of a new voice. Their heads whipped around towards the direction it came from, leading towards the gravel path of their driveway. To the surprise of both of them, it was a smaller figure. One that was swiftly headed towards their house.

Both sets of eyes widened when the realized just who had come to see them.

“Laddie??” Michael called out. He swiftly stood up from his seat, ready to greet the little boy that he hadn’t seen in so very long. The boy’s long hair tussled back and forth with each step across the road. His smaller frame made the short distance seem longer, but it was probably nothing compared to how far he must have traveled.

The moment Michael stepped off the porch, Laddie finally met him with an eager hug. For a little guy, he had quite a tight grip. But it didn’t bother him one bit. Michael couldn’t fight the smile spreading on his face as he lifted the boy up, pulling him into a bear hug and spinning him around in a circle. He had missed his little buddy much more than he realized.

“What are you doin’ here, ya crazy kid?” he asked, finally putting him back down on the ground. Michael kneeled down to meet Laddie at eye-level.

“Had to talk to you!” the little boy explained. His brown eyes were big and shiny with the eagerness that reflected in them. “Star does too!”

Much like an actor taking their cue to go on stage, another figure immediately came running up the driveway. One with a longer, feminine frame and curls for days. Even before she came close to the porch, he could hear her huffing and puffing. No doubt she was tired from trying to catch up with the little ball of energy.

“Laddie, you cannot keep doing this!” Star shouted. “You have to actually tell me where you’re going before you go off!”

“I’m sorry!” Laddie pouted, leaning onto Michael for comfort.

The older boy got back up to his normal level, ready to greet his other friend. He had one hand on Laddie, and was reaching out the other to embrace Star.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!”

The three of them instantly froze in place, shocked by the sudden interruption of their happy reunion. Sam had jumped from his spot on the porch and threw himself in between his brother and Star. In his hands was the broom that was usually set up against the wall when a good sweeping was needed. But for the time being, he was holding it up like he would a baseball bat. Brandishing a cleaning item as a weapon was most certainly common for the Emerson family.

“You stay away from my brother, ya she-devil!” he sneered. “Ya ain’t takin’ no blood tonight! Not on my goddamn watch!”

“Sammy! What’s gotten-” Michael paused. Then the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. “YOU KNEW THEY WERE VAMPIRES?”

Now it was Sam’s turn to feel surprise of such an aggressive reaction. He turned back to his brother, eyes wide with bewilderment. The broom was still in his grasp, albeit a bit more loose.

“Shit...I…was gonna tell ya, Mike...” he said. “That night that David left after meetin’ Cookie, I went outside to check on him. I saw him FLY. Like somethin’ outta my damn comics!”

Michael felt like he his legs were going to give out. His stomach was practically doing flip-flops and his head throbbed from the headache beginning to bloom. The poor boy had to pass Laddie over to Star in case there was a risk of fainting and falling over onto the kid.

“Why in the God-fearing hell didn’t you tell me sooner?!” Michael asked.

“Were you even gonna believe me if I told you?” Sam shot back. “Mike, I tried to tell ya about Max, but you weren’t listenin’ when I was tellin’ the truth!”

Though Star did her best to hold Laddie back from the brothers and their spat, hearing that name was enough to rile him up some more. He wiggled out of her grasp, and made himself heard once again.

“Max!” he squeaked. “That’s who hurt them!”

Silence.

It hit them all like an ice cold bucket of water to a campfire. Fizzling out any fight or tension that was starting to burn. Michael and Sam ceased their back-and-forth squabbling as they took in what the little one had said. Max.

Now more than ever, Michael was feeling as serious as a heart attack. He calmly took the broom from Sam’s hand, and set it down on the ground. Just as he did before, he knelt down to Laddie’s eye level, blue eyes meeting brown. He only hoped that the fear racing throughout his body wasn’t showing up on his face as he spoke.

“Laddie,” he said. “I need you to tell me everything that happened with Max.”

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