Dwelling Place For Demons

Pierre sat frozen on the couch, fingers clenched around the neck of the guitar.

“What are you saying, Pat?”

The Were stood before him, arms crossed tightly over his chest, rosary beads clutched in his left hand, as he rubbed his thumb over them repeatedly. He just shook his head, his lips pressed together in a thin line. He didn’t have the nerve to repeat what he’d just told his friend.

Pierre groaned, shifting the weight of the instrument on his lap. “Are you fucking serious? He…he can actually do that?”

Pat nodded, his gaze fixed on a spot between the vampire’s feet. He absently noted the laces on Pierre’s shoes were tied neatly for a change, instead of hanging frayed. They must have been new.

“Un-fucking-believable…I don’t know if I can…” Pierre trailed off, seemingly unable to find words to express how he was feeling.

“Better believe it, Bouv,” Pat muttered. “When you go home…he’ll be there.”

“But, why?” Pierre asked, setting the guitar aside and leaning forward against his knees. “Why would Matt…do that?”

Pat glanced up at his friend. He could read the shock and confusion in the male’s eyes, and knew how hard it was for him to come to terms with the information. He was still finding it difficult to believe what had gone down, had actually happened. Until he saw the elder Bouvier with his own eyes, he knew it still wouldn’t really click in his head.

Pierre raised his eyebrows at the Were, and muttered, “You got an answer for me, Pat?”

“I don’t even know anymore, Pierre,” Pat answered, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the opposite wall. He opened them again after a long moment, meeting the vampire’s sharp look. “All I can say with any certainty is that Shads…has had a big change of heart.” He laughed bitterly, “Maybe it’ll be too late for you to forgive him for the shit that’s happened…but at least he’s tried to fix things.”

Pierre snorted. “I gotta say, if what he wanted was forgiveness…bringing my brother back is the best way to get that…still…I’ll reserve judgement ‘til I see Jay with my own eyes.”

Pat nodded. That was a fair statement. And the biggest thing out of this was the condition the elder Bouvier would be in. His illness had become such an integral part of him; Pat wondered whether that had remained intact. Or whether that had been cleaned from the slate.

Pierre bowed his head, pressing his palms against his face as he hunched his shoulders up. The Were took that as a sign to give him some space, so turned and headed for the top level. He glanced back once to observe his friend. Pierre hadn’t moved, and made no sound, all he was doing was concentrating on his breathing. Pat could hear it from where he stood. The vampire was steeling his mind, mentally preparing himself.

Pat cleared his throat, but didn’t speak out loud. Gimme a yell when you’re ready…

Pierre looked up then and gave a slight nod. Pat turned and left the vampire alone.

* * * * *

Restlessness seeped through Pierre’s bones as he paced the length of the bus. It was several hours since Pat had told him his brother was alive, and he still hadn’t been able to come to terms with the fact. The others had left to go to the venue to run through a full sound check for the band’s final gig in town. But, Pierre just wasn’t in the mood for any of that. Music was the furthest thing from his mind. Images of his elder brother were pinned to his frontal lobe, and he felt he would go insane if he didn’t do something about it.

“Patrick?” His voice came out in a growl.

Pat looked up from where he was sitting on the couch with his laptop. Silent, he was working on the band’s site, keeping to himself and not disturbing the vampire.

“What?”

Pierre grimaced. “How much time do we have?”

“Time?”

“Before the gig tonight?”

Pat glanced at the time on the screen. “Four hours. Why?”

Pierre didn’t answer; instead he gave a curt nod and without further thought, vanished from the bus. Pat started slightly, cursed and disappeared after him, knowing exactly where he was headed.

Laval

Louise swallowed hard, staring at the looming figure in the doorway of her late son’s bedroom. Shadows filled the frame his big palms gripping them firmly. The expression on his face was taut, yet there was an earnestness there that Louise had not seen before. She wasn’t sure what to think, though. Fear was a very real emotion, and she was feeling it now. The male standing there had killed her son, in front of her, so what he was telling her wasn’t making any sense.

“So, run that by me again,” she murmured, “you’re telling me you brought my son back?”

Shadows nodded tightly.

Louise frowned. “His ashes?”

Shadows shook his head, sighing. “No, Louise.” He turned his head and beckoned to someone behind him. “Bring him here, Vengeance…”

Louise frowned at the name, wondering what kind of person…then she blinked several times as Shadows stepped aside and a smaller male stepped into the room. He flashed a grim smile, the piercings on his lower lip flashing, bright emerald stare drawing her attention fully on him. Then to what he was holding in his arms.

She gulped several times, eyes widening when she realised what- who the male was holding. Vengeance had one arm under his back, and the other beneath the crook of his knees, but the figure was unmistakeable. Louise held the back of her hand against her mouth as she sunk down on the chair by the bed.

The male walked over and gently laid Jay out on the bed. Louise couldn’t say anything, she just stared at him. He was so pale and with his eyes closed she couldn’t decide whether to believe that he was truly back.

“Is he?” She finally found her voice.

The green-eyed male smiled. “He is. Talk to him…”

Louise was taken aback by the gentleness of Vengeance’s tone. She glanced at the shorter male, and noted the very tips of his fangs, protruding just where his top lip met his piercings. He was a vampire as well, like Shadows, but obviously of a completely different character. She nodded to him then leaned across the bed to her son.

“Jay…oh…god…” That was all she could get out. But it appeared that was all she needed to say, because the man slowly turned his head toward her, eyelids twitching a little. Before opening fully and focusing on her face.

“Maman…”

Louise gasped softly, blinking hard.

Vengeance and Shadows backed out the door to leave her in peace with her son.

* * * * *

Stepping out into the hallway the two vampires paused before preparing to vanish, but as they were about to leave, Pierre appeared in front of them.

“Oi, Shadows,” Pierre interrupted them, causing them both to turn to him in surprise.

“Bouvier?” Zacky frowned. “Aren’t you meant to be performing a show?”

Pierre shook his head. “Got a few hours. Needed to come home…”

“So, you know, about your brother,” Shadows murmured. His big body was tensed as if he wasn’t certain of the reception he would receive from the other male. Pierre met his gaze directly, deep brown eyes candid, sincere.

“Yeah, that’s why I’m here.” He glanced to the bedroom door. “He’s in there?”

“Mhm,” Zacky said. “Your mom’s in there with him.”

Pierre worked his jaw for a moment while he tried to get his head around that particular piece of information. Then he looked at Shadows, brow furrowed.

“I have one question.”

The master vampire nodded. “I know.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, and no, it’s gone, Pierre.” Shadows lips twitched faintly. “He’ll live to a ripe old age, your brother.”

Pierre crossed his arms over his chest and gripped his elbows hard, squeezing them as he blinked several times at the other vampire’s response to his unasked question. He cleared his throat gruffly before murmuring in answer.

“Thank you…I didn’t expect…”

Shadows interrupted in a gentle voice, “Your brother was an innocent who got caught in the middle of all this shit. I just wanted to make amends…I know it can’t fix everything…and it definitely can’t fix what I caused you to do…but…it’s something…I hope.”

Pierre nodded a little, still stunned by the apparent 180 personality change the master vampire had gone through. Then it wasn’t entirely surprising, considering how he had turned out after the fact. He still smarted over what he had done to those women.

He glanced to the door again, anxious to get in the room to see his brother. He wanted to view with his own eyes the thing that he could only call a miracle. He wasn’t one to believe in the unexpected, but after everything that had happened this was just one more thing to get used to. But, he needed to see this thing with his own eyes to truly believe it had occurred.

The master vampire picked up on Pierre’s edginess and nodded to the door. “Go. Zack and I have to leave. Get in there.”

Pierre licked at the tips of his fangs before he inclined his head to the other two males. “Thank you…”

Shadows shook his slightly, placing a palm over where his heart was. “Go, be with your family.” He vanished without another word.

Zacky shot Pierre a smile before disappearing after his leader. Pierre stood looking at the spot where they’d been standing before turning to head into his brother’s room.

* * * * *

Shadows materialised back on the Avenged Sevenfold bus, dragging a hand over his head, removing his cap and bandana. Sherry lifted her head from where she was leaning up against Johnny. The two of them were sitting on the lounge watching a movie. Syn and The Rev were opposite them playing cards; Luna was curled up against the tall vampire.

Zacky appeared shortly after and flopped down next to the young Were and the female, whose eyes were glued to the master vampire’s big frame.

“How’d it go?” Sherry’s voice was low.

Shadows breathed out roughly. “He’s home…and Pierre’s there.” Which was a bigger relief than he’d ever imagined, but there was no need for him to elaborate on that; it was pretty damned obvious to everyone concerned.

“They’ll be okay, won’t they?” she murmured.

The master vampire joined her on the lounge, bracing his hands on the edge of the seat. He was hoping with all his heart that that would be the case. Enough was enough. He couldn’t handle all the despair anymore.

He looked over at the female who he had mated so many years ago, whom he had put through so much grief and pain over so many decades. Her and her son, both.

But in twenty-nine years, times had definitely changed…but the most change? Often it occurred in the tightest amount of time, and right now Shadows was facing the biggest revolution that had ever occurred in his two thousand years of life.

He smiled slightly at Sherry. “I’m sure they will be…but,” he paused.

“But?”

“I have something more important to think about, now…” Shadows looked at her directly.

Sherry blinked at him. “What’s that?”

He leaned back against the lounge, and folded his arms, his expression serious. The others glanced over to them with different expressions. The Rev’s features were drawn in an equally sombre cast; Luna’s was hopeful, soft; Syn’s was hard, but gave nothing away. Johnny’s was curious and Zacky’s was expectant. Serena’s face was tight, yet hopeful, nervous of what Shadows was going to say.

He cleared his throat several times as he thought of what life had thrown at him, and how everything had come to pass. How the past few weeks had turned out were a big surprise, so much had happened, but now it was all coming to an end, and something new and exciting would begin. Life…his life. It would be so much better now. And he wanted to make everything in it work, but particularly one specific part of it.

Shadows swallowed hard, and then the tips of his fangs glinted as he flashed an almost tentative smile toward Sherry. “Us. You. Me…” He glanced across at the others. “All of us.”

Syn snorted. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

The Master Vampire glared at him, but didn’t respond. Instead he turned back to Sherry, and reached out to run a finger along her cheekbone. She shivered at his touch, but felt the tenderness in it, so leaned into him.

“It’s time to go home,” Shadows said quietly.

Sherry swallowed hard, before she whispered, “Home?”

“If you’ll come with me?”

The female turned her head to look out the window of the bus. She didn’t really have anywhere to go anymore, considering her rent was long due and the landlord would probably kick her out anyway. And the fact that she’d had to flee when Shadows had first sniffed her out… She turned her head back so she could meet the master vampire’s questioning, yet hope-filled gaze.

“If you want me to?”

Shadows exhaled with a soft grunt. “I do.”

Luna chose that moment to speak up, her voice was soft, yet there was a confidence there that they all recognised. “You’ll be okay, Serena. Matthew’s a good male.”

Sherry blinked hard at the younger female’s statement. She didn’t know how to respond to it. After everything that had happened that was almost hard to believe.

Shadows looked at his sister, who added in a low tone, “I’m not just saying that because he’s my brother…I’m saying it because I know it to be true.” She leaned forward. “No matter what’s happened in the past, know this, Serena. Matthew won’t ever steer you wrong. And, anyway…I know how he feels about you…how he truly feels. I have never been wrong about anything.”

Sherry bit at her bottom lip, looking back toward the master vampire.

Shadows gazed back at her, his eyes a deep burnished hazel, almost honey-coloured. “Come home with me, Serena…”

Sherry exhaled slowly before she nodded, and allowed a smile to curve her lips. “Alright…I’ll come home with you, Matthew.”

Matthew’ smiled then looked across to The Rev. “James, where’s the driver?”

The assassin smirked and pointed at Syn who had got to his feet and was making his way to the front of the vehicle. The Master Vampire rolled his eyes.

“Well, I guess we’ll get back to Huntington in one piece, then.”

The Rev laughed, shaking his head then he looked to Sherry and said, “It’s been twenty-nine years since you left…things will have changed.”

She shrugged. “Maybe. But, none of you have.” A smile ghosted across her lips as the Master Vampire cocked an eyebrow at her. Sherry’s smiled widened as she added, “Except, perhaps for Matthew.”

Shadows grabbed hold of one of her hands and squeezed it; she returned the gesture, flashing her fangs at him. His eyes glowed then as the bus lurched into gear, Synyster at the wheel; Shadows leaned in close and murmured something in her ear. The words were barely above a whisper, but Sherry heard them as clear as a bell. And she held onto them tight in her mind, as the vehicle began to roll across the bitumen, tyres crunching as they began the journey home.

Notes